walkingonsunshine
New User
After much lurking on here, I thought I ought to finally post a report! Be warned, there are many photos! I am currently competing a horse on behalf of his owner. He's a lovely soul, very talented on the flat and over a fence, but is, one might say, a sensitive soul. He learnt to scare himself by rushing his very powerful jump, and therefore decided that the best response was to turn away from the fence very quickly at the point of take off. Needless to say, this did not end well, and his owner broke her leg last July. I kept him going for her, and started jumping him, and she asked me to continue working with them. I was delighted to, as I actually helped to break him as a 3 year old, so the daft thing has always held a special place in my heart!
As he had learnt to throw the towel in with any height fence, including poles, we decided to ensure that any question posed was one which we could 'win'. So months of canter poles, cross poles and little fences started, all the goal of him cantering in a rhythm to the fence. In order for him to become confident enough to slow down in the air, I reduced the angle in my hip when jumping, and kept the hand very light, as so to disturb him as little as possible. He slowly began to increase in confidence, so we built up the questions, and in February started taking him out to UA sj. We kept it quite little, 2'9 max, as he was now jumping like a confused 4 year old, prone to tantrums and changes in rhythm! We continued to school xc at the same height, where he actually found it all much more straight forward. With this in mind, he went to his first hunter trial at Larkhill. We went for the 2'6, bearing in mind that it included some of the BE90 course.
He was green, but fabulous, and went round clear in a steady rhythm.
http://s851.photobucket.com/user/Ka...2_949597821_n_zps477ea3d2.jpg.html?sort=3&o=7
After this I went back to university for a delightful term of long essays, exams and endless hours in the library with Rotters13. I popped back a few times to take him showjumping and to a PC ODE where he flew round a 3' with a glance off at a skinny. His owner also took him to their first ever combined training, where they came 3rd.
With exams finally over, I returned home for a summer of BE90. However, the ballot gods had other ideas, both in BE and PC. I started clicking on BDWP with a sense of dread. We kept show jumping and xc schooling to keep pushing him forwards, and then finally managed to get a run at West Wilts thanks to an offer of dressage stewarding. We trundled off to walk the XC course, only to be met by the sight of a chunky trakehner at 3, 7 strides on a sharp curve right to a double of angled brushes. The only thing Mother could say at this point was how smart the fence judge's car was. I made the very sensible decision to forget that we even had to go XC, insisting that we called it a combined training. On that note, we went to the dressage where he went well, if a little tense, for a mark of 32.5.
![URL]](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2F%5BURL%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fs851.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2FKatieJimmy123%2Fmedia%2F1157425_563591193704895_1176747986_n_zpsbaaf4bb6.jpg.html%5B%2FURL%5D&hash=de6dd8564256c617439d4f6f11da7039)
The showjumping seemed reasonable, and we went in feeling rather positive. Cantered down to the first fence, and Finn did his best 'Oh dear God there's a jump there'.
![URL]](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2F%5BURL%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fs851.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2FKatieJimmy123%2Fmedia%2F1185846_563591843704830_1487900193_n_zps7c457f51.jpg.html%5B%2FURL%5D&hash=583abca4a3e89bae4f3ef8ac4c5842fe)
I then got my act together, and went for my best 'defensive pony clubber' tactics, to clear the rest of the round.
![URL]](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2F%5BURL%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fs851.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2FKatieJimmy123%2Fmedia%2FIMG_2284_zps5e79b5ce.jpg.html%5B%2FURL%5D&hash=7c904caa0b9d633d0e4b5f7bf9cee415)
So a good reminder for me that Finn would never be a reformed character, but he jumped so well round the rest of it considering how little he's actually jumped. Off we went to the XC feeling a little less doomed, and bemused at my mother (a former top eventing groom) putting on his boots upside down and back to front. This, combined with his owner learning the wrong test several weeks later, made us decide that we really were the Hapless team!
In a nutshell, Finn performed fabulously considering his inexperience and history. He had a stop at the second of the angled brushes and the second of the optical illusion tables, plus he skidded into the bottom of a sheep feeder, so I circled as it was a schooling round by this point. He was so genuine over the rest of the challenging course, his mind was just blown by the concept of a combination. Looking back at the photos, I realised I needed to get a little more behind the movement in the combinations to channel him - I watched Paul Tapner in the 4 year old section for inspiration.
