Queenbee
Well-Known Member
Hi all, just a quick Ben update...
We haven't made it out and about for a while as I've been so busy, dear little beastie, has done nothing for about a month, last month we were going to go showjumping but at the last minute our transport fell through so I had to cancel. Anyhow, on Thursday I decided that I'd take him to a local sj competition, so having not ridden for a month, tacked the beast up and took him in the school for a quick jump yesterday followed by a walk off hack afterwards.
Other than flora show where we jumped a micro (think pole on the ground) clear round and a 2ft course and had four faults at the begining of the season and our first xc a few months back (at the same venue we attended today) we've done no other jumping competitions. Today we went out and competed without any calmer, and it was our first time ever in an indoor arena. He was such a dude, he has utterly blown me away, he chilled out by the lorry with his haynet and let me go and get a much needed cup of tea, he felt alert but not at all explosive, he warmed up well with the other horses in the arena... For me that is the biggest achievement of all. We decided to do the micro 15 inches and the 2ft, I wanted to do the micro for him to be able to relax and learn such a new environment.
In the micro, there was the option of doing a mini puissance type wall, you could jump it but if they refused you weren't penalised. He was a bit eyes on stalks walking into the arena, but once he knew what we were there to do and was over the first jump he was superb, and I though what the heck, let's give the wall ago, plus it wasn't optional in the second class now was the time to have a refusal, but he didnt he cantered forward and sprung it (I think he wanted me to touch the roof!) it was a ten jump course with a double, and he only flipping went clear, infact there were about 12 in the class and all made it through to the jump off... Drrrrrruuuuuum roll...
We got a gorgeous rosette, a medal and Ben got some extra strong mints!!!! I must admit, I did mean to just amble around the jump off and not attack it, but I got overcome with my devil horns and before I knew it we were doing steady but tight turns and flying the course and he LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!
Course two and we took everything again, same course but just higher, cat leaping the wall again! But he was stronger and even more eager and rhythm was an issue, I had to check him for speed and we got in too deep to three jumps and consequently 12 faults because of this so some more manners schooling needed at home before we go out on the second of September and do it again.
So proud of him though, first time indoors, no calmer, 10 scary new jumps and he was so brave, so powerful and so completely in his element. Photos haven't been uploaded to Facebook yet but I will post a couple when that's done...
Cheers for reading
We haven't made it out and about for a while as I've been so busy, dear little beastie, has done nothing for about a month, last month we were going to go showjumping but at the last minute our transport fell through so I had to cancel. Anyhow, on Thursday I decided that I'd take him to a local sj competition, so having not ridden for a month, tacked the beast up and took him in the school for a quick jump yesterday followed by a walk off hack afterwards.
Other than flora show where we jumped a micro (think pole on the ground) clear round and a 2ft course and had four faults at the begining of the season and our first xc a few months back (at the same venue we attended today) we've done no other jumping competitions. Today we went out and competed without any calmer, and it was our first time ever in an indoor arena. He was such a dude, he has utterly blown me away, he chilled out by the lorry with his haynet and let me go and get a much needed cup of tea, he felt alert but not at all explosive, he warmed up well with the other horses in the arena... For me that is the biggest achievement of all. We decided to do the micro 15 inches and the 2ft, I wanted to do the micro for him to be able to relax and learn such a new environment.
In the micro, there was the option of doing a mini puissance type wall, you could jump it but if they refused you weren't penalised. He was a bit eyes on stalks walking into the arena, but once he knew what we were there to do and was over the first jump he was superb, and I though what the heck, let's give the wall ago, plus it wasn't optional in the second class now was the time to have a refusal, but he didnt he cantered forward and sprung it (I think he wanted me to touch the roof!) it was a ten jump course with a double, and he only flipping went clear, infact there were about 12 in the class and all made it through to the jump off... Drrrrrruuuuuum roll...
We got a gorgeous rosette, a medal and Ben got some extra strong mints!!!! I must admit, I did mean to just amble around the jump off and not attack it, but I got overcome with my devil horns and before I knew it we were doing steady but tight turns and flying the course and he LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!
Course two and we took everything again, same course but just higher, cat leaping the wall again! But he was stronger and even more eager and rhythm was an issue, I had to check him for speed and we got in too deep to three jumps and consequently 12 faults because of this so some more manners schooling needed at home before we go out on the second of September and do it again.
So proud of him though, first time indoors, no calmer, 10 scary new jumps and he was so brave, so powerful and so completely in his element. Photos haven't been uploaded to Facebook yet but I will post a couple when that's done...
Cheers for reading
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