The line is still set up as a series of bounces, so there are no strides between the jumps. The horse lands and then immediately lifts off again for the next jump. I started with all five jumps as 18" verticals, and Raven trotted in then cantered through. We did it from both directions.
Next I raised the second and fourth jumps to 2'6", a comfortable height for Raven but large enough to make her think and respect the fence. The first, third, and fifth verticals were left at 18", and the ground poles at either end stayed on the ground.
We did that both directions.
Lastly I put fences two and four back to ground poles, and raised fences one, three, and five to 2'6". We trotted in, cantered through, and did it from both directions. I love what this exercise did to strengthen Raven's haunches, her core, and sharpen her footwork. This is essentially a triple combination, a gymnastic introduced at training level eventing. While it was tricky and Raven was getting tired, she did it well and showed great improvement in her jumping form.
I love these exercises. They are good for the horse's core strength and footwork, give the rider a chance to focus on her position, and are super fun to ride! I was really proud of Raven for thinking her way through the grid, as well as improving her form so much.
We also had some spectators, including Dewey and Sara who were riding with us.
Miles was helping today as well, more with Dewey and his pre-ride lunging.
He also enjoyed a good roll in the sand and then settled in to watch the jumping action.
Rawhide watched from his paddock, and Billy did as well.
Billy wasn't as taken as the rest of us with Raven's athleticism. He just shrugged and said, "So what? I can do that, too." Z the cat is getting quite elderly, she's at least fourteen this year. She's definitely showing her age, but still eats and snuggles and is friendly. It's an impressive feat for a barn cat to reach this ripe old age!
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