Eeeek shocker of a day at Calmsden!

[ihatework]

It would be very easy to over analyse this and if it were my horse I would be analysing to the nth degree (rightly or wrongly).

The likelihood is it’s just sheer bloody bad luck, he got it wrong, sh*t happens.

But I would have a niggle that this isn’t the first time it happens.

Watching it on slow mo, he is a little way off the fence, but not so wrong and the fence isn’t big, that he couldn’t just jump a bit bigger.

What I don’t like is that he doesn’t appear to lower his neck or make an attempt to look at what he is doing, he just flings himself at it and keeps his shoulders low. Had that been Xc it could have been a rotational.

So I agree you are right to have the vet check him out. Your problem will be knowing if he is sore just from the fall or if he was protecting something that caused the fall.

I have to say I haven’t noticed him jumping in a style that would have me concerned previously, so hopefully it is just bad luck!

 

[Mule]

It looked like he misjudged it and tripped. Sometimes seeing your accident on video hits harder than when it happens at the time. It can be a shock.
I'd definitely do what you can to get him checked out. Aside from figuring out if there's a problem it's important to try to put your mind at ease.

 

[Michen]

It would be very easy to over analyse this and if it were my horse I would be analysing to the nth degree (rightly or wrongly).

The likelihood is it’s just sheer bloody bad luck, he got it wrong, sh*t happens.

But I would have a niggle that this isn’t the first time it happens.

Watching it on slow mo, he is a little way off the fence, but not so wrong and the fence isn’t big, that he couldn’t just jump a bit bigger.

What I don’t like is that he doesn’t appear to lower his neck or make an attempt to look at what he is doing, he just flings himself at it and keeps his shoulders low. Had that been Xc it could have been a rotational.

So I agree you are right to have the vet check him out. Your problem will be knowing if he is sore just from the fall or if he was protecting something that caused the fall.

I have to say I haven’t noticed him jumping in a style that would have me concerned previously, so hopefully it is just bad luck!

Nope, the other mistake he’s made in the two years I’ve had him was that ridiculous jump out hunting, but I can absolutely justify that from the fact he was very strong and I had stupidly got too far back from the master alone in the field and he just barely registered there was a tiny hedge.

It wasn’t that he didn’t jump big enough, it’s the fact he totally failed to jump with one leg!

That said, I think he’s touched two showjumping poles in training and competition in 2019, he’s been so careful this year.

😔😔😔

 

[Mule]

Nope, the other mistake he’s made in the two years I’ve had him was that ridiculous jump out hunting, but I can absolutely justify that from the fact he was ridiculously strong and I had stupidly got too far back from the master, he just barely registered there was a tiny hedge.

It wasn’t that he didn’t jump big enough, it’s the fact he totally failed to jump with one leg!

That said, I think he’s touched two showjumping poles in training and competition in 2019, he’s been so careful this year.

😔😔😔

That's a positive. It may well just be bad luck.

 

[ihatework]

Nope, the other mistake he’s made in the two years I’ve had him was that ridiculous jump out hunting, but I can absolutely justify that from the fact he was very strong and I had stupidly got too far back from the master alone in the field and he just barely registered there was a tiny hedge.

It wasn’t that he didn’t jump big enough, it’s the fact he totally failed to jump with one leg!

That said, I think he’s touched two showjumping poles in training and competition in 2019, he’s been so careful this year.

😔😔😔

To me what he failed to do was lower his neck and then lift his shoulders (from the very limited view the video offers). He looked to have more than sufficient space to do that and wasn’t buried in deep.

Either way hope he is back fighting fit soon

 

[Michen]

To me what he failed to do was lower his neck and then lift his shoulders (from the very limited view the video offers). He looked to have more than sufficient space to do that and wasn’t buried in deep.

Either way hope he is back fighting fit soon

As in to do that when he felt it was going wrong or to do that in the first place? Argh it's so tricky, I actually entered Broadway yesterday (80) because I relatively unconcerned by the whole thing, then I saw the video and.... wound myself up.

He was hot (as per the screaming throughout the dressage) that day but I did feel he warmed up well for the SJ and I didn't feel he was so hot that he wasn't concentrating. I don't *think* there is anything wrong, how he's jumped in training, been in general, his performance at Munstead etc, he feels the best he ever has. But of course I've been given something to worry about now so must latch on

Ps thank you- so do I!

 

[TPO]

I agree with the poster who said watching the video back can be worse/hit harder than what you experienced at the time.

Watching videos where its gone wrong can be an excellent learning tool but maybe in this situation it was a bit too soon when it's all still so fresh and raw.

Is there an option for you to speak to someone, be it a sports psychologist or a trainer who knows you both, before you do over analyse yourself into a state of paralysis and damage your confidence?

I'm not saying to post it but if you had the video for the rest it might be more telling as to if there was "something" untoward before that fence.

Sending you both gentle hugs after having to relive it on video

 

[Michen]

I agree with the poster who said watching the video back can be worse/hit harder than what you experienced at the time.

