Late last fall I started this thread. At that point in time, I really thought I was going to go back into the eventing world.
What a difference a year can make (yesterday was the one year anniversary of breaking my leg on xc).
I have been all over the place in what I want to do with my horse. I have thought about doing nothing but dressage, a combination of both dressage and show jumping, some hunting, pretty much anything you can do in an english saddle EXCEPT eventing. No desire to go back.
I’ve only recently started jumping again (I jumped once- just an x a couple of times- early on in the spring, but then had a bunch of oral surgery that has kept me careful), and I am now realizing that I still love to jump and while all the dressage I’ve done this year has been good for us and I completely understand the purpose of it (And wouldn’t stop it completely), my heart belongs to jumping things…not the sandbox. The break, I think, was perfect for us both, as we’ve both been very calm and relaxed in our couple of jump schools (one in a lesson and one solo).
Here’s the thing. While jumpers seems like a logical place to go with this horse, I am not a speed fiend. Neither is he. We’re both a little careful, especially now after our crash. We like technical, but, at least in the Ch/AA divisions, I think we’re often going to find ourselves down the order a ways because I’m not aggressive enough about speed nor willing to leave out strides to get the speed that is so often required in that 3’6" and below level of jumpers. I still WANT to do them (and challenge ourselves to be faster and use our mad dressage skills to get things done without being balls to the walls), but I cycled back to the equitation again for the technicality and skill focus.
I’m no longer worried about the height. I don’t even know if I’ll have the guts to get up to where I once was (hopefully!). I’m just curious now about if it is even worth spending the money on the classes, at least in my area. I’m thinking about the VHSA and Ariat medals. There was also an interesting looking M & S class that was 3’3", I think. Does anyone in my area actually do any of these for their own merit, and not just as warm ups?
Like I said in that old thread, I have a nice, athletic, game little horse that is well schooled and it has been said that he’d make a good little Eq horse. He will NEVER be a hunter. He’s a technician that likes a challenge.
I’ve yet to have a serious discussion about this with the coach I ride with (she’s only give me one lesson since I’ve gotten back into jumping), but we did talk briefly about it last year after the last thread. She was game then, and I think would be game now to help me.
Any thoughts? I’ve done some searches and stuff and most of the general consensus seems to be the classes don’t fill and are mostly just used as warm ups. Is that really the case? Does no one really do them for the sake of doing them? I watched some videos the other day, and the courses look like fun!
All said thoroughly tongue in cheek!
