Does there come a time to make a choice???

[Saf]

Hi all

As the title? At which point do you think you need to make the choice to focus on one dicipline if you are going to complete on a more serious level? Discuss...............

Also while you think about it help me

Have been told today I should concentrate on the SJ as my mare has scope to burn and leave the eventing as it makes her hot. (She is

)
Saf will never be a dressage ponio, but loves jumping be it SJ or XC.
We have just finished the season gaining our first point and having a dabble at IN and jumping New at SJ.
Now this is where I can't make up my mind, can I compete at Nov and Int eventing and go further SJ, or concentrate on one?
Please if anyone out there competes Int and Fox and beyond all together does it work?

Thanks confused mum of Saf

 

[Malibu]

Hi Saf, i understand how you may feel. I recently got a new horse about 3 months ago to event with hope to get to a rather high level BUT I have been told that his talent and potential in the dressage world is to good to waste.

I am not the dressage diva at all and xc and sj was by far more my thing (more xc) of eventing BUT I am now loving the dressage route although i hope to put him in a intro next year, i feel that it would be best to use his talent.

It may turn out that eventing is not for him so i am putting him in a few intros.

I think if your horse is naturally talented at sj then go for it ; if she is that talented then you could go very far and further than int eventing which is getting far harder with horses staying on dressage !

 

[not_with_it]

Go for what you and your horse want to do. My mare will never be a jumper so we do dressage, This is what we are both good at.
If your horse is talented in a certain discipline then maybe go for that, it would make more sense than competing in a discipline where you will go nowhere and wont enjoy.

 

[Sarah_Jane]

It can be done but it does depend very much on the horse. You have to remember we are not proffesionals and the whole point is having fun at whatever disipline.

I'm lucky my mare this season moved up to Intermediate and 2* level succesfully and although we concentrated on this we also went to Wales and West Sjing and were placed in some open classes, she was 3rd in a big fox at our biggest local one day show and won a 1.25.

I think if you have one that can SJ it is a big advantage for eventing as we have been placed many times by jumping a clear round SJ when most of the class have had fences.

I would keep going at both.

 

[henryhorn]

This is similar to our situation with Monty and why we sold him.
He could achieve 75% in a pure dressage test in an arena, but combine that and a nearby XC and he was a lunatic, there was absolutly no point in carrying on attempting to settle him as it just got worse. The last event the rider got 8 and he got 5's... the only way we ever got him to settle was do one or the other, not combine the two.
He has now gone to a pure SJ home and I am praying he is settling down and happy.
This time we hope we have chosen a horse that won't hot up, only time will tell but if you start with a calm temperament it has to help!
I would go SJ or swap horses..

 

[Saf]

Thankies, your horse sounds like a star in the making good luck whatever route you decide to

It was ok for me playing but now I'm getting hungry for rosettes, have a couple of months to decide

 

[Saf]

Thats the thing I have lost the fun side a bit because I keep putting pressure on myself.
The eventing seems to hot Saf up too much as she love the XC but this also makes her a little wild in the SJ so have poles but whenever I just SJ she becomes so much more carefull.
I remember your mare, now she is a star, fantastic record

Two months to decide

 

[Sarah_Jane]

I aqm the classic at putting pressure on myself but I do it whastever I'm doing. If you decide to just SJ you will put even more pressure on to do well. Have you tries anything like Nupafeed that made a massive diffrence to my mare who always used to flufff the dressage.

If she really won't settle for eventing then try just SJing and see if you enjoy it. If you are anything like me if you do well you probably will. If not you have to decide if she is the right horse for you.

It is very difficult for you to decide what is best go with your gut instinct and try and put the fun back in.

 

[Malibu]

If you are not improving or succeeding at eventing then you will probaly not enjoy it and nor will your lovely horse so do something you both enjoy that way you will perform better and greater chance of winning. Good luck what ever you do!

 

[seza]

Top eventer Ruth Edge jumps her horses BSJA and wins, she completes affiliated dressage at top level and events them. during winter she is often seen at indoor equestrian centres jumping and dressage and then events during summer. Why not see what happens and do both - have fun.

 

[Rambo]

I haven't seen SAF showjump, but from what I have heard of your results, she certainly has talent in the SJ arena. I don't event either, but I do believe that more and more these days you need a dressage horse that can jump

If I were you, I would spend the winter SJ'ing and see where it takes me from there. You are doing okay at NC's in BSJA, and that is good. There is a BIG difference between being competitive at NC and being competetive at Fox

It's a huge step up. I'm sure SAF has the ability to jump the heights, but only time will tell if she and you are ready to compete at that level

Whatever you decide, you've already achieved a LOT. Be proud, and just enjoy whatever you decide to do from here on...

 

[tigers_eye]

Only to echo everyone else really. If you enjoy being competitive you may find it frustrating eventing, particularly at Novice level where a bad dressage won't get you far. Fabulous and Deco both show-jumped between events if I felt they didn't need a run, they jumped in Members cups (does taht even exist any more??), Fox's and the odd 125. F never did too well, but Deco won quite a bit of money and qualified for the Bath and West. I think the difference for me was my mindset - when I was show-jumping those two it was never an end in itself - more a means to an end, where as I've had others that have been show-jumpers first and eventers second. DD's sisters horse is an example of one that's gone the other way. Don't know if any of that's helped, sorry!