Sometimes the best plans are the ones made at the last minute! I realized late one night last month that a venue I’ve been wanting to attend was hosting jumper classes the following day, so I signed Metro up. Early the next morning, we tootled off for our first competition together in what was far too long.
It’s been awhile since Metro and I stepped into the jumper ring (because let’s face it, “show Metro” has his own vibe compared to “lesson/ clinic/ home Metro”!), but it felt like no time had passed. All the buttons were right where I had left them, and it was such a reassuring reminder of the partnership we’ve built over the years, and nothing had diminished since our last outing.
We won both our 1.05 m and 1.10 m classes, and capped things off with a solid schooling round at 1.20m. He’s always game for whatever crazy ideas I throw his way, and even though we haven’t been jumping much at all recently, he was more than happy to step up and show off. 🥰✨
Madaket Road - 2012 Thoroughbred Gelding
Madaket Road - 2012 Thoroughbred Gelding
Lay It On over fences
Lay It On over fences - shot with Pivo
Lay It On flat video
2011 16.2 hh OTTB gelding for sale - flat video shot with Pivo
I never knew the horses and I would need a pet pig 🐖
An oldie, but goldie. Metro said, “let me make the coffin 💅🏼”
How many minutes do you spend warming up at the beginning of your ride? The ideal minimum time is 10-15 minutes. Watch the video to learn about other benefits! Are there any more you would add to the list for others to learn?💭
Why don’t I count strides while course walking or while riding?
▫️I have found through personal experience and teaching others, when we know the proper number of strides in between jumps, sometimes we get caught up on the magic number!
▫️riding your striding accurately is important, but it is not the end-all-be-all! You must have rhythm and balance to achieve that properly.
▫️riding your horse in a consistent rhythm and balanced properly allows you to make any adjustments as necessary (do I wait for the fence, push to it, or stay the same?)
▫️the right “number” can end up being a distraction for an inexperienced or nervous rider. I do not care if I got five strides in between fences if I was too big for the first three strides and then pulled for the last two.
▫️a horse ridden in an even rhythm will be easier to see your future take-off spot (distance) from, and the horse is far more capable of being able to pat the ground before a fence if he/ she is adequately balanced!
▫️I will count strides on closely related distances, but as jumps start to cover a larger area, I focus on keeping things neutral/ in the middle rather than finding the number. This allows for a faster recovery if something unexpected happens. ie: a gappy/ short distance, a big/ short landing on the backside, riding the inside/ middle/ outside track, etc!
▫️riding this way also allows you to nail your distances nearly every single time, even that lone gallop fence!
Moral of the story, knowing how to count your striding and ride it accordingly is important! But, don’t neglect other areas of your riding thinking that alone will get you by. Happy riding!🐴
What are some fun things you like to do with your horse out of the saddle? I think we as equestrians sometimes forget about all the things our equine partners can offer us out of the saddle as well! I like to remind clients that the whole point of us doing this started because we liked spending time with these large animals.
Horses can offer us so much besides ride time; whether they be too young to be ridden, retired from riding, or rehabilitating! Horses have large hearts with extremely low-frequency heart electromagnetic waves. This field can directly influence the rhythm of your heart and your emotions. So not only can horses offer us mental therapy, they can help our physical wellbeing also! Besides the physical benefits, spending quality time with our horses on the ground will strengthen the relationship we share with them both in and out of the saddle.
One of my favorite things to do with my baby horses is taking them for trail walks. I love watching them explore and expand their world with no internal or external pressure. This will only set them up to interact more confidentially with their surroundings as they mature. In this clip, it was my first time jumping Metro in-hand, but not my first time jumping horses in-hand. There was a learning curve as Metro had to figure out how to go over the higher fences without me, but once he figured it out, he loved it! It was fun for me having to feel his rhythm and impulsion from the ground to guide him to the jump. Not to mention having to adjust my eye for the distance!
