Cathy Clinic Preview

It's been a while since we talked about airs above the ground - I mean jumping.

THE FLOOR IS LAVA!

That's because we've almost done nothing but Dressage since FRVPCHT in June.  This is how this barn rolls, and I like it.

Our jumping is always better after long Dressage spells.  Increased Connor body control + increased hind end strength + probably really happy to see something other than an empty sandbox in front of him = good stuff over fences.

(Plus he's mentally strong enough, and the things we're doing now on the flat are challenging enough, that he's not bored doing Dressage.  A good thing.)

Our 5th Cathy clinic, our first in a year, is going to be really helpful.  For one, she saw my XC warmup at FRVPCHT, and then chatted with me, my trainer and teammate over dinner and drinks at the competitor's party about Connor's levitation over the table on course.  

She also saw the next day's show jumping round in which Connor totally lost his mind in the ring after a great warmup:

No gerbils here, folks.

On my clinic entry form, even though I knew this line is more for people my trainer doens't know, I wrote that I wanted to work on "jumping confidently across the fences."  Because riding this to a solid fence:

is not safe, even with a pony with the hind end to jump a 2'6 table from a standstill and a crazy strong hatred of touching the fences.

I know it's because he's careful to a fault, and briefly pausing to check things out is the fault, and that he did get over this at Starter height fences, but I need him to start trusting himself and me enough to just jump it.

Extremely displeased with himself for touching a fence.

I've talked before about how beneficial it is to have a "sometimes trainer" like Cathy, who has known us since we couldn't jump a crossrail without coming to it like a broken shopping cart, and sees us about every six months.

She sees things that my trainer might miss, just by virtue of seeing us all the time.  Looking forward to some great rides this weekend!