And we're back!

Leo and I competed at the Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy yesterday and finished strong! We broke 40 again in the dressage; had 2 rails in stadium; and went clear xc with time.

The day didn't start off well. The weather was not being cooperative. The thunder started around 8:30am and then it rained steady for the bulk of the morning. Intermediate was the unlucky division that had to run xc in the rain and the footing deteriorated quickly for them. Becca fell when Spy left out a stride to a big table in the first water. Strangely, Will Coleman fell at the second water at the exact same time! This was all during my dressage test and I overheard the announcers talking about 2 loose horses on course, but I didn't realize Spy was one of them. Becca was fine and Spy was scraped up but nothing major.

I was highly unmotivated to ride after that. When the day starts so crappy, it's hard to rally. The skies cleared up by the time prelim started and you never would have known it had been raining except for the soggy footing. It was in the 90s, and so muggy, hot humid that, despite the clear and blue skies, I still didn't want to ride! Becca and I talked and decided that if I didn't like how Leo was going on xc - whether it was the new bridle/bit combo or the footing, that I would just pull up. It felt good to have that conversation before hand so I wasn't spending time on course mentally debating what to do.

Turns out everything went fine.

The course is listed as a good move-up course but I thought it was challenging - but then I think every prelim course is big and challenging. There were a dozen or more eliminations across all the prelim divisions. I don't know if that's because the course was actually challenging or if there were just a lot of people attempting prelim for the first time. The footing in the woods was deep and Leo wasn't getting his feet out of it well. We had a weak jump over a big oxer and I got after him with my crop on landing. Leo wasn't taking the fences or the footing seriously. I also think the humidity was weighing on him. He was more obedient yesterday than he has ever been.

Earlier last week, I went cross country schooling with Sally and brought a bunch of bits to try. Becca wanted to stay with the slow twist which he jumps stadium in and seems to like, so we added an anti-pull noseband to a figure-eight bridle. This did the trick! Leo was super settled in the bridle, I had brakes, but he would gallop into the fences and had no issues using his head and neck. Neither Sally nor Becca wanted to make a big biting change just because he is so sensitive about it. Who knew a noseband could make such a big difference?

After stadium yesterday, we switched his bridle, jumped a few warm-up fences and crossed our fingers that the new bridle & bit combination would work on course. I think overall it was a success. I wasn't getting the best distances to the fences all the time but it was hard to tell if that was because I was being overly conservative and riding too slow or it the footing was creating too much drag. Still, Leo answered every question like a pro - even the ones I thought we'd have problems at - which really restored my confidence after New Jersey.

Softer bit + Kineton noseband

Some pictures from the cross country course...

The bank complex at 10 was an uphill climb - each bank was 1-stride apart. The first was only 16ft, the second was 19ft, so you couldn't come galloping into it. Someone on an ATV drove behind the C element when I was 2 strides out so that backed Leo off significantly. We were actually underpowered going up but the distances were so short it worked out fine.

Fence 10 ABC - double, 1-stride banks + skinny log

I was really concerned about the first water because you had to jump the bank and the wedge on opposing angles. The distance was 2 strides. It was just more technical than I was expecting. I found the line Sally wanted us to jump on and it rode perfect. Leo was really great through the exercise.

The approach to the first water

Sally discussing the line with all of her students. 

The second water was Loch Moy's famous Nessie jump!! The horses jumped the loch ness monster's back in the water then made a bending 5/6 strides to a skinny house on the way out. Leo was brilliant here!!

Loch Ness Monster

Loch Moy carries the Scottish theme throughout the course. The last combination was two angled oxers at the Craigh Na Dun complex. Leo was super bold here and then there was just one more fence to finish.

There were a LOT of brush fences at Loch Moy, but I was prepared. I know from past experience that Leo associates mouth pain/bit issues to fences. Back in the days of the elevator bit, it was the water. At Jersey, it was brush fences. After Jersey, I built 2 brush fences in the ring at home and we schooled them many times - as single fences and building related lines with them. Leo had no brush issues yesterday! Woot!

Cool huh?