Thought Process

Grid line--2' vertical, one stride, 2' vertical, one stride, ground pole. Hard left corner--remember to get the lead change before the turn or it'll be too late. Vertical, three strides, swedish oxer. We can do this. It's just a mini course.

We start with a right lead canter circle. I open Izzy up along the rail, then half halt back to a nice, forward canter. I can go faster, I can go slower, she is ahead of my leg.

Look for my fence. Approach. Straight between my legs. She is forward--don't add leg--that would increase too much. Don't freak out about the second fence. With this canter, they could be twice as high. Stay on your line. Shoulders back, body still.

Jump.

One stride.

Jump.

One stride.

Half halt. Lead change, got it in one stride. Balance around the turn. Boom! Weight in my hands. Half halt NOW. Now positively to the base of the jump. She's forward, don't change, stay the same. Distance will be close but ok. Heels down, hands still.

Jump.

One.

Two.

Three.

Jump!

Landed in the correct lead. Good girl!

It was five fences and none of them were big, but we made it look easy. Scratch that. It was easy. It was smooth. It was balanced.

Amazing what a dash of forward will do for you.


We've got this.