Ambers Echo
Still wittering on
So my first experience of affiliated showjumping at Weston Lawns. Can't say I really enjoyed it much!
I have never seen a warm up ring in so much chaos. There were horses rearing, bucking, broncing, shooting backwards, tanking off etc. And it was so, so busy. I have competed at Eland and they limit it to 8 horses in at a time but here it was a complete free for all. Plus there seemed to be no rules or even common sense about what to do. One man was jumping his horse over a 1.20m oxer though we were warming up for the 80cm class!!
Whether this is normal or whether it was particularly bad because it was an early season show and the winter has sent horses loopy, I don't know. Plus there were LOTS of very young horses in that lower class - I guess they are being produced to sell?
On the first day I witnessed 3 serious accidents in the warm up ring - 2 people broke legs, 1 broke an arm. A horse came cantering past me and fly-bucked towards me missing my knee by what seemed like inches. It was AWFUL.
Last summer I went to a Buck Brannaman clinic and one thing he said which resonated was "You English are crazy. You ride horses you have NO control over and think it's ok because normally they let you!"
I have thought about that a lot since then - all those pre-hack conversations about who needs to be in front/ behind and what pace we can go without triggering a stampede etc. But it rang particularly true at Weston Lawns.
Amber was stressed and tense in the warm up ring but to be fair to her she was actually really good - just a bit hard to steer/direct as she was so distracted.
I was too late to declare for the clear round (you had to declare early which I had not realised) so I went into the Open 80. She jumped clear to fence 9 then had a pole at 10 & 11. So 8 faults. She was napping away from fence 10 as you went past the collecting ring but it was a fairly half-hearted nap, just meant she was not focused on the fence till she was right on top of it.
Day 2 the warm up ring was just as bad and I did very little in there as it genuinely felt unsafe to be in there. Then jumped the 80 CR and the 80 open.
Amber was much more nappy today - there were 2 doubles and she tried to duck out back towards the collecting ring in the middle of both of them. CR was 4 faults for the stop in the middle of the first double but otherwise clear. Then the 2nd class she ducked sideways before both doubles and we were eliminated for 2 stops.
Oh well a very steep learning curve! I guess the warm up ring was good experience for her. And I have learnt she has a tendency to nap so something to work on there. The actual jumping was okayish. She was distracted and quite difficult to ride but she was brave as ever and took on our biggest course so far with enthusiasm. A few more outings and I hope we can start getting her a little more focused on me. She is really good in clinics and at home now. But a fair way to go in a busy show environment to get her brain in gear.
Onwards, but not yet upwards!
I have never seen a warm up ring in so much chaos. There were horses rearing, bucking, broncing, shooting backwards, tanking off etc. And it was so, so busy. I have competed at Eland and they limit it to 8 horses in at a time but here it was a complete free for all. Plus there seemed to be no rules or even common sense about what to do. One man was jumping his horse over a 1.20m oxer though we were warming up for the 80cm class!!
Whether this is normal or whether it was particularly bad because it was an early season show and the winter has sent horses loopy, I don't know. Plus there were LOTS of very young horses in that lower class - I guess they are being produced to sell?
On the first day I witnessed 3 serious accidents in the warm up ring - 2 people broke legs, 1 broke an arm. A horse came cantering past me and fly-bucked towards me missing my knee by what seemed like inches. It was AWFUL.
Last summer I went to a Buck Brannaman clinic and one thing he said which resonated was "You English are crazy. You ride horses you have NO control over and think it's ok because normally they let you!"
I have thought about that a lot since then - all those pre-hack conversations about who needs to be in front/ behind and what pace we can go without triggering a stampede etc. But it rang particularly true at Weston Lawns.
Amber was stressed and tense in the warm up ring but to be fair to her she was actually really good - just a bit hard to steer/direct as she was so distracted.
I was too late to declare for the clear round (you had to declare early which I had not realised) so I went into the Open 80. She jumped clear to fence 9 then had a pole at 10 & 11. So 8 faults. She was napping away from fence 10 as you went past the collecting ring but it was a fairly half-hearted nap, just meant she was not focused on the fence till she was right on top of it.
Day 2 the warm up ring was just as bad and I did very little in there as it genuinely felt unsafe to be in there. Then jumped the 80 CR and the 80 open.
Amber was much more nappy today - there were 2 doubles and she tried to duck out back towards the collecting ring in the middle of both of them. CR was 4 faults for the stop in the middle of the first double but otherwise clear. Then the 2nd class she ducked sideways before both doubles and we were eliminated for 2 stops.
Oh well a very steep learning curve! I guess the warm up ring was good experience for her. And I have learnt she has a tendency to nap so something to work on there. The actual jumping was okayish. She was distracted and quite difficult to ride but she was brave as ever and took on our biggest course so far with enthusiasm. A few more outings and I hope we can start getting her a little more focused on me. She is really good in clinics and at home now. But a fair way to go in a busy show environment to get her brain in gear.
Onwards, but not yet upwards!
and she'll learn to stay more focussed with practice. nice pictures too 
