I have always been a bit of a show jumping fan. I like to watch and feel the power and harmony of a seemingly effortless clear round. A kind of Pegasus ideal if you like!
I haven't ridden any show jumping recently, nor regularly since the mid nineties, before I went to university. In those days I had a fab little horse bred to event. I did unaffiliated and Pony Club jumping with him. We'd either get placed or eliminated for too many refusals. The refusals marred my enjoyment at the time - not exactly my Pegasus! But the clear rounds kept my heart in it, especially the (quite literal) high of a puissance I once did - clearing a giddy 4'3"
Refusals were an especial problem though, and I only had two tools in my toolbox way back then - whip and spur. As soon as it felt like my horse was letting off the gas, whip away, whip away, whip away! Naturally my horse linked this type of painful behaviour from me with particular sorts of fences. Namely any line of jumps, blue and yellow ones and water trays. It was a vicious cycle, he learned when I'd get the whip out, I learned which fences I thought I needed the whip for. The picture of the coloured horse, Prince shows me at the second element of a combination in typical pose.... But it got us over the fence and away to a clear round ...
Now I'd love to do some show jumping again! But only if the experience could be like my later dog agility experience - with a willing partner who was never afraid to say no if she didn't feel like it. My smart collie once ran an entire round going under the fences! This caused great hilarity, even for me, Sally went just where I indicated her to, but saw no need to jump that day. Fair enough, just a good sense of humour required and a rethink on the size of obstacles - I took to doing agility training for fun from then on as she voted for lower than competition height fences.
This would have disappointed me had I been more competitive and less fun loving I'm sure but it helped me grow as a person. I then had the pleasure of Cowboy. A young Welsh cob who I trained to jump as though he were an agility dog - by allowing him to investigate jumps and get favoured food rewards for jumping them before taking him out to do the same over new jumps and riding him over them: see video here
And until I get out on the circuit again, with an enthusiastic, willing horse, this is something that's inspired me.
