GinaGeo
Well-Known Member
Hello all!
Tentative first Training report. I'm a serial lurker raising my head above ground, donning my big girl pants and attempting to put something back in to the forum.
I love reading all of the reports from people competing at levels I can only dream of, but you've prompted me to join BD and hopefully when we're both ready we'll get out and do some BE - something I always thought was totally way out of my league. So Thank-you HHO, you've got me inspired!
Meet So pony; my Autumn project from 2011, he was supposed to be a little project for me and a hack about for mum. But I fell in love with him and his wonderful attitude and he's not going anywhere - he's too much of a dude and I don't want to share him - he's my pocket rocket He's very good and has put up with me from day one of his education, which says a lot about his attitude! He's now rising five (I'm sorry if that irritates people, but as he's not actually five until mid-July, I will say it anyway )
Anyway enough introductions, they're a bit dull aren't they! So pony has been Dressage divaing quite successfully (Qualified for regionals at Prelim ), although seen as his mother can't be bothered to cover him in matchy matchy or buy him copious amounts of bling he's decided on a change of career. As she also doesn't let him wear lots of unnecessary gadgets or have his name on the back of her jackets BS was out as well. Can you see how hard done by the poor lad is!
Today, despite facing the revolting thoughts of getting ones white socks dirty we went Water Schooling. My local Riding Club organises water training clinics with Mark Cavall at Osberton Estate. I haven't been since my PC Days and that was with my pole-bashing, fearless, XC machine Connemara. I was slightly dubious, Solo hates getting his feet wet, but he does trust me and will generally do as I ask.
Before the water training could even begin we had to get over a stream. His hacking buddy was with us and he very bravely went first. So pony was not convinced that his friend wasn't going to die, so he stayed where he was and ignored his flappy mother who was telling him all sorts of reassuring things - obviously she was lying, so he remained determinedly where he was. It wasn't until his happy hacking mother jumped it first for him (Lolo's mother style - see HHO is useful!) that he shut his eyes and lept. We played over that for a little while and eventually he decided it wasn't so bad, he still hadn't got his feet wet though.
We sent hacking buddy into the river first and practically climbed in the saddle with hacking buddy's mother (That was after he'd tried scaling the bank to keep his precious white socks clean). But he went in, discovered splish splashing was rather good fun and took great delight in soaking us all through.
We had a play through with some simple cross poles, working on our approach and their "rideability" into a fence. He can get a little heavy in front sometimes, it's his default when he's nervous, but Mark kept me working on keeping him light into the hand but remaining forward off the leg. He was very good about it all and gradually the jump in, was straight into the water followed by a little skinny. All quite big questions for my little lad. He's only been XC schooling twice, and some of the jumps, unfortunately not pictured were quite big and solid.
We did have one whoopsy moment though. The first time the cross was dropping into the water. So jumped that big in that it unseated me, then decided the brush out was scary, and put an equally big jump in over that. I wound up without any stirrups hanging round his neck. He was very pleased with himself for being so very brave and was busy congratulating himself with a series of bounces and head wiggles. It was his equine equivalent of punching the air and whooping. Luckily, we didn't part contact - it's a good job really, I was too busy laughing at him to do much about picking myself up
I hoiked my stirrups up a further three holes after that - Thank You HHO! - Really made a difference, I felt much more secure!
He's not seen too many skinnies, but he was very good. He's starting to look for his next jump now, without me having to hold his hand all the way in which is lovely. He's very different to my other horse, who's probably too bold and locks onto a fence from about a mile away! Waiting for the fence to get to us, as opposed to fighting all the way is rather nice
We were doing a mini course over a sizeable (for us!) log and rail. But I shouldn't have doubted him, he was ace! Mum didn't get these on camera though as we were too far away.
TBC!
Tentative first Training report. I'm a serial lurker raising my head above ground, donning my big girl pants and attempting to put something back in to the forum.
I love reading all of the reports from people competing at levels I can only dream of, but you've prompted me to join BD and hopefully when we're both ready we'll get out and do some BE - something I always thought was totally way out of my league. So Thank-you HHO, you've got me inspired!Meet So pony; my Autumn project from 2011, he was supposed to be a little project for me and a hack about for mum. But I fell in love with him and his wonderful attitude and he's not going anywhere - he's too much of a dude and I don't want to share him - he's my pocket rocket
He's very good and has put up with me from day one of his education, which says a lot about his attitude! He's now rising five (I'm sorry if that irritates people, but as he's not actually five until mid-July, I will say it anyway )Anyway enough introductions, they're a bit dull aren't they! So pony has been Dressage divaing quite successfully (Qualified for regionals at Prelim
), although seen as his mother can't be bothered to cover him in matchy matchy or buy him copious amounts of bling he's decided on a change of career. As she also doesn't let him wear lots of unnecessary gadgets or have his name on the back of her jackets BS was out as well. Can you see how hard done by the poor lad is! 
Today, despite facing the revolting thoughts of getting ones white socks dirty we went Water Schooling. My local Riding Club organises water training clinics with Mark Cavall at Osberton Estate. I haven't been since my PC Days and that was with my pole-bashing, fearless, XC machine Connemara. I was slightly dubious, Solo hates getting his feet wet, but he does trust me and will generally do as I ask.
Before the water training could even begin we had to get over a stream. His hacking buddy was with us and he very bravely went first. So pony was not convinced that his friend wasn't going to die, so he stayed where he was and ignored his flappy mother who was telling him all sorts of reassuring things - obviously she was lying, so he remained determinedly where he was. It wasn't until his happy hacking mother jumped it first for him (Lolo's mother style - see HHO is useful!) that he shut his eyes and lept. We played over that for a little while and eventually he decided it wasn't so bad, he still hadn't got his feet wet though.
We sent hacking buddy into the river first and practically climbed in the saddle with hacking buddy's mother (That was after he'd tried scaling the bank to keep his precious white socks clean). But he went in, discovered splish splashing was rather good fun and took great delight in soaking us all through.
We had a play through with some simple cross poles, working on our approach and their "rideability" into a fence. He can get a little heavy in front sometimes, it's his default when he's nervous, but Mark kept me working on keeping him light into the hand but remaining forward off the leg. He was very good about it all and gradually the jump in, was straight into the water followed by a little skinny. All quite big questions for my little lad. He's only been XC schooling twice, and some of the jumps, unfortunately not pictured were quite big and solid.
We did have one whoopsy moment though. The first time the cross was dropping into the water. So jumped that big in that it unseated me, then decided the brush out was scary, and put an equally big jump in over that. I wound up without any stirrups hanging round his neck. He was very pleased with himself for being so very brave and was busy congratulating himself with a series of bounces and head wiggles. It was his equine equivalent of punching the air and whooping. Luckily, we didn't part contact - it's a good job really, I was too busy laughing at him to do much about picking myself up
I hoiked my stirrups up a further three holes after that - Thank You HHO! - Really made a difference, I felt much more secure!
He's not seen too many skinnies, but he was very good. He's starting to look for his next jump now, without me having to hold his hand all the way in which is lovely. He's very different to my other horse, who's probably too bold and locks onto a fence from about a mile away! Waiting for the fence to get to us, as opposed to fighting all the way is rather nice
We were doing a mini course over a sizeable (for us!) log and rail. But I shouldn't have doubted him, he was ace! Mum didn't get these on camera though as we were too far away.
TBC!
