Typical Monty - not quite the horse he is in competition - he finds XC schooling really rather unexciting so doesn't behave anything like he does in competition which makes it rather difficult to work on things! He was pretty foot perfect. The only blip was him skidding to a halt in a way that would definitely have counted as a refusal when I asked him to step down into the water. Not sure if I affected his confidence by asking him to go in the river out on our hack last week as he found it a bit scary and it's not like him to refuse to go into water. Hopefully we moved on from there and built up his confidence again so it won't become an issue in the future. I don't like this refusing thing - he doesn't want to be making that into a habit.
So, we started with just working over some logs and then did the 2 hanging roll tops on an angle which I didn't ride positively enough first time so stuck in 3 strides but did it perfectly on 2 strides on 2nd attempt. Confident on and off the bank, bouncing up the steps happily, then moved onto the ditch and jumped every option including the trakehner and bigger ditch palisade which I remember previously thinking was huge and now seems tiny which was nice - no hesitation at any of this. Then did some skinny shaped houses which with no flags were a challenge but he stayed straight. Then did house to ditch on a curve all ok, then palisade with sharp left to the house - exactly where he would choose to nip out if he could - remember to lower and widen hands and drive forwards and he didn't even think about ducking out.
Next, onto the water - cantered through via the ramps no probs then came round to drop down the step in and he did a naughty last minute stop. He was genuinely suspicious of the water so let him have a sniff then came round more positively and he climbed down into it - did that a few times until he was happier then came over the skinny house, one stride, down step into water, through water and up bounce steps out - all ok so back round and repeat in opposite direction and he stayed straight and true over the skinny house and then went on to jump the corner - not the best line as ended up jumping the wider part but no hesitation. Need to work on being more accurate to corners though - the BE100 ones at Badders wouldn't allow for jumping the wider part as they were so acute. Then moved onto jumping a reasonable sized house, one stride to a log into water. Never actually jumped into water before so that was a big step - got told had to ride more positively and to give him a smack on the bum over the house then sit up and drive him into the water - big thing for me to take a hand off the reins to give him a smack but indignant as he might have been he jumped it well!
Moved onto the skinny brushes - my new bogey fence but got a great forwards stride and he popped them fab. Finished with flying over the big brush oxer. I declined the saw bench - it's definitely Novice dimensions and whilst I would kick on in competition, in cold blood I didn't fancy it!
It was good to get back out doing some XC. I think I learnt that I need to ride more positively in general - this is XC and it is bold and he needs me to be bolder and give him more confidence. I need to ride every fence like I mean it. Wibbling and backing off is only going to get me into trouble. Remember to lower and widen hands for skinnies and use legs and bodyweight to turn him and not too much hand.
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