A jump jump horse

or not.

I bought Opie with the goal of making him my dressage horse. My allegiance has shifted away from eventing since we moved up here from PA. The availability of events combined with the community that participates in them quickly soured my favorite things about the discipline--the general camaraderie and feeling that everyone is rooting for everyone else.

That said, I do still love jumping and there are plenty of other opportunities to show over fences in the area. While I will never be a hunter princess or have the brain skills to navigate the jumper world, they're both readily available to dabble in should I so choose on a weekend where nothing else is going on. We're also in an area that has hunter paces all the time, including at my own barn!

So while Opie's main focus is on the flat, he's going to get an active education over fences in his life, too.

loves this game

While it may seem like poor Dopie gets drilled on the daily, I assure you we spend just as much time frolicking about doing absolutely nothing productive. On Sunday I decided I would combine the two and give him a real deal jump school. Last week our lesson was the only structured ride we had. Every other day was spent slopping through the mud on "trail rides" (Opie says hauling my ass around while he swam is a more apt description) and popping over whatever jumps were set in the ring. He really enjoys his days off from dressage, and he always comes back into work the next day better for it.

Previous jump days have been...a little sketch. While he has yet to say no to anything in front of him, getting to the other side could be slightly perilous. I was never entirely sure it would occur to him to put his landing gear down in time, and he felt that any input from me about distances was to be ignored at all costs.

so cute tho

Surprise! All that dressage work that's been force fed down his throat has done what it's meant to do. He's a more balanced horse with an understanding of his legs and feet, and how to keep them a part of him. He takes a half halt--a real half halt that re-balances him and loads his hind end instead of just slowing him down. He's allowed me to have input on distances because he waits to see what I'm telling him to do.

Don't get me wrong--not jumping hasn't magically trained him to jump. The jumps are so small because he's not completely trustworthy about that landing gear yet. There's landing in a heap, and then there's landing in a literal heap.

and then there's landing like a boss on the hunt for the next fence

He still throws his head in the air sometimes when I correct him close to the fence, but while he does it he also takes the correction. I try to put him in the best spot to jump from and give him every cue that "This is the spot, now jump!", but I also try to let him live and learn a little. If I see from several strides out we're on the right rhythm to nail it, I let him carry on all by himself. Sometimes that means he gets to that perfect spot and feels his way through by braille, but live and learn.

sometimes awkward, but...

...always pleased with himself 

As for me, I spend a lot of time with chicken wings, boobs out unnecessarily, and my head canted back to avoid a potential blow to the face. There are, to put it lightly, improvements to be made with my upper body position. I feel that once we get to the point where the jumps can go up and cantering to them becomes more regular, I'll be able to follow more instead of being so defensive. Right now I'd rather lean back and not follow him to the ground should he take a face plant upon landing.

i mean, how happy does this kid look?

Nothing we're jumping right now is anything any horse shouldn't be able to get over from a walk. Maybe I'm going too low and too slow, but fuck knows I've made the mistake of hurrying things along with past jumping horses. The difference in Opie with his dressage homework has been significant enough that we'll stay on this path.

I'm sure a pro could jack the jumps up and get him around without much issue. He wants to jump and he wants to get to the other side; I don't think he'd say no to anything. But I'm not a pro, and I'm not equipped to handle the minute adjustments and quick reactions that would take. I want him to continue to like this game, and he doesn't need blunders from me shake his confidence.

my face says, "plz don't bash me."
opie's face says, "yasss, jumping horse!"

How do you guys approach jumping with green horses? Let 'em rip because there's no better way to learn than by doing the thing? Or is it all flat work all the time until they get to do some small jumpies and then more flat work? Personally I can't wait for summer so I can get him started over our cross country fences!