Release Boot Camp.

Saturday was set aside as "Figure out how to release again, you silly person" day. I gave myself some options with all the suggestions from you guys and set up a tiny vertical, another tiny vertical with a ground pole 9' out, two 2'6 verticals, and a 2'6 oxer. I was determined to find something that was going to work!

Things didn't start out too smoothly....

"let go of my mouth, woman!"

I was so pleased with how nice his canter was, and how well it was taking it to fences, as soon as I turned in I completely forgot about the whole point of why I was riding: to release! The ground pole in front of the jump did not work for us this time around unfortunately.

serious saddle pad issues all day long to top things off.

Occasionally, I pulled my head out of my ass and got lucky enough to look semi-normal.

I took a few minutes to regroup because things were definitely not going according to plan. Pole in front of fence? No go. Grab mane? Grab anything? Well, that wasn't working because I couldn't get my ADD mind to focus long enough to actually move my hands towards something to grab once I got up to the jump. After whining to an unsympathetic Hubby, I finally commandeered his belt and buckled it around Robert's neck. I headed back out and began chanting to myself, "Reach for the belt. Reach for the belt."

reaching for the belt.

Aha! We're beginning to get somewhere! I told Hubby that I wanted to be reaching past the belt now, and it was his job to tell me whether or not I was doing it.

That was the final piece of the puzzle. Once I got a feel for where my hands should be, they just went there all by themselves.

came in a little funky to this one, but doesn't robert look adorbs?

So my overall equitation isn't great, but I honestly don't care at this point. My horse's mouth isn't gaping open! I don't feel quite so guilty jumping the poor dude anymore! Mission accomplished.

i might have been a tad overzealous at the end...

Sunday I got signed up for a clinic at the barn literally ten minutes before it was about to start so stay tuned for that....escapade.