Ugh…I need a clearer goal

My rides have been really good lately. Frankie has been a saint and my riding has been improving. Until this weekend.

We have had a handful of really gratifying, eye opening, exciting rides. 3’6″-3’9″ courses that were delightful. Perfect. Pretty. I mean to the point that I was really patting myself on the back and ready to put the sticks back up. Frankie is still going in the loose ring “danger bit”. He has been super ridable and I have managed to let go a little. What I’m finding is that although I’m trying to get off his back a little when he is light, he doesn’t really like it. He tends to be unsure and hesitates a bit which then puts me back in my over controlling mode.

That means I need to keep sitting a little deeper even when he is being light and easy. Not so much to drive, but to continue a “connection”. He seems to get hollow when I get out of my seat a bit and then we fall apart. That’s what happened this weekend.

I couldn’t canter to a fence to save my life. Frankie wasn’t being bad at all. I would get light in my seat and see NOTHING to the point of a constant circle or pulling to the base of the fence. I was backing it up with leg, but there was no good canter. So even though, technically, I should be out of my seat a bit in a “jumping” position. If I do that, Frankie looses his canter which makes for NO distance to a fence.

I was frustrated to say the least. After two fantastic jumping sessions to go to this I was devastated.

This past week Frankie has been a little more high maintenance than usual. Almost back to last summer. Diarrhea, not eating great, a little “spooky”. Ugh…not ulcers again. Why? I’m not sure if something happened with feeding, if the heat has just been too much for him, or if he is just Mr. High Maintenance? Either way I have been a little discouraged.

Today was the worst. I rode him inside because the outdoor was partially flooded and it was really hot in the sun. So inside we went. He was tense and spooking at everything and nothing. Back to last summer. It was a flashback. Needless to say it just pissed me off. I know he is not actually scared of anything and even though I think it has something to do with his stomach it just annoys me. Come on Frankie you have NO STRESS in your life. I wish I was you!

I’m not sure what to do but I do know I need some goals for myself. Unfortunatley I don’t know where Frankie fits into those goals. I really want to event, but Frank just isn’t cut out for it. I don’t know what to do or how to get there. Selling Frankie is obviously not an option. So I need a plan and a clearer goal. Both for myself and for me and Frankie.

Time to go back to the drawing board.