Y U No Crazy?

In this edition of Carly Is Out Of Shape, we meet our heroes in the front cross country field. It's just rained nearly two additional inches to the approximately five thousand we got over the weekend, but it's been so ungodly hot that the ground is the perfect mix of soft but solid. The allergen level in the air is certified toxic, but the humidity has blown out and it's only 70*. There's not going to be a better time to get some outside jumping in.

sometimes leaving the wash stall is more than
bobby can handle in his life, and he stands there
for ages until he works himself up to the effort.

After yesterday's marathon trot session in the indoor, I wanted to reward Bobby by letting him do something fun. Also yesterday I was lauding myself for sitting the trot for basically eternity without once feeling taxed by the effort. "I am so in shape!" I thought. And maybe I am....in sitting trot shape with a strong-ish core. You know what that doesn't translate to? Being in half seat with short, short stirrups because hot damn I am going to get my strength back so I'm not an embarrassment to myself even if it borders on sadism.

I was expecting Bobby to be lit when we started popping over the jumps out front, but we've fallen into the trap of too much dressage work. We ran into this problem a lot last year when we were jumping regularly. He warms up great in all three gaits, but once the jumps came up he isn't even remotely in the mindset that that's what we're doing and he keeps getting caught by surprise.

He was curling his head instead of looking up and out, and he was so goddamned slow.

I finally got him into the groove where he was like, "Oh, right. We're jumping. Where's the next one?" but he reverted back to old Bobby several times where he could have jumped out of an open stride but instead just had to squeeze that extra step in.

We moved from there to the indoor where I'd already set a few jumps up. I tried to chase him into a strong canter right off the bat, and it wasn't a bad canter, it just need more. After he refused to take the spot I goosed him to coming into the diagonal and instead added a completely unnecessary and absolutely awful step, I got off and grabbed a crop. Two spanks behind my leg and he suddenly came alive.

I don't know what the deal was. Was it just that we haven't jumped with purpose in so, so long that he wasn't in the mindset? Too much dressage? Is he so trained now that he he actually listens too well and doesn't think hauling ass to the jumps is the right answer? I mean, it's not, but usually he takes me to them a little stronger. Was he just not into it this morning? Is he as out of shape for the thing as I am? Do I suck that much as a rider? Is he about to die after all?

The mysteries of Bobby. Feet were packed, we'll see how he's feeling tomorrow.