Blue Chip Report- Day 1 (pic and vid)

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

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Sorry also in CR :)
Today was very eventful. Pony still has 'yipppeeee I'm a race horse' head on so the warm up was very interesting. Lots of bucking, bunny hopping and just going very fast. (all done out of enjoyment though)

I was freaking out about the jumps. Having not competed at 1m before with him and only our second competition I was nervous anyway then I see the size of the fences! They were built very large and I think some in the jump off were nearing 1.10m :eek:

I was hoping to get out to a few BS shows before BC but never got around to it due to personal circumstances so felt I was thrown in the deep end today.

So a bad warm up + tense rider= bad right?

Well no not really, as soon as we got in the arena he just chilled out completely to my surprise. We still had 8 faults (totally my fault) I think I was bit sharp with my hands but he was really careering off at some points in the course so he needed a bit of a 'oi you bugger listen to me' moment.

So despite awful facial expression a nice piccie:
jump-2.png

(I have permission to post)

And the video:
[youtube]8DL3DC6fCP8[/youtube]

CC as always please (but please be nice as I know I didn't ride very well today)

The question is I'm booked in for a class on Saturday, do I go and try and improve today or is it a bad idea because of the naughty pony in warm up?
 
I'd go for it- the excitement in the collecting ring is only going to get even more hyped if you make competing more of a rarity. We had a 14.2hh mare who'd turn herself inside out in the collecting ring- once, Al had to just walk on a loose rein, pop a cross pole and go into a 1.10m because Ellie kept broncking and fly kicking. Just kept going out with her, and she gave in after a while- such an effort for them to keep that up if they have to do it every weekend!
 
I think you should go for it he had no problems with those jumps. You just need to sit on your bum a bit more and not pull then drop your hands. But other than that i think it went well and those jumps were well built.
Well Done!!!:D
 
Gosh i'm surprised. I thought it was only a month or so ago when everyone was saying not to compete him till he got fitter? Personally he still looks a bit weak behind and i'd want to work on that more before rushing out to compete. His canter could do with being a bit rounder as in the vid he was just going flat and got deep so took the poles down.
 
Thank you :) Will probably go for it but a bit worried after his shannigans today. Hopefully my RI will be able to come on Sat which will help a lot.

I need to remember to sit on my bum, I only do it at shows but having lots of lunge lessons to try and fix the problem.

I forgot to add my aim today was to not take any flyers at the fences and go with him more, so we went the opposite today and I buried him into them. Luckily he's a genuine boy and tried to get over them.

Jojo- He is fine weight wise. In fact he's being taken off his build up food and put on something which won't wind him up so much as he isn't using it for weight.
 
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Wow those jumps look huge and it looks like he was so keen that he gave you a bit of a tricky ride. You can see that he was knocking poles because his ears in up your nose but it must be very hard.... Do you hook him back less and let him go at his speed and scare the bejesus out if you or do you continue to insist that he stays at your speed and have him not really look at the fences??? I couldn't start to help you with that one! But I think you should definitely give the next class a go but just lots and lots of chill axing in the warm up beforehand! Really really good luck and let us know how you get on
 
Of course will let you know how we do :)

When I let him go at his speed he will gallop at them and will take off a stride out normally knocking poles. I think for safety reasons I need to slow him down a bit but he just isn't having any of it. We're getting there with a martingale though he just about excepts it now which will help (hopefully) :p
 
Kokopelli said:
Thank you :) Will probably go for it but a bit worried after his shannigans today. Hopefully my RI will be able to come on Sat which will help a lot.

I need to remember to sit on my bum, I only do it at shows but having lots of lunge lessons to try and fix the problem.

I forgot to add my aim today was to not take any flyers at the fences and go with him more, so we went the opposite today and I buried him into them. Luckily he's a genuine boy and tried to get over them.

Jojo- He is fine weight wise. In fact he's being taken off his build up food and put on something which won't wind him up so much as he isn't using it for weight.
Click to expand...

You should, he really looks like hes enjoing it the more he does it the more he'll settle.

Little tip my old jumping horse was a great horse used to jump foxhunters but was a nutter in the practice ring, i used to warm up when the others were walking the course warm up ring relativley quiet, then watch others to learn the course and the used to go about 5th or 6th it did really help not get him so wound up. Do you have to get there quite early? Could you put him out for an hour in the morning before you leave, chill him out a little?
 
Would be a good idea but we're given a drawn order. I don't think it was the other horses winding him up we eventually worked out there was something in the bottom right corner (invisible to everything else) that was going to eat him so he only acted up either going away or going towards this spot.

If anything I think the other horses calmed him down a bit as luckily everyone was very polite in the collecting rind, or they were trying to avoid us. :p
If I'm near the beginning of the class will give it a try. I'm not bad at learning the courses. :)
 
Wow he makes it look so easy! The only cc from me would be to try to get him sitting on his hocks a bit more between fences but I guess you already knew that. He certaintly looks like he is enjoying himself so yes I would go on saturday the more practice you have of riding him in a warm up arena the better you will become and if you can get him going nicely somewhere as busy as that you should be fine most other places.
 
I do need to work on the hock thing a bit more. When I compete all my thinking like that goes out the window, need to work on getting my head straight. :p
Will keep you updated on Sat :)
 
you will probably find once your head is straight andy will be much better too. Funny that you say you dont think properly I think about it all so much better when I'm show jumping and become much more determined :rolleyes: but when I do dressage it all goes a bit wrong and then pony runs on his nerves and rushes :(. Good luck on saturday tho will be keeping my fingers crossed :D
 
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