Moving On?

Well it didn't go quite as planned, but it felt a lot better today. Dressage and stadium were really smooth. I rode him without the curb chain when jumping today...although I don't think that had anything to do with the incident last weekend. Anyway, the jumps seemed really, really easy for him and he wasn't too challenged at all. He was somewhat back to himself on XC...he wasn't attacking the fences, but I want to believe that that's because he didn't really have to try. But he was galloping straight, not pinning his ears, and not wobbling, so I think it was good. So we didn't get to finish XC though because he wouldn't go over a fairly nasty, dark ditch all by itself. I'm not sure if it was the ditch, or the half of a manequin sitting in one corner of the ditch. I think he caught a glimpse of that and spooked and stopped. Then I rushed the reapproach twice for two more stops and then I trotted him at it and he took it fine. When he does stop if I whip him and try and chase him he just gets mad and refuses to go forward. I need to learn a lesson from that and just be gentle with him...it's tough because I really don't have too much reinforcement if he's not going since the whip has the opposite effect on him in that he fights it by backing off more. So we didn't get to school the water, but he definitely was more like himself. We will be XC schooling this week before Danny heads to Mass. and then deciding what the show plan is for the next month or so...

Disappointment

So the weekend didn't turn out so great...it started fantastic when we got a 29.6 on our dressage test...he got an 8 on one of his counter canters!! I felt really good about it after we finished, so I'm glad the score reflected how I thought it went. Then in stadium we pulled 2 rails...it was a smooth round, but he was backed off and didn't seem to want to jump at all. I was pushing him to everything, but didn't feel like I was begging him. So we got through that and then it was off to XC. I was really excited about the course...there were tons of questions, but I really liked the bank and water complexes. The water had a jump going in and a jump through it which was going to be new for us. The banks was an a,b,c combination in a straight line, which is much better for us. I was most nervous for the corner to a HUGE table on a left bending line. Well turns out I didn't get to ride any of those combos because I fell off at 4b. After we jumped #2 and were galloping down to #3, he just started to stall out. He didn't want to go at all..we crawled over #3 a big brush and then he put on the brakes about 5 strides out from 4a. I got him over 4a and then he launched over a little stream and slammed on the brakes late at 4b...I ended up on his neck, he spun around, I almost stayed on, but then just gave up and rolled off right into the mud puddle (must've been somewhat comical to watch). Danny saw it coming and said he was never going and that it wasn't my riding. I'd almost prefer that it was my riding so that I know for sure I can fix it. We are having Dr. Anderson look at him today to see if it's his hocks again. It sort of had the same feeling to me, but I don't know. It's just unlike him to be so backed off on XC...especially considering he was awesome 3 weeks ago at Fair Hill. So we'll see...just praying it's not mental for him and that we can run a starter course this weekend just to get some confidence back and salvage the season. It's been a tough few days for me...of course I'm running through all the most negative scenarios and just being really sad about everything. It's really hard b/c he's so competitive in dressage and I have no interest in just going training with him. He can obviously compete in Prelim considering we were in 1st this weekend. Hopefully we will know more today after the vet...tough break yet again.

We did it!!!

Legacy and I finished our first Prelim today...it was incredible. Dressage went really well...we scored a 35.5 (my secret goal was to break 40)...lower is better in eventing (like golf). Most of the comments were related to him needing more energy and moving forward...that will come once I get the hang of the sitting trot. I felt really confident with dressage and really just felt proud to be riding him. I'll tell you what, warming up with the likes of Boyd Martin and Buck Davidson and knowing they are in your division and they have these incredibly fancy horses is a bit intimidating, but we held our own for our first showing.

