A few thoughts, re my post on Muschamp Impalla

wizoz

wizoz

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If you owned a horse, like MI and you thought it was talented to go to top level eventing and sent it to a top rider to do this, along the way finding out that it's not quite as talented as you'd hoped, would you:

A) realise that this horse is potentially going to kill someone one day and drop it down several levels and give it to someone who needs a bit of confidence at pre novice

B) keep sending it to top riders in the hope that someone might get a tune out of it (even though the best rider's haven't so far

C) Wait until it kills someone and retire it

The reason I ask is that with AN no longer interested in riding it, it speaks volumes about it's talent, or lack of and I know that if I owned it, i'd be extremely worried about it's riders safety.
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Thought's anyone?
 
I would send it back to Ruth Edge to be a full time dressage horse, its already done a few PSGs and that is where its talent lies IMHO. Its never going to be a world beater at dressage but probably could go to the nationals, and at least it isn't going to kill anyone (or itself) doing that.
 
a)
or, even better, let it be a dressage horse. no guarantee it won't make a huge whoopsy at PN. someone died xc schooling a former international horse over a PN fence.
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AN is one of the best xc jockeys in the world, and the most supremely sticky, and if he doesn't want to ride the ****** thing, i think i'd take it very to heart.
of course, £££ talks i guess, it's worth a lot as a 4* eventer...
i'm desperate to ride at that level but i wouldn't ride it.
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Quite agree, think that would probably be the best solution, but why don't his owners see that?

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...money, greed and stupidity. And prob in that order.
 
yes it would... coz its just sounds like an accident waiting to happen. And there have been more than enough of those talked about on HHO to last us......
 
Just being Devil's advocate here:.....

Do we know that AN didnt want to ride it anymore? Might have been just been a change in circumstances/money/owners....

I have just been reading the 'Over To You' book & it mentions that he sometimes had a tendancy to leave a leg....

MI's form with AN last season was pretty good, you cant really complain at what he did at Burghley it was just a mistake by a tired horse at the end of the course it was not dangerous. He then went onto go clear at Pau (but wasnt sound on the final day).

I just think its a bit mean to write him off.
 
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yep - what HS says - though it does only have 7 XC faults out of 8 full seasons running...

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yes, but what it did to Ruth at Badders was inexcusable for an experienced and athletic horse. it forget to pick its ******* knees up at the big drop fence into the water. could have caused a really really horrible fall.
don't forget that it's been ridden by mega-experienced excellent xc riders, not just any old pro. i don't excuse its 7 xc faults...
i'd rather one had lots of cheeky run outs or something on its record, but had never jumped like a chuffing spider, personally.
 
train_robber, this post isn't meant to be a dig at the owners but it would be interesting to unerstand what they really think of the horse.
 
and just to throw in another thought - I thought AN's other ride at Pau - the chestnut (was it Ginger May Killinghurst??) was very very scary XC at Pau - just watch that replayed on hctv...

La la la back in my box
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Watching him dangle his legs in front of a fence is quite scary though, don't you think?
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And no, I don't know that AN DID want to give him up, it's all speculation of course....
 
Thank you Joss

I can tell you for one thing - money is of NO object there, what-so-ever - lives in small stately home and "family seat" is a large BE event in Cheshire..

Also have been owners of Tris' for a long time. I highly doubt Tris' missus would let him ride a widower....

Christ all mighty people have accidents off horses all the time, why are MI's falls so horrendous compared to other horses that fall - someone please enlighten me?
 
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yep - what HS says - though it does only have 7 XC faults out of 8 full seasons running...

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yes, but what it did to Ruth at Badders was inexcusable for an experienced and athletic horse. it forget to pick its ******* knees up at the big drop fence into the water. could have caused a really really horrible fall.
don't forget that it's been ridden by mega-experienced excellent xc riders, not just any old pro. i don't excuse its 7 xc faults...
i'd rather one had lots of cheeky run outs or something on its record, but had never jumped like a chuffing spider, personally.

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oh no I totally agree and she was seriously lucky but it's just interesting as you would have thought it would have more XC faults than that?
 
please read my post above! what it did at Badders was inexcusable imho. the fall with AN at Burghley was weird, it was cruising and looking totally class up till that point, i was thinking "wow, it really is a 4* horse!" and then it was a bit surprised by the 4th question in the arena and just sort of collapsed onto it. i think its brain must work slowly... it was a simple fence and the top was v soft so it could have brushed through if it had given it half an effort. lots of other horses were surprised but instantly reacted correctly.
 
