BOING!!!

Butterball and I joined two friends and their horses at Majestic Oaks on Friday with Lija as our ground crew/emotional support/videographer. Butterball had just done lots o' gymnastics the day before, but in spite of that was still kinda feeling himself. Both friends were on greener horses, so I let them trot/canter away from us rather than leaving them when we started to warm up. This led to Butterball having some feelings in a hilarious way. He immediately wanted to pick up the canter rather than trot in a civilized fashion, so we did. Then he did a little bit of porpoising when I wouldn't let him canter towards his friends. After we went forward and back, we started popping around some fences which all went pretty smoothly. Shortly after that he decided he was tired and could in fact stand by Lija in the golf cart and chill while his friends went and did things. 

I wanted to just pop over a few lines and make sure our work in the ring would transfer out to cross country fences. 

Ft Butterball absolutely jumping me out of the tack 

Same horse, quietly enjoying his hay in the trailer with his eyes closed. Then goes out on cross country and looks like an absolute rockstar. How did I get so lucky?? 

As seen above, it definitely did translate pretty darn well. I also had an INCREDIBLY HELPFUL GROUNDBREAKING REALIZATION. Like I cantered up to Lija in the golf cart shouting about it. I had just botched three of five fences that I had strung together. As I eyed the last one before chipping miserably at the base, I realized something. 

I have been told to look at the dang fence by both JT and PW. PW explained the nuances of look at the ground rail if you want a deep spot, look at the top rail if you want a normal spot. As I stared at the above fence, my eyes did a freaking polka jumping around from one spot to another on the face and the top rail. I didn't like the way the distance was feeling so I looked at a different spot. Nope, not better, let's change again, nope try the first spot, nope, and so on. 

Didn't botch it the second time because.... 

In the above picture, I stared at the top rail and three strides out realized it was going to be slightly gappy. I sat chilly and supported him and he left the ground at the exact spot I knew he was going to. Fucking magic, ya'll. 

I don't think anyone had bothered telling me to stare at the SAME SPOT because telling me not to take my eye of the fence kinda implies looking at the same damned spot. Unless you're me. And your brain thinks that you can change physics by looking somewhere else perhaps. 

Such a good lad 

Anyways, mission accomplished with a chill school before Ocala next weekend. And hopefully mission really accomplished with my realization on how exact my eye needs to be.