The click

I jump on Princess with eagerness, ready to try out the theory of self preservation. The formula here is firstly to feel if the horse goes into preservation mode, and then give her every reason to decide that she doesn't need to be in self preservation mode. Slow her down, reassure her with hand and voice. Praise her. Tell her with body and voice that everything is ok.

I also set up a picnic table jump. Our challenge for today.

Warm up, jumping warm up, then the barrells. Self preservation mode. I coo and gently slow her down. It seems to be working. Another jump. All is going well, we do the picnic table. She sails over it. We try it a couple of times and then I make it more difficult, plus I raise the height of another jump. She's starting to get tired now, and every now and then I get that typical self preservation mode. I tell Princess its ok (with body and voice) and she comes back to me faster than normal. It's excellent.

A couple more jumps, I think to myself. Then, something unbelievable happens. The click. Not the sound, the feeling. At take off. A real spring up. A real "try". Wow.