Watching videos where its gone wrong can be an excellent learning tool but maybe in this situation it was a bit too soon when it's all still so fresh and raw.

Is there an option for you to speak to someone, be it a sports psychologist or a trainer who knows you both, before you do over analyse yourself into a state of paralysis and damage your confidence?

I'm not saying to post it but if you had the video for the rest it might be more telling as to if there was "something" untoward before that fence.

Sending you both gentle hugs after having to relive it on video

Sadly don’t have any video, it was just that clip that the video company kindly sent me. Though the pro photos of the two fences beee show before, clean jumps and I was certainly feeling very confident after the first two fences because he felt so fab. Ha!

I think mentally I wasn’t feeling overly bad about it as I immediately started making a plan for our next run, to drop down to 80 at Broadway in three weeks and entered. I also entered a clinic for this wkend at 80/90, so didn’t feel I’d need to be going back to cross poles. Obviously I feel very different now I’ve seen the video and also seen how sore he was for physio in his neck (now certainly not jumping this weekend!!).

I’ll see how my mind festers, most importantly is that my pony is ok and that it was a freak accident and not because anything was wrong and caused it. I feel it was the former but am second guessing myself. Even though I can totally excuse the hash he made of a small hedge out hunting a few months ago, had had not happened I probably wouldn’t be thinking this could be anything other than a bad mistake. It doesn’t seem
To matter in my head that since that hunting blip he’s been jumping like a stag and feeling he best he ever has!

Thank you xx

 

[Sam_J]

Something similar happened to my daughter on her 14.2 a few years ago. The pony was a reliable, experienced and careful jumper, the fences were well within their capabilities and she was under instruction at Pony Club camp. I was watching as the pony took off, caught a pole between her front legs and crashed to the ground on top of my daughter. We were very lucky in that daughter got away with a mild concussion and we needed to replace the new hat I'd bought 2 days earlier (best £160 I ever spent!).

It took me a long time to get over that (daughter has no recollection of it at all!) but I honestly believe it was just a freak accident. The pony continued to be a reliable and careful jumper and carried on competing at show jumping and cross country with no further mishaps. Once Boggle has been thoroughly checked over and has completely recovered, I would just put it down to one of those things that can happen with horses and try to move on.

 

[HappyHorses:)]

Ouch 😬 he just didn't pick up did he? Bless him.

Sometimes horses, like us, do get it wrong. I actually thought he looked like he was focused on something beyond the jump so wasn't really paying attention.

If your both ok I'd do a run at the smaller height for a confidence boost. I'm sure it was a one off so try to focus on all the great stuff you've done together rather than dwell on a blip.

 

[Michen]

Thank you. I’m starting to feel a lot better about it, posted on TE (sorry hho- cheating on you!) and had so many people posting videos or private messaging me of similar. Often the same thing, leaving a leg etc. Can’t say those horses looked any different in terms of where they were looking/their shoulders were as IHW mentioned either.. most of them looked exactly like Boggle.

I think I will hold off a vet check for now (unless post fall soreness doesn’t disappear and he needs it for that) and see how he feels. I keep reminding myself, and typing it on various posts how careful this horse has been showjumping this year. It would be different if he had been tapping poles constantly or having sticky jumps but that’s simply not the case.

And... breath!

Ouch 😬 he just didn't pick up did he? Bless him.

Sometimes horses, like us, do get it wrong. I actually thought he looked like he was focused on something beyond the jump so wasn't really paying attention.

If your both ok I'd do a run at the smaller height for a confidence boost. I'm sure it was a one off so try to focus on all the great stuff you've done together rather than dwell on a blip.

Ouch 😬 he just didn't pick up did he? Bless him.

Sometimes horses, like us, do get it wrong. I actually thought he looked like he was focused on something beyond the jump so wasn't really paying attention.

If your both ok I'd do a run at the smaller height for a confidence boost. I'm sure it was a one off so try to focus on all the great stuff you've done together rather than dwell on a blip.

Thank you xx

 

[JustMe22]

My 1.10/1.20 showjumper has done this. He's very experienced and straightforward. We've come to the conclusion that it's just bad luck and an occasional lack of coordination, the same way I might sometimes have a stupid moment when doing something I'm totally comfortable with and accustomed to.

Once he got to the fence and just forgot to lift one of his front legs - there's a phoro of him just before which clearly shows it. Not sure what happened except he had been pulling a bit to the fence and not waiting as much as usual when asked - but he just seemed to forget how to horse. He of course crashed through the whole thing, fell over, and I catapulted off him.

Try not to overthink it. Easier said than done I realise!

 

[Northern Hare]

Just a thought - could he have tripped on take-off by treading on an overreach boot - its just that I've seen a very similar fall before that was caused by the horse treading on this over reach boot with his hind foot?

 

[Michen]

Just a thought - could he have tripped on take-off by treading on an overreach boot - its just that I've seen a very similar fall before that was caused by the horse treading on this over reach boot with his hind foot?

No he doesn’t wear them definitely didn’t trip, just forgot to use a leg!