Everytime we jump cross country - What's your favorite thing?

[imapepper]

I realize how much I adore my mare. Where else can you get that kind of feeling?

We went today and did some of the baby stuff at Quail Run. I let a friend of mine ride the super mare since super mare does not spook, buck or do anything naughty except maybe jig when she should be walking. My friend is a very good rider and much to Kay's dismay, made her walk the entire time. I was riding my 4 yr old project, who was really good schooling but a bit of a nut job for anything not relating to jumps. At the end of the school, my friend said "You better hop on and let her jump something. She is really p!ssed that she is on a cross country course and I am making her walk and not letting her jump" So I hopped on and indulged her in a couple fences :) Jumping her is always feels so good. She just floats over everything without a look or effort :)

Everyone needs to post their favorite thing about riding their horse cross country :)

[oldbutnotdead]

Matching eager looks on my face and my horse's face!

[oldbutnotdead]

Oops.

[Kairoshorses]

So many, many things....

Knowing my horse loves running and jumping as much as I do.

Knowing I can count on him to save my a** when I misjudge something...and vice-versa.

Feeling the absolute giddyness of jumping over something so solid, and knowing that we cleared it more than enough, then looking towards the next possible jump.

Laughing as I steer him around jumps (bigger or smaller) not in our division, knowing he's trying to "lock on".

The parternship--feeling almost united, of one mind, practically a centaur.

Knowing that I'm doing the thing I've wanted to do since I was 9. Amazing.

[Nigel]

Drops into water or down banks... Strange I know, but I love them.

One of my favs http://hoofclix.smugmug.com/gallery/4406168_BZJzR#258874991_RfnYF-XL-LB

[Ms.Ciera]

^ Agreed, I *love* drops on Ciera, don't know why, but they are so much fun on her!

-Knowing that everytime that I get out on that course we're proving all the people who said we couldn't do it wrong.

-NOTHING fazes her. I can point her towards any jump and she will go over it [yes, even those jumps that I was trying to just ride by but apparently I pointed her at, or so she says] *the exception here being water haha

-We're so in tune out there, it's such a relief after all of our..arguments... in the arena over different things.

[Whisper]

Jumping into/out of water is one of my favorite types, too, the other is ditches. :D

The excitement and heady adreneline rush that goes with it, and feeling the horse enjoying it so much, is the best thing about XC in general.

[WNT]

Just the feeling when Mister and I just click into the perfect rhythm, and every fence seems so easy-peasy because we are so together, we flow around the course. Even though we were slow, our round at Jumping Branch last spring was like that. A Prelim walk in the park, what a perfect feeling.

[purplnurpl]

darn! Imapepper I totally forgot to call!
ended up so busy and went on Sun spur of the moment.

I love banks. Love love love.

banks. up and down and all around. I love banks.
sucken roads! bring me banks!

[scubed]

watching his little spotted ears go up when he locks on the fence and then laughing at him being grumpy when he doesn't agree with me about where we should go next (why can't we jump that fence right there instead of going all the way across the stupid field, he wants to know).

[Tuckertoo]

Down banks. Love them, by themselves, or in a combination. I also like water. Really, pretty much everything except jumps on a decline or incline. :D

I just love it when even if I'm nervous about something, that gives me extra reason to kick on and make it, and when we go over that big, scary jump without even peeking at it, I remember how much I should trust my horse, becuase he loves it just as much as I do. I also love knowing that my horse will do everything in his power to try to take care of me and do what he's supposed to, but if he knows he can't do it because of my mistake, he'll stop to save us both.

[AmandaandTuff]

I've never done an event, but when I was younger I went out with my sister and she watched while I jumped over fallen trees and such out in the woods.

I love that for once my horse and I were perfectly in sync and enjoying what we were doing. Galloping down the trail jumping over fallen trees that were taller than him (he's a hony) and doing it with ease.

It made me feel like neither of us were handicapped, my bum leg and arm and his missing eye. He loved jumping, I wish his sight wasn't going in his eye or I'd keep jumping him. I want that pure feeling again.

[imapepper]

darn! Imapepper I totally forgot to call!
ended up so busy and went on Sun spur of the moment.

I love banks. Love love love.

banks. up and down and all around. I love banks.
sucken roads! bring me banks!

No worries :) I will catch up with you at the next one. I am definately doing the November HT and I am trying to find someone to take me and both mares to Curragh. My QH mare really jumped well and was pretty brave so she gets to go to the next one if I haven't found her a new home by then :) I ended up just going Saturday and schooling. I went back on Sunday just to pick up my new used dressage saddle :D Kay will not be happy with that purchase. She hates flatwork :lol:

[vineyridge]

The adrenaline rush. :cool: I'm an adrenaline junkie, and high for a good long time after dismounting.

Embarrassing to admit, but it's true. I also love whitewater sport.

[subk]

When they jig back to the barn.

[Outfox]

Broken Bridge :D:D:D

Even though this type of jump is not around today, it was a total blast to jump.

The horses usually jumped it well. And I always felt this type was a true horse jump. It was something a well trained cavalry horse could do.

Today, the (armored) cavalry has to call in a squad of engineers to deal with this.

[badawg]

I love jumping on an uphill approach...the feeling of power really coming through, and the horse locking on. Also really like banks, up and down. I absolutely love love love it when a green horse "gets" XC for the first time, locking on, ears pricked, ready to rock and roll!! My young mare is at the point where she knows the XC field is for jumping/galloping, hasn't quite graduated to hunting the jumps yet, though. We'll get there!

[AmericaRunsOnDunkin]

I love that hungry feeling my guy gets when we are competing. He jumps one jump and just looks for the next one. Love it! Also that feeling of chewing up the ground when I get to gallop (I am only BN, but we try to get in some good faster gallops for fun).

[beeblebrox]

complexes

coffin Complexes

Water complexes

All of them

There is such a cool feeling when your horse locks and loads when they get close enough to evaluate and you breathe a breath out and smile cause your horse knows his job and all the gymnastics are paying off ;-)

[melodiousaphony]

Letting my horse shift gears and feeling that there are SO many beyond what I ask for, that he'd willingly give, even when 350-420 mpm feels perfect. Maybe too perfect ;) 'cause we keep toeing 420 mpm.
Realizing that I am checking my watch to make sure I'm not under time when the year before we manged to be a minute OVER time.
Feeling it all come together mid-course, when the nerves wear off and my horses set themselves on "jump-attack machine."

[Jazzy Lady]

When my horse leaves the start box looking for fences.

When he locks on and says "hang on mom, I got it. Red on right... here we go!"

[KMErickson]

jumping a jump, getting out of the tack and feeling him just ZOOM away, then approaching the next jump, sitting up, and feeling him compress together perfectly without having to touch the reins.

Then of course, jumping the jump itself, especially big fly fences, and getting that perfect stride and just ROCKETING off the ground!

[yellowbritches]

Big ass fly fences. Super cool (see my profile picture. I still dream about the feeling of that fence).

Fun combinations that you just seem to glide through.

A young horse "getting" it. THAT is a cool feeling. :yes: