Daatje and I went to Green Acres Stables yesterday, June 14th, to school XC. We met up with two great women that we actually met on COTH! I'm super happy to have someone with similar goals and objectives to be riding with! Well, we had a great school. Daatje needed to look at alot of things still, but once she had seen a new obstacle, she would go right over it and not hesitate again. We did the water, ditches, bank up, bank down, logs, coups, birch rails, benches, rock walls, tires, barrels.........although she was quite tired by the end of the school, I think her confidence had increased by miles.
At the very end, we came across a really big log. More of a tree, actually.....much more impressive than anything I have ever asked her to jump. (If I had to guess, it was probably close to 3 foot...Novice size.)I really, really wanted to ask Daatje to jump it, but both of us were tired, and if she stopped, I wasn't going to pursue it any further..........I really wanted to end the ride on the good note that we had established.I decided to ask her to jump the large log. We approached in canter from a ways down the hill. She was looking.....looking....looking....about 3 strides out she started to slow down. She usually does this when she's not sure and wants to stop and look at something. I put on my leg. She continued to canter. The last stride before the fence, she hesitated a second. I was convinced she was going to stop, I put on my leg again and.......she flew over it! Wow, did that suprise me. Daatje is gaining confidence in herself.
Here's a shot we took afterwards for size comparison. Daatje is 16 hands.
