clairebearnz
Well-Known Member
It seems like it's been spring since last autumn, but today is the first day of spring in NZ after one of the warmest winters on record. One of the local pony clubs had an XC/SJ training day so I took the old boy down even though I have a terrible cold. The weather was phenomenal and very warm, but under PC rules, everyone had to wear long sleeves and was expiring somewhat.
Tally jumped really well in the SJ, but he did perform rather an acrobatic display when he got into the ring as there wasn't a bell, so he was getting more and more worked up waiting for the bell, until I finally managed to get him facing the first jump and the (rather dim at times) bulb in his head went off and he settled down.
XC was a little more varied. He was rather nutty really in the sense that if he saw horses cantering in front of him, he'd buck furiously and then try to race them. He also napped at the first fence, so we did a rather inelegant creep sideways until he realised that we were jumping and then he stopped napping. He jumped everything first time, except for the trakhener. We had problems with this fence last time, but he jumped the smaller version without blinking an eye so I tried the bigger one and he did one of his last minute stops. I went straight over his head, onto the pole, then into the ditch. I did keep hold of the horse though, who looked shamelessly amused. Aside from a sprained thumb (and much embarassment), I came off rather lightly.
He did jump it the second time round though. Does anyone have any good exercises for a ditchy horse who is very bold but not particularly honest, without actually digging a ditch? He jumps water fine, and happily popped over a stream today without batting an eyelid. I've never had a major problem with ditches (although apparently Tally is determined to change that).
Tally is under the deluded impression he's a steeplechaser.
Leaping up the bank
Over the trakhener, tucking his knees up just in case.
Tally jumped really well in the SJ, but he did perform rather an acrobatic display when he got into the ring as there wasn't a bell, so he was getting more and more worked up waiting for the bell, until I finally managed to get him facing the first jump and the (rather dim at times) bulb in his head went off and he settled down.
XC was a little more varied. He was rather nutty really in the sense that if he saw horses cantering in front of him, he'd buck furiously and then try to race them. He also napped at the first fence, so we did a rather inelegant creep sideways until he realised that we were jumping and then he stopped napping. He jumped everything first time, except for the trakhener. We had problems with this fence last time, but he jumped the smaller version without blinking an eye so I tried the bigger one and he did one of his last minute stops. I went straight over his head, onto the pole, then into the ditch. I did keep hold of the horse though, who looked shamelessly amused. Aside from a sprained thumb (and much embarassment), I came off rather lightly.
He did jump it the second time round though. Does anyone have any good exercises for a ditchy horse who is very bold but not particularly honest, without actually digging a ditch? He jumps water fine, and happily popped over a stream today without batting an eyelid. I've never had a major problem with ditches (although apparently Tally is determined to change that).
Tally is under the deluded impression he's a steeplechaser.
Leaping up the bank
Over the trakhener, tucking his knees up just in case.
He always looks SO happy and he has the tidiest pair of knees I've ever seen 
Can't wait for the warmer weather!
