When you gotta go
I'm getting the impression that if I don't write a post about Prisoner jumping again...y'all might mutiny. My feelings about it all are pretty much the same as in this post: Make Me a Liar. He continues to get more bold, yet also more relaxed with each session. Funny story about the second jumper show we went to.
We arrived. I signed up for my classes and tacked up. I hacked around the ring during warmups, showed him some jumps, but didn't actually school any of the fences. They were starting with 2'3" and I was starting until 2'6" so I had plenty of time for a leisurely warm up. He was great with the exception of one GIANT sky leap for no apparent reason. Maybe he was feeling joyful. We went in for our first class and I really wondered if we would make it over all the jumps or what. We did. The course was rather poorly designed so there was a turn I didn't make, but my goal was for Prisoner to have a happy successful time, he doesn't know we threw in an extra circle.
Can't even believe how great he was
We did have one blow sideways, but it was several strides away from the jump and if I had backed down to the trot I think it wouldn't have happened. He finished the course though with nary a blink at even the spookiest of jumps!
Hard to see here, but the base of that jump is like a legit 2'3" cross country jump
I was thrilled for our first effort over bright show jumps in a place he doesn't school for the first time in a year. He was just so great. We chilled out, waited for the jumps to go up to 2'9" and headed in again. We still missed the one turn, but again, my goal for him was to feel confident not swerve into jumps. This round was smoother and straighter. Unfortunately at the third jump from the end he hit it and the pole went between his legs. He was fine but we had to circle before the next jump as it was a three stride line. Still though, he jumped everything and was really bringing me to them.
He even grazed while I was on his back!
He was jumping great and we were improving so I decided to do the 3' class too. Height has never been an issue for him and after my rough summer mentally I was thrilled that 3' looked totally doable. We went in and he had the first rail down, then he jumped two more, then he stopped. Not a bolt sideways, an actual stop, which actually worried me as he has never done that. We made it over that jump and then he stopped again. I put my hand up. The jump judge is awesome and had me go over two other single fences, but he still didn't feel normal. I was pretty sad.
Wheee!
Aimee, Alyssa, and I headed back to the trailer and I handed Prisoner to them so that I could stop at the Porta potty, omg I had to go. I get back to the trailer and Aimee has the bridle off and is putting on the halter when Prisoner stretches out and pees for like 3 freaking minutes. A huge weight lifted from my shoulders. My horse wasn't hurt, or scared, or anything. He just had to go!
Still got satin!
So now I know, if I'm doing more than two classes I need to get off and let the poor horse pee (he's done somewhat similar things at other shows).
Time to go shopping at the tack trailer!
