Like a boss

P-diddy (uses his rapper name when a badass) did cross country for the first time on Sunday.  He was a rockstar!  The lesson worked on the same things we have been working on and I was a little bummed to not school more actual xc fences, that said he was so chill about the jumps we did do that I have no worries for other xc fences.

Smirking, 'cause my horse is awesome

We started with a log, then a blue barrel jump, then a show jump, and finally a roll top.  I walked him up to each of the xc fences so he could check it out before I approached at the trot.  When I first rode into the xc field he was a bit flummoxed by the strange wooden structures covering up good grass.  Then when he realized they were for jumping I had to be very deliberate about where I rode so he didn't pull me to all the jumps.  Each time I showed him a jump he would look at it from several yards away and then by the time we were close I could have just closed my leg and we would have flown over.  I am so pleased by his boldness.

Love the colors, not my position

That hind end though

Looking for the next thing

He also stood and waited for our turns on the buckle.  He likes to bob his head while standing around and it is pretty funny as it seems that he is agreeing with everything.

He says place kisses here

The barrel jump was placed on a bit of a slope and P-diddy said it was no big deal.

Looks flat, but I promise we were jumping down a hill

action shot

We jumped back and forth over things and then strung a course together.  We trotted each of the jumps, but cantered between them.  The grass and terrain seemed to be no worry for P and we just worked on really trotting to the base instead of getting that one zoomy canter stride.

Like nbd

Gah love that heart

None of the jumps really made him snap his knees and go WOW!  Really though I'm fine with that, I'd rather he learns to relax, I know he has scope for days.

60 degrees that day, 30 today

Overall it was a success and I'm thrilled with my boy.

*swoon*