Chucking a competition away in the collecting ring...

[henryhorn]

It was a long day yesterday so I watched plenty of action in the Sj collecting ring.
I saw literally dozens of people chuck their chances by stupid riding.
The worst example was a girl on a bug chunky dark bay, nice ordinary type of horse, but because of his build, he wouldn't have had excess energy to spare.
She came in, commandeered her Dad as jump putter upper and started working in. Canter canter canter. She went round and round and round.
Then she started jumping. Now it wasn't the bravest of horses and you could see preferred to get close and hop, but at least he then cleared the fence. She wanted him to stand off which he obviously hated, and so it went on. Jump Jump Jump.. after about 20 attempts I started counting, and stopped at 40 plus..
The horse was blowing and obviously knackered. She went in the arena and I didn't bother going to look, as I was so sad for the horse.
Wy do riders do this?
When my husband was competing low level BSJA lots did it then, yet we only ever jumped four or five times and ivariably won or got a placing, those who jump and jump rarely did.
I saw so many people jump 20 plus times yesterday, when really it just wasn't necessary. The preparation gets done at home, and the few jumps you do at a comp are usually to remind the horse what it's about to do.
Of course there are times you need to do more, with a sharp horse or a naughty one they might need reminding what their job is, but for the average rider in Intro which is where most of the over riding took place, it's stupid.
How I longed to say to her she had lost any chance of a place by her riding, but of course I didn't, I just walked away!
If by any chance she is reading this, please give your nice little chunky bay gelding a chance next time, or get him three times fitter than you had done, I bet he slept well last night.
Oh and I do sincerely hope it wasn't your horse that fell on the Xc later on, that would be terrible, but after what I saw, a strong possibility...

 

[saskia295]

Oh no HH that is so sad, but unfortunately, all too common.

Why oh why do people feel the need the canter and jump until their poor horse is utterly knackered

it confuddles me.

I think places should have a warm up steward to kick people out if they believe the horse is being mistreated (in any way).

I know some horses need more working in than others but if it is clear to see that a horse is being over worked to 'warm up', they should be sent out, or at least fined or penalised (not being allowed to continue XC for eg).

Stupid idiots!

 

[I_A_P]

It is a sight you see a lot - and not only that but people who hog the practise fence so its hard to just do what you want to do.

I hate warming up for he show jumping phase and normally pop 4/5 fences depening on how he is feeling. All i did the last few times i have been out is make sure he is foward into the fence and awake but at the same time if he trys to pull or not listen to me circle him away. I always try and leave it on the best note posible although he never goes fantastically well in the warm up anyway.
It is really stupid to go around and around and around as you are nto really helping yourself or the horse.....

 

[jules89]

so agreed, i HATE seeing this happn. I personally lose it slightly in the warm up ring, and prefer to be in the ring in a rhythm etc, but i never do more than 5 jumps, ever. i hope this person realises what theyve done

 

[stencilface]

I am totally the opposite as if the horse is going well and we've had no probs I will literally jump a cross, and upright, the upright again up to height (only doing up to 1.05m at the mo). Then the spread with cross pole in front, then oxer, then oxer up to height if needed. Then I just pop over an upright just before I go in.

I will do more if we have issues, but only enough to get him over the fence in a nice fashion once or twice. BSJA there's not enough room lots of the time to do lots of warming up, and my horse doesn't like being crowded. And at an ODE, don't need to warm up lots as the horse has already done that for the dressage!

I really don't get it when people over jump in the practise ring, as you siad should do your practise at home. Especially annoys me when their helpers start messing around with the fences doing placing poles etc, which aren't allowed but people do them anyway! grr!

I seem to do especially well when I am late, only have time for 2 fences and go in, and have to look round the course as I am riding round

 

[Law]

[ QUOTE ]
Jump Jump Jump.. after about 20 attempts I started counting, and stopped at 40 plus..
The horse was blowing and obviously knackered. She went in the arena and I didn't bother going to look, as I was so sad for the horse.
Wy do riders do this?
When my husband was competing low level BSJA lots did it then, yet we only ever jumped four or five times and ivariably won or got a placing, those who jump and jump rarely did.
I saw so many people jump 20 plus times yesterday, when really it just wasn't necessary. The preparation gets done at home, and the few jumps you do at a comp are usually to remind the horse what it's about to do.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's ridiculous.

