Getting Back Into It -- Jumping Pete

Sunday was a barn day with Tay and Erica, even though I didn't think it was going to be. Aunt Kim brought us to the barn at 3:20 pm, and I quickly called up Erica to see who I was going to be put on. I was on Pete! Joy to the world! So even though Tay was already working on brushing Kota, I went and got Pete. I had to navigate around the Chuckwagon, which Eric and Katie were using to clean the stalls. Erica was still at the house, but would be over before 4, when Taylor's lesson actually started.

Pete. Was. Filthy. I don't think even a good rinse-off would've been sufficient to get him clean. Of course, I got all of the chunky dirt off, but there's always that ground-in dust that the brushes just move around. I seriously can't wait for warmer weather, so that when the horses are dirty, I can actually give a bath. I used to hate giving horses baths. Now, though, I can't wait for bath season again. Even if they're not dirty, baths really relax most horses; I know they relax ME, as the rider/caretaker. It's just a peaceful connecting activity to do with your horse that can't possibly do any harm.

I saddled up with Erica's saddle and the green saddle pad and jump boots (no polo wraps for me! hoorah!) and grabbed my helmet. Once Pete's bridle was on, we stormed into the arena as Tay was warming up. By that time, Erica was there and set up gymnastics. Anyone who's not familiar with it, please look it up because I really don't have the energy to explain it right now. Basically, it's a jumping exercise that's designed so that you only have to concentrate on your position, keeping your horse forward, and very, very minimal steering. Supposedly, you can focus more on you and less on your horse. That is.. if you're not riding Pete.

Once we were warmed up both ways w/t/c, Erica told me to come into the middle and told Tay to go over the gymnastics. There were three trot poles on the ground spaced a respectable cantering length apart, and then a medium cross rail. Tay got Kota to go over it, but not without resistance. Their canter is just a peace of.. well, crap. They can't stay in it, she can't figure out how to get him to NOT switch leads in the back going around corners, and he likes to duck his head out to the rail. Of course, Erica and I can hop on and just fix all these problems for her (we've done it before, I didn't blog about it... sorry guys), but I don't think that'd be the best way to fix things. She needs to learn to do something herself, since Kim and Kim do everything else for her. So Erica coached her through the gymnastics three times and then had them rest in the middle while Pete and I went over it.

Dang. Just dang. We... failed. The first time was probably the best time; I didn't over-think it, didn't under-think it, didn't exaggerate too much. I kept him in his canter all the way through and while Kota had 3 strides from the last trot pole to the jump, Pete and I had 2 and it still felt okay. Their strides aren't the same at all, but it was close enough. Then, Kota and Tay went again and got it almost exactly right. Just a few things were off. So Pete and I went a few times.

Well, I started thinking. {I know what's going through your heads: Uh oh. Gabby's thinking. Something's going to go wrong.} You're right. It became disastrous. We missed the jump twice, and when we finally got it, Erica did the exact thing I feared she was gonna do: she turned the second and third trot poles into another jump a few strides before the  first one. *Groan* Why would she do that to me? Then she raised the second one so that it was a vertical instead of a cross rail. So: first, cross rail, not too high; second, vertical, high. The one thing that went through my mind was, I'm going to die today.

But the cool thing was, I didn't die bee made it over a few times, didn't have too much trouble, and managed to impress Aunt Kim, who was watching us after going to get subway.

In the end, we worked on some railwork. I used my butt of steel/glue/cement to stay in the saddle when Pete had a major spook. Then, I earned myself a double-fist sized bruise on my left calf when we tried to canter past the gate and got a bit too close.:( Oh well. In the end, it was a great day and quite enjoyable. We went to church after that and had great fun.

One thing I need to do: call Sherry about leasing Pete for 4H.