achey thighs-CS jumping pics and a YAY update :)

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Prince33Sp4rkle

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sore, but chuffed to bits......some of you may remember the post i did about him being really finnicky in contact/not taking me fence/thowing the towel in if i got stride even slightly off......well, pleased to report that we seem to be making progress:

*have ditched martingale, def think he disliked the sensation of the rings bouncing on the reins. this does mean we come to fence rather inverted but he is much steadier in contact, and i can collect him/set him up with no head flinging, which means we got a decent spot every single time today.

* am using a gel pad under saddle instead of breastplate, to stop it moving and he seems far more forward over his fences, so perhaps it felt restrictive???

*have got a great fluffy pad under headpiece of jump bridle (affectionately known as the dead ferret round the yard!!!) and he is bizarrely SO much more forward to a fence in it,than he was with a gel poll pad.even more oddly he hates dead ferret on his dressage bridle, but loves the gel pad on his double bridle?!

within reason im letting him come to a fence as he wants, which means he humps and grumps round the corner going NOWHERE,with his head right right up, and screwed to the inside, so i can see his rolling eye and gnashing teeth, ears pinned and tail going like the clappers BUT.............as soon as he spies the fence, he locks on, sits down on his hocks and lets me set him up without fighting. he took me to the fences with determination and was 100% going over them, not a single hesitation even when i was a touch long or a touch deep.

i obv need to fine tune this as he is still a bit loose and green in front, and in the FAR off future it wouldnt work in a jump off, but for now, im going with how he wants to do it, perhaps he is just one who does it *his* way and will never conform to the book.

i can see im still chucking myself up his neck, but am terrified off holding his mouth and dampening new found enthusiasm......do think stirrups look a better length?

need to do some more gridwork now and tidy up front legs, but overall think we are both SO much happier :)

warming up (and shouting at OH, designated pole man!)
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pinging a pole:
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cross:
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upright:
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baby oxer-position better here??
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finished up going for a canter round the field, as light rain +strong wind has left our ground perfect, like old turf, really springy:
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(i would like to confirm that the fence behind us is NOT currently in use lol!!!)

so plan is to get some gridwork done at home and once we have new lorry to get out and hire some jumps with fillers/do some clear rounds :)
 
Awww, bless him! You are definately not alone with the "I must not touch the mouth and will therefore throw my hands up the neck and over bend" but it really doesn't look too bad with the pair of you and he has go an extraordinarily long length of neck!

Looks really good, I think we need to see many more CS jumping pics :)
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
have got a great fluffy pad under headpiece of jump bridle (affectionately known as the dead ferret round the yard!!!) and he is bizarrely SO much more forward to a fence in it,than he was with a gel poll pad.even more oddly he hates dead ferret on his dressage bridle, but loves the gel pad on his double bridle?!
Click to expand...

He is SO strange. Glad he was a good boy, oh shrunken one!

P.S. bet Ed was hugely impressed at being pole bitch.... xoxo
 
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ed loved it! he was also pic bitch,and did an ok job? as many ass shots as mum but at least i have a head?!

he IS fussy, noseband and throatlash have to be *just so* or else he is really fixed in the neck, was actually suprised he was ok with the gel pad, as i know some horses dont like the sensation of it under the saddle.funny boy.
 
He looks lovely! Eventing pony maybe...? :P

Our ex-racer did a good impression of a camel when he started jumping- he'd toss his head and be very unsteady in the contact. A year on, and he still likes to approach fences with his head up, but it's into the contact and he makes a nice shape over the fences... Maybe an ex-racer eccentricity? Or just a bay 'precious' (in Reggie's opinion anyway!) TB thing!!
 
he's a bit of a diva about mud and water, so not sure how XC will go (would really like to try this summer, if i can fit it in), so maybe a aprt time SJ pony?!


could well be Tb things, maybe he will settle when he realises im not ever going to grab his mouth????(on purpose at least).
 