That's what makes him so scary XC, I think. He can cruise around looking brilliant and effortless, but yet can suddenly make a very green and stupid mistake as happened to Ruth at Badders. He doesn't have a fifth leg and doesn't show the self preservation to get himself out of trouble when its needed. He's not a stupid horse or he wouldn't have got so far with his dressage, but he doesn't have the self preservation to get legs out of the bloody way when required!!!!
 
Im sure they wouldnt have brought the horse if it was no good?

I guess then have to ask the question - does it REALLY want to be an event horse? Remember AN doesnt always get it spot on either - look at the olympics....
(admitedly one cant often fault him as a rider but no one is perfect 100% of the time)
 
I really hope for Tristrams sake that it works out well for him, I do. But I also hope that he would be sensible enough to stop riding him, if he felt that MI was unsafe.
 
yes, exactly, Halfstep. he hasn't got quick reactions when it really matters. every rider, even the best in the world, can make a mistake occasionally, and when they do, especially if the fences are that big, you need a horse that comes up with the right answer. i can forgive any horse for getting it that wrong once, but not again.
 
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and just to throw in another thought - I thought AN's other ride at Pau - the chestnut (was it Ginger May Killinghurst??) was very very scary XC at Pau - just watch that replayed on hctv...

La la la back in my box
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Hmm well the other horse he rode at Pau in 08 was Henry Tankerville which is a dark bay!?

MI does seem incredible talented horse but just doesn't seem to have a quick enough brain (and therefore feet) to get itself out of problems. Its mistake at Burghley, I would expect a young horse to cope with (if smaller
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). The thing with its xc faults IMO is that it doesn't know how to say "no" or jink out, so when its wrong at smaller stuff its fine (probably hairy for the rider - look at the number of withdrawals and I know top horses do have alot of withdrawals but not always from strong positions) but when you get to top level you need a horse that will do some of the work for you and wants to do the work for you, that will automatically look onto the next fence and prepare for it.
 
Ah seems as I posted alittle to slow as HalfStep and Kerilli have already said what I was trying to say
Well good luck to TO
 
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but when you get to top level you need a horse that will do some of the work for you and wants to do the work for you, that will automatically look onto the next fence and prepare for it.

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this is very well put. And isn't this what we want from all our XC horses, never mind the 4* ones. MI has said, more than once that he's not up to the job, when he is needed.
 
yes, as Halfstep says, he doesn't seem to have the quick reactions he needs when it really matters. Any rider, even the very best, can make an error and when they do, especially if the fences are big, you need a horse that comes up with the right answer. i can forgive any horse for 1 mistake, but not more like that!
also, at Badders i didn't think Ruth made an error at all. not like one of the riders (was it Daisy? can't remember) who went on 3 not 2 and got the horse v v deep to the fence into the water, and the horse picked up fine, great reactions.
 
That's why the fall at Badders is imprinted on my memory. Ruth was on a good stride, but the horse neglected to pick up its knees and could have killed them both. If it were mine, it would never have gone XC again after that. Maybe I'm being harsh, and I'm not an eventer, but I like Muchamp Impala and would rather not see him face down in the water with his rider under him!!!!
 
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also, at Badders i didn't think Ruth made an error at all. not like one of the riders (was it Daisy? can't remember) who went on 3 not 2 and got the horse v v deep to the fence into the water, and the horse picked up fine, great reactions.

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This is exactly what I was on about. He got to the water, hesitated, but jumped when he really didn't want to and paid the price. Ruth looked spot on to the fence but the horse was shooked to see the water (after it had cantered past it!), and made a huge mistake instead of saying no properley.
 
exactly. Halfstep, i'm right with you. i might be nutty enough to be happy to jump big fixed fences, but not on something whose brain goes awol at essential moments!
i wish TO the very very best of luck with it, obviously. if it had been ridden by muppets before though i'd have a lot more patience with it. Or, maybe it needs a total muppet to miss it a mile a few times and it might go "jeez, s/he's trying to kill us, i'd better really pay attention, ball's in my court!"
 
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