Intermediate here we come...

So it's t minus 3 days until the big move up to Intermediate....I still have trouble seeing the word in print (although I've looked at the entry status a million times this week and still love seeing I next to Hobby's name)!! 
This has been an interesting week so far, I'm a bit of a nutcase, but Seth seems to have expected it.  I'll say that it's been an emotional rollercoaster and we're only half way through the week!  At times I'm surprisingly calm, but I just don't think my body can handle the nervousness all the time...it would be emotional overload!

I started off the week with a fantastic jump school with Martha Redman....we jumped BIG!  I was slightly disappointed because I continued to have trouble finding my rhythm down the diagonal to a big oxer.  I kept softening six strides out and then tried to gun it and ended up with a flat jump.  We were also in an indoor so I think that was backing us both off a little.  I just need to keep the rhythm and ride his canter forward and up all the way to the jump and then we were golden.  And of course the biggest thing is for me to keep my eye up or else Hobby jumps me out of the tack :).  Then on Sunday it was a dressage lesson with David Smith.  He dissected the new movements for me and Hobbs was a rock star.  My biggest aha moment was when David was explaining that the medium trot and canter are collected movements and it's very different from the lengthenings.  His analogy was to think of asking for a rein back with each stride of the mediums.  The rein back happens when all of the forward energy bounces off the bit and transfers his weight to his haunches.  During the mediums I should always be thinking of transferring the weight to the haunches...and he can't get any faster. 

So after these lessons I thought I would feel prepared and ready to go.  But Monday came and so did my feelings of doubt.  I just kept thinking what happens if I screw up?  I don't want to scare him or myself.  I called Courtney to congratulate her on her fantastic weekend at Jersey and she tried to talk me off the ledge, but I wasn't quite there.  Then of course last night I have a pretty terrible ride on him...I just felt tentative and uncomfortable.  Tentative is NOT AN OPTION this weekend!  The fact is I have a great jumper, he's done it before, he loves it, I love it and I've done everything I can to prepare.  Now I just have to believe and have a little faith in us.  It's off to a lesson today with Danny and then I just have to put my game face on and be confident.  I know myself well enough to know that I'm just going through these phases this week...Saturday will come and sure I'll be nervous but we will rise to the challenge!!

Welcome Jango

Seth finally got a little tired of just being my groom and we decided to try and start looking for a new partner for him.  I put the bug in Courtney's ear in Aiken and when we got home we tried a few at her place and Seth really got motivated.  He realized just how much fun jumping is and we really started to ramp up the search and get serious.  About a month ago Seth tried Mr. Bojangles aka "Jango" and it seemed to be a perfect match.  He was really kind and sweet and went very nicely for Seth.  His competition record was somewhat spotty for the past year with several stops at Training and Preliminary, so we were apprehensive.  We decided to take him XC schooling at Fairhill and see what we had to work with.  Well...he was a perfect angel...Seth was schooling most of the Training elements and they looked great!  We signed an agreement with a contingency that Seth would show him at the Fairhill Schooling Show the first weekend in May and have a successful event.  We had Jango and our place for a week before the show and he was such a pleasure to be around that we were definitely rooting for everything to work.  Well Seth laid down a 26.9 in dressage and ran clear in stadium and XC, so needless to say it was a SUCCESSFUL EVENT!!!  It was great to be there with Seth and see him be rewarded with such a great partner.  Seth has been my rock for the past few years and keeps my horses going without complaining that he doesn't get to ride in shows.  I'm so glad we found Jango and am so excited to see what this pair will do this season!!!