Spending time with our horses doesn’t have to entail anything physical. It can be as simple and wholesome as grooming them thoroughly, doing stretches and core strengthening exercises (only after coming in from turnout or after a ride), or even just finding all their favorite itchy spots! I love getting to know my horses inside and out. It helps build their trust in me, allows me to know immediately when something is amiss and correct it befor
This is an exercise that can be done with any level of horse and rider! It can be as simple as four rails on the ground to cross rails to verticals. As the horse and rider gain education and confidence, the height of the fences can be raised and the “tightness” of the weave/ serpentine can increase.
Why I like this exercise:
Riding this concept with Surelock started getting his brain thinking about adjustability in between jumps and focused more on the cues I, the rider, was giving him without an argument. It’s not overly difficult in theory or intimidating to the horses. For the rider, it encourages them to plan ahead and steer their horse’s shoulders from their legs instead of their hands/ solely using the bit - as they should!
Since the path between each fence can be as tight or as wide as the arena allows, the horse has to accept the rider guiding them to the next fence or else they don’t get the reward of the jump. With the ground pole/ jump being a visual guide as well, the horse immediately understands whether he/ she has succeeded in the task at hand as well. If they miss one, they have instant feedback on the exercise.
If the rider is not planning and looking ahead, and guiding their horse softly and strategically, they will not be able to complete the exercise either. As you and your horse get more experience with the question, see if you can get to a comfortable (not too long, not too short) distance (take-off spot) to all four fences!
Do not be afraid to use repetition to your advantage. i.e. it is okay to come off the left lead as many times as necessary. The predictably helps both you and your horse understand and master the concept. Do not be in a rush to move on to the next thing. Wait until you feel thorough and competent in your riding!
Exercise idea credit to @carter_eventing. Kyle has many concepts that allow the horse to learn in cooperation with the rider rather than against them. As well as how to teach the horse how to react
💥SOLD💥
2006 AQHA gelding, 16.2 hh, dark dappled bay, AQHA show record a mile long, will happily course from cross rails to 2’6” with riders of any level, jump up to 3’ singles with an educated rider, good on trails, tolerant and kind with rider mistakes, *very* smooth gaits. He is ammy and junior safe! He does not have a consistent lead change on the flat or over courses, but does aim to please and could potentially figure it out with time spent on it. This horse goes best in either a Pelham or baucher Mullen plastic mouthpiece. **Jumping clips start at 2:20 mins in video.**
He is by Gucci Only by Invitation Only and out of a Son of Sam mare. He requires annual/ bi-annual hock injections depending on how frequently and hard he is ridden. He is due for his hocks to be done this August. This gelding is up to date on teeth, Coggins, vaccines, and feet. He does have roars with no known history of the tie back surgery. Due to this, it is best for him to stay in consistent work and retain good fitness. It has not bothered him and he has been ridden at times for up to an hour (and longer trail rides!) without issue.
Located in Malvern, PA. Owners are wanting the best possible home for this kind and special boy. Asking 💲7️⃣5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣
Last night was definitely a bucket list item for me.🥹 Not only did I finally get to ride and compete in the iconic Dixon Oval, but Metro, myself, and our team won first place out of fifteen teams for the Hunt Team Class!🏆
Metro, thank you to infinity, for doing everything in your power to make my dreams come true. This incredible horse does anything I ask simply because I ask it of him, he’s irreplaceable.🦄
My teammates, @northstarfarmpa, @emslietanya, and I all had a blast last night! Thank you, ladies, for going along with it all, so I could live out a big dream of mine last night.🤍
Shoutout to my Stuttgart saddle from @voltairedesignusa_can for being the most versatile saddle ever. I completed my first beginner novice in it, jumped over intermediate tables and down water drop banks, popped over 1.30 m courses, fox hunted on insane tracks in multiple regions of this country, played in the show hunter and derby rings with it, and now piloted around a hunt team course in an famous show ring for a top 🥇 finish. It is truly one of my prized possessions.🫶🏼
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