You mean we can jump? Whaaaaaaat?

Okay, I will admit that I have the physical ability to jump a fence, I just don't have the mental aspect of it. I had a horrific fall off of a bank that left me not too keen on the idea of jumping... that idea later ended my eventing career. You can't make a career or go to the Olympics being too chicken shit to jump anything bigger than 2'3" ;). Sure, I'd hop on seasoned vets and go jump some courses of 2' or so, but it was not very often. It also scared the ever loving CRAP out of me to do so. 

Tor is a bit like my old eventer, very much point and go- you just have to reassure her with your leg (where as the eventer just went). She has only stopped on one jump and that is because I gave up on her, she may look and hesitate, but she follows through if I do. I have (MUCH to my displeasure) been convinced to show in the hunter hack. Easy enough, two fences in a straight line and then rail work. Not a big, scary course. We have been schooling over lines of cross rails and small verticals for a while now, still really sticky, but at least we get something done. My old eventing habits have been SO hard to fix!

So my trainer gives me a course, including two verticals that I have not jumped in well over 18 months. I quickly said to Tor, "I take back EVERY popping you in the mouth, every chest smack, every statement of 'Fatty', everything other than cookies and wither scratches if you don't launch my ass into being a lawn dart". Apparently, my speech worked and we went around our course of five fences beautifully! She was listening, she was forward, and she was thrilled with herself! I was just happy that I kept with her and didn't get launched. :)

I love that filly. Really, I do. We are still in the super awkward "getting it together" phase, but she is amazing and has taught me SO much. She is a lifer in more than one way. One like her will never, ever come along again, so I will be keeping her until the day it is time to say "goodbye". I'll give an arm, a leg, and my liver if it means that I can keep her.