Products I Love Pt. 2

In case you missed Part 1 this post is going to cover all of the gear I use on Smash that I love. Tell me all about your favorite gear in the comments section!

Let's start with tack!

My biggest piece of tack is my saddle. I use the All Purpose Wintec saddle with Smash. I love it because of the changeable gullet system and because it can be used for everything. Granted I'd love a real dressage saddle but I don't have the funds to have a million saddles for everything I do.

With the saddle comes the girth! I use the Professional's Choice girth because it doesn't rub and has plenty of elastic! Plus they are easy to clean and synthetic!

This is my girth extender. I need it when tacking up just to get the girth on. Then Smash sucks it in and I can swap the extender off and have only girth to saddle. She is such a bloater! I totally recommend you get one of these vs a larger girth to save you some money!!

Even though these Eskadron open front boots were fairly pricey, they were worth the money! Smash over reaches all the time and these boots have a nice hard shell so she doesn't hurt herself. And I love the open front so when she is jumping she remembers to pick her feet up and not be so lazy because if she doesn't she will feel it.

I stick with simple WOOF boots for the hind legs because she does rub her back legs a little and I am always a bit nervous those ankle boots don't cover enough of her leg. Plus WOOF boots come in many colors and are much cheaper!

Smash's bridle is no-name generic brown leather but her brow band is not! This pink brow band from Clever with Leather is actually my Mom's. I also own this purple one below. Smash's halter is also from Clever with Leather. They make amazing products! I saw them when I went to ROLEX 3 day Event in KY but they will make custom tack from their website, too!

Her name plate has seen better days...

you can't see the purple very well but it's a nice color!

Part of my tack up routine also involves using some hoof oil to make sure the pounding while jumping on the dry and hard ground doesn't completely ruin Smash's hooves. I love this Farrier's Fix stuff. It smells like bengay a little bit but I have noticed her hooves have stayed in good shape because of it.

Last but not least is my trailer. It's a Featherlite with a roomy tack room. The saddles fit neatly in a nook under the bridles and there is ample space for all of my junk.

Side view

Front of trailer

Entrance to dressing room

Bridle hooks and saddle racks

all my junk piled inside

Products I Love Pt. 1

Most riders are curious about what products other riders use and love so today's post is going to dissect all of my rider apparel/gadgets that I currently use and love! Come enter my trailer!

A lot of people have asked me about my helmet cam I use so I decided why not share not only what I use for my helmet cam but also what I use when I ride, show, and take care of my horse. Below are the products I love to use until they are no longer usable.

Cameras:

I use (or rather have someone else use) a Sony HD Handycam. It has 7.1 megapixels and a 32 GB internal memory. The quality superiority between this handycam and my previous non-HD handycam is astronomical! The file size might be larger and take a while to upload but it's worth it! (note: we got this on sale at HHGregg so don't go thinking I like dropping tons of cash on stuff. Remember I own a horse)

For my Helmet cam I use the GoPro Hero with an additional side mount (purchased separately) so I didn't have to wear the camera on the top of my head/helmet. The mounts that come with the camera as is are very limited and while the bases are a thick double sided tape that probably stick well to plastic helmets it does not stay on horseback riding helmets with velvet or velvet wannabe exteriors. The only way I've gotten my GoPro to stay secured is with super glue. I got my GoPro at REI with a member discount and coupon.

Clothing:

My go to paddock boot is the old Ariat Volant zip ups. Obviously these have seen better days and I don't think Ariat even makes them any more but their latest Volant XT is probably going to be next on my list to buy. I wear these with the matching half chaps and they are great for the summer!

These are my most favorite riding pants. From Left to Right the Kerrits Full Seat insulated winter breech, On Course full seat white show breech, and Kerrits full seat super thin summer breech. 

In the summer I usually will wear the Kerrits summer breech exclusively. It's so super thin that I never get as hot as I used to in other riding pants. They are very tight, though, so be warned that you will feel like you've just put on a second skin. 

In the winter I wear the Kerrits Full Seat insulated breech and it's so much better than piling on layers of underarmour and feeling like the michellan man. They keep me warm and are super soft on the inside!  

For my horse shows I wear the On Course full seat white breech and I love them. They are comfortable and get the job done!

Also for horse shows I wear my Ariat Field boot with zip up back. Love the zip up! It keeps me from struggling with boot pulls (which I always end up losing and having to resort to hoof picks) and they are a much better fit. I also save money with them from not needing tall socks since my pants don't bunch up at all while putting them on. I still will by a few pairs of tall socks, though, ...to be cool, naturally.

