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We Are Flying Solo

October 23, 2013

Defying Gravity, Pt. II

Ah my dear friends -- has anyone figured out how to clone yourselves yet??  I so need that option!

I must be off to Maryland for one of my favourite (although exhausting) experiences of every year:  helping to run the Waredaca T/N3DE.  I have written before about how important the long format is & how much it means to me, so I will let you play around on your own with that.

Photo by High Time Photography.
However, as a parting gift till I get a bit more time, I will leave you with the rest of our videos from our stellar XC lesson with David in early October.

Read Part 1 here

I had every intentions of offering some analysis of each section but I will let David's limitless experience & wisdom speak for itself, as he is more than capable of doing so.

One critical point that I will point out as you work through the videos is that, to be truly safe & effective cross country, it is not enough for your horse to merely be fast & game.  Encore has that in spades.  It is easy to get caught up in the thrill & whoop as your horse leaps over logs!

But it can get you in trouble in a hurry & David explains why.  He needs to understand what he is doing, he needs to use the correct techniques, & rider needs to give him the best opportunity possible to succeed (and stay on)Slow it down, break it down, and build a solid foundation.

Even if your goal is to complete a Maiden course or school some Novice fences, it will pay off in safety for you & your horse, not to mention making your partner into a smoother, more confident ride.  Everyone likes to understand what is expected of them in their job!

Note: yes, you caught me.  I was not wearing my safety vest.  In all honesty, we were running late on the way down, I got nervous about holding up David, tacked up my horse quickly & just completely forgot to put it on.  I did not even notice until the end of the lesson.  You all know that I am the Safety Nazi & gave myself a good mental scolding on the way back to the trailer.

Banks I



Banks II



Banks III



Water I (I would like to note that a year ago, David & I could NOT get Encore to jump over the little log into the water, no way, no how.  We spent about 15 minutes trying & then moved on so it wouldn't become a thing.  I am very proud of my boy for tackling it bravely this year & I credit that to the passage of time & the building of our relationship.)



Water II



Just as a comparison, here is Encore's attempt at dropping off a bank into water this March when we were under Becky Holder's watch.



Big Banks and Straight (ahem) Lines

5 comments:

  1. I WANT TO DO THIS WITH COURAGE!!!!!

    Ahem.

    That is all.

    Your progress is incredible and Encore looks completely awesome. :-)

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  2. I 100% love everything about this entry, but ESPECIALLY the bold text about the horse understanding the task at hand.

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  3. Hee hee, SB, thanks -- and don't worry, it's only taken us two years, so you have plenty of time!

    Thanks, Dom, and I agree, it's easy to forget for anyone and I am glad that David always reminds me of that!

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  4. Awesome video and insights, as always, and if you figure out the cloning thing, do share...!

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  5. Thanks, squeaks, and boy, wouldn't that be useful!!

    ReplyDelete