I love this horse!!
Becca took Taylor and I over to Round the Bend for a cross country lesson and Leo was fantastic! I am so excited - I haven't had a cross country jumping experience like this in YEARS. All I can say is I love Leo.
I was wondering how control he was going to be, but he turned out to be quite controllable. Becca had us start right up away with a mini-course of building fences - 2 single logs on the ground in a row, followed by some stacked logs, left turn to an oxer, right turn to a little 2 ft roll-top. Leo Actually stopped at the first log - it was a little bit me, a little bit him. But we turned around, started over and never looked back.
The fence was a decent size and when he locked onto it, he moved forward to it in a way I don't think I ever felt even with Milo. He jumped the next 2 fences out of a good stride.
The second mini-course consisted of barrels, to a yellow coop, to some logs, around to a helsinki, over the yellow log the other way and then down a hill over some logs. Leo was awesome - jumping everything out of stride and coming back to me going down the hill.
Then we moved onto the bank - jumping up and off it. He's a little awkward coming off the bank but was still good. Then we moved onto the ditch. Leo surged at the ditch, and then stopped. Becca said he was just being arrogant - he thought he knew what was going on, was expecting one thing but instead was presented with something else. He'll need to learn to listen to me a little better.
We did another mini-course: over the ditch, down a hill over a 3 ft coop, around a turn to a stone wall oxer, straight up a hill over a bench, and then dropped off the bank. Leo was great.
After that we moved over to the water. There were 2 banks into the water, one smaller & one larger. Becca didn't like the footing at the smaller bank so we had to start with the larger. We jumped up it a couple of times and then jumped down it. Leo hesitated off the first time - I got a little ahead of him and he sort of fell off the bank. After that he didn't want to drop off it again. Becca had us jump up the bank one time, and represented the bank down - and he jumped down without a problem. I have to remember to sit back, stay quiet and keep my leg on. I think I left him hanging at the edge and that confused him.
I was so pleased with him! And with me! He's brave and bold, and I have to match that. Leo is definitely going to be my training level mount - it's going to be great.
I was wondering how control he was going to be, but he turned out to be quite controllable. Becca had us start right up away with a mini-course of building fences - 2 single logs on the ground in a row, followed by some stacked logs, left turn to an oxer, right turn to a little 2 ft roll-top. Leo Actually stopped at the first log - it was a little bit me, a little bit him. But we turned around, started over and never looked back.
The fence was a decent size and when he locked onto it, he moved forward to it in a way I don't think I ever felt even with Milo. He jumped the next 2 fences out of a good stride.
The second mini-course consisted of barrels, to a yellow coop, to some logs, around to a helsinki, over the yellow log the other way and then down a hill over some logs. Leo was awesome - jumping everything out of stride and coming back to me going down the hill.
Then we moved onto the bank - jumping up and off it. He's a little awkward coming off the bank but was still good. Then we moved onto the ditch. Leo surged at the ditch, and then stopped. Becca said he was just being arrogant - he thought he knew what was going on, was expecting one thing but instead was presented with something else. He'll need to learn to listen to me a little better.
We did another mini-course: over the ditch, down a hill over a 3 ft coop, around a turn to a stone wall oxer, straight up a hill over a bench, and then dropped off the bank. Leo was great.
After that we moved over to the water. There were 2 banks into the water, one smaller & one larger. Becca didn't like the footing at the smaller bank so we had to start with the larger. We jumped up it a couple of times and then jumped down it. Leo hesitated off the first time - I got a little ahead of him and he sort of fell off the bank. After that he didn't want to drop off it again. Becca had us jump up the bank one time, and represented the bank down - and he jumped down without a problem. I have to remember to sit back, stay quiet and keep my leg on. I think I left him hanging at the edge and that confused him.
I was so pleased with him! And with me! He's brave and bold, and I have to match that. Leo is definitely going to be my training level mount - it's going to be great.
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