For quite a while I was obsessed with getting the ‘perfect canter’ to a show jump. I think this was the result of certain very pernickety trainers a long time ago, but unfortunately this played to my micromanaging side, which didn’t need any encouragement!
Consequence – too deep to the fence, and a rail down.
Daisy argued on the way to this upright, in the warm-up, and ran through my distance.
I have now realised that the effort to get the canter perfect often led to me doing far too much, to the detriment of the approach.
On an independent-minded horse, this can be particularly counterproductive.
Now I am happy with getting a good canter, and just trying to concentrate on keeping it all the way to the fence, and my mare is far happier too.
These photos (below) show a far better approach and jump, probably because I wasn’t trying to micro-manage the canter into perfection that time. Lesson, hopefully, learned…
led to a much better take-off point and a far better jump!
Final stride before take-off, no argument…
oh god been there own that t-shirt!
when someone is getting me to concentrate on canter it all falls appart. when i concentrate on straightness and good turns and approaches its wonderful. just need someone to shout the right things, especially all the voices in my head 😉