Cross Country Round at Moqui Meadows

Today the owners of the facility generously offered schooling rounds at the cross country course at Moqui Meadows, in Johnstown, CO.  I was fortunate to be able to bring Highboy, and I signed him up for the beginner novice division.  We got there a little early so that I would have time to walk the course since neither I nor Highboy have ever been here before.  I walked it twice to make sure I had it down, and there were only one or two things that I thought might be difficult for Highboy.  It's worth noting that he has a history of pretending he's NEVER seen fences before when jumping in a new place.  We had a few jumps that were decorated or styled in a way that he's never seen before as well.

It was really hot, when I turned on my phone to upload a photo of Highboy watching the other horses' jumping rounds the weather app said it was 99! 

We were parked in an area where even standing tied at the trailer Highboy could see the other horses galloping, jumping, going into the water complex, and coming through the finish flags.  He looks very attentive in this photo of him at the trailer, and he genuinely was this interested in watching the entire time we were there.  It didn't take long at all before he had figured out that we were going to go cross country jumping, and he was REALLY eager to get to it.  

Once I got him tacked up and into the warmup he did an initial lap walking around trying to sample all the grass and alfalfa plants available.  He was quite pleased to be touring the salad bar.  When I set him into a trot, though, he was super eager to be DOING something!  There was some squirreling around, kicking and bucking, but it was all in youthful exuberance not actually intending to be bad.  There were a couple comments from other riders warming up that he looked big and fancy.  I make a note of these comments because there have been significant chunks of my time with him when I didn't think anyone would EVER call him fancy. 

 
He could have been a little more forward and straight to the warmup fences, with a little less "touchdown party" on the landing side, but Highboy thought they were small and boring and was trying to entertain himself.  When the warmup steward told us we had five minutes until we started, I swear Highboy understood what she had said.  He proceeded to mosey over to the gate where we would exit the warmup and walk to the start box.  I tried to get him back into the warmup for one more walking lap but he was having none of it, he wanted to GET GOING!  Finally they gave us the ok to head over to the start box and we made our way across the little field.

When the gate person had counted us down from ten Highboy happily made his way out onto the course.  He sprang into action and eagerly ate up the short gallops between fences.  There was no bucking or wiggling, he was very serious about this job.  I praised him after each successful jumping effort and I swear he puffed up with pride a little more each time.  This horse LOVES his job.

We had a couple minor bobbles on course, one with a fence that was bigger than he has seen previously which I skipped (ok per today's rules), and he stumbled pretty hard when he landed after jumping up the bank due to a missed distance on the approach.  A good recovery though, because I was sitting back enough to rebalance him.  Other than those two spots, he was eager and excited to be out doing his job.  He made some very dramatic angles look easy, jumped the ditch and through the water.  He even leapt over a jump decorated as a brick wall, which has stumped him in the past on other courses.  Highboy ended the round feeling confident and happy.  That's my main goal for schooling like this over terrain and a course he's never seen before.  I was pretty proud of him. 

We were both incredibly hot and sweaty after doing this in such heat.  Once I had him tied at the trailer I dunked my washcloth in his water bucket, then soaked my head with water and mopped my face and neck.  Highboy was puzzled about what I was doing since usually after cross country I wet HIM down.  He reached over and put his lips on the back of my neck as I hung my head upside down dripping water.  Then when it was his turn to be wet down and squeegeed he again nuzzled me with his horse lips when I reached just the right spot on his neck and chest.  He very clearly communicates that he's had fun and thanks for going with him.

I spent a little time visiting with friends who had also come to the schooling rounds today while Highboy dried off.  Then we loaded up and made the trip home, tired, hot, and happy.