Jump Training with Paul Tapner - Helmet Cam

We're back and Pigeon is feeling better than ever!

After two eliminations during the 2014 season for refusals I eventually had Pigeon diagnosed with Equine Cushings Disease (or PPID) in October. She has responded very well to the treatment and is once more full of energy and enthusiasm for life... Perhaps a little too much energy and enthusiasm for jumping as you can see in this video of us training with Paul Tapner (tapnereventing.com) at Wickstead HorsePlay (www.wicksteadhorseplay.co.uk) during a session organised by West Oxfordshire Riding Club (www.westoxfordshireridingclub.com).

I am so pleased to be using the brakes again! Hopefully she will settle down after a few more outings... a group lesson so early in the year was bound to be exciting (especially as Pigeon is feeling ten years younger this spring)!

Paul was a brilliant trainer (one of my favourites yet) - I can recommend him highly! He quickly and accurately assessed each horse and rider combination and used a systematic and progressive approach offering practical instruction to help improve our positions and techniques. The facilities are also excellent at Wickstead HorsePlay, with a full BSJA approved show jump course and cross country questions on a good surface to help develop confidence at the lower levels. The main instruction I received was to, "slow down, slow down... half halt and soften, half halt and soften... every stride... increase the frequency as well as the severity of the half halts." Pigeon really did have a lot of fun - flying changes and leaping over the ditches and fillers, and into the water with ardour! As Paul said, "Yours is a little too brave!" Yep, that's my girly :0)

I missed jumping the big ditch due to a camera battery issue - sorry about that! And I invite you to tell what colour Paul's jacket is - red, blue or gold and white ;-)