Jumps, Clean Tack and Rain Boots!

Well last Saturday we had decided to school over some small jumps as a way to change things up. Jay has recently really seemed to enjoy jumping again and with Ryan to help us, it's a good addition to our dressage training routine. The problems occur in our confidence.

There were some jumps set up in the indoor arena where we have been riding but a lesson started and the jumps got taken down for ground poles. So we headed to the outdoor for the first time. One loop around the arena at a walk and Jay was over looking at the sights. My biggest problem as we cantered over crossrails and the flower box (with no pole over it) was keeping my security in that flat, hard saddle. Now my dressage saddle (which I love almost as much as I love my horse) is an older Passier which can be considered pretty close contact when compared with the newer dressage saddles that are around these days. It took a very long time to find a saddle that fit both myself and Jay-R and we definately hit the jackpot with this one.

My jumping saddle on the other hand is completely close contact. It is an older Crump. Great for Eq riders on their comfy, flat jumping, trained horses (no offense intended). Not so great on a round, green over fences horse who is so in-tune to me that my confidence is key. When he is unsure of a spot, he will back off. I need to be able to ride forward and confidently and then he is fine. Not so easy in a saddle that I feel I might come out of. This saddle is also a bit too small for me and doesnt fit him as well as it should. SO... my old Crump has left the barn and come home to be sold. I am hoping that the sale of this saddle, a pair of full chaps, a synthetic dressage girth, a martingale and a D-ring bit will bring me enough money to buy a used Ovation Show Jumper saddle. In the meantime we will either just do poles and raised poles in our Passier or borrow Ry's saddle for jumping.

Sunday brought wind and rain and a couple of stressed, cranky riders. So instead trudging to the in indoor we sat in the tack room and cleaned our tack (as we will do every Sunday). Ry also helped me consolidate my 2 trunks into 1 which makes the tack room look much neater.

For quite awhile now, my paddock boots and half chaps have been on their way to retirement. My paddock boots, which I have had for a LONG time now, have 2-3 large holes in each one. This makes for an awful lot of muddy water making its way onto my socks everyday. My parents are bringing me new boots and half chaps for my birthday in a few weeks (YAY) and I certainly don't want those exposed to the muddiness! SO Ryan and I decided we needed muck boots, aka rain boots from target. We went to Target Monday and Ry got mine for me as an early birthday present to keep my poor feet dry! So excited! Now the mud can just be hosed off instead of following us everywhere we go!

Hopefully some pictures to come next time!