I protect my cranium with the IRH helmet. This is not the helmet I attach my camera to but that helmet is also another IRH style just smaller so the additional weight of the helmet cam is less noticeable. I love this helmet because it has the traditional velvet look and feel but with some modern wannabe GPA action for a third of the price. It's also super comfy and keeps my hair more contained. I don't struggle nearly as much to make my hair look neat/tidy with this helmet since it comes down farther in the back and around the sides.

Last but not least, I wear Tipperary's jumping vest whenever I go cross country. It comes in a few colors and is very comfortable on course! Safety is very important to me and with this jump vest I get great protection for an affordable price. Since I'm not jumping in the higher levels I don't own an Air Vest but I have heard pretty good things about those, too. Reminder - if you decide to go with an Air Vest you still need a traditional jumping vest like the one pictured above!

Those are all of the items I wear as a rider. I hope you enjoyed this post about rider apparel and products I love! Part 2 will show you the products I love to use on Smash! Stay tuned!!

Best Horse Shopping Places in MD

Disclaimer: These are just my personal preferences. There are many different shops in MD that I probably don't know of or never have been to so this list is limited to only what I prefer and know. Please feel free to add any I have missed or your personal favorites in the comments section! :)

Growing up riding in Maryland I had to buy a lot of riding apparel and gear. Depending on where I lived or rode depended on where I shopped.

Before the internet (yes there was a time before online shopping!) we used to just go by word of mouth. My first tack shop I remember visiting was The Grey Pony in Laurel, MD. Between there and what was once Gayers (now Outback Leather) we had everything we needed. Outback is notorious for saddle and boot adjustments!

When I went off to college, in southern MD, I shopped online and at a tack shop run by Mennonites. The only thing was they had no electricity in the shop so you had to shop in daylight!  The shop owner would order you whatever you needed and it'd be there in a matter of days! Southern States was another good place to pick up a few necessities. Online shopping was finally in full swing and to this day I still frequent sites like Dover Saddlery and Stateline Tack.

After moving to Ellicott City, MD/Baltimore and riding at a new barn in Mt Airy we discovered Bits and Bridles (no longer in business) which was SUPER convenient! A one stop shop! Sadly they went out of business so now we frequent Stablemates in Carroll County.

Stablemates is good for things you can't wait to order online or if you have any questions about a new product you are thinking of trying. Not to mention to try on boots or clothes and their sales are really good! I also make sure to check out Tack of the Day. If you have not heard of it, go now! Every day there are 2 sale items and it's the best deal out there! I also like shopping with Smartpak because their prices are good and their customer service and reviews are really good, too! Last but not least I have also shopped through Jeffer's Equine. They don't have too much but for medical supplies and general horse care, they are great. They ship almost immediately. Obviously you can also shop directly to manufacturers/brand names like Ariat and Kerrits but I find I learn more about what's "in" and what actually works from the other sites I listed above.

I have not gotten a chance to check out the new Maryland Saddlery Consignment horse shop in Gambrills, MD  or their original shop Maryland Saddlery nor ever been to any of the Dover shops but I hear great things about them, too. Also, a favorite show/last minute omg I need it now because my horse just ate/broke it vendor is Bit of Britain. I see them a lot at Events.

Where do you shop for horse essentials in MD?

Produce Stand - 0 Me - 1

FINALLY! I have finally conquered my produce stand fears and jumped successfully over it! For those of you who aren't exactly sure what I'm talking about here is a photo (not the same jump from last night or the show) of an example of a produce stand jump:

(Source)

My produce stand fence was not as big obviously and it was painted white and like a greenish color but the form of the jump is basically the same. Sadly I do not have photographic proof of me jumping over the produce stand but I do have witnesses!

For as long as I can remember I've been terrified of this type of fence (for no real reason) and it didn't help that the last time I attempted to jump a produce stand it was kind of traumatic. I was schooling at Loch Moy's competition course and kept refusing the fence. Finally I thought I was going to get over it when Smash literally stopped jumping mid-air and landed half on the jump half off (front end on the jump)! I was perplexed, and a little scared, and was starting to get really nervous about even attempting the jump and was instructed to just move on to another jump instead of getting over it. Now that I know what my bad habits were, I totally understand what happened (looked down, leg was not on, and I was probably pulling her reins back instead of being elastic with them), but it doesn't stop me from having a knee jerk fear reaction to the jump.

