Chuffed to bits, but slightly disappointed...

[Rambo]

We went to Duckhurst today for some BSJA...Am Second Rounds to be precise.

Trike jumped the 90cms, and once again jumped his heart out for me

In a field of 35 or so, with 19 in the JO, he finished 13th with yet another Double Clear. He couldn't keep pace with the speed merchants there and missed qualification for the National Finals by just 3 places

Here's some video of him jumping :-

http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/ki...st_2007-11-.flv


Bo was supposed to be contesting the 1.10m Second Round but as we have had some issues of late it was touch and go whether we would or not. As it happenned we ran out of time to jump the 1.10m, but on the basis of what happenned in the 1.05m i don't think we would have bothered anyway

He warmed up okay but was clearly wary of the oxer. The first fence was a straghtforward fence...albeit an oxer...and he came to it, and a stride out took one look and slammed the brakes on...then cat leapt it taking most of it with him. The rest of the round was a battle to get him jumping...and he did get round the rest of it clear...but clearly something has happenned to shatter his confidence again

More video here :-

http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/ki...st_2007-11-.flv

I'm struggling to understand what is going on with him just now. He has so much talent, but so little brain sometimes

Thanks for reading

 

[dieseldog]

You've linked the same video twice.

yay for Trike and

for Bo.

 

[HayleyUK]

What a shame about Bo

He looks lovely, Can I run away with him?

He definatly doesn't look too chuffed with that fence does he!!

 

[Rambo]

[ QUOTE ]
You've linked the same video twice.

yay for Trike and

for Bo.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ooops

Try again:-

Trike
http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/ki...und_Duckhur.flv

Bo
http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d53/ki...st_2007-11-.flv

 

[Rambo]

[ QUOTE ]
What a shame about Bo

He looks lovely, Can I run away with him?

He definatly doesn't look too chuffed with that fence does he!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Run away with !?

I'll bl**dy deliver 'im

 

[HayleyUK]

You ride really nicely..
*jealous*

Send him my way!!
I've a lovely pink treat ball I think he'd love

 

[seabiscuit]

Bo's not been right - he looks sticky for that whole round and is tail swishing rather crossly. any point in him having a vet check or even better an MRI scan if he is insured? An event horse I knew became reluctant to jump like Bo- appeared ok from the outset and in a thorough vet check nothing came up- but they decided to MRI scan him anyway and that did show a significant injury there.

Trike however really has gone from strength to strength !! Clever pony!

 

[Saf]

Well done for Trike, he looks like he has more engine than the last time I saw him

shame about Bo at the first, it did got more flowing as it went on

Must go to Duckhurst one day does not look as small as I remembered

 

[Ferdinase514]

I agree with CD - i dont really know Bo, but looking at the Video, he does look rather unhappy and my immediate thought was he looked uncomfortable.

Well done though

 

[siennamum]

oh dear

hope Bo is ok. but what a good little boy Trike is

You need to go to less popular shows.

 

[PaddyMonty]

Nice round on trike. Have to agree, Bo just doesn't look comfortable

 

[Rambo]

Thanks for all your advice.

What I would say is that the tail swishing and general demeanour of Bo's round is probably as much to do with fact that I was getting after him most of the way round. I don't normally carry a stick but went in armed this time...something he doesn't overly like...especially when it gets used

I will be getting the vet out to give him the once over and also to take some bloods...but a bigger part of me doubts his appetite for the job

This is something that seems to go in cycles with him.....builds up and up and up then comes crashing down again...

 

[Ferdinase514]

Oh no

It would perhaps be better if it was something physical (and hopefully minor).

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

God i panicked and thought that the 90cm looked a bit big !! thank god it was the 1.05 in your first post !!

he did look like he paniced over the first fence - has anything happened to make him do this (sorry i dont know) but well ridden for the rest of the course !!

and the other one is going very well x

 

[Rambo]

[ QUOTE ]
he did look like he paniced over the first fence - has anything happened to make him do this (sorry i dont know) but well ridden for the rest of the course !!

[/ QUOTE ]

I've racked my brains and honestly can't think of anything. He did have a couple of scares early in the summer at oxers, but I honestly believe they're long in the past

Only other thing I can think is that he had his booster jabs about 2 weeks ago...I wonder if he's picked something up after that

 

[Tempi]

Shame about Bo

Well done for Trike tho, hes doing so well now!

 

[flyingfeet]

My only thought was regarding the bit - he objected like anything when you took a pull after the first.

Is he in a single joint?

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
he did look like he paniced over the first fence - has anything happened to make him do this (sorry i dont know) but well ridden for the rest of the course !!