I was jumping a couple of weeks ago and I watched a similar example only it was the same girl demolishing the jump every time rather than merely jumping it repeatedly. I think she must have spent a good hour just demolishing it. Poor horse was taking it down every single time she went to jump. ears back, poor shape and looking generally miserable. And all she did was keep going at it the same way again and again and again. I've got the opposite problem and am much more likely to go into the ring having not jumped the practice fence at all as he knows what he's there for when he sees a SJ course! (I'm only doing 2ft6 so not too much to ask) More often than not the practice fence is a good foot higher than the class and it scares the life out of me so I'd rather go in without jumping!

 

[moodymare1987]

I am the opposite, I will jump about 3 times if that and then go straight in. I work in a little on the flat but not over many jumps. My horse is better when hes fresh, he gets lazy if you do to much with him.

 

[Heidi1]

I recently went to a local venue for Trailblazers SJ and one particular person really got on my nerves, she was constantly jumping the practise fence, the poor horse had no let up. Why do people do this, I tend to pop the fence 5 or 6 times and then go in. As for ODE you have done your warm up for the dressage and then performed a dressage test, why do you need to warm up again so much, a wuick walk trot canter, pop the fence and go in..... Well that works for me, perhaps others are different..........

 

[TarrSteps]

I think in most cases it's nerves - it's the rider who needs to jump not the horse. They don't feel confident so they keep going, trying to get it "perfect" but instead it keeps getting worse because everyone's tired and frazzled. Sometimes it ends in a stop or a bunch of rails and then they're really sunk.

The place to do your homework is at home. If a rider doesn't feel like he/she's jumping enough to feel confident before they go then there has to be a change in routine, both at home and at the show. If it can be managed having a coach there to help with the warm up a few times can be a big help, to sort out exactly what the horse needs to do to be at its best but for some reason some people seem reluctant to ask this, perhaps because they think being stressed and lacking certainty is a "natural state" when showing.

 

[Cruiseonamiro]

For sj, I warm up as if for a dressage test. Then I do work on lengthening and collecting his canter, and making it more sj than poncy dressage! Then we jump a x pole twice, a small upright, a big upright, and a medium parallel, and go in. For xc I gallop round a bit, jump the fence twice and go straight away before I change my mind!

 

[sachak]

when i get to a show and get on its a warm up and a chance for my ned to see surrounings thats it no schooling little jumping and then go in. i want my horse to be listening to me and me to know exactly where im going and what im doing

xx

 

[KimYoung]

Over the winter we went to a local venue to introduce baby to SJ (2'3 and 2'6). On our 2nd/3rd trip we got there to find that the outdoor arena (warm up area) was covered in ice and solid as concrete! I didn't even trot it was that hard.

They also have a very small covered area, so we went for trot and canter in there and got in a quick entry for the clear round to use as a warm up!! Thinking we could pop over the first couple of fences and leave it there.

She was super, not as spooky as previously and really forward going , so we jumped the whole clear round and deided to leave the 2'6

We left the area after our "warm up" to find riders cantering hard round and round, it really made me wince. Even after the first class and the ground had cut up a bit I thought it was too much to canter in there, so we trotted into a cross pole twice to warm up then went for the 2'3.

 

[icestationzebra]

Mmmm - whenever I SJ whether it is at an event or just SJ I hardly do anything at all -walk trot canter on each rein, a cross pole twice, an upright twice and perhaps an oxer 2 or 3 times and that is it. I did at one point wonder if Iwas doing enough but experience has taught me that I preserve my horse for the ring by not over doing it - especially if you are expecting them to go XC afterwards..... I wish these people would discuss their warm up programmes with their instructors...

 

[CrazyMare]

I hate seeing that. Although mine needs lots of working in, up to an hour, its more of the wander round and look, then do some walk work, trot work, back to walk etc When we get to jumping we probably jump 5 or 6 times, depending on how she is.

 

[L00bey]

I HAVE to warm up Ellie for jumping for a minimun of 30mins or she will just stop in the ring. I have to pop a cross about 5 times then an upright 5 times then an up to height spread 5 times. I have tried many a time to not over do it with her but she needs needs needs to be jumped repeatdly before I go in the ring. Although I don't knacker her she is very fit and she gets plenty of breathers. Anybody who disagrees with me is more than welcome to test out my theory

But the girl at the comp HH disgraceful...