Operation Fitness - Part 2

Were you curious if I was actually putting up part 2 or if I was simply teasing you? Fear not, I DID have a huge post and I DID break it in half.

Since I need fitness, enter two-point, my old, evil friend. Any guess on who didn't have the stamina to stay in two point for more than a single 3 min trip? *raises hand* Yeah, that would be me. I can't expect Mia to jump 3 foot fences if I can't stay in position, so fitness has become a priority over the past 2 weeks. There has been some good progress too! After the first fitness ride (3x 3 min two point sets), I had legit wobbly knees and was sore for 2 days afterwards. The 2nd time, I pulled a quad muscle that took 2 days and massage to work loose. The third time I had general soreness. Since then? I've been good. Fitness FTW!

Last week it was actually "nice" enough to ride outside (ie mid 30's and super windy), so I set up 3 of the blown over jumps and we did fitness with some 2' - 2'6" jumps. Last night, I rushed to the barn and was able to RIDE OUTSIDE IN THE TWILIGHT! I had a good 30 mins of riding before it was dark and we jumped 2'3-3' jumps. Mia knocked the 3' jump down twice, both times I didn't get the striding right and I wasn't riding aggressively enough. But if I sit, put leg ON, she was absolutely flying over the fences. It was also getting dark and the jump was dark green, so I am not eliminating that as a possible issue either. For a horse that hasn't really jumped anything of height since fall, though, I am tickled at how well she is doing.

It's cold, but we can ride outside at night now. It is darker than the pic makes it appear.

My plan for the April 6 show was thwarted, my plan was go into the first 3 classes since the show starts at 8a and hopefully (since it is a hunter show and they don't list times like eventing) they would be done in time for me to get back to the barn around 10a because the farrier was coming at 10a. Not too bad. But then the barn also scheduled spring shots for April 6 at 9a. So I now have shots and farrier on the same morning as a show? I am talented, but not that talented in managing my time so I am going to pass on that one. BUT I now have a Plan B AND a Plan C.

Free roaming App likes to come say hi

I am doing (will have done by the time this post is up) a "pre show" at that same venue. Mia has never done hunters, and I am not good with hunters, however it gives us an opportunity to show in a very relaxed atmosphere over fences so I am planning on going! And then on Apr 14 there is a show at the horse park (2 hr drive) we go to and I am tentatively planning to enter the Training CT. I KNOW we can go training level in dressage and I think we can go training level in stadium, so it will be a really nice test. I want to go xc schooling at LEAST 2 times before I try going training level in a horse trial. I don't want to set Mia up to fail and there is no real rush. We didn't get out to school a single time last year and I need to fix that for this year. Fingers crossed I can go xc schooling after the show in Apr 14, I want to see how she is!