Crap day......And positive day!!.....

H-J

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So went to Stratford Hills today for the PAVO 5yr old classes on both Spider and Connor - Couldnt hae gone worse really! And I am soooo tired and my head is pounding!!

So start off wth Spiders dressage - warmed up lovely as usual and started off great (she always does a nice test and scored 29 last outing) well she then caught a pheasent running off into the bushes behind the arena and came to a skidding halt! broke in canter etc and scored 46!!!
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Score was totally not necessary but there we go!

Onto Connor dressage - now this poor pony has done nothing! He is less experenced then the 4yr olds competing on the sat so was expectng about 60!!!
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Anyway he actually did a nice test and really tried bless him, and scored 47 so was V pleased!

Anyway onto Spiders showjumping - thought it was very up to height and she again jumped her socks off for another clear 4th one in a row!
XC- she was awful!! not spooky like usual but just didnt want to do it, stopped at the chair b4 the water, the stopped at the trekaner (which she doesnt ever have a prob with) then stopped at the barrells so retired so thought rather that then get eliminated. Really really upset and thinking maybe she doesnt want to XC she has never been confident XC and has never pulled me in2 a XC fence yet loves her SJing - and I dont think its fair to keep plugging away XC if she isnt happy. Thinking she might be happier just dressage and SJing with someone as she is excellent as these.

Anyway onto Connor again wasnt expecting much but he jumped a super clear SJing (maybe I should be a SJer now!!) then XC wasnt expecting him to go in the water as this is quite scary for him he needs more practise - He went super given me a great feel and pulling me to every thing! Then the water and I was eliminated at it!! wasnt a surprise and was pleased with his overall performance and I am very excited about him now!!!

Will now do some unaff ODEs now and water practise with him then some Intros in a few months. any one have any advice for horses who are scared of going into water? once he is in when we are schooling he loves it!!

So feeling very deflated about Spider
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(she was in all weekend for worming too which I dont think helped!!) and very exciting about Connor!!
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Rosiefan

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Tonight is definitely not the time to make any big decisions - best you sleep on it. I was there yesterday just watching and I was shattered too. Sounds as though Connor was a bit of a star until he saw the water, others who know far more than I ever will are bound to have some advice. Chin up
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H-J

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Some horses just dont want to XC though do they!

She is super on the flat and SJing though which is a shame - But I think the XC is the most important thing to have
 

madgirl

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bad luck what a shame hope spider goes better next time!
Not a surprise PF won one section and would have one the 2nd if she hadnt been hC!
 

spooks

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was nice to meet you , spider & connor today . i have photos of practically every fence in the SJ that connor did and 3 or 4 of spider in the SJ. will have to wait for a week or so though as computers are being complete muppets at the moment and i cant upload them. great results in the showjumping though, there were a couple of fences causing a few problems and your two just flew them! if you are ever xc schooling down this way and want some company ( or a water lead for connor ) just yell.
 

LEC

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I would just give her a chance - last year my horse was awful had stupid run outs and problems this year he has not faulted xc. It takes them time to grow up and mature - do not expect to much this year and then hunt her over the winter. Hunting really teaches them to go forwards and to enjoy crossing the country.
 

H-J

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Thats great thanks!!

Have entered Tweseldown PN and ballot date has gone so will take him there and maybe another Temple mare, not sure what to do about Spidey yet.

Cant wait to see photos! They really did SJ great
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henryhorn

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gosh I bet you're tired tonight then..
As for water what we've done is actually build a proper water jump through a pond we have, and we use it a lot. Mostly at the end of a schooling/hacking session, the horses get ridden through it and back out again. The have to jump downinto it and jump out e other side.
We are also lucky in that there is a fast flowing river complete with ford within two miles so they get taken through that from early stages.
If you have your own land a JCB takes half an hour to buid a slope to a wide shallow pond and put stone in the bottom
We used membrane too but depending on the soil you may not need any.
I would have a good think about what to do with their training over the next few months, if the mare really isn't enjoying XC perhaps do other things for a while to improve her confidence then try again.
Sometimes I think you need to go back a couple of levels even to make it seem effortless for them, then they understand and move rapidly back and past the point they failed at before.
Sounds like you had a successful Sj section with both, so well done.
 

H-J

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Thanks for the advice
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Will get out to as many RC ODE events and XC as I can! I will maybe do some pairs with him!
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TiaPony

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Don't give up on Spider yet, sometimes youngsters just feel slightly overfaced and obviously she isn't the most confident XC yet so I'd just give her some time to chill and concentrate on her strengths and then reintroduce her to XC later in the season. Conner sounds promising
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x
 

BBs

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Take her back to basics, give her time. My mare took 2 seasons to actually grow up! some just take longer to get the idea.
Get her confidence back up and running over intro courses then go out at PN level. The sjing obviously isnt a problem but she doesnt feel 100% right over the solid stuff. Just give her time, theres no rush!
Not a bad debut for Connor, like you say hes done very little and not long ago he had a nasty facial injury which meant you missing out schooling etc. He sounds like he will pick up on the idea soon enough.
I think William FP used to take Stunning water jump schooling before every event if i remember rightly! just to get his confidence up, so you may have to do the same for connor for a while too.
 

Fiona

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The water thing does come - really it does. I have had 2 which were v suspicious at the start, and both are fine now.
Not so sure about Spider, but again our grey mare grew up such a lot between her first season (lots of refusals) and her second one (all clear XC). Hunting all winter with local bloodhound pack definitely helped, but we are so glad we didn't give up on her as she was just too careful and it caused her confidence problems of she met something on a wrong stride.

Good luck

FIona
 

ColouredFan

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Sounds like some good and bad, but overall good, Conner sounds like a star in the making, Frankie didnt like water at first and he still isnt 100% water is the only fence where i have to actually use my leg, i did alot of schooling and pairs XC with him as well as hacking through streams and rivers and gradually his confidence has grown but it has taken two years for him to jump over something into water! dont worry it will come eventually!
 

ElleJS

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They are both so young don't give up on Spider yet. My mare didn't mature till she was 8 yet at 9 was at 3* level..... she didn't even event in her 5th year as she was a nappy cow! Mares are different as they are generally more careful, but fabulous when it all comes together so don't rush even if you end up just doing intro and PN all year you WILL benefit in the long run! Well done though, Connor sounds promising.
 

H-J

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I wont give up on her just yet!! She will run at Tweseldown then Little Mattingley PAVO and see how we go!

I agree she is very careful hopefully she will get the XC soon
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