Hey la, the insomina's back

[hellison]

Yay, another fun night of almost falling asleep only to wake up again. And again. And again. No idea what's triggered it this time, but 2 nights in a row is not fun :/
So took the morning off to try and catch up, since going in to work yesterday only resulted in a splitting headache and much crankiness.

Was almost dreading yesterday's riding lesson, what with the headache and the tired, then arrived to see them setting up a course of jumps and very nearly turned tail and ran ;p One jump I can handle, 7 (8 with the double) in quick sucession with lots of tight turns, rein changes etc? EEEEEEK

Got caught before I could leg it tho... Two rounds over 2'3", including a 1 stride double which i hates.


First round was pretty much crap, focused too much on the actual jumps so landings were sloppy and turns were worse, couldn't get the canter thro the related distance. Made it round tho without any major disasters tho, so my position has definitly improved.
2nd round was SO much better, once I knew the jumps were do-able, could concentrate on the actual course and were I was supposed be. Even did most of it in canter, nailed the 5 strides through the related distance and flew through the double. Was hugely pleased with myself and Ziggy afterwards.
And yes I know 2'3" doesn't sound very big, but when you're thundering towards it on a horse more used to jumping 5ft gates, it can be unnerving. It's a mental thing.
But now I know i can do that comfortably, time to terrify myself with 2'6".
Of course staying afterward to watch all the little kids on their ponies fly over 3ft and more as if it wasn't there only serves to rub in just how chicken it is ;p but thats part of the fun.


Scary as hell, but the buzz from actually doing it and doing it right (mostly) was huge! Once it wore off I was knackered again and thought 'yay now I will sleep'. Alas I was wrong :/ But the few hours this morning seem to have restored balance, for now. All I have to do now is talk myself into going to work...

Comments

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

I used to love jumping! Congrats, I know just how much of a charge it can be, looking at it, setting up the pattern in your head, then launching yourself into it and watching it all go past underneath you.

Didn't much like 3ft, though admittedly I had a bit of an advantage - being the only guy in any given lesson, and tall enough, I always got put on the largest riding-school horses. I quickly learned you get a slightly different perspective from the right side of 17.2, though what really helped was remembering that the jump itself is unimportant, it's the takeoff and landing that counts.

Putting you into a complicated course cold, though, sounds a bit sadistic. I assume you at least got to pace it out on foot beforehand?

[hellison.livejournal.com]

Oh yes we walked it and she took us through the turns and approaches, and also stood in while we went round shouting 'sit back' 'get her going forwards' and so on ;) Although she rather sneakily put x-poles up to straight and added fillers while we were off warming up.

We've been working up to it, but I thought we were getting a bit more practice first! It was a fairly technical course, deliberately so, partly so the scaredy-cats couldn't potter round at a slow trot and partly so the kids couldn't jsut fly round at lightening sped. She likes to make us think - and work!

I used to do a lot of jumping (and falling off) on a little cob, it's a very different persepective and feel from ontop a 16.2/3 hunter who likes to jump BIG, has a huge stride and doesn't corner well. I think the main reason I haven't fallen off her yet is that it's so far down I'll do anything to stay on, even ride properly :p
Sometimes I even remember to breathe.

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

I wasn't always lucky enough to get a horse my size--far too many times, I ended up on a 14hh cob, and couldn't stop worrying I'd end up taking the top jump pole with me when it caught on my boots.