So jumping the produce stand last night was so therapeutic on many levels.
1. I finally got over the fence I got eliminated at proving I am capable of getting over it
2. I finally faced my long time fear of produce stands
3. Now I know I can jump any produce stand because no matter what color they are, I have successfully jumped it and can and will do it again!

Mentally this was SO good for me!

Last night we schooled most of the BN course again but added in a few other jumps. I added in a few Novice fences, too. Slowly I am figuring out the details to my bad jumping habits and working through them. Last night's big focus was using BOTH legs to keep Smash straight to the jump (seems like common sense but for some reason if she jigs to the left I was only putting my left leg on, so then of course she leaps to the right and I put my right leg on. Back and forth we go until we stop and I lose my balance). It helped tremendously when I just funneled her through both legs to jumps. (...duh.)

Sometimes it feels like I'm never going to get over my jumping issues but I know it takes time and practice - lots of it! Nobody woke up and thought "I'm going to go be an event rider today!", hopped on a horse, and was perfectly successful. I just need to remember it takes time and I am making some good improvements but perfection will never happen and getting close to it will take much longer than 4 months.

Waredaca Recognized Event 8/18/12

Saturday was a very exciting and educational day for me. It was my first rated event that I actually felt prepared for and it was my first event since moving to Waredaca. My ride times were LATE in the afternoon which is very unusual for me. Normally I'm waking up at 4am and done by 2pm where as Saturday I didn't even leave for the barn until 12:30pm. The best part though was no trailering was needed. Man, it's nice to have shows at my own barn!

Upon arrival I noticed the not-so-great braids I asked my friend, Karen, to do for me were 1/2 undone. I started to panic a little since I had only anticipated a few braids to come out - not 1/2 of them! Then I panicked a little more when I struggled to get them into any form of passable braid quality. Smash's mane is thick - thicker than normal because she won't tolerate a traditional mane pulling comb and I have to use the one with a razor in it. On top of that, I must've been mane pulling happy and I pulled it too short. Short and thick hair is not conducive to braiding! Oddly enough I managed to make them passable (still VERY poor though!) and got ready for dressage on time.

My warm-up was going well until I found out the dressage rings were about 20min behind schedule. UGH! So I took a break from schooling Smash until 10min before they were actually ready for me and schooled the crap out of her. I struggled at first for her attention/focus but I finally got it upon entering the ring. I rode hard and it paid off! I only had 1 mishap - an incorrect lead in my right canter circle which got me a very ugly score of 4 - but generally speaking I did well! So well, in fact, that I redeemed my score from Full Moon's show of 38 to a respectable 34.5! Booya! The only things I would've done differently is 1. Not braid (I saw tons of people not braided and I know Smash would've looked much better not braided than braided) 2. Get a better right bend (duh!)and 3. Get a better belt that won't come undone while riding and make me look even more hillbilly than necessary. Here is the video of my dressage test and below are a few pictures my Mom took:

The picture above sums up my dressage...belt undone, Smash poo-pooing dressage in general, her braids looking a hott mess, and me looking DONE!

Next phase was Stadium! I had walked the course a few times and thought it had a few good challenging elements. There was a 2 strided line I needed to ride forward to and a bunch of boxes decorating the fences that had been causing other riders some issues. I made sure in my warm up to trot over my fences before cantering a few and to make sure I was riding assertively and being proactive vs. reactive. I thought all in all I did a great job! Jump number 3 was not our best because Smash started to stare at it but I got us over it and  going into the 2 strided line I made sure to give a tap of the crop behind my leg since I could feel a hair of hesitation from Smash and I was having NONE of it in a short line like that! We only knocked 1 rail though on jump 9 (drat!) with no time faults so I was happy! :) Here's the Helmet Cam video and the Camcorder view with a few pics from my Mom below.

The second photo is of the last jump when her back foot knocked the rail. Drat!

I was half elated and half nervous I was qualified to continue on to XC! There were a couple of elements in the xc course I was nervous about. Jump 4 was on top of a hill and while it was an easy fence I knew it was a total mind game since I could not see the other side of the fence upon the approach. I had to believe in my ability and continue to ride confidently since in reality there was plenty of flat landing area on the other side. Jump 5 was a little nerving because it had intimidated me in the past but I knew I could get over it. Jump 7 was a jump I've done before but going the opposite direction and it was located between bushes and a fence surrounding a house (a real one not some weird fake house in the middle of the field) so I knew it had potential to be spooky. Jump 8 was my arch nemesis the Produce Stand. I have never been confident to them and I knew if I wanted to get over it I had to believe it was just funny shaped and no harder than any of the other fences out there. The rest of the course I knew I could do!

