Going to shows alone

N

NewHeights_SJ

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Northamptonshire
www.newheights-showjumping.co.uk
I have posted about this in the past...but on a slightly different note....

I compete (or try to) about one a week, mostly going out with my trainer in the lorry when her horses are out jumping. However she only has one horse now that is jumping newcomers (her others are 1.30/GP horses) and that on is out of action for a while. So, if i want to get out i'll probably have to go alone.

What i was wondering is if anyone has managed to find help? The main problem i have is that i sj a lot during the week, when most of my horsey friends are working. Has anyone managed to find help? Do you pay someone or have friends that come along for the fun and love of it?

Or do you just bite the bullet and go alone?

Whilst i have been out alone on a number of occasions, i have to admit, i hate it. Mostly because you have to rely on someone else to jump a practise fence so that you can tag on the end...

Anyway, does anyone have any ideas?
 
I often go to stuff alone but as you say its not exactly easy!

Dressage is pretty much ok (so long as you know your tests but SJ you have the issue of having someone hold the horse whilst you walk a course. Then as you say practise fences are a pain - especially if you knock a pole and no-one puts it back up for you - getting off is a pain! Then you have to try to do studs etc on your own - have to be a bit of a contortionist!! I have been affiliated BE alone too but so many of my friends are there I pinch their crew/them. Its one heck of an incentive not to fall off when there is no-one else to drive the lorry home!!!!

I gave up horses myself for a while at uni after an accident and went to events etc with friends - was happy to go. One in particular is happy to help now we are in the opposite situation if its near her. Try contacting a local uni riding club - there may be someone who would love to get out and about. If you have an horse they could ride/hack in return so much the better! They tend to be flexible during the week too!

There may also be someone who would like to go (and compete their own horse) but can't drive the lorry on their own - the extra test now has meant there are only 3 out of about 10 of us friends who can drive our own lorries legally!

A freelance groom may be your answer but there are none suitable local to us, so never gone down that route!

Hope that gives a couple of ideas!!
 
I go to SJ shows on my own most of the time, alot of loading and unloading with no one to hold horse while i walk courses etc, just remember to leave the secretary a contact number in case of emergency
 
I've done dressage alone but haven't been jumping alone yet. I wouldn't want to go eventing alone as I'm too scared I'll fall off and damage myself and not be able to drive home! I'll have to go jumping alone soon but it doesn't bother me too much as my horse is experienced and I trust her to jump whatever practice jumps are there. My other horse gets a bit excited at shows so I like to have someone there to help me with him. Last time I went showjumping I had two horses in a small class so Mum held one while I rode the other so she wasn't free to help with jumps and I didn't find it a problem.

Usually there is someone doing jumps for their rider so I just tag along after them. Most people are very good at appreciating that not everyone has a helper there and are very willing to help out. In the past, I have left my horse with a stranger while I've gone to walk the course.

I don't have any horsey friends nearby to help and don't know anyone who I could pay to come along so I'll go alone if I have to. I have been known to take my 9 year old sister along to help in the past though!
 
I go by myself - always seem to cope OK, there is generally someone around who is doing a practise fence when I need one. I also hate holding my horse and she likes standing on the lorry so that one is sorted.

You need to get chatting to people and make friends with other people in your situation.
 
Give me a shout if you are around Addington way...I am often around during the week, as I "work" from home
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I go to dressage alone, although it is nicer to have someone along.
I try to get someone to help if I am showing as I did it once by myself at a weekend show and was so exhausted afterwards. I didn't have time to eat anything.

I remember once at a dressage competition a rider fell off and was taken to hospital, leaving the secretary with a horse to deal with and I don't think she had much in the way of a contact number. She was pretty cross about it!

You could try putting up a notice in a local feedstore/tack shop. There are people who like to go to competitions to watch, but it is nicer if you know someone competiting. It is a question of asking around I think.
 
My sis goes all over the place eventing alone with her trailer and horse. And she's cool about it. She has made a lot of mates on the forum and most of them meet at events, and some of them travel alone with horse in tow. I think you just have to get on with it... good luck
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I love going alone, I've been to dressage today on my own and used to often take 3 horses showjumping on my own, I'm always happily singing and dancing! along in the lorry. I kow loads of people at shows all because i've got a big gob, so talk alot!
 
I go on my own - you just have to be ultra-polite and say to people 'please would you mind very much taking that oxer down 16 holes?' (Whilst wondering why on earth people feel the need to jump through the roof for a 90cm class :w:)

I have never once got off to alter the practice fence - if no-one has a helper with them I can collar then there is usually more than one collecting ring steward to smile sweetly at!
 
I'd love to get out once a week! Unfortunately, I don't have any transport so I have to pay a transporter every time I go. Consequently it means I can only get out once a month because I can't afford it more often
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However, the woman I try and book is absolutely brilliant and her lorry is great. As well as transporting, she's another pair of hands and has called dressage tests for me before and helped me tack up etc and fiddle with practice jumps. She's awesome
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(although I would love my own transport so I could get out all the time!!).

