I can't even tell you how WRONG I was on that one!!! Typically I ride for 30-45 minutes and the "cardio" days I will canter for at least 30 of the 45 minutes I ride, even gallop most of that time. I can't make him sweat if I try & it's never because it's so cold or anything like that, he is just so hyper-fit that he won't break a sweat or even puff his lungs.
Today, after 15 minutes of attempting to free jump, Jimmy was lathered in sweat, eyes bulged out of his head, and panting like a dog on a hot summer day. He had a complete & total meltdown and I absolutely never say it coming. He LOST his mind and had an emotional meltdown.
Silly me, didn't entirely see it building until it was too late & he was in a 100% "flight" mode. I calmed him down enough that he would come into me and let me put reins on him. I put the vertical down to an X and slipped onto him bareback & we cantered it a few times. He WAY over jumped it, but at least he was calmer about it. Poor guy just had a complete meltdown and needed his mom to make him relax!!!! Clearly, he gets his confidence to the jumps from his rider & without that he doesn't trust himself!! I never realized how insecure he was. Today was truly and eye-opening experience!
The video is garbage and I don't have the patience to edit it down (it's over 20 min long) so I'm just going to post some screen shots of his finer moments jumping. Enjoy!
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| One of the earlier jumps. Probably 3' or so. Little. |
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| Getting bigger. This is the biggest I've jumped on his back. |
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| Much more comfortable over this one. |
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| This is my favorite - it shows his lack of logic in this situation. He thought this would be easier than jumping the actual vertical... |
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| 4'6" vertical. He pulled it down but look how pretty he looks! |
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| Note the excessive hair between the middle of the X & his front legs. Oh, Jimmy. You poor, nervous thing. |
1 comment:
You guys were in my smartpak catalog!! How's it feel to be famous?
:-( Sorry Jimmy had a bum day.
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