Bernster
Well-Known Member
Yay, got pics from Keysoe riding camp so I can finally report on all our shenanigans! Not sure if the pics work. I could only snap them off the Flickr account. It was certainly interesting and we had some firsts but not all of them were welcome...
I arrived on the Sunday for a Jo Burchell xc clinic. Ground was hard so I didn't do loads but we did tackle some (for us) more demanding fences - coffin into an upright, ditches, a hanging log into the water. Mainly worked on getting him forward and off my leg. Important life lesson learned, to keep my mouth shut going into water, cos it tastes pretty rank! ��
First session of actual camp was grid work, followed by xc in the afternoon. For both I need to work on the energy in the canter, and sit up off his shoulder. He struggled with the grid work last year but did much better this time and felt stronger and more balanced.
We then tackled some decent xc fences inc some BE80s for the first time. Better as we went on and he nannied others in the water and over the coffin and ditches, clever boy. Sailed over the bigger ones. A bit leg dangly over the smaller ones when I need to get him going properly.
Sadly this is where the wheels fell off. My friend M fell off in both sessions, the first wasn't bad, but in the xc she fell on hard ground, her horse galloped off back to the centre and had to be captured. She spent the evening in A&E with our other friend S whilst I took forever trying to sort out our 3 horses (I'm rubbish and slow at this stuff). Fortunately no serious harm done but she was sore, drugged up and we all felt a bit blue. The evening was not done with us yet as S ended up spooking her horse with a flash light during evening check and had to capture him in the dark with no torch but with the help of two drunken campers.
Tbh I didn't think M would be able to walk next day but actually the drugs do work, and she was much brighter. Me and S decided to do the early sj session then called it quits and missed the flatwork lesson that afternoon so we could sort our stuff out. Not to be out done, M's horse, clearly upset at missing out on the fun, got loose again just before the sj lesson.
Made it to the lesson slightly harangued by the mornings antics. Lovely arena and jumps. Similar message to the day before, getting him motoring long before the jump, then leaving him to it and trying not to pony club kick two strides out. I also really need work on 'bum back, hands forward' and sit my a$$ down in the saddle.
To top it all, both the other horses, usually great loaders, decided it was all too much, wouldn't load for home, broke their lead ropes and one ran off round the car park. Seriously, FOUR occasions of loose horses. ��
With the help of a dually and a bit of patience we finally got them loaded and home safe, with a huge sigh of relief all round.
I realise we sound like a bunch of imbeciles and Lord knows what the other campers thought of us! We missed out on the social side of camp but, on the plus side, F was a teacher's pet the whole time, behaved impeccably, jumped everything inc some bigger more challenging stuff, loaded straight on and waited patiently amongst all the bedlam. Baby horse is growing up to be a star!
Pics are free to use, with a donation to the person's charity.
I arrived on the Sunday for a Jo Burchell xc clinic. Ground was hard so I didn't do loads but we did tackle some (for us) more demanding fences - coffin into an upright, ditches, a hanging log into the water. Mainly worked on getting him forward and off my leg. Important life lesson learned, to keep my mouth shut going into water, cos it tastes pretty rank! ��
First session of actual camp was grid work, followed by xc in the afternoon. For both I need to work on the energy in the canter, and sit up off his shoulder. He struggled with the grid work last year but did much better this time and felt stronger and more balanced.
We then tackled some decent xc fences inc some BE80s for the first time. Better as we went on and he nannied others in the water and over the coffin and ditches, clever boy. Sailed over the bigger ones. A bit leg dangly over the smaller ones when I need to get him going properly.
Sadly this is where the wheels fell off. My friend M fell off in both sessions, the first wasn't bad, but in the xc she fell on hard ground, her horse galloped off back to the centre and had to be captured. She spent the evening in A&E with our other friend S whilst I took forever trying to sort out our 3 horses (I'm rubbish and slow at this stuff). Fortunately no serious harm done but she was sore, drugged up and we all felt a bit blue. The evening was not done with us yet as S ended up spooking her horse with a flash light during evening check and had to capture him in the dark with no torch but with the help of two drunken campers.
Tbh I didn't think M would be able to walk next day but actually the drugs do work, and she was much brighter. Me and S decided to do the early sj session then called it quits and missed the flatwork lesson that afternoon so we could sort our stuff out. Not to be out done, M's horse, clearly upset at missing out on the fun, got loose again just before the sj lesson.
Made it to the lesson slightly harangued by the mornings antics. Lovely arena and jumps. Similar message to the day before, getting him motoring long before the jump, then leaving him to it and trying not to pony club kick two strides out. I also really need work on 'bum back, hands forward' and sit my a$$ down in the saddle.
To top it all, both the other horses, usually great loaders, decided it was all too much, wouldn't load for home, broke their lead ropes and one ran off round the car park. Seriously, FOUR occasions of loose horses. ��
With the help of a dually and a bit of patience we finally got them loaded and home safe, with a huge sigh of relief all round.
I realise we sound like a bunch of imbeciles and Lord knows what the other campers thought of us! We missed out on the social side of camp but, on the plus side, F was a teacher's pet the whole time, behaved impeccably, jumped everything inc some bigger more challenging stuff, loaded straight on and waited patiently amongst all the bedlam. Baby horse is growing up to be a star!
Pics are free to use, with a donation to the person's charity.
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