kerilli
Well-Known Member
Just back from taking Katy to Training Show at Arena UK. I've never been before, wow, what a great set-up, nothing like I expected, I think the negative report I read on here was very out of touch! lovely arenas, fab surface, great set of (championship) jumps, wooo hoo.
Just wanted to have a play round a full sj course with different bits. warmed up in snaffle then tried full-cheek waterford for the first time - i've discounted this in the past for some reason because i thought it wouldn't be enough. should have tried it before because she loved it, accepted it, didn't try to hollow and zoom off at all.
only jumped a couple of tiny things in warm-up (no one there to change the fences) but then went into big arena and wandered around while they changed the course to my height (i.e. put it down a foot!), i was happy to play over 3' ish, she's not jumped a course since last June and tbh it's all about the control, and not rushing - the size of the fences doesn't matter to her.
interestingly, the moment i took her into the big arena with the course, in spite of the fact that there was no atmosphere, she got really tense and took 5 mins of walking around to settle. hmm. no wonder i get a double handful at an event...!
over full course including a double and treble, about 12 fences, so longer than a BE course.
had first 2 down (possibly hadn't noticed they were bigger!) then clear round rest of course, had to put 1 circle in cos she got a bit over-excited. got breath back (me more than her i suspect) then went round again, had 2nd down but really good over all the rest. (v pleased with this because last year she'd have fences down towards the end of the course as she got progressively faster and flatter.)
she was as keen and totally genuine as ever.
Really happy to be jumping her again, seeing stride 9 out (that's a personal record i think!) and she felt great. hopefully my patience will finally pay off!
thanks to Baydale who gave CC, really helpful, and who looked great on Hector and Cuddles.
right, entries time. woohooohooo. oh, and best of all, she didn't rip her mouth.
oops, i forgot, cream cakes and afternoon tea if you made it this far!
Just wanted to have a play round a full sj course with different bits. warmed up in snaffle then tried full-cheek waterford for the first time - i've discounted this in the past for some reason because i thought it wouldn't be enough. should have tried it before because she loved it, accepted it, didn't try to hollow and zoom off at all.
only jumped a couple of tiny things in warm-up (no one there to change the fences) but then went into big arena and wandered around while they changed the course to my height (i.e. put it down a foot!), i was happy to play over 3' ish, she's not jumped a course since last June and tbh it's all about the control, and not rushing - the size of the fences doesn't matter to her.
interestingly, the moment i took her into the big arena with the course, in spite of the fact that there was no atmosphere, she got really tense and took 5 mins of walking around to settle. hmm. no wonder i get a double handful at an event...!
over full course including a double and treble, about 12 fences, so longer than a BE course.
had first 2 down (possibly hadn't noticed they were bigger!) then clear round rest of course, had to put 1 circle in cos she got a bit over-excited. got breath back (me more than her i suspect) then went round again, had 2nd down but really good over all the rest. (v pleased with this because last year she'd have fences down towards the end of the course as she got progressively faster and flatter.)
she was as keen and totally genuine as ever.
Really happy to be jumping her again, seeing stride 9 out (that's a personal record i think!) and she felt great. hopefully my patience will finally pay off!
thanks to Baydale who gave CC, really helpful, and who looked great on Hector and Cuddles.
right, entries time. woohooohooo. oh, and best of all, she didn't rip her mouth.
oops, i forgot, cream cakes and afternoon tea if you made it this far!