[/ QUOTE ]

I've racked my brains and honestly can't think of anything. He did have a couple of scares early in the summer at oxers, but I honestly believe they're long in the past

Only other thing I can think is that he had his booster jabs about 2 weeks ago...I wonder if he's picked something up after that

[/ QUOTE ]

do you have the same problem at home with oxers or is it just out ?? he could be feeling a bit down at the moment and just need a break - how old is he ?? x

 

[Rambo]

[ QUOTE ]
My only thought was regarding the bit - he objected like anything when you took a pull after the first.

Is he in a single joint?

[/ QUOTE ]

He's in a single jointed copper roller at present. The bit is something I have been thinking about changing for a while now but I don't think it is the underlying problem here. Most of his reaction after the first fence was a result of me getting after him. He also probably took a slight jab in the mouth because of the way he cat leapt the fence. I dropped the contact as best I could, but then it was a case of grabbing handfuls of rein quickly before he charged down the arena and jumped out

 

[juliehannah58]

Trikey looks fabby, bless his heart

Bo, what can I say about Bo?

He's so hot and cold with you, perhaps get him checked over just to rule it out but a pattern is developing here I'm inclined to think it's just his way.

 

[Rambo]

He will stop at home occasionally if he is not happy. A couple of weeks ago he stopped in a grid because he didn't quite make up enough ground to the oxer. He then jumped it a couple of times well on a good stride. He was also happily jumping a 1.20m oxer on it's own last week. He rarely stops at an upright though tbh.

He's only 9 at the moment and had a long break at the end of the summer because he wasn't going well in the wet. He's only been to 5 shows since August bank holiday weekend...so little more than one a month

To be fair, he's had so much time off in the past two and a half years due to his injuries, my injuries; and the ground, he's more like a 7yo than a 9yo in terms of mileage

 

[little_flea]

You ride really well and the horse jumps well too. I don't know you or the horse so I hope you don't think I am speaking out of turn, but watching the video he reminds me a bit of a horse I used to jump - perhaps not all that brave when he is not on a perfect stride. Apart from the first fence, you position him really well throughout - and maybe that is exactly why he became really baffled on the first fence - because you weren't there to put him in the right position. Perhaps he needs to not rely too much on you, and needs to be able to help out himself - from my experience with my horse, your horse might gain confidence by learning to resolve situations himself, without you helping him too much...

Am I right in thinking he is generally better on uprights and dislikes wide spreads?

 

[franki]

It's always difficult to post vidoes and ask for opinions, I'd like to give mine but it may be totally off the mark. I looked at both your videos and see something similar in both. It could be just those videos but both horses don't look happy in the contact you're giving them. I know you were very happy with the first horse in the 90 cm class but I think he looks unhappy in his mouth, and seems to be pulling the contact and twisting to get more rein - is that fair? The same appears to be with the second horse - who has a super jump BTW. He looks like he wants to go on more and away from the bridle.
Anyway just an observation and only based on those 2 vids. Do you have any working on the flat?

 

[Rambo]

Thank you for the compliments on the riding andall opinions are welcome

You are spot on in what you say....he doesn't like anything but a perfect stride and I have been picked up by my eventer instructor on the fact that I often do too much for him

In my defence though, my stride to the first was spot on also....until he backed off. You can't really see from the video what I felt beneath me

You're also spot on about jumping uprights ! He'll jump the top of the wings over an upright...but is much more cautious over an oxer.

I guess the whole 'oxer thing' started about eighteen months ago now...when he turned a somersault in the warm-up over one. It turned out he was suffering from a virus then....but I had thought that episode had long since been consigned to history

 

[Rambo]

Hi Franki

Thanks for your comments. As I sai before all are welcome. I see you are a fairly new member and as such may not be entirely aware of the history of the horse in the 90cms class ? Suffice to say he has some very major biomechanical failings which will prevent him ever achieving even 10% of his potential. He has the heart of a lion though and is a real trier

Believe it or not I have virtually no contact on Trike. He would benefit from a flash or perhaps even a grackle but the underlying problems will always prevent him from being able to work normally on the flat

I should also point out that he does what he does with us with the full approval of multiple vets and is doing what he does because he quite simply loves to jump. He was closer than anyone probably realises to being destroyed 2 years ago, and could barely canter a circuit of the school when he came to us...so hopefully you will understand what I mean when I say I was 'happy' with his performance

Bo on the other hand is a horse who we expect a whole lot more from as he has jumped successfully in 1.30m classes in the past.

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

practise makes perfect !!! ill be at duckhurst soon with my gelding and my mare so might see you down there and then i can watch on the day !!! things are so hard from video !!