![URL]](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2F%5BURL%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fs851.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2FKatieJimmy123%2Fmedia%2FIMG_2299_zpsf172945d.jpg.html%5B%2FURL%5D&hash=667db25d68d50404bcd974a636750a58)
![URL]](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2F%5BURL%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fs851.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2FKatieJimmy123%2Fmedia%2FIMG_2286_zps25df143e.jpg.html%5B%2FURL%5D&hash=4a1089c5a0ae6fab06a5cf28d90bfb57)
Overall a positive day, just more education needed in combinations and I needed to work out how to ensure he 'noticed' the first fence. We entered for the Tweseldown UA 90, as well as Munstead and West Wilts, where we were yet again balloted. In between we took him to WW to SJ, where he produced a fabulous round in the 75 with his owner, a clear in the 90 with me, and we were just about to go round the 1m when Finn turned his head 2 strides off a fence in the warm up to look at someone walking by, took off then and fell over the fence. No damage done, apart from to my dignity, but it made me realise that he was still so green, that he needed some confidence giving rounds as well as challenges. We rerouted to 80 at Tweseldown, which made sense when I walked the course, as the 90 was challenging, as was the 80 in parts, especially the corner.
The dressage was greatly improved for 28.5, but I had one of the most amusing test sheets ever! Several 9s for the good bits, a 3 for one step of walk too many and a 4 for slipping onto the wrong diagonal after a spook. His owner's daughter, who I teach, was greatly amused after all my nagging about accuracy, and the test is now up in the feed room as a reminder! I actually felt that it was a very fair way to mark such a diverse section of horses.
The showjumping was up to height and spooky, which could have caused an issue for Finn, but I decided to try a new tactic of a small circle away from the first fence to get his attention. This worked, and he produced a fab rhythmical clear.
![URL]](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2F%5BURL%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fs851.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2FKatieJimmy123%2Fmedia%2FIMG_2580_zps9398a817.jpg.html%5B%2FURL%5D&hash=ea8f879dee5de0ad7ddd2262b6981762)
![URL]](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2F%5BURL%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fs851.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2FKatieJimmy123%2Fmedia%2FIMG_2599_zpsc5e56da0.jpg.html%5B%2FURL%5D&hash=955c8ae410fd5e9f4ba56b9bb0a2ff4a)
The Xc was a huge improvement from WW in terms of his maturity. I bought him back to trot for the water and corner, to encourage him to 'lock on'. This meant that the time pens dropped us from 1st to 3rd, but for his development I was just thrilled. This didn't stop Rotters13 telling me off though! I did buy the drinks in the pub the next day as a forfeit...
After a few weeks pretending to do any work as a 3rd year, I came back for a final run at 90. Spending the morning as the Arena Party was very enlightening, due to the amount of poles coming down. I then went back to practice my stride related distances, as the course builder was somewhat of a fan! The XC looked quite typical for Larkhill. I felt that the double of skinny brushes at 4 might be tricky, but the corner combination was a little worrying. A picnic table (Any gap in fences causes him to have a gawp), then an open corner. After warming up one of my students for the dressage, where her pony disappointingly decided that he had become a goat, I popped over. Finn was so sensible and soft in the warm up, I almost believed that he had truly grown up. Sadly no, as after carefully navigating the flowers, he felt the A marker was a landmine the MOD hadn't spotted, and decided to run for cover. Having just about stayed on, I went with the tactic of beaming at the judge, as if to suggest it was all part of the plan. I clearly have a future as a beauty queen, as they gave us a 25.5. All credit goes to his owner, who has put so much work into his flatwork.
I felt he might struggle with the showjumping, as it was muddy, and he can panic if he feels unbalanced. I decided to ride in 2 point around the corners, as to disturb him as little as possible, and a very light seat in front of the fences. He jumped brilliantly, only to touch the first part of the double, but I was so chuffed considering the circumstances, and the fact that he only jumped his first ever round in February. To be continued!
As he had learnt to throw the towel in with any height fence, including poles, we decided to ensure that any question posed was one which we could 'win'. So months of canter poles, cross poles and little fences started, all the goal of him cantering in a rhythm to the fence. In order for him to become confident enough to slow down in the air, I reduced the angle in my hip when jumping, and kept the hand very light, as so to disturb him as little as possible. He slowly began to increase in confidence, so we built up the questions, and in February started taking him out to UA sj. We kept it quite little, 2'9 max, as he was now jumping like a confused 4 year old, prone to tantrums and changes in rhythm! We continued to school xc at the same height, where he actually found it all much more straight forward. With this in mind, he went to his first hunter trial at Larkhill. We went for the 2'6, bearing in mind that it included some of the BE90 course.
He was green, but fabulous, and went round clear in a steady rhythm.
http://s851.photobucket.com/user/Ka...2_949597821_n_zps477ea3d2.jpg.html?sort=3&o=7
After this I went back to university for a delightful term of long essays, exams and endless hours in the library with Rotters13. I popped back a few times to take him showjumping and to a PC ODE where he flew round a 3' with a glance off at a skinny. His owner also took him to their first ever combined training, where they came 3rd.
