When I was younger, I loved to jump big fences. I loved the thrill and the air time. 4′ courses were just a regular lesson. When I started eventing there was no Beginner Novice and the Novice fences looked very manageable, even on a green horse.
But the older I get, the smaller my comfort zone has . I’ve been pondering this dilemma for awhile. Should I push the envelope? Or admit that I don’t bounce like I used to and enjoy the small stuff. Still, it was humbling when I brought a tape measure to the ring and realized the jumps that were starting to look big were, in truth, only 2’6″.
Today I came across this Facebook post from Denny Emerson and realized that I have been shrinking my comfort zone too much. It’s time to get a trainer out to push me a bit and help me remember that I can do it. What about you? Do you still jump big fences or are fences starting to look big to you, too? How do you deal with it?
