Bumbling Along...

Saf has had a fairly easy time of it really. Well, an easy time for a Saffy anyway! She's been having quite a few days off because of work etc so she's been quite lively to work. I put a triple up on Saturday, starting as just poles on the ground. She was being a bit of a moose at first and having a hissy fit about being made to walk over poles. She soon settled though and began to work properly. We built it up to 1 jump, then 2, then the triple. I was quite nervous because I had jumped a triple the week before and managed to fall off. Although I wasn't hurt and I got straight back on, my stupid mind had been mulling over it and of course I'd decided that was going to happen every time I tried to jump a combination. Grrr. Good thing was though I had my friend with me who was shouting at me that Saf was more than capable etc. The daft thing is, I don't let my worries stop me from doing stuff, I just argue with the voices in my head! So it's good to have someone shouting louder than those voices. Needless to say, with more confident riding Saffy flew through the combination and we didn't have a single refusal.

After a couple of days off and some flatwork (to which she was completely disinterested...she was powering around the school in a lovely jumping canter..shame we were aiming for steady and dressage-y) I decided to put some canter poles out with one set of wings today. She was a star :) The canter poles took a couple of tries but she managed it perfectly once she remembered she had 4 legs. I put a piddly little cross up at the end of the line of poles and she wobbled her way upto it but, and it's a big but, didn't stop! We came round a few more times and it was much more stylish. I put it up to a straight and suddenly got nervous again. It wasn't big, but my mind was saying 'it's a straight, it looks different, she'll stop'.

About 4 strides out she backed off my leg. Suddenly everything went into slow motion. My mind was saying 'she's going to stop and try and jump it from a standstill...it's too big for her to jump from a standstill without a massive catleap...you'll fall off'. Somehow my body was functioning without my brain and I kicked her on and gave her a tap with the whip. Two strides out and she literally got the bit between her teeth and went 'mother, sod off and let me do it my way' and she flew it like an absolute pro. It felt amazing! My baby pony, sorting us both out. On landing I tried to say 'good girl' but it came out as a bit of a squeak. I was so happy :) We went over it a couple more times and she was foot perfect.

So now we have our transport (Mabel!) and she's showing me *she* can be (and wants to be if her flatwork performance was anything to go by!) a showjumper, even if I'm having confidence issues. I'm quite proud of myself for pushing myself through it though and I'm really looking forward to getting back to the level of confidence I had last summer.

Show season starts Sunday! Better pull the flatwork out of the bag :)