Jumping Exercises Through the Y

 This weekend we worked on a Y shaped jump course set like this:

The red, orange, and yellow cross rails are set 9' apart so the horse will go through it without taking any strides in between, called a bounce.  The first time through the riders went through the bounces, then straight for four to five canter strides (depending on how big the horse was) to the green jump.  The second time through they turned to the blue jump, and the last time through they would go to the purple. 

This exercise teaches the horse a bunch of good things, but I used it this weekend because it challenges the rider to be thinking ahead while riding through something technical.  To get to each of the angled fences (purple or blue), you have to be looking at it while you're landing from the yellow one.  Otherwise the horse gets all the way through the bounces, and is already heading straight when they should have turned two strides ago.

We had Alice on Beauty, Sara on Dewey, Carol on Ladd, and I rode Daisy, Ladd (briefly) and Raven.  Here are some of the photos from the day.

Beauty and Alice:

 Carol and Ladd:

Sara and Dewey:

 I rode Daisy to school her a bit over fences while I taught this lesson:

After Carol and Ladd had worked through the gymnastic I hopped on him to give him a confidence building round, and he was so cute over the fences!

After the lesson was finished I rode Raven through the gymnastic.  She did a really nice job, and I did some trouble shooting as to why she was jumping to the left over the larger fences.  After watching video I discovered that the bounces' cross rails weren't exactly straight - the middle of each X wasn't in a a straight line.  Raven is so hyper-sensitive to little things like that, she would bounce through the first three changing her lead with each hop.  Then we ended up jumping the larger verticals (purple, green, blue) at an angle, with her listing to the left.  Once Rozie adjusted the distance to the vertical for me it went much better, but I really think the asymmetry of the bounce line affected her once she got to the 3'6" verticals.

I love these last few photos of Rizzo assisting me and Raven.  She looks like she's having a post-course coaching session with us.  If you look closely you can see a small bandage on her right hind leg.  Somehow she managed to get a laceration on the bottom of that foot, it looks like a slice from metal lawn edging.  We don't have any metal lawn edging, so I don't know on what she hurt it.  This dog has an incredible work ethic, she's a firm believer in the Rancher's Workman's Comp.  She compensates so she can keep working.  

This dog is so dedicated that even wounded she will continue.  To allow her to continue working comfortably, I've been keeping the foot clean and bandaging it.  The way the laceration is, there's unfortunately not a good way to suture it.  Rizzo is really an amazing dog, she just lies comfortably while I clean the wound, apply antibiotic ointment and gauze, then wrap it with vetrap and elasticon to cover it so she can walk on it.  She doesn't mess with the bandage unless sand gets inside, and by then it's the end of the day and time for a new wrap anyway.

I'm so fortunate to have such fun horses, students, and dogs!