Today we got up early and hustled out to Lory State Park to play on the cross country course. Owen was going to run the trails while we rode, but discovered late last night that there was a poker ride going on in the park today. It's a large group ride hosted by the Larimer County Horseman's Association, and at each intersection on the trail someone hands you a playing card. At the end of the ride whoever has the best hand of cards wins a prize. We only wanted to ride in the jumping field but were concerned we might not get a parking space for the horse trailer if the poker ride had really large attendance.
Due to the expected large volume of hikers, cyclists, and trailriders, Owen elected to stay home. I was dead set on going out with Highboy, though, and I talked Joan and Joyce into coming with me with their horses, as well as Jasi and Kim H. who wanted to take photos, and Sara for moral support. I dressed in my gear, got Highboy dressed as well, and we headed out to the field.
Highboy was full of nonsense as usual while warming up. He would LEAP over a small log and then do a little party dance full of crow-hopping and small bucks. We got a bunch of photos of him being silly, which I love because it shows his party animal personality.
Fortunately Joan and Joyce weren't phased by Highboy's shenanigans and they calmly rode from one obstacle to the next with me.
As the ride went on I schooled Highboy over progressively larger fences. I galloped him up and down hills, and got him to do some good flying lead changes. When I asked for the lead changes I swear he said, "OH! So THAT'S why we've been working on that in the arena!"
It felt like with each obstacle he improved, thinking his way through some tricky footwork in a line of four log-cabin style jumps with three strides in between each. It was the real-life version of the grid we had jumped earlier this week.
There was of course quite a bit of looking and studying fences that appeared new to him, but he did go over everything I asked of him. There were some new things like rock walls, corner jumps (like a wedge that is wider on one side than the other), and tables.
Highboy did learn a valuable piece of jumping form today, too. Because he's so big and athletic, he has learned to tuck his front legs and jump big, but he tends to jump big enough that he then generally doesn't need to tuck his hind legs. On cross-country it's really important to get all of your limbs over the fences, because if you hit them they don't move. Highboy was being lazy with his hind legs at the beginning of the ride, and over a coop that laziness bit him in the haunches when he rapped his hind legs hard on the wood. He was wearing leg protection so no harm was done, but I'm sure he felt it.
Fortunately he recovered safely on the landing and the next time through he jumped much more accurately and folded his hind legs and used his back much better.
To say I'm delighted with the photos is an understatement. I'm tremendously impressed with the athleticism in my horse. I have spent much of the day contemplating the skinny kid Highboy was when he arrived, and how I swore there was the conformation and attitude for a great eventer in him. I've waited three years for Highboy to be able to do this with me, and wow are we having fun.
Yay Kim and Highboy! I don't know how you stay on during some of his contortions:-) Highboy is looking amazing and having so much fun!
ReplyDeleteSara P.
Thanks, Sara!
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