Solo is jumping like a superstar. He just loves it. We don’t jump him much, probably once a week. It’s really not something he needs to school. He is also doing well on the flat but still has problems fitting into a 20 x 40 ring. Give him a big space and he is ‘to die for’. Take him into the arena and by the third or fourth turn or corner, he starts to get grumpy and lose impulsion.
When he is out on the bigger circles and lines, I can keep his back engaged and we overtrack with a solid frame and a head that is absolutely rock steady.Put him in the 20 x 40 and he finds a way of getting behind my leg within three movements. As soon as he is behind the leg, he tosses his head and stamps his feet (up in the air) and a big stamp down, one foot after the other… this is WHILE we are still trotting and cantering, he is nothing if not athletic.
I ride him in a short spur. Which he doesn’t object to at all, he obviously feels that spurs are allowed within the rules, and he reacts quietly to it, same with a dressage whip. When I give him a tap as I feel him slip behind my leg, he knows he’s busted and moves back up. He seems to treat the whole thing as a bit of a game. The rules are…. when the leg and spur is there, he is there, right underneath me, and when I take my stupid undisciplined, mind of it’s own leg, off, then he feels quite justified in ‘not being there’. Thems the rules, and I will have to learn to play the game a lot better than him. He is so fast in his thinking, its embarrassing being outmaneuvered on a regular basis.
Selena is not eventing him at present. He was amazing at The Fork and we need to get him carrying himself in the dressage arena before it’s really worth shipping and showing. His issues are with the ring wherever it stands, not the show atmosphere which he seems to rather enjoy. Thus our dressage arena goes up this week for him to practice in.
He has had the past week off and goes back to work tomorrow. He has enjoyed some well earned grass and turnout, having worked very hard since mid January with very few days off. It has paid off and he is strong looking now with hard tight legs, lots of tone and definition in the muscles. His work has been steady rather than intense, lots of walking, hacking, hills, lunging, being ponied, and being schooled on the flat and over fences in various locations. This has given him a lot of different experiences without him getting in the least excited.
Apart from fitting his big self into the dressage ring, he takes everything pretty much in stride.
I must put a stick on him, I think he has grown again.