Off I went! I was over jump 1 and 2 with no problem. Had to collect Smash up for jump 3 since she was on a roll and actually moving too fast. Jump 4 I pretended didn't exist and we were clear! Jump 5 wasn't very graceful but we got over it! Clear! Jump 6 was water and Smash almost leaped in! Jump 7 she looked at but got over! Jump 8 I rode up to feeling good and I actually thought 'OMG! I'm doing it!' until eeerrrrrrppppp (sound of screeching tires) I had a last minute "huh?" when Smash hesitated and I ended up looking down to see what was going on and that's all Smash needed to stop and I rolled off. *sigh* I was eliminated. Had I at least stayed on I could've attempted to get over it! But no, I was one with physics and gravity at that moment and kept going (what is in motion, stays in motion, right?). I was really frustrated and bummed out but there was nothing I could do. Here's the Helmet Cam video and the beginning of my xc from camcorder view with a few really nice pics from my Mom:

I hate knowing I could've gotten over that produce stand had I just ridden Smash to the other side of the fence. I hate that I couldn't get back on and try again. But I love that I'm chomping at the bit for redemption and not totally defeated. I love that what I did accomplish on Saturday was some of my best show work. I love that I didn't let nerves take over at all. I love that I had a plan of attack for each warm up and ride and executed it well! I love that I kept my head in the game and had positive thoughts to guide me. And I love that I already have a lesson tonight to get over that produce stand and through the rest of my xc course!

It's SO frustrating getting over old habits. They take over sometimes without me even realizing it and take even more mental effort to make sure I'm doing my *new* habits. I literally have to tell myself a mantra and BELIEVE it to every fence ("Hips open, Leg on, Eyes up, through to the next fence"). I literally say it to myself to every fence. But obviously when I get nervous about something and the mantra fades out or I don't believe in myself 100% I get into trouble. I know it will just take time and mileage. I know I will eventually get there. I just wish I had been able to take it through that Produce stand on Saturday because I KNOW deep down I could've done it the first time. Slowly but surely Smash and I will get there... one produce stand at a time...

P.S. I was in 5th place after dressage... oh what  pretty pink ribbon that would've been...

Then and Now

So while uploading a ton of videos last night and this morning I decided to go back and watch some of the videos I took of me and Smash from earlier this year/last year and I can definitely see a difference! Not to mention, in a couple of weeks will mark the 1 year anniversary of owning Smash!

Here's a video from Loch Moy's Practice show where I jumped Smash over 18" compared to last night's Waredaca Practice show over 2'6".

Things I noticed in the Loch Moy Show was how completely sloppy Smash was jumping and how we couldn't figure out a pace at all. She pulled herself with her shoulders/front end over every single fence and was not really in sync with me at all. My position was weak, too. I could see myself looking at each fence as we came to it - more than Smash was! (definitely a bad habit I've been working hard on lately to correct) I wasn't letting Smash jump and I was trying to jump for her.

Things I noticed at the Waredaca Show was how Smash does still pull over some fences but not all of them. It seemed like if she took a longer spot she was more inclined to lead with her front end but she was getting closer to fences and getting better spots and not nearly as sloppy with her legs. Our pace was much more forward/powerful but not fast. And I wasn't looking at any of the fences and in turn Smash had to look and jump while I just guided and supported her.

Meanwhile I found another video - one of my first XC videos with Smash 2 years ago again at Loch Moy but doing BBN. This was before I owned her and our first show together. Compare that with the xc video from Full Moon and going schooling at Loch Moy last Sunday.Now granted Smash was only 5 at the time of Loch Moy's show but I can actually see some of her development and maturity/experience just in how she carries herself. I notice mostly my position and attitude going xc and I'm glad it's much improved!

I don't have any videos from our absolute failure year but I do have a couple of pictures that illustrates my frustration and why these past few months have been SO great for us:

Not sure if you can tell but we were getting into a lot of trouble. In both cases we didn't complete the Event that day. I got eliminated at Waredaca and I scratched Loch Moy's XC because I was so exhausted from over jumping the stadium. So while we started out well as a duo we definitely hit a wall and now we are back on track and actually even better! It's a shame I couldn't have had smooth sailing this whole time but I definitely learned a lot from both good and bad days!