With exams finally over, I returned home for a summer of BE90. However, the ballot gods had other ideas, both in BE and PC. I started clicking on BDWP with a sense of dread. We kept show jumping and xc schooling to keep pushing him forwards, and then finally managed to get a run at West Wilts thanks to an offer of dressage stewarding. We trundled off to walk the XC course, only to be met by the sight of a chunky trakehner at 3, 7 strides on a sharp curve right to a double of angled brushes. The only thing Mother could say at this point was how smart the fence judge's car was. I made the very sensible decision to forget that we even had to go XC, insisting that we called it a combined training. On that note, we went to the dressage where he went well, if a little tense, for a mark of 32.5.
The showjumping seemed reasonable, and we went in feeling rather positive. Cantered down to the first fence, and Finn did his best 'Oh dear God there's a jump there'.
I then got my act together, and went for my best 'defensive pony clubber' tactics, to clear the rest of the round.
So a good reminder for me that Finn would never be a reformed character, but he jumped so well round the rest of it considering how little he's actually jumped. Off we went to the XC feeling a little less doomed, and bemused at my mother (a former top eventing groom) putting on his boots upside down and back to front. This, combined with his owner learning the wrong test several weeks later, made us decide that we really were the Hapless team!
In a nutshell, Finn performed fabulously considering his inexperience and history. He had a stop at the second of the angled brushes and the second of the optical illusion tables, plus he skidded into the bottom of a sheep feeder, so I circled as it was a schooling round by this point. He was so genuine over the rest of the challenging course, his mind was just blown by the concept of a combination. Looking back at the photos, I realised I needed to get a little more behind the movement in the combinations to channel him - I watched Paul Tapner in the 4 year old section for inspiration.
Overall a positive day, just more education needed in combinations and I needed to work out how to ensure he 'noticed' the first fence. We entered for the Tweseldown UA 90, as well as Munstead and West Wilts, where we were yet again balloted. In between we took him to WW to SJ, where he produced a fabulous round in the 75 with his owner, a clear in the 90 with me, and we were just about to go round the 1m when Finn turned his head 2 strides off a fence in the warm up to look at someone walking by, took off then and fell over the fence. No damage done, apart from to my dignity, but it made me realise that he was still so green, that he needed some confidence giving rounds as well as challenges. We rerouted to 80 at Tweseldown, which made sense when I walked the course, as the 90 was challenging, as was the 80 in parts, especially the corner.
The dressage was greatly improved for 28.5, but I had one of the most amusing test sheets ever! Several 9s for the good bits, a 3 for one step of walk too many and a 4 for slipping onto the wrong diagonal after a spook. His owner's daughter, who I teach, was greatly amused after all my nagging about accuracy, and the test is now up in the feed room as a reminder! I actually felt that it was a very fair way to mark such a diverse section of horses.
The showjumping was up to height and spooky, which could have caused an issue for Finn, but I decided to try a new tactic of a small circle away from the first fence to get his attention. This worked, and he produced a fab rhythmical clear.
The Xc was a huge improvement from WW in terms of his maturity. I bought him back to trot for the water and corner, to encourage him to 'lock on'. This meant that the time pens dropped us from 1st to 3rd, but for his development I was just thrilled. This didn't stop Rotters13 telling me off though! I did buy the drinks in the pub the next day as a forfeit...
After a few weeks pretending to do any work as a 3rd year, I came back for a final run at 90. Spending the morning as the Arena Party was very enlightening, due to the amount of poles coming down. I then went back to practice my stride related distances, as the course builder was somewhat of a fan! The XC looked quite typical for Larkhill. I felt that the double of skinny brushes at 4 might be tricky, but the corner combination was a little worrying. A picnic table (Any gap in fences causes him to have a gawp), then an open corner. After warming up one of my students for the dressage, where her pony disappointingly decided that he had become a goat, I popped over. Finn was so sensible and soft in the warm up, I almost believed that he had truly grown up. Sadly no, as after carefully navigating the flowers, he felt the A marker was a landmine the MOD hadn't spotted, and decided to run for cover. Having just about stayed on, I went with the tactic of beaming at the judge, as if to suggest it was all part of the plan. I clearly have a future as a beauty queen, as they gave us a 25.5. All credit goes to his owner, who has put so much work into his flatwork.
I felt he might struggle with the showjumping, as it was muddy, and he can panic if he feels unbalanced. I decided to ride in 2 point around the corners, as to disturb him as little as possible, and a very light seat in front of the fences. He jumped brilliantly, only to touch the first part of the double, but I was so chuffed considering the circumstances, and the fact that he only jumped his first ever round in February. To be continued!
