Wow, you're so bad! ...not

I warmed up for my ride Saturday morning in the indoor while talking with a barn friend who had just finished up. We had plans to ride out in the front field for some xc jumping the next day, and when I pulled in she was out there flatting. It was twenty minutes of mutual bitching about how hard horses can be.

She complained about Momo going full Bobby over fences--bolting to the base of the fence and then jumping from underneath--and I unloaded about how Opie's dirty stops the other day kind of got into my head and made me uneasy about jumping him again. I was riding in the double, and we also bemoaned how annoying changes can be to put on a horse.

When she left, I moved to the outdoor for more room and less dust (omg you could rain a little bit, NY). I went right into the canter since we'd already done lots of w/t inside. He softly stepped right into it and went around super balanced so off to the changes party we went.

why no, i do not know how to sit up in jump tack, thank you for asking.

I need to get better about doing more transitions before I get to work on these because the first couple of attempts he's paying no attention and offers me nothing. Once we got on the same page though, the L-R is a solid 80-85%. The troublesome R-L was the same old story--late behind. The changes themselves are getting way less dramatic though, and there's no longer any bolting afterwards.

Finally though!!!!! I came across the diagonal, waited waited waited, got him super straight, and then asked....AND GOT HIS FIRST CLEAN, INTENTIONAL, WHEN CALLED UPON IN DRESSAGE TACK R-L CHANGE. Obvi I quit right there with tons of praise.

The next morning we headed out front--also Opie and Mo's turnout field--with Mo and another barn mate. I can't ride Opie out here by himself because he spends the entire time wondering where his soul mates are and being an unholy demon. Even as we walked out, Mo at his side, he was snorting and looking all around. Bro, you live out here. What is the problem.

even bobby used to take great offense to this jump.
opie coasted over without a blink.

We did a lap or two of walk before picking up the trot. Right away Opie was tense and tight and sewing machining his way around the field with his head in the air. I did a few trot-halt transitions, but I was really ripping on his face while he gawped at everything and kept tripping on bare ground. I brought him back to the walk for another lap with several halt transitions before oozing him into a jog in sitting trot. He immediately started softening and relaxing. After a couple laps, I was able to start posting and let him out which he remained zen about. I think he just needed his brain slowed down with something he was familiar with. It's dressage on grass, Opie! No bigs, right?

first time jumping this ever and he popped right over

I took him over the tiny coop out of the trot and then let him canter off and do a couple laps before doing the coop again, and then the tiny vertical around to the coop from the other direction. He was in the best canter and he never got out of it. We literally hit every single jump from the perfect spot every time.

ADORABLE

He didn't think about saying no once. He never got anxious or rushed or tense. He stayed in his beautiful canter and made beautiful jumps.

he'd never jumped this one either. he had to leave his friends far behind, sneak
through between two giant bushes, and come out the other side right to this jump.

We even went over the ditch. His first one was xc schooling last fall where he went, but it was a big launch every time and he had to follow Mo the first time over. I was sitting deep, left leg closed to shut off that escape route, crop at the ready, and....yeah, he trotted right up to it and cantered over like it was barely there.

me: prepare for giant go-round! anything can happen!!!
opie: whatever.

As soon as he landed I let out a loud, "Holy shit!" and started cracking up with my barn mates.

are you guys seeing my horse be totally normal?!

Circling back around to bitching with my barn mate the day before, we wrapped up with Opie being foot perfect for his first time out front in over a year the day after nailing his first clean R-L change--both things I was telling her he was so bad for omg. I told her I was going to have to complain to her before every ride because clearly it made my horse do the complete opposite.

Fortunately for everyone, that doesn't seem necessary as I tacked up in the snaffle this morning and rode through 2-3 with great success. The medium trot needs work again (surprise), the halt needed to be sharper behind, he was almost too sharp with the simple changes, and I'm confused about the turn on the haunches again (surprise), but he was soft and supple and just with it from the first step.

Maybe we'll do another intro event or two this year if GVRDC hosts them? Eventing sure does fucking suck around here though.