Waredaca Practice Show 8/15/12

Tonight was the last of the Wednesday night schooling shows at Waredaca. It's been a GREAT opportunity to get in some dressage and stadium practice without the pressure of a formal show (or the price!). I've participated in each one this summer (recap of show 1 and show 2) and each have coincidentally landed the week of a show I'm signed up for and really helped get me mentally prepared for my stadium round.

Tonight was no different. My Mom started the night off with dressage. She got there before I did and rode her Intro B test with Smash. Sadly I missed it but I saw the judge's score and comments and they were GREAT! She got an 8 and mostly 7s! She said she felt like it was one of her best rides with Smash, too! Hoping it's not because no one was there to witness it ;) Even though I missed it, I'm really proud of her great ride and I know she'll just continue to get better as she practices. PVDA watch out, my Mom's on a roll!

About an hour later I tacked up and got Smash warmed up for my stadium rounds. My plan of attack was to make Smash really work/pay attention to me in warm up. None of this ADD 'ooo a butterfly!' or calling to her buddies in the nearby field business! It was work time! So I put her through her paces as if I was prepping for a dressage test and then made her trot all of the warm up fences - even the oxer that was set up.

My first round was done almost entirely at the trot to get and keep Smash's attention and to continue to get her to jump properly instead of thinking she needs to whiz around and fly over everything - in turn ignoring me. I didn't use the helmet cam because trotting makes the video much choppier and harder to watch. But the camcorder captured the gist. I thought it was a great idea to trot a 2'3" course because it made me sit back and wait a tad longer and concentrate on what I was doing vs letting my nerves ride for me.

My second round was done at 2'6" and at a canter. You can see the helmet cam view here. In this round I worked on consistency of pace since the course had a few long approaches and my tendency is to get quick. I definitely implied the 1-2 counting from jump 5b to 6 (the 1stride to the purple and yellow diagonal/vertical) and I think it worked well for me! But the best part is I noticed Smash was listening to me and I could feel her jumping with a smidge more ease than normal and cantering with impulsion from behind vs on the forehand/pulling herself more. She had a couple of wiggly approaches still but nothing as wiggly as normal or as speedy as in the past. I felt very proud that I was one of the few riders to get a straight approach to jump 3, the wave, and not knock it down! I also noticed as I rode around the course whenever I felt myself start to get nervous about certain jumps or start to look down I caught myself in time/sooner and told myself to look up. I also consciously caught myself at times saying "open your hips and put leg on now" instead of progressively getting into the fetal position/slouching and chancing a refusal. It was just a much more proactive and lucid ride than normal. I think I am finally finding the middle ground to dealing with my nerves and not letting them take over.

I'm sure Saturday's stadium course will be nothing like the course I jumped tonight (for one a 1 stride combination is not allowed in BN) but it was still a great practice for the show and my confidence is very high!

Speaking of Saturday here are my ride times:
Dressage: 3:11pm
Stadium: 4:52pm
XC: right after stadium but my official time is 5:10pm

I keep peeping over at the xc field whenever I go get Smash to see if I can see any new jumps and attempt to see the course yet but so far I haven't seen much.  I have noticed a lattice and produce stand is out but that's about it. Guess I'll have to wait until Friday/Saturday to walk the course...dundundun!

XC Schooling at Loch Moy

This weekend was quite a weekend! And it most definitely had it's highs and lows. Oddly enough the highs were not the normal highs and the lows were not the normal lows. Let me explain.

Sunday I was slated to meet my instructor and another rider at Loch Moy for 1 last XC schooling before this Saturday's show. The rated show. The one that costs a lot of money so I better not get eliminated show. So I got a text to meet at 3:30pm. Nick and I did a few things around the house and then headed to Waredaca in hopes of using our new lunge whip and chain rope to load Smash onto the trailer. I had the other rider's phone number as a back up in case we just couldn't get her on. We got to the barn and no joke, it took us 2 tries and she was on the trailer!!! We left the barn at like 3:15pm and I was worried we'd be super early and waiting for the other rider since the texts I was receiving were like "I'm already on and riding and have to ride another horse" which made no sense because why would you ride another horse at the barn when we're supposed to be leaving?? ...it was because we were supposed to meet at Loch Moy at 3:30pm...not leave then. *sigh* whoops. So by the time I got there and realized what I had misunderstood they were done riding while we were pulling in. Thankfully Steph was nice and stayed to give me a quick lesson.