*shakes head- cant get over seeing PS without dressage legs*
I may be completly wrong here but you look like you are used to jumping bigger??
p.s. I am loving the term pole bitch may start calling dad that :p :cool:
 
bless him, he looks quite different to when he's in "dressage" mode. Do you use the gel pad under the saddle cloth or between the saddle cloth and saddle? And was it as effective as a breast plarte? I'm debating trying one with my mare as saddle has a tendency to slip back, saddler has recommended a five point breastplate but am not totally convinved it will worj.
 
"Those stirrups could still go up 2 or 3 ..."

:cries:

!!!!!!!!!!!!

yes, last time i jumped competitively it was 1.20 and 1.30's and i think im over jumping a bit still!!!

would really like to think we could pop round a 65cm trailblazers this year, with some practice over fillers.

ETA-gel pad between saddlecloth and horse, really does work. keeps it as forward as 5 point, without strangling him, and it stops ALL movement of my dressage saddle. its the stephens gel one, not the specifi anti slip one just the normal one.
 
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He looks like he's enjoying it :)
I have one that dislikes martingales aswell, I'd rather have his head up then him constantly fighting.
I wish someone would event something that didn't restrict them over the jumps but also didn't touch their mouth.
 
knowing how he is, i think even an elasticated standing martingale would cause a major flip out if he threw his head up hard enough to really hit it.
like you say, id rather he came consistantly high headed to every fence, than low/high/flip/low/high/flip etc etc.much easier to set up a nice stride and thus we both gain confidence......im such a pansy these days :(
 
CS tail so clean and floaty and pretty! :)
I'm glad to hear that he is doing his best to be a primadonna SJer ;) Can't wait to read your first SJing report!

Your position looks fine - your only throwing your arms up his neck not your whole body so it not as if your unbalancing him or anything..
 
What a clever boy- you will be signed up to give me a lead around Aylesford at this rate!!

Believe I am more impressed that you managed to do this yesterday even with your Saturday blisters and Sunday work out from Cowbag- bravo!

xoxo
 
CS looks like he is enjoying that, and all credit for you spending so much time to work out what works for him :) I was told by a few people that 5 points really can restrict horses, but know it varies from horse to horse. Doesn't surprise me one as sensitive as CS would find it a bit too much :D You both look good though, and I reckon CS would happily take up Sjing "part time" too ;)
 
Fabby! So pleased hes going better for you jumping now! he looks great :)
Might have to get one of those non slip pads as dancer's saddle always seems to slip forwards for some strange reason :P
 
And I hope this doesn't sound rude :o What made you turn to dressage? When dressage is going well I love it and could just do that but then the second it goes wrong back to jumping I go ;)
 
within a short space of time, one horse was perma-injured and Bruce wasnt confident enough to jump any bigger than fox's. so i started doing some dressage on him to pass the time, and never went back to jumping.

i enjoy the occasional pop but wont ever go back to it full time,dressage suits my OCD better lol!!!!
 
go CS he is having a ball - look at him ping :D

very interesting what you say about martingale and breastplate. suspect my boy could be the same, trainer pointed out he thought Rex raised his head because of martingale on reins, stuck in a catch 22 because if i get him in the mouth he throws his head up beyond point of control and bounces and throws himself off balance (very hard to sit too!). I also ended up using a drop for flatwork as it keeps bit steady in his mouth but find he jumps better in the with a canvesson! His saddle also slips back, inparticular his jump one and advised to use five point breastplate, he doesnt have a deep girth groove but big shoulders so the girth doesnt keep it forwards. his dr saddle doesnt seem to move at all though if girth loosened at end of schooling session it slips back! both saddles have been checked and fit they are both bates so similar trees, they are funny creatures arent they!

might try a slip pad any pointers best place to buy one?

sorry that turned into an epic!

great pics cant wait to see him try xc! :)
 
lol definately another TB quirk i think Rex just likes to think he is in charge!

i think if i get brave i will try without martingale, hopefully as his flatwork improves if will help too :) away to ebay!
 
Lovely pics, he looks happier! Agree you can still hoik those stirrups up though :p

Have you thought about/tried a sheepskin noseband? Might encourage him to lower his head, without the histrionics. Although appreciate it might not work with a drop! :confused:
 
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