tobiano1984
Well-Known Member
I've posted lots about Tex (Emotionally Damaged Cob) so won't bore you with another long introduction! In short - bought on a whim (because I felt so sorry for him) for peanuts to save him before he was sent to auction - Dec 2013. Sold as 'unrideable'. Obviously been beaten up and badly treated. Petrified of all human beings. Couldn't turn right. Couldn't get on him. Locking stifle & SI injury. Lots of Osteopathy and remedial work. Decided he suited a dressage career as a) it was genteel enough for him and b) he seemed to hate jumping. Lots of dressage success. Tried jumping again. Loved it. Went XC training. Loved it. Lightbulb - eventing?
So...cut to present day and Texy-Woo (often known as Super-Woo) went to Chilham Castle yesterday for their unaffiliated ODE with his rider (my groom and a very competent event rider - unlike me!) This was the first time he'd ever done dressage on grass and done a course of more than 4 showjumps. But Super-Woo likes to surprise us and in his usual unbothered way went on to get a 28.8 in the dressage, clear SJ (and he gave them all a couple of feet just to rub it in) and clear XC with just 1.6 time faults. He won it by quite a few marks! It was only the 70cm, and I think he'd happily do an 80 or 90 next. A few days previously he did some gridwork and seemed uninterested in the jumps (not knocking them, but looking thoroughly bored) until they were over 1m. Hard to believe this is the same horse who arrived 1.5 years ago!
Needless to say, the plans to supposedly sell him have been slightly forgotten in the excitement of planning his 2016 eventing career
and as he seems to have instantly turned into an XC schoolmaster, I think I might be getting back on board soon! (haven't jumped properly since shattering my foot last year - special wide stirrups on order..)
Pics of the ODE and gridwork:
So...cut to present day and Texy-Woo (often known as Super-Woo) went to Chilham Castle yesterday for their unaffiliated ODE with his rider (my groom and a very competent event rider - unlike me!) This was the first time he'd ever done dressage on grass and done a course of more than 4 showjumps. But Super-Woo likes to surprise us and in his usual unbothered way went on to get a 28.8 in the dressage, clear SJ (and he gave them all a couple of feet just to rub it in) and clear XC with just 1.6 time faults. He won it by quite a few marks! It was only the 70cm, and I think he'd happily do an 80 or 90 next. A few days previously he did some gridwork and seemed uninterested in the jumps (not knocking them, but looking thoroughly bored) until they were over 1m. Hard to believe this is the same horse who arrived 1.5 years ago!
Needless to say, the plans to supposedly sell him have been slightly forgotten in the excitement of planning his 2016 eventing career
Pics of the ODE and gridwork: