Hattikins
Well-Known Member
Well weather down in sussex has be dire since yesterday afternoon. Jumped judged all day yesterday for the intros and training class and was really looking forward to competing today. Well woke up this morning and the wind was howling and the rain was still thrashing it down, but decided seeing as it hadn't been cancelled we'd plait up and drive over to pulborough (45mins away).
Got there at 9.45am and the weather seemed a tiny bit better, slightly less wind
but still raining. There were more people leaving pulborough at 9.45 this morning than there were people pulling in!! There were tons of withdrawals and Mum was definitely erring on the "let's turn round and go home now" option. But seeing as we were here I cheerily
tacked Hattie up who looked extremely unimpressed! and jumped on board. By now the rain was even harder and i was completely soaked through and i hadnt even left the trailer!
The dressage warmup and arenas were situated right in the middle of the gallops, all wonderful and good but it meant there was several miles of open pasture for the wind to pick up speed over and it was pretty much impossible to warm up. In each arena there were varying displays of antics, everything from refusing to even enter the arena to rearing, bouncing sideways, spinning, you name it there were very few horses doing a test that resembled PN 112!! Began trying to warm Hattie up and she was ok but just really not enjoying it much, went down to the stewards and there was just one to go before me, went back to give Hattie a canter and she bounced and leapt around desperately trying to bronch. Unfortunately i knew now it was going to take me a good 20mins to sort the bronching and i had all of 4mins. Mum then said she wasnt going to allow me to Show jump Hattie in this weather so i called it a day then a there knowing i wasnt going to get any test out of her
It was the right thing to do for me and Hattie, the weather was absolutely foul, the ground was "ok" but Hattie's only been right from injury a few months and it wasnt worth risking her or just having a diabolical result on her record, so completely drenched we packed up and went home - needless to say Hattie was very happy about that! She definitely made it known that she was NOT enjoying herself! spooking at everything and her tail got so wet it was sticking to her back legs so she was stomping around and kicking out to add to everything else!!
There's always another day
Got there at 9.45am and the weather seemed a tiny bit better, slightly less wind
The dressage warmup and arenas were situated right in the middle of the gallops, all wonderful and good but it meant there was several miles of open pasture for the wind to pick up speed over and it was pretty much impossible to warm up. In each arena there were varying displays of antics, everything from refusing to even enter the arena to rearing, bouncing sideways, spinning, you name it there were very few horses doing a test that resembled PN 112!! Began trying to warm Hattie up and she was ok but just really not enjoying it much, went down to the stewards and there was just one to go before me, went back to give Hattie a canter and she bounced and leapt around desperately trying to bronch. Unfortunately i knew now it was going to take me a good 20mins to sort the bronching and i had all of 4mins. Mum then said she wasnt going to allow me to Show jump Hattie in this weather so i called it a day then a there knowing i wasnt going to get any test out of her
It was the right thing to do for me and Hattie, the weather was absolutely foul, the ground was "ok" but Hattie's only been right from injury a few months and it wasnt worth risking her or just having a diabolical result on her record, so completely drenched we packed up and went home - needless to say Hattie was very happy about that! She definitely made it known that she was NOT enjoying herself! spooking at everything and her tail got so wet it was sticking to her back legs so she was stomping around and kicking out to add to everything else!!
There's always another day