Booger: Four Feet and Bareback in the Same Day

I have to say... I think I am allowed to brag about Booger now. She has really started to turn into a nice little horse. The OnThisDay app on Facebook has been really good for showing me how far we have come in one year!

Last week, I introduced some simple grids into our routine. I started off with three ground poles, then put a cavaletti in the middle instead of a pole. Shortly, Booger put together that this exercise was easiest at the canter. Once that felt rhythmic, I added a second cavaletti.

As luck would have it, Mike rolled up to feed the horses (and sheep) just as I was warming up over the new exercise. I happened to have my camera in my car so I had him go grab it and take some pictures.

This is her first time doing anything of the sort.

I couldn't ask for a better effort from Booger, so after repeating the exercise in both directions, I called it a night. I am hoping to throw in a cross rail at some point, but I want to make sure she's comfortable with each step in the process before we move on. She's a jumping machine at liberty, but it's very different to jump on your own than with a rider on board (and, let's face it, I am not a top level jumper rider).

On Monday night, I went out for our first session of the week. It was late and I was exhausted when I drove out to the barn, my last stop after a very long day.

Booger greeted me at the barn door, ears pricked, eyes bright, and put herself on the cross ties (I need to get a video of that). I brushed her off and tried to decide what I wanted to do with her. We haven't been doing much ground work because I've been focusing on juggling dressage and trail riding with an intro to jumping. I decided to start there. As always, Booger was spot on with her ground exercises. Good mare.

So I threw her in the round pen to do what was going to be a little bit of jumping.

You guys... she loves jumping so so so much. Check out her ears and tail:

Of course, I couldn't resist raising the jump to an oxer. Then a bigger oxer. Then a bigger oxer. I'll admit, I was really curious to see what kind of talent this filly has. So the jump kept growing and growing. 2'6, 3', 3'6"(!) 3'9" (?!?!?!)

Well.

Turns out I should have had Mike make bigger standards, because I jacked that fence all the way up to four feet and sent Booger around.

Bam! Room to spare, and still keeping nice form. I'm going to need a braver rider.

To put this into perspective... Booger is maybe 15hh. Just barely. Last time I sticked her, she was still a hair shy. The fence is taller than she is!

No, seriously.

I am completely blown away. She may be an Arabian/Foxtrotter mutt, but boy is she athletic!

Of course, the second I posted pictures on Facebook, I started getting inquiries. "How much are you asking for her?"
Actually, she's not my horse or listed for sale. Honestly, I hope her owner doesn't sell her because I'm having the time of my life working with her, but I do wonder if there's a show home in this little girl's future.

But we didn't quit there. I don't jump Booger for more than a few minutes at a time (and definitely not more than one or two attempts at a fence this size!) but we still had lots of time left.

I was too lazy to go get my saddle, so I just hopped on her bareback. I did start in a bridle. We hacked around the ring at the walk and the trot, and she gave me the most beautiful work. She was soft, round, and forward, and I could feel her really lifting her back underneath me. What a good girl! We haven't cantered bareback yet, but I think it's coming. She's actually extremely comfortable, thanks to her gaited side, and it wasn't as much of a work out for me as I was hoping. Haha. (Riding Ozzy bareback used to really keep me in shape.)

So then I got a little crazy and swapped her bridle for her rope halter. As I expected, it made no difference to Booger. We trotted around some more, and I thought to myself, "Well, I don't think she qualifies as a wild problem child any more..."

So then I untied the reins and just rode around off my seat and leg, fantasizing about the day when I walk, trot, and canter her completely tack-less in the field. As I rode back to the barn at the end of our ride, Mike spotted me and rolled his eyes.

"Just gonna do some ground work, huh?"

I think a few more trail rides and I'll be ready to start taking her out in the s-hack instead of a bit... but I'm getting ahead of myself.