What a fab day!
Started with SJ this morning. Was in a group with a BE100 horse, an intermediate horse and a horse who stopped at everything! We had to leave her to work separately from us as we needed to crack on. Very glad I had had Tuesday's lesson first as the fences today started at 90cm and got bigger rapidly! First thing was 2 poles on a bounce stride then one stride to a road closed sign. First time through he was a bit looky but kept leg on, hands up and light seat from Tuesday's lesson and he popped through - much more confident the 2nd and 3rd times. Then we combined that with a big oxer (well, only 90cm square but looked big compared with what we've been jumping recently) then round to a 95cm upright trellis which he jumped all really well, confident forwards and nice strides.
Then she whacked up all the fences to between 1m and 1m05 including a treble with one stride from a wavy musical note fence to an upright then 2 strides to another upright which had me seriously wibbling. There was also an oxer over a huge water tray. Next course was to do trellis then parallel then round to the triple, trellis the other way then dog leg to the water tray. I knew he'd find the distances long in the treble so got told I had to really generate the canter from 10strides out and keep on moving to the fence. We messed up the right hand turn after the parallel and he was all disunited so circled but then moved on well and he almost made up too much ground through it, just clipped the final part at 1.05m and then jumped the huge water tray fine.
Final course was oxer to triple which now had a back bar on the final part then right handed round to an arrowhead at it's max height then round on the right rein again to 2 uprights on a 45degree angle to each other so had to aim to jump straight through them with 1 stride so taking each on the opposite angle. Messed up our turn to the triple again so made another circle - this time he felt like he backed off a little on the way into fence 1 but kept leg on and he got a nice stride, just clipped the middle part but cleared the big oxer to finish. Then round to the arrowhead, he saw what I was aiming at, wobbled a bit, I clapped legs on and he flew it. Then right handed round to the angle, bit disunited again round the corner, not a clear line to the angled fences so he didn't read the question, jumped in a bit sticky so way off making one stride, tried to put 2 in but couldn't and slid into the front of the fence. Fortunately he just stopped and didn't then spin round so I stayed in the plate although jarred my back a bit. She put them down a fraction and we tried again - this time he had the idea and jumped through nicely if a bit green, Third time he jumped it very nicely. Was just a question he hadn't encountered before so not worried about the stop but something we can practice as normally only do one fence on the angle.
Then we had a 3hr break before XC. Started by letting him open up round the field and he felt really up for it. Warmed up with a large brush fence designed like a steeplechase fence with a board at the groundline. He seemed a little surprised but jumped it well then over it again and right handed to a decent sized hanging log which he popped nicely. Then moved onto jumping 2 brush fences on an angle with 2 long strides in between them. He found it very long but as I wasn't holding and had leg on he absolutely flew the 2nd part. Wasn't quite trusting of him to do it so was a fraction behind the movement and he jumped so huge I landed on his neck! Came round again and again huge confident jump then powered over the tyres. Moved on to doing 2 steps down, 2 big strides to a skinny wave type fence - decent height. He popped down the steps in trot as I brought him back too much at the top but then really responded to my leg on, locked on to the skinny and flew it easily on 2 strides then popped over a ditch on the way back to the group.
Next challenge was to do log to step up, round the corner then through sunken road on 2 strides then the ground went uphill then downhill, 2 long strides to a skinny 1m thing - not sure how to describe it - some kind of house I think! Killed the canter steadying to the drop down so he trotted then pushed on for the 2 canter strides in the road and then for the 2 strides after but he was a bit off so stuck in another short one despite me hanging on round his neck as thought he was gonna jump. Came through again but kicked on to the sunken road and then he made the 2 strides out no probs. Then we had to turn back round do the skinny the 2 strides into the sunken road then a bounce stride out to an even skinnier skinny. Never done a XC bounce before so little apprehensive but he got a super stride to the skinny in so pushed on, 2 strides to the sunken road, 2 strides in the bottom, aimed at the out, leg on and he absolutely locked on and ballooned the skinny out. Unfortunately he jumped me completely off! Not sure quite what happened, think he jumped so big he jumped me a bit out of the saddle then I was planning on going left after but he went right (not able to go straight on). Landed very heavily on my left hand side, really walloped my head on the ground, foot got momentarily stuck in stirrup but the leather pulled off the saddle and somehow in all of that I really bent up my right wrist. Got up shaking my head a bit with my back seriously jarred. Monty went for a trot round but easily caught. Felt so bad for falling off him as he jumped it really well - was so proud of the way he locked on. I underestimated how hard a bounce up a step to a large skinny was. Bit above my ability levels really. Hell, put another step bounce in and it was reminiscent of the similar fence at Burghley this yr! So so pleased with superduper pony though.
Then we moved onto the water. Cantered in to a little crocodile but he clocked the water beyond and slowed to a trot, popped in though and trotted through the water ok then out over another crocodile. My fault he was a bit backwards as wasn't using leg enough. Moved him on and popped over a nice roll top under the rugby posts no probs. Then round to a skinny hedge, one stride and step down into water. I used a tad too much hand on the way to the skinny hedge and he wobbled a bit but then remembered to put leg on and he popped it nicely and no probs down the step into water, cantered through and out over the hippo.
Then moved onto the coffin - brush, one stride to ditch, one stride to large skinny palisade. Jumped huge over the ditch on the way over there, I was then too backwards to the coffin and he slipped in an extra stride in both elements. We then went round, down a step into water, cantered through then out and round the field to a triple brush (must look at top of fence not into the bottom to keep them straight) - he locked on way out, kept leg on, kept moving and he didn't even think about running out - it was fab! Made it feel easy. Last time we tried a skinny brush it was at T/down this time last yr and it took me about 5 attempts to get over it! Went back and repeated the coffin but I still was too backwards, not trusting him over the ditch so had to go and do it again. This time, finally persuaded myself to ride forwards and he popped through no probs making the one stride distances seem easy.
Finished him there. He didn't seem especially tired, hadn't even broken a sweat despite it being rather tired but he had jumped so well. Being in a higher level group made me up my game in a good way, I rode like I meant it and he really really responded to it. Never felt him so focused and genuine. Totally in love with him, if a bit broken right now! I would have ached anyway after 2 jumping sessions, let alone with the bad fall as well. Stupid me forgot to take my point 2 air jacket which would definitely have softened my landing considerably. Meant to be doing RC SJ tomorrow - be interesting to see how I feel in the morning! More jumping not really what either of us need but will be good course practice after last couple of lessons and hopefully will look small after today! Must remember to keep same attitude, ride forwards and positively but keeping the canter quality.
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