FigJam
Well-Known Member
So it's official- Flying Coo is the nicest HHO-er.
Hopalong and I were supposed to be lead horse in a pairs XC competition today to help out a friend from my RC who's inexperienced horse likes to stop and gawk at things around the XC course. Hoped that having Hopalong to chase would teach her how to get in (and stay in!) a rythymn XC.
But 2 weeks ago, Hopalong handed me a sick note and has been malingering ever since.
Was really upset at the thought of letting my "team mate" down due to hoppy Hopalong when Flying Coo very kindly stepped in with the offer of her lovely Flying Coo to take Hopalong's place.
After an initial panic about a) having never jumped XC on anything other than Hopalong, ever and b) not wanting to risk her precious pony... she convinced me that Flying Coo would put up with any numptiness on my part and would love a fun yee ha round a wee 2'6 track.
So an emergency visit to her yard yesterday to butter up the Flying Coo (the horse) with carrots and have a practice run over some SJs, tyres and barrels "arena eventing" style. He was a super star and made me feel much more confident about today. A quick wash of his white bits and some more carrots to ensure co-operation.
So today I had the luxury of only worrying about my own tack and went up, walked the course with team mate and then returned to lorry park to find one Flying Coo pretty much tacked up and ready to go! Could get used to having an owner/groom I reckon...! Due to boggy ground in the XC collection ring, warm up was in the outdoor arena and due to it being a pairs class was rather packed and manic!
Me trying to figure out how to avoid small, nippy ponies who appeared out of nowhere and poor Flying Coo wondering who this numpty on board is...
Having a canter and Flying Coo (horse) "posing" for the camera, or was it a cry for help to Flying Coo (owner! I am starting to sympathise with Old Git and his "MG"s! )?!
Discussing team tactics with his new pal...
Very odd going from warm up arena to collecting ring and only being allowed to walk about until being called to start. Both horse were being nice and chilled out at the start box until another pair came zooming through the finish line and they suddenly realised it was yee ha time! A little bouncing from them both and then 3, 2, 1, go!
I won't run through the course fence by fence as it was mostly logs with various boulders/barrels/logs as fillers and a couple of drops thrown in. Flying Coo happily cantered around giving his new pal a lead over everything and we went clear, with a couple of circles to wait on pal when her rider got a bit excited about how well they were doing and forgot to keep kicking at a couple of the fences!
He was so polite and just so genuine and honest and a total pleasure to ride. I jumped off grinning ear to ear and would loved to have gone round another lap or two with him. He was reassuringly similar to Hopalong to ride- if you pointed him at the jump and kept your leg on, you just knew he would go. I am now no.1 Flying Coo fan club member.
A couple XC pics courtesy of Mr FigJam, first one at a distance through trees a bit far away taking a bit of a long one out of the double
;
And wheeeee over the fan fence;
Attempting to do the drop "style" fences as a pair, but pal's horse preferring the Flying Coo checked for demons first and Flying Coo saying "let's go, thank you very much"!
So a HUGE thank you to both Flying Coo (the owner) and Flying Coo (the horse!) for letting me have a fun spin round today when I thought I was going to have to pull out and let my partner down.
Even better, when I got to the yard this evening and trotted Hopalong up, she was looking a fair bit better, so fingers crossed she's decided she's had enough of a holiday and doesn't want to miss out on more parties. Will keep resting and crossing fingers that she keeps improving.
Lovely to see some other HHO-ers today, some of them having very a good day, you know who you are, well done!
Hopalong and I were supposed to be lead horse in a pairs XC competition today to help out a friend from my RC who's inexperienced horse likes to stop and gawk at things around the XC course. Hoped that having Hopalong to chase would teach her how to get in (and stay in!) a rythymn XC.
But 2 weeks ago, Hopalong handed me a sick note and has been malingering ever since.
After an initial panic about a) having never jumped XC on anything other than Hopalong, ever and b) not wanting to risk her precious pony... she convinced me that Flying Coo would put up with any numptiness on my part and would love a fun yee ha round a wee 2'6 track.
So an emergency visit to her yard yesterday to butter up the Flying Coo (the horse) with carrots and have a practice run over some SJs, tyres and barrels "arena eventing" style. He was a super star and made me feel much more confident about today. A quick wash of his white bits and some more carrots to ensure co-operation.
So today I had the luxury of only worrying about my own tack and went up, walked the course with team mate and then returned to lorry park to find one Flying Coo pretty much tacked up and ready to go! Could get used to having an owner/groom I reckon...!
Due to boggy ground in the XC collection ring, warm up was in the outdoor arena and due to it being a pairs class was rather packed and manic!Me trying to figure out how to avoid small, nippy ponies who appeared out of nowhere and poor Flying Coo wondering who this numpty on board is...
Having a canter and Flying Coo (horse) "posing" for the camera, or was it a cry for help to Flying Coo (owner! I am starting to sympathise with Old Git and his "MG"s!
)?!
Discussing team tactics with his new pal...
Very odd going from warm up arena to collecting ring and only being allowed to walk about until being called to start. Both horse were being nice and chilled out at the start box until another pair came zooming through the finish line and they suddenly realised it was yee ha time! A little bouncing from them both and then 3, 2, 1, go!
I won't run through the course fence by fence as it was mostly logs with various boulders/barrels/logs as fillers and a couple of drops thrown in. Flying Coo happily cantered around giving his new pal a lead over everything and we went clear, with a couple of circles to wait on pal when her rider got a bit excited about how well they were doing and forgot to keep kicking at a couple of the fences!
He was so polite and just so genuine and honest and a total pleasure to ride. I jumped off grinning ear to ear and would loved to have gone round another lap or two with him.
He was reassuringly similar to Hopalong to ride- if you pointed him at the jump and kept your leg on, you just knew he would go. I am now no.1 Flying Coo fan club member. A couple XC pics courtesy of Mr FigJam, first one at a distance through trees a bit far away taking a bit of a long one out of the double
;
And wheeeee over the fan fence;
Attempting to do the drop "style" fences as a pair, but pal's horse preferring the Flying Coo checked for demons first and Flying Coo saying "let's go, thank you very much"!
So a HUGE thank you to both Flying Coo (the owner) and Flying Coo (the horse!) for letting me have a fun spin round today when I thought I was going to have to pull out and let my partner down.
Even better, when I got to the yard this evening and trotted Hopalong up, she was looking a fair bit better, so fingers crossed she's decided she's had enough of a holiday and doesn't want to miss out on more parties. Will keep resting and crossing fingers that she keeps improving.
Lovely to see some other HHO-ers today, some of them having very a good day, you know who you are, well done!
