MDHT Show Jumping and Cross Country

The two jumping phases get to share a post because I don't have many pictures and I'm still having issues getting stuff to load on YouTube. I will eventually, for those who just really need to see an elementary horse jumping.

By the time we were tacking up to go jump, the rain was getting pretty heavy. The upper level riders were scratching right and left, but for elementary on a barefoot horse, I felt confident. The ground at Loch Moy is in general better than it is around here. I would never risk my horse to run a course, but this didn't feel like a risk. And it wasn't, so yay.

But first we had to jump around the stadium course. My friend Katie came to help us warm up, which I don't ordinarily need but it was useful this time because some idiot decided she should stand right next to the warmup fence wearing a huge yellow beach towel that she kept flapping around. Because I was on the best horse in the world, I was fine, but he did have a bit of a sticky first trip over the vertical thanks to her. We jumped four warmup fences and headed up to the ring.

Mo was a tiny bit sticky over the first jump so I tapped him behind my leg in the air, which pissed him off, but then he jumped the rest of the jumps great. I'm so looking forward to the jumps not being tiny, it's hard to get good pictures and we're both getting bored. But I'm thrilled that he was relaxed and soft and jumped everything happily. What more could I want?

Jump 3

 I love this, he just looks like such a quiet professional.

Jump 5

A few horses didn't like this gate (or the yellow and green one that came next) but my horse didn't care.

Heading to the last

I like pictures in which he looks cute and you can't tell how tiny the jumps are.

All done!

Big pats for this horse. He knows what to do now.

Katie had located a tiny warm-up log for us before XC (which I didn't know was there last time but I'm not sure it would have made a difference). I wanted him to jump it once or twice because it's been a hot minute since he last saw an XC fence. I should not have worried. He took me to the jump like a pro.

So off we went! I moved him up from Intro to Elementary, so the jumps were about 2'3". Some were kinda spooky, like a grey gate that a lot of horses hate, and baby's first brush jump. He was again a bit sticky to the first, and took a tiny peek at the grey gate at 3, but after that it was on. I had him trot everything because it was raining and I wanted him to just go jump stuff and feel good, but he'd have cantered if I'd let him.

We're done worrying about you, grey gate!

That's a horse having a good time!

Talking to Katie right before I jumped off at the end.

It's kinda fun that he was happy to just stand around after XC and wasn't all riled up. We'll see how he does when he has to canter everything next time! I think he'll be great. He loves XC.

So there it is, our Loch Moy experience. I could not be more pleased with him. He was a classy professional the entire time. He seems to really enjoy horse shows, if for no other reason than my mom probably feeds him five pounds of carrots (the dressage judge mentioned his carrot slobber, ha). I'm not gonna complain about that, though. Whatever keeps him happy is fine.

On to Morningside for a combined test, where we're entered at Baby Novice again, but I think I'm gonna add a trip for him at Beginner Novice if it's all going well. So excited about this horse, y'all. In case that wasn't clear.