Barefoot and Bouncy

Butterball and I had our first jump lesson back yesterday. He had been feeling good at home and pulses had been normal in his feet since the first week, but I was still a bit anxious. Spoiler alert: I didn't need to be. Pony did absolutely fantastic and didn't seem to miss his shoes at all. 

We started with 3 nine foot canter poles to a vertical. PW was demanding straightness through the whole thing. Which meant holding my outside rein and staring down the first pole. We added a one stride to a vertical then another one stride to an oxer. And Butterball was pinging right on through. Then we did a few hunter type courses with diagonals and outside lines. I was instructed not to drop him, but not to help. Let him sort it out. The first vertical in the video I did panic a bit to as I felt it was going to be a long spot. But Butterball stepped up and took the gap. The only rail came when I kept pushing the last few strides to the skinny. I didn't feel like I had still been pushing, just not half-halting effectively, but PW informed me I had in fact been still pushing him towards the fence. The next go round I let him be and we got the same tight spot, but he didn't have the rail with his hind leg. 

We got the striding in the lines every time too. The method of breaking the lines up is SO HELPFUL. And works even when I don't quite use it properly. The last time through the five stride line, I dallied and wasn't going forward for the first two strides, but then knew that based on the way those felt I was going to need to ride forward for the next three. Magic. 

Latest fave pic of the wonder pony 

I can definitely see the difference in his canter without shoes although I don't really feel it. But I do now realize why people pull shoes for the hack. 

We have plans to go pop around a local jumper show next week. Weee! This is the fun stuff.