What a lovely sunny weekend, it really is starting to feel like summer. Yesterday we had an impromptu lesson over in Chippenham at Oaklands with instructor Mia Palles-Clark and it turned out great.
For a couple of weeks now Georgie and I have been discussing this years show season and with B doing so well at his jumping we decided that a good thing to do more of this season is the ROR Challenge classes, as well as continuing to do some ridden showing classes, just not as many perhaps.
We got to Oaklands and got B ready and had a quick cup of tea before the lesson. Frankie came along with us and had a lovely time watching, patting dogs and eating cake Grandma made that morning.
The lesson was to take place in an outdoor paddock school rather than a surface school, over a variety of rustic working hunter type fences which were a nice full up 90cm.
After a little warming up, schooling started testing the horses jumping over a smaller box roll top which B flew over giving an extra 2 foot or so of air. He was very pleased to be working, even after a long ride out Friday down the Roman road. He's so fit at the moment and is thriving on work.
Once all the horses and riders abilities had been viewed by Mia over the warm up fence, she then asked everyone to take it in turns to come over the back of the paddock to jump a set of upright fenced made into a double.
Annoyingly, B's enthusiasm to jump everything like a professional show jumper meant he rushed into the double, flew the first part, but by jumping it so big meant he landed in the middle of a stride and he got a bit too deep into the second part and knocked down the top pole.
But that meant Mia could now start giving Georgie things to work on to stop him rushing. E.g. Looking for the fence earlier, this allowing B to focus further away on what jump he's being asked to do, which in turn meant he could lock on and focus earlier without rushing.
G came round a second time and with more focus and control he cleared both parts perfectly.
Above Mia gives Georgie advise on using her hands to bring B's head up and stop him pulling so he can see the fence earlier out.
Once everyone had jumped the double and given advise, it was time to focus on learning and linking combinations.
First over a smaller upright, round a slightly right corner to a skinny rustic upright.
B flew these beautifully and with Mia's advise about looking to the fence earlier on and using her hands to get B's head up he saw the fence earlier and popped over it no problem.
All was going well, so round the red upright, over the skinny again and onward to this wide oxer.
One thing Beanie is definitely not lacking in is scope and be flew over this no problem.
Now, saying that, B was evidentially having a lot of fun and with the standing waiting for other horses he just started to loose focus and when presented with this big spread oxer, he rushed again and knocked the front part with his front legs.
Frustratingly G was about to come round the represent B at it hoping to clear it, only for another member of the group falling off into the fence, when their horse refused and demolished it. Subsequently it was not put back up to how it was (photo below) so we didn't get to cross the t and dot the i on this fence which Georgie would have liked to. We all know it's best to finish a fence you've knocked down previously, clear so as to set it in the horses head that was what you wanted them to do, but with group lessons you have to go with the flow.
After another wait while a fence was rebuilt after being completely knocked down plants and all, by a second fall from aforementioned rider in the group, G set up to see how B would go and hope he hadn't switched off.
First jumping the upright, to the skinny with plants above, over the oxer, then came round to the middle section of the original filled oxer on it's own -
Fine so far.. round along the long side over two large uprights with a white pole over hedges and flew them.
Then steady up round the corner to get straight at the upright skinny arrowhead and round to the oxer. Fine over these..
Then, dammit...
Annoyingly, we've seen before B struggles with focus in group lessons. He's a bit of a lone wolf when competing as he naps. We've all had it, horses are in the end, pack animals and he was naughty and ran out napping to the horse directly next to the fence..
No horses next to it, no problem! Perfect position, perfect strode.. Spot on.
Finishing off the lesson on a good note.
I know Georgie is pleased with how he went overall and will be much more focused on being aware of these things before they happen. No letting him rush at jumps (easier said than done with a horse as strong as B) and no horses next to jumps when jumping!
I have to say, I am really proud of Georgie lately after both her lessons with Russell at Centaur Biomechanics and then yesterday with Mia. She has listened carefully to their advise and her riding has improved dramatically. Her hands and position when schooling are now ten times enter than they were! And B goes better because of it.
And jumping, she listened to what she was told yesterday, took it on board and used it. Yes, she had 2 hiccups with a that run out and a couple of poles down through exuberance. I know for certain Georgie will learn from that.. and the poles. Well, that comes down to Beanies enthusiasm. He has oodles of it and he enjoys himself so much, but Georgie just needs to keep a check on that and not let him run at fences and bring him back onto his hocks and listening to her when being presented with fences.
It's all about learning and molding your horses into something better with that knowledge you've gained.
I hope you had a lovely weekend with your horses too!
We have a busy long weekend next weekend so until my next post, have a good week!
Sophie x
