The Lesson

How do you explain adrenaline?  Some things happen spontaneously, and some thing happen after long periods of planning.  Today's adrenaline happened with the former.

I was innocently riding my horse, U-Princess in a lesson. The last jump was great.  Just the right amount of energy, not too much or too little. She popped over a 3'4" oxer.  That is exactly 4 inches higher than a door mat, meaning my usual 3' jumping height.  But I could feel her pay attention, put out a little more energy, gracefully arch her back like a tiger jumping into water, and complete the perfect arch.  She got a well deserved time grazing spring grass and a thorough grooming.

Next, I was assigned to exercise Junebug.  I have ridden her about monthly for a few years.  We walk, trot and canter both directions, safe stuff to get her out of the stall and stay fit.  He is my trainer's Grand Prix jumper.  Wow.  I have never jumped her;  I have never trotted her over a pole on the ground.

I was with three buddies and they were on green horses doing a fantastic job getting them over - door mats.  We were doing an exercise of trotting over cavalettis, cantering an in-and-out and trotting out.  Lots of cooperation is needed to get that done, even with door mat sized jumps.  Junebug was calm and cooperative and played along.  Then Hugh instructed the other three to do this and that.  I thought I was done.  But, no, a surprise awaits.

"Joan, start on the right lead, jump the cross rail and jump the wall."  Okay, done.  Not terrible, not scary, still have control of this stick of dynamite with a one millimeter fuse sparking away.  Stay cool.   Next, jump the vertical.  Done, bigger, slower on the approach but still a formula one car on the landing.  Lastly, left lead over a vertical and a 180 degree turn over an oxer. This was a very good plan.  The short turn kept her at less than Mach one speed.  Junebug jumped the two jumps seemingly with less effort that it took her to blink in the bright sun.  The measuring stick went up.  3'9"!  A full nine inches higher than a door mat!  Thanks for the lesson, Hugh