Kick one more time

Ben and I did a training stadium round on Saturday. On paper it looked pretty good, one rail and no time faults. It didn't feel great though, with one big miss and chip at an oxer at three where I felt like I was about to nose dive into the jump. Shockingly that wasn't the rail we took down though. The rail came at a six stride line that I didn't find enough pace through, but still pushed for the six at the last second. This lead to him characteristically chipping, but uncharacteristically really wolloping the jump on his way over/through. That's what happens when I don't stretch up and support the bad distance! 

Basically I needed more pace throughout and didn't come up with that until the last four fences. This is better than our first attempts at training level height in August of 2022 when we had multiple stops and rails, but still kind of frustrating that I seem to have forgotten what forward feels like on this horse. "Kick one more time" is the mantra JT and I had come up with that seemed to work - when I feel like he's forward enough, get a smidge more pace and then that's actually forward enough. 

We had a great jump lesson on Friday before the show where he felt fantastic and was jumping out of his skin and playing afterwards. It is possible he ended up a tiny bit sore from that which meant I needed much more leg than I had on Friday. 

We've got more lessons planned and an outing for him with JT in the irons, like I mentioned after our rough round at Stable View. Fingers crossed some time in there I remember that he needs to feel FORWARD. (Hmmmm consistent theme between my horses... I struggle to get them forward - Ben - or let them go forward - Goggles)