Pia's (and Prairie!) Parade

With exactly two weeks to our "real" hunter debut (read: no ground pole classes!) the focus has been on increasing Prairie's softness as she approaches and lands from fences. Also- we've been working on our adjustability and *also* not being scared of weird things under the jumps.

So.. hardly anything to focus on at all :)

Warmed up with some shoulder in and increase-decrease to get her loose, stepping under herself and responsive. Then we bounced over the fences that S had set up.

I tried to take pictures but they were blurry so instead I drew a diagram. Cause I'm so good at that.




This is my outdoor arena. Although not to scale since its about 80m long and that circle-of-death that I've drawn was about a 20 meter "circle" or rhombus or whatever the correct geometric term is for a totally oddly shaped figure. Since I draw like a blind bunny here's what was in the ring:

Outside Line: four regular (not prairie) strides with the Flower-Pots-of-DOOM to the gate with white barrels.

Super Scary Skinny: narrow brush box stuffed with bamboo, flowers, garlands and monsters (two blue standards on either side)

Swedish Oxer: coming out of the corner with big flower boxes in the center.

Everything was 2'6 to just under 3'.

We warmed up over the outside line and Prairie was fabulous. She looked at the fences but stayed forward and every time she sat back and got 4 easy strides.

(cue confetti and balloons)

She was a bit more strung out when we took it heading home, but still, managed four strides without a fight.

Popped over the Oxer with a biiiiig look and then introduced her to the skinny. She squirted out to the inside on our first try. I didn't help much with ,y eye down and very defensive seat- but she bounded over on our second approach.

Perfect. All things are jump able. Time for courses.

Line away, oxer home, roll right back to the skinny.

Dandy. Then we added the Oxer again after the skinny which felt like it maxed out my steering. Then S got MEAN.

Oxer away, hairpin to the skinny, tight right to the barrels.... Hairpin back to the oxer

Wash, rinse, repeat.

We ran out a few times. Mostly because I would be pulling the mare around instead of pushing the shoulder in or I'd be staring straight down at the skinny. Whoops.

We nailed the other two fences just fine - it was just that damn skinny requiring us to be straight, correct and paying attention.

We finished up ok. A few revolutions each way without fuss was enough for me.

Remember 3 months ago when we could barely canter a circle without drama???

I do. And I have to try really hard to remind myself of that fact when prairie is less than perfect....

What a mare.



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Location:Scary Skinny of DEATH