There is clear round jumping in the jumping field on our yard every fortnight. I had a jumping lesson a few weeks ago a couple of days before the next event to overcome my nerves. Zak was a little star and my RI got me ending the lesson with a 80cm spread so I ended the lesson feeling really positive about jumping a 60cm course which also includes some spreads. Well the next 2 events were rained off and in the meantime Zak and I had our little disagreement in front of one of the jumps - an uphill hedge. (For anyone who missed that thread he put his head down, bucked and then reared). So my confidence and positivity had leaked away and I was back to feeling sick at the thought of jumping.
The event was on again tonight and I spent all afternoon talking myself out of doing it - Zak will be too tired after the show, there are too many flies, I need another lesson first blah blah. It was all rubbish: Zak has spent most of the day being bathed and fussed over. He did some gymkhana games and then a 4 minute dressage test - hardly a massive test of stamina! And he's fit as a flea. Plus I am more than capable of jumping without another lesson first.
Well I shook ALL the way round. I was literally shaking in between the fences. I was so tentative in approaching he first in sort of trot-like shuffle that we were on top of the fence without him even realising we were jumping so he walked straight through it! I started again and this time we jumped it clear!!!
I am so pleased I made myself do it. I'd be sitting here absolutely kicking myself now if I had let the nerves get the better of me.
The event was on again tonight and I spent all afternoon talking myself out of doing it - Zak will be too tired after the show, there are too many flies, I need another lesson first blah blah. It was all rubbish: Zak has spent most of the day being bathed and fussed over. He did some gymkhana games and then a 4 minute dressage test - hardly a massive test of stamina! And he's fit as a flea. Plus I am more than capable of jumping without another lesson first.
Well I shook ALL the way round. I was literally shaking in between the fences. I was so tentative in approaching he first in sort of trot-like shuffle that we were on top of the fence without him even realising we were jumping so he walked straight through it! I started again and this time we jumped it clear!!!
I am so pleased I made myself do it. I'd be sitting here absolutely kicking myself now if I had let the nerves get the better of me.