Then more drama. Nick for whatever reason decided to start unloading Smash but didn't wait for me to help and next thing we know Smash has broken off the trailer and is running amok around the Loch Moy xc schooling area. I ran. A lot. Dumb horse was having a blast. Finally she stopped and was sweaty and tired. But guess what - I didn't care.

Once I got on we had a really good lesson! I practiced the crap outta the down bank and even did a few fences I was leery about (they looked big) before calling it a day. Thankfully Smash loaded right back onto the trailer without any issues! Our only problem was she did kick a fence and lost another shoe (she lost a shoe Saturday when she broke free and ran around the farm for 5 min...I don't want to talk about it) so now I need to call the farrier for sure so I can ride her at least on Wednesday and Thursday in preparation for Saturday. Here are a few videos from the day.

We ended up back at the farm just in time for the boarder picnic and I had a great time despite being the only person still in riding clothes and not showered. I'm fairly exhausted today, too, but at least I got in some xc before the show.

Highlights:
* Smash loaded on the trailer with minimal issues! And under 10min!
* We had a great schooling O/F
* We managed to get to Loch Moy only 30min after the meeting time that I misunderstood

All in all a good day - hoping that one day we'll have a drama free experience. I'm feeling very thankful right now that the rated show is a home show!

The Show that Never Was

Oh Smash. *sigh* What am I going to do with you?

That's what ran through my head all day yesterday when Smash refused to get on the trailer. We tried the new method of backing Smash up to encourage her to go forward and she listened better while just walking around but not in getting on the trailer. Robert came out and helped us in the end and now we have yet another technique to try/practice but we missed our ride times.

It was almost a blessing in disguise because after we got Smash on the trailer and drove around the block it down poured right around the time I would've ridden! That would've SUCKED if we were at the show and it rained like that. And we made the goal of the day just to get Smash on the trailer - which thankfully we accomplished.

We don't have any off property events scheduled for a few months which is good but it means we have to make time to get the trailer moved every few weeks just so we can practice. The more we practice, the less time it will eventually take to get Smash onto the trailer. And then I will feel confident again about leaving the property and the help from Robert.

I can't help but feel a bit disappointed about the day. I mean, yes, we got her on the trailer - a HUGE success! but we missed our show and I just hate that I threw money away and my Mom didn't get to do her dressage show all because of Smash's stubbornness. She's not afraid of the trailer - she's just a brat. *sigh* I guess you win some and you lose some.

If it's not my crazy nerves, it's something else... but I know Smash is not the only horse who needs help with loading and I know this is a battle I will eventually win. It just will take some time. It doesn't erase the fact that it's completely frustrating but I'm starting to think nothing about horses/riding/horse ownership isn't frustrating!

Next event - Rated show at Waredaca (at least I won't throw that entry fee down the drain due to trailering issues!)

Grid-lock

Last night I had my lesson with Steph and we worked on Grids. It was kind of fun to work on technical footwork for Smash and not just the normal stadium practice. The one thing I liked the best about Grid work was finding Smash's weaknesses. She is not a delicate jumper - she'd prefer to just race around and fly over all of the fences instead of evenly riding to a jump and tucking her legs up nicely.

So we trotting into a 2 bounce to a 2 stride then rode to a short 5 strided line. I noticed immediately how crooked Smash has been jumping and focused on my leg at first - just to get her straight. And then I actually struggled the most with the short line because of rhythm. Watching another rider ride through the line was eye opening because Steph suggested to her to half halt after the first fence to collect her horse's stride and then she was able to ride forward to the second jump in the line instead of the opposite way she had been riding it. I thought it was very cool to think of it that way.

I think it was our final attempt that I finally felt like Smash was listening to me and going at the rhythm I picked and while she knocked almost every pole down because she is a sloppy jumper Steph reassured me I did a good job and Smash will figure it out.

For practice, I'm going to work on rhythm over just poles set on the ground (Smash will jump over poles) since that sort of work can be done a bunch of times with little risk of running into trouble vs setting up a line of jumps and jumping it a bunch of times.

Below is a pretty crappy sketch of the grid we jumped last night but at least you get the general idea. We trotted into the Xs and then cantered out and turned left to canter over the line:

We will be doing a lot of Grids in our future to get Smash to care a little more about jumps regardless of size so she can build up technique.