We’re right around 6 weeks from our departure for the HITS Coachella circuit, and that means it’s time for the horses to step up their daily conditioning programs to be ready for the show season.
FF Evita will step into the YJC 6yo classes and spend the summer showing in the 1.20m – 1.25m range. A year ago I wouldn’t have guessed that we would be this far along, because she was a bit behind the curve and just being started under saddle. In fact, her first (ever) course didn’t come until April 2017 in the 0.75m jumpers, so the fact that she finished the season with terrific placings and lots of double cleans in the 1.10m and YJC 5yo classes was really spectacular.
But now I’d like to get her confident and comfortable over 1.20m-1.30m courses so that nothing surprises her in the desert. Friday was the first time I had jumped her “up” since August. And here she is showing me that 1.20m/1.25m is still no big deal (in other words, comfort and confidence are definitely not a problem for her!):
She followed that up the next day by jumping her first 1.30m fences:
Absolutely love her willingness and confidence! Now we’ll spend the next 6 weeks introducing more complicated exercises and honing her jump. I’m really excited to take her into the ring in February!