Post by april on Jul 13, 2009 12:20:53 GMT -5
The jumps are calling us as I ride Razzle to the start of the cross country course. We both love jumping, and the sprints between jumps just make it all the better. It’s like a scene from a heavenly dream, the two of us galloping along the course at a breathtaking pace, flying over natural looking jumps as if my horse had wings. It’s like riding a fairy horse. I just point him at the jump and he does the rest. I know Razzle couldn’t be happier as we take the first fence, and I shriek with delight myself. In addition to the thrill of the ride, we find contentment in each other’s companionship and being outside together, something Razzle and I both love. I’m so lucky to have such great horses. I think to myself it’s hard to believe that when I first met Razzle he’d been whipped so badly he didn’t want to let a person within a mile of him. It’s hard to believe anyone could treat such a wonderful horse that way. He’s always been a dream to ride, doing everything in his power to please his rider. He jumps with effortless rhythm, ease, style, and grace, clearing each jump with a foot to spare, yet not wasting a single movement so he‘ll have plenty left at the last jump. He gives a bob of his head and a flip of his tail each time he lands, obviously pleased with himself and his performance and I’m so glad just to see him happy. The arrowhead, oxer, wall and sharks teeth parallel are pretty easy, but the next jump, a step up to a palisade, is extremely high and looks even higher, but Razzle gives it a gigantic effort, and clears it without even knocking his hind hooves against it. The Trakehner and birch aren’t too hard. We clear them easily and come to the chicken coop, a jump designed to look frightening to the horses. Razzle has too much heart to be put off by even the most frightening looking jumps though, and I think he has more fun going over the scarier looking jumps than the others. The picnic table is the next jump on the list, another frightening looking jump, and again Razzle never hesitates, jumping it as easily as if it were a caviletti pole. I can feel his excitement growing as he lengthens his stride before we come to the gate combination. “The corner is next sweetie. That’s a tricky one now.” I almost have to turn him in mid- air as we sail over, but Razzle seems to know what I want before I even have a chance to think it. We’re up and over the palisade table, and then further up the trail we come to the pheasent feeder. It’s not too much different from the coop, and after we clear it I think about the next jump, not as scarey looking but much harder. For the combination we have to jump up a bank and then in another stride clear a brush fence. We fly over the jaguar leap, and Razzle digs in, running all the harder. He knows the water jump is next, and is looking forward to it. With a splash we plunge in, and for a couple strides we ride through the river instead of on the trails. Then comes a jump that takes a lot of effort, jumping a log in the river. Then up and out, and another sprint on the trails before jumping through Gary’s Horseshow. “Great job boy. You were so great.” I give him a big hug around the neck and keep petting him as I cool him out.