Christmas Jumper Night

BM texted me last month that she was planning on doing the first jumper night of the winter in the middle of December, and I was like, sold. And then as it was getting closer I was like, "Let's make it a ugly sweater Christmas party!" BM took it a step farther and turned it into a contest, best sweater getting a free class.

Challenge accepted, BM.

credit to riding bestie who hunted this beauty down at target friday morning
and then promptly bought a matching one. we had to pull out all the stops to
beat santa riding a unicorn across the night sky. #epic

Opie's jumping education is going about as well as his steering education. When he gets it, he's pretty much the best. When he doesn't....we run into walls/bring down every element of the twelve inch crossrail we're going over--standards, poles, fill, you name it. I allow myself a brief pout that he isn't magically some beautifully trained and confirmed jumper before moving on and reminding myself he's four, he's just about two months off the track, and this kid doesn't yet know that not going over the jump is an option. First world horse training problems, yo.

After his free jumping, he thinks he's got the whole thing figured out. So when he lopes over jumps from the perfect distance over and over again (that being like, three times in a row) I get complacent and stop helping him, and it shows when he misses, or clobbers into them, or gets wiggly, or breaks. I'm helping him more than I think I am and I need to hold myself accountable to be there for him all the time, even if being there is just being soft and waiting before giving him that extra little squeeze on take off to remind him he has feet.

rly hard to figure out two pointing over tiny Xs.

Individually, Opie's being popping over some 18" verticals with fill underneath. He definitely gets the idea a little better when there's some "size" and we approach it from the canter. Even the "bigger" jumps he still just puts in a big, awkward trot step over if we don't canter up to it. Even if he breaks before the jump, if we start from a canter he'll give it the old college try.

the right lead can be elusive.... practicing in the dressage saddle

on friday

Jumper night was split into a beginner and an intermediate division with each division having two splits--crossrails and 18" for the beginner, and 2'3" and 2'9" for intermediate. It was a game time decision on what I was going to do with Opie. He's practiced courses exactly one time, so while he might be the best at cantering single 18" verticals, I wasn't particularly confident in his ability to turn quickly and still make it over the jump without blowing his mind. I figured I'd do the crossrail division and depending on how he handled everything, add in a 18" class as well. 

turning and burning. clearly. 

The courses were all pretty simple, but since our arena is so narrow and my horse is so green, we were challenged enough. Hubby tried to get pictures of our first round, but it was so dark they all turned out horrendous. I handed him my phone and he videoed the other two rounds and the scintillating jump offs, but since we tapped out the canter in round one, they're all really scintillating trotting.

our second round where opie shows off his crashing prowess

Opie, for his part, handled everything like a champ. I brought him in to take a peek at all the decorations--including a Christmas tree in the corner by the sectioned off viewing area--but he was far more concerned with the horses that had started trickling in. He's still not super experienced riding with other horses, and I've never ridden him in the evening before so I opted to stick him on the longe for a couple minutes to take it all in while burning off any excess energy. He also hasn't been ridden consistently in the past two weeks--maybe three or four rides total?

The worst he did the whole night was need to walk a circle while waiting between one of the rounds, and then not want to stand at the mounting block when I got back on after adjusting his borrowed saddle. That was decidedly not helped by a couple of parents instantly jumping all over us the second he took one step away from the block before I could get on.

We were already tucked into a crowded area, we were almost done for the night (well, Opie was already done with us), and all I wanted was some fucking space to give him two seconds to remember his training and stand. There was one dude who grabbed his fucking tail when I led him up, and another one that was all over his face tugging him forward as I was trying to get him to just stand still. My desire to fling my arms around and send people physically scattering was strong.

both of our expressions by the end of that experience

We ended up doing the full crossrail division and nothing else. He was clear his first round, annihilated one jump the second round, and trotted through his first one stride for the third round (gambler's choice). Combined with two jump offs, he was one tired kid by the end of it. He didn't say no to anything, his steering was mostly there, and apart from being super excited--for him--to start his final round, he didn't get sassy or strong or distracted by things even the lesson horses Noped over.

our xrails jump off courses were tough stuff

He got cooed over by literally everyone, fed extra, extra cookies, and ended the night with the combined beginner division in second place for his first round and third for gambler's choice. 

i can't escape without an ugly ass yellow ribbon no matter the
horse it seems. 

Here's to the first two ribbons as a kickstart to many more!