Riding Club Show Jumping at Keysoe!

It's been an odd and rather quiet few weeks for Georgie and I as it's January, it's a long month and after being rather accustomed to the mild start to the winter, it has been freezing!
I had mixed feelings about this weekend far various reasons but had been looking forward to grooming for Georgie at the Riding Club Show Jumping at Keysoe EQ centre. 
It was an early start to the morning as the 100cm classes started at 9.30 but not only was it started slightly early they were flying through the rounds with letting the next competitor in while the current rider was still jumping the final 2 fences which caught a lot of people, including us, and there was a distinct tense atmosphere in the indoor arena warm up area, plus it was absolutely rammed with people! 
Georgie was able to warm up a little outside in the 80cm warm up arena as it was definitely less busy and chaotic so at least that was a nice start! 
Unfortunately not having room to really jump enough fences and the indoor class arena being absolutely rammed full of fences (personally I felt the 80cm should have been in the smaller indoor arena and the 100cm in the outdoor, more spacious arena but that's just my opinion) and the course being really tight G did sadly did roll a few poles out of their cups. This is really uncharacteristic for B as he's usually very careful but we summarised that he was going much to fast and feeling very keen and enjoying himself that he just wasn't fully focused. 

Now me, being a total newbie to anything riding club figured it was just like normal show jumping right? If you aren't a clear round you don't do a jump off etc. Well, no, no-one had told us anything and I proceeded to untack me and get us bacon sarnies ready to have an early end to the day and drive home but alas no, even if you have poles down (and even get eliminated) you still have to go back in for another round and they'll be bigger than the round before. Does that make sense to me..... no, but there we go.

Good old B, I had to tack him up in lightning speed, put boots back on and get back in the arena for Georgie to warm him back up! He proceeded to take it all in his stride and perhaps the first round and time to chill meant he went back in the arena much more steady but still, with a very tight course and a horse with a giant stride such as B has they sadly still rolled a pole but came out more positive than before.
Not the start we'd obviously wanted to 2019 but Georgie and B hadn't done any show jumping comps since October and B was obviously excited to be out and about! 

I am certainly looking forward to this coming weekend when we're back at Keysoe for Arena Eventing, which is much more fun and will be outdoor so we won't be lacking space! 
I took my camera and some of the photos came out okay considering my camera struggles a bit in low light and the arena and warm up's being so cramped!

I really liked Georgie's House of Montar jacket even if I wasn't sure of it when Georgie bought it at Olympia. Plus I am so pleased I offered her my rose gold spurs from Eclat Equestrian 

Absolutely flying; Erik and I having our 2nd jump lesson

I've had an interesting Birthday weekend; Saturday was not only blowing a hooley but it was also 1 degrees and the word 'snow' and 'sleet' mentioned heavily in forecasts but I was absolutely determined to ride on my Birthday even if it was arctic and I was riding alone. 

I got down the yard as the sun rose to tack up Erik and try on some new equipment; I've decided we are going to trial a grackle and he seems to be happy in! After that fitting I tacked up and got ready to go, to say Erik was raring to go would be an understatement! I had to ask him to stand 3 times at the mounting block while usually I 'park' him at it and he waits but Saturday he was fidgeting about and as soon as my bum hit the saddle we were off, when usually he waits for me to tell me. Naughty E!

Despite being absolutely freezing Erik and I had a lovely ride, had a few trots and a canter and he loved going on a new ride that we haven't done in months! 

Sunday came and luckily the wind had died down and the cold arctic winds had moved on and we actually had a nice mild day for my second jumping lesson with Erik at the beautiful Palace House in Newmarket. I was hosting RoR lessons there that day and a last minute cancellation meant an empty spot so I asked G if she'd take me when she went for her lesson with Beanie, to which she kindly said yes and off we went! 

After my first lesson I was feeling confident that I could jump a little bigger and had much more of an idea of what I was doing with this big galumphing horse. We started off with a grid of poles on the floor to get Erik and I thinking about what we were doing and me 'allowing' him to find his own stride instead of trying to over control him. He likes to stand off fences so that takes some getting used to but after a couple of runs he stopped rushing and found his own stride. 

In no time at all the grid was going up and up and we were away! I really liked this grid for adding in some 'gymnastics' time to a lesson rather than just jumping whatever is needed.
We had successfully done the grid a few times and then a double was put in and then another double so the next thing I know we're snaking down one side if the arena, across the diagonal and down the other side. I really was enjoying myself, and so much so that once my lesson had finished I hadn't realised that we had in fact been jumping 90 to 100cm!
Erik what a good egg he is! 

End of the grid, flying!

 must remember, elbows in! 

Windy ride the day before, on my Birthday!

We Had Our First Jumping Lesson

Morning everyone, Brrrrr winter really is here isn't it? We've had such a mild start to the winter months I personally have really felt the drop in temperature this week! 

Over the weekend it was a mild 12 degrees in the day and with a busy Saturday of mucking out, riding early so I could be back to mine to gather up and clean all my equipment ready for hosting RoR lessons at Palace House in Newmarket with the wonder Delphine Tay before I went off to the Retraining of Racehorses End of Season Party all the way up in Doncaster! It was some drive and Chantal and I didn't get home til 2.30am so when I got a phone call from one of the clients booked in for the lessons telling me she had to cancel last minute and had a slot booked for later on that day I had to rush to get my riding kit ready, hitch up the trailer and get Erik in from the field and clean ready to fill the slot!

After only 5 hours of sleep I was finding my nerves giving me jelly legs and the tiredness only exasperating that when I was on and warming up but once I started my less and I had done some trotting poles but nerves gave way and I was able to be more focused at the task in hand!
For those of you who don't know this jumping lesson was our very first one and only our 4th time jumping over fences. In the summer I had asked Georgie if she'd give me some pointers on Erik and I's first time popping over a fence. He was of course very good and didn't mind popping over a small cross pole, then made in to an upright and then very boldly over an upright with a barrel underneath it. I personally wasn't a fan of the barrel and when Erik jumped it so big I lost a stirrup it definitely knocked my confidence a bit and I began to 'psych myself out' as they say and get worried after previous accidents. It seems these accidents can affect you mentally more than you think!
Since then I had popped a couple of small other jumps at home when playing around in the school but not actually had anyone give me official guidance.

Delphine was of course great and noticed right away I was still a little nervous, as when I came to my fences I seemed to hold my breath. I must have been subconsciously trying to focus so much that I felt breathing came second to jumping, and I was looking down in to the bottom of the fence! A big no no, but when you're as rusty as I am and on a horse you hadn't really jumped yet the urge to look down to make sure you're going to get the right stride is hard to ignore!

I soon started putting in to action the helpful comments and improvement suggestions and we were popping fences easy peasy and I was remembering to breath, ride more forward and the strides were easier to see and feel. It seems Erik, being a big horse, much prefers to stand off a fence than to get close to it and for me that suits! 

By the end of the lesson we were both quite tired but apparently from the look on both of our faces it was clearly we both absolutely loved it! Seeing Erik to happy and excited to be somewhere and doing something different was lovely. He's such a smart horse so a stimulated brain is a happy brain!

I am looking forward to our next lesson and doing even more. It isn't about the height of the fence but about the technique of jumping the fence. 

He's such a cutie right! So proud of him and of myself too, I got some real courage and didn't feel frightened at all. In fact we drove home afterwards with me grinning like a Cheshire cat! 

Love this big horse!

Sophie x