It was a quick turnaround for jumping. We got out to the show jump area and I quickly walked the course with Danny. The jumps didn't look bad at all, so I wasn't feeling like stadium was going to get me. So he warmed up really well...I was overriding and I knew it, but I couldn't help it. I was too amped up with emotions. Seth said I looked like I was going to pass out before I jumped... The course rode well and he was so much better...we had a good rhythm and he was jumping really well. We still need to work on the softness in his jaw between the jumps...he still locks against me. I messed up one of the combinations trying to leave out a stride for some reason, but Legacy was super honest and we came out with 2 rails (8 penalty points). Overall, I was really happy...most of the stadium mistakes were me overthinking and trying to do too much instead of just letting it happen. But what was good is that we recovered by the next fence for all of our errors. That's what was much different about the course...if you miss your striding, it affects quite a few fences and there isn't much flexibility in the course. It was a different ride.

Then on to XC...let me tell you, I was overwhelmed with the jumps when I walked it. I tried to pretend like I didn't think they were too big, but I was nervous. I had the same feelings when I moved up to Training, but when the jumps start to get so wide...it's intimidating when you are on foot. So I tried to ignore it, but fences #3, 4, 5, 6 were all pretty big and I was just hoping I would see the distance and not screw up too bad to cause something to happen. So we start out and he takes #1 easy and then doesn't want to turn to go to the House at #2. He tends to bow out a lot when we are galloping which is now going to cost us time faults, so we have to fix that. Anyway, he jumps #1 and 2 right in stride and I'm feeling good and thinking I overanalyzed on my course walk. We come into #3, the Skinny Table, and he just lauches over it...it was incredible. We then gallop down to the big brush and he was a little looky at the ditch in front so I ask for a long spot and again, he just skies over it (he needs to learn he doesn't have to jump the brush). So he jumped awesome and for the first time I actually felt hang time over the jumps...it was like we were flying. I need to continue to work on my eye with the larger, wider, fences, but any mistakes I made, he was able to fix it, so it worked. The bending tables, water, and coffin all were smooth....not as easy as our combos were at Training, but not terrible. Just a few extra strides here and there, but he's athletic enough to be able to adjust to that. So we finally get to the bank to the corner (my nemesis). He jumped in over the log perfect, dropped quietly off the bank and then we just never got our line to the corner. You had to have a line, or it wasn't going to happen. So we had a runout to the right...but I circled around and took him back at the corner and jumped it on a slight angle to close the right side and he jumped it perfect. I was so happy that it didn't escalate to a big fat E. Then it was on to the last 2 and home. I've never been so happy for a runout...haha. I truly was just happy to finish and felt that everything was positive. The runout shows what we need to work on, again just having the connection quicker after obstacles is going to become so perfect. I'm not going to be able to go on a loose rein at a corner. It was a fabulous day...I had a lot of support from family and friends and it was so amazing to have so many people in your corner rooting for you. I finished 2nd to last, because Boyd Martin fell off, but I don't even care. This picture is the perfect representation of this day...this was over #3 the Skinny Table. We set out to go Prelim and we proved we belong...on to Rubicon!!!

12 Hours Til' Go Time

So...the nerves are up and down. I think I was more nervous at the beginning of the week...I had some fantastic rides and was sort of calm until I gave Legacy a bath tonight. I had a minor melt down when he decided to take off through the pasture (he hates the cold water). We are bumping up the priority of installing a small water heater in the barn. Anyway, Seth and I went down to Fair Hill today and walked the course....twice. It's tough but a good test for us...here is what we have to contend with...

#1 - Log

#2 - House

#3 - Skinny Table

#4 - Brush

#5 - Oxer

#6 - Trakehner

# 7 - Chevron

#8 - House #9 a, b - Tables

#10 - Half Rolltop

#11 a, b, c - Red House ->Water -> Up Bank -> Red House

# 12 - Brush Rolltop

#13 a, b, c - Coffin

#14 - Red Table

#15 a, b - Bank to Rolltop on Hill

#16 - Bench

#17 a, b, c - Log, Down Bank, Corner

#18 - Roll top

#19 - Flower Stand