Well, not quite.
Still, Nay Nay is really starting to get it. When we first introduced jumps, I really questioned whether Nay was going to be a hunter. I thought we might have to take up low level dressage.
You see, he sort of freaked himself out and crashed into the jumps, they collapsed, and he panicked. I mean, maybe I’m exaggerating? But not entirely. He was OK with poles or cross rails, but more that that? He could quite get it. We had a pretty bad lesson where he felt overfaced and… After that we took it back, but… Now, we didn’t ask him to do one thing that he couldn’t walk over, but still…
After Nay’s time off for ulcers, we eventually reintroduced some jumps. We had a REALLY good lesson where he did great (he loves this plank fence that’s both inside and out) and did great with flowers. But, the next ride? He felt a bit overfaced and all my uncertainty came back (which didn’t help him). So, we took it back to cross rails and he did great. Confident and fabulous. Plan was just jump cross rails until he was 100%.
At some point, we started adding back solid fences. It was hit or miss. Not crashing miss, but hesitation miss. But, we always got over it. Then, when I rode on my own, I started walking him over stuff before I got as I set stuff up. Somehow, whenever my trainer tried to walk him over he’d nope out of it, but me? he’d happily follow me anywhere. We started walking over flowers, and boxes, and gates, and all of the above combined. Jumps got wider (I started struggling to get over… LOL). Nay didn’t care. We’d get on and walk up and over. Then I’d point Nay to them and instead of walking over? He’d pick up the trot and trot himself over. Hesitation just… gone. After the trot, he’d start dragging me to his fences because jumping evidently is fun.
This weekend the weather was gross so we spent Saturday in the indoor with his “older” girlfriend Fiona. Since everyone has been outside as of late, the footing was a bit choppy. But, not terrible. We stuck to 2 singles (nothing huge) and eventually strung them together at the canter, cantering 2 fences together for the first time.
On Sunday, another first! Nay was definitely tired from Saturday so instead of working at the canter, we stuck mainly to the trot (the canter just didn’t feel great with the footing) and strung together a 6 fence course, adding in the outside line to our 2 fences from the day before (we repeated the one and jumped the other both ways).
All in all, 2 successful rides. Nay Nay just continues to gain confidence and impress.
Three Chestnuts 
What a good Nay Nugget!
That he is!
I think it is his regular mud baths that help his jumping. Just saying 🙂
UGH. I’d send him to you but I can’t let him go. Darn him for worming his way into to heart.
Awww, good boy Nay Nay! He jumped that first one so cute! And then even went for the long one at the second. He definitely thinks jumping is fun now!
I figure as long as we maintain a steady rhythm, distances don’t matter right now!
That’s great! What a good Nay buddy ❤ I'm so glad it's starting to click for him. You're definitely his person! ❤