HunkyDory
Active Member
My RS does a couple of benefit 'one-day events' for their pony club charity during the May and August bank holidays. I've been back riding for a year and thought it would be fun to join in. Last year was a bit chaotic because people could choose three horses to ride in different events. In the events they included a dressage test and a jump off with the fences getting higher and higher, which was really entertaining for everyone watching.
This year they didn't do dressage, which I wanted to do, but did a first ridden event and the jumping was clear round A and B, against the clock and an accumulator. However, instead of choosing different horses they ran it like an 'own your own pony for the day' doings and charged £45 instead of the £30 they charged last year. I was the last to sign up because I felt sorry for the horse who was left unchosen
He's a 16h2 warmblood who must be at least 20 but everybody loves him because he's a sweatheart. The thing is, he's probably the laziest horse in the school We get along well though and I have him working just fine lessons.
I'm Level 3 beginner but for fun I entered tack and turnout, in hand, first ridden, and level B clear round. The problem was though that they had about 20 entries for First Ridden. They split us between the two arenas, one of which is smaller than the other. I was in a group of 12 in the larger arena. We all warmed up then lined up in the middle. The exercise was 2 figure of 8s, the first in trot, the second in canter, trotting across the centre through a gap we had left between one lot of 6 horse and riders and the other, coming to a halt in the centre.
From the first rider setting off, to me setting off was 45 minutes. The ponies and horses at the back end of it were literally asleep, so the exercise was rubbish. I just wondered about other's experiences with this. For £45 we were responsible for our horse or pony all day which is fine but I don't think many of us got the most out of the day because of they way that event was organised. It might have been better to keep us all in one group and send us all down one by one to the smaller arena to warm up then come up individually to do the exercise and line up as we each finished. I realise they have rosettes to give out but it was frustrating to have sat there for that long on a horse that had cooled down and nodded off.
Any thoughts based on other experiences
This year they didn't do dressage, which I wanted to do, but did a first ridden event and the jumping was clear round A and B, against the clock and an accumulator. However, instead of choosing different horses they ran it like an 'own your own pony for the day' doings and charged £45 instead of the £30 they charged last year. I was the last to sign up because I felt sorry for the horse who was left unchosen
He's a 16h2 warmblood who must be at least 20 but everybody loves him because he's a sweatheart. The thing is, he's probably the laziest horse in the school We get along well though and I have him working just fine lessons. I'm Level 3 beginner but for fun I entered tack and turnout, in hand, first ridden, and level B clear round. The problem was though that they had about 20 entries for First Ridden. They split us between the two arenas, one of which is smaller than the other. I was in a group of 12 in the larger arena. We all warmed up then lined up in the middle. The exercise was 2 figure of 8s, the first in trot, the second in canter, trotting across the centre through a gap we had left between one lot of 6 horse and riders and the other, coming to a halt in the centre.
From the first rider setting off, to me setting off was 45 minutes. The ponies and horses at the back end of it were literally asleep, so the exercise was rubbish. I just wondered about other's experiences with this. For £45 we were responsible for our horse or pony all day which is fine but I don't think many of us got the most out of the day because of they way that event was organised. It might have been better to keep us all in one group and send us all down one by one to the smaller arena to warm up then come up individually to do the exercise and line up as we each finished. I realise they have rosettes to give out but it was frustrating to have sat there for that long on a horse that had cooled down and nodded off.
Any thoughts based on other experiences