..and it is a BIG ONE. Seems that all the gymnastic work with Gina (and getting him straight in the bridle and between the legs) is really paying off!
After riding like total crap in my group lesson with Faren and Caroline in Marty's wonderful jump field, I realized that I had better do something quickly with being able to stay with him and keep my leg on or else my honest, game little pony will start stopping with me. So, I unearthed an old Stubben hunting breastplate, cleaned it off and oiled it (gotta love Stubben leatherwork), and voila - it fits. It also provides me with a very handy neck strap to grab in case of emergency. I guess what is happening is that when I see a funny stride and I'm a bit nervous about the fence, I tend to take my leg off completely and then Oliver bunny hops over it. It is this bunny hopping, in fact, that showed us what a good jumper he really is, because he really tucks his hind end under him over the jump in a gigantic effort to clear it. It's also this effort he's making that is unnerving to me on the landing side if I'm not "with" him, as it feels like a huge buck. Of course, the way to solve the problem is to ride him up to the jump with leg if he's looking or on a weird stride, and keep the leg, but for some reason if I manage to keep the leg, I lose the hand, and if I keep the hand, I lose the leg. Hence, the neck strap. I did ride some of the fences well, though, and that proved to all watching what a game and good jumper he really is.
So, I've been experimenting with a bit change for him, because in spite of his teeth being done by one of the best (Hubert Davy), he still seems uncomfortable with his bit and tries to spit it out. His tongue does seems a little thick and oozes out the sides of his mouth if you lift his lip and peek inside, so I thought a thin Myler would work. Gina also thought a loose ring would make him happier, so I found my loose ring Myler and put it in. That, combined with the breastplate, made for a VERY successful (though short) jump school on Saturday. He boinged over the little crossrail warmup fence with lots of zest, surprising me and making me very glad I had one hand in the neck strap (not that I thought I needed it over a crossrail, but I was practicing holding on to it). We cantered a few fences and for the first two, he sucked back like he was expecting an uncomfortable jump (don't blame him a bit for being nervous) and once I grabbed the neck strap and added leg, they jumped beautifully and from that point on, he was wonderful. Lots of spring, stayed straight and balanced, and really rounded up over the jump. Totally different feeling than he used to give me even a few months ago, when the jump was rather flat.
So, yesterday I took him for a flat school in my dressage saddle, which I've sadly neglected. I forgot how much I love my dressage saddle, cheapie though it is (Toulouse Aachen). It really opens up my hips and allows me to sit deep, with a much longer leg than my Prestige. I had his new french-link Myler loose ring on, saving the other loose ring for jumping (with bit guards), and he seems so much happier in it. He's frothing gently at the mouth, more on the left than the right, but is softer in it. He doesn't try and spit the bit out nearly as much, and is much more biddable when it comes to half-halts and downwards transitions. His canter work is really coming along. All I have to to is to remember to HOLD MY POSITION, no matter what he's doing, and keep my legs there until he takes the canter, which is coming faster and faster and smoother and smoother. His trot has really opened up and is springier than it was before, too. I'm really excited about Longleaf!
We have a xc school planned for the 27th at CHP. Meagan is coming along and so is Faren, and we're going to see if Gina is free to school us there.
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