Nemo and I have been very lucky to try many new things this spring, and one I’m most excited about is a recent weekend at adult eventing camp. Growing up, I was always fascinated with eventing. I spent many years in the hunter/jumper ring, was introduced to dressage in college, but I never truly had a chance to try cross-country. Part of me found it slightly terrifying, while the rest of me found it so exciting and such an awesome goal for someday. I’m so excited to say, Nemo and I got a chance to be immersed in all things eventing this spring, and we both loved it.

We started camp with a group chat about our goals and what we were hoping to learn. We also chatted about both our experience and our horses’. My riding background is primarily from the hunter ring, which then crossed into dressage and jumpers as a young adult, so it was so fun to hear everyone who had been eventing for years, and their experience and goals. I couldn’t wait to learn more.

One of our first lessons of the day was in dressage. Nemo and I worked on riding a consistent trot rhythm and keeping outside rein contact on him. Being a forward moving Morgan, he tends to get going, and start rushing along, rather than having a consistent steady cadence in his gaits. It was great to learn some additional exercises I can use to help him improve in this area.

The afternoon was saved for cross-country, and I was so excited. We started by going over the different cross-country positions and working over some small logs. Then, we headed out back to the amazing cross-country field at my barn, worked over a small ditch, and up over some other ramp jumps as well. I was pleasantly surprised and very excited about how much Nemo loved it. He tends to be a bit leery of new things, and he excitedly cantered over the new obstacles. I love how much he was up for his new challenge.

The following two days included some great jump sets where we worked on lengthening his stride, so he stretched over the jumps rather than having a shorter leap over them, and on keeping consistent pacing. Nemo has a tendency, like in dressage, of getting going and then truly rushing, and it was great to learn some helpful tools to support him through the course.

After some great discussion about cross country course safety and course building specifics, especially for the larger, more solid fences, we had our final lesson of the day. A handful of schooling cross-country jumps were brought out to one of the exercise fields, and we were able to put our newly learned knowledge to work. By the end of the lesson, Nemo was cantering up over a coup, a log, and a barn jump. I couldn’t tell who was smiling more, him or I.

As the weekend ended, I looked back at everything we’d learned and couldn’t help but smile at what a great place I have Nemo, as well as what an awesome horse he is. It’s amazing that he loves what I love just as much, if not more, and I can’t wait to see what the coming years bring.