Is there not someone else on your yard that you could 'team up' with?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I go on my own - you just have to be ultra-polite and say to people 'please would you mind very much taking that oxer down 16 holes?' (Whilst wondering why on earth people feel the need to jump through the roof for a 90cm class :w:)

I have never once got off to alter the practice fence - if no-one has a helper with them I can collar then there is usually more than one collecting ring steward to smile sweetly at!

[/ QUOTE ]

PMSL ! I agree!
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It is easy going on your own, I honestly couldnt expect someone to hang around all day for me being my 'servant' !
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If I didnt go on my own hunting, BSJA and showing shows, I wouldnt go at all! I would love someone to go with me but of the people I know who might, it would be too much organising when I've already got myself and horse to organise. And to be honest, I think I concentrate better if I go on my own. Though I am prone to forgetting courses and its probably because I've got so much to do. The ideal thing would be to be at a yard where I could pay for a ride on a box that was going with others. I'm sure my mare would prefer this too, she always looks at boxes longingly and then back at my scruffy little trailer.

I'm not really on my own of course, my mare has such a strong personality that I always feel I'm with someone.
 
Weekends I often have to go on my own as owner cant make it. Weekdays owner will generally come along to help out.

FeeFee - we should communicate about weedday shows as I guess we will probably be going to the same shows and its likely I will be competing during the week atleast twice a month.
 
I go to shows on my own. Like a few people have said its fairly easy doing dressage on your own but I have found going SJ on my own is a bit more of an art form! The main problem I find is being able to warm up and walk the course without endlessly putting the horse on and off the trailer. Its not too bad for me doing British Novice as its usually the first class and so I usually try to arrive just before the clear round starts so I can walk the course for the BN and work out exactly where I am going. The secretary often hasn't arrived this early so I then go and usually tack Jenny up either still on the trailer or have to unload her tack up and then stick her back on again depending on what the weather is like! I then usually go and track the secretary down and put my entry on and then go and start to warm up. I have to rely on other people putting the practice jump up and down too and sometimes it is difficult as I usually want to start with cross -> upright->spread and often I just have to jump what other people have put up which is often a lot bigger than I'd prefer to start on. Otherwise I just get off and adjust the fence myself and then have to look for a good place to get back on (I'm quite short and horsie is quite big so I find it difficult to get on off the ground!) I'm kind of used to it as I don't have a lot of choice as all my horsie friends are dressage peeps so don't want to jump. Saying that the last 2 shows I went to I was really lucky - one of them my friend is a livery there so she helped me warm up and the last one my instructor was there and she warmed me up which was fab - a real luxury to have that sort of help in the collecting ring.
The other problem I've encountered and posted about before is one time I went first in the class, and put Jenny back on the trailer and waited to here the JO order only to find I was first to go in and then being in a disorganised rush to get on Jen with no warm up and straight in the ring. Now if I go clear I tend to just meander round on her while the first rounds finish until I hear the order and then start to warm her up properly once I know when I'm about to go in.
I don't know if any of this is any help at all but it is do-able going on your own but you do have to be a lot more organised than if you have help. I've also made some quite good friends when I've been out on my own - perhaps people feel sorry for me as I've met a lot of very kind people who have seen I'm on my own and been prepared to help me out.
 
I go it alone sometimes and also hate it simply because its pain trying to walk the course as you have to leave the horse at the trailer or ask a stranger to hold etc. I deal with it for BSJA and showing. But really need help at BE things so usually just ask friends or if the worst comes to it my BF is usually quite good about coming (but only if nobody else!).

I have advertised for occassional help at shows in return for free riding on one of my ponies, however had no reply at all!
 
I'm happy to do BD on my own but need/want at least one person for anything involving jumping so I can course walk etc

Usually manage to pursuade OH in the summer but he refuses in the winter so we haven't been very far! Roll on spring!
 
I go on my own loads to SJ and dressage, or did before I moved to current yard. Bit better now as there are more people obviously dso usually find someone who want to take theirs too!
Going alone, I often aimed to be there just before start of first class, and would then walk course, watch a few, and put my number down to jump really late in class (ok at local venues where they usually cap entries at about 30-40, not so great at places like patchetts with 90-odd!!), then then to jump early in second class. Get pony tacked up warm up, jump first class, wander him around til end of class, find a willing victim to hold him while I walk course for next class, quick reminder warm up and off we go!
Very lucky though, as my lad is an angel to hold so can give him to almost anyone to look after knowing he'll be fine. He is also good as gold stood on lorry/tied to side, so he is pretty easy to take places!
 
I do BSJA alone most of the time

I generally go to Summerhouse and Hartpury so you know the venue and life gets easier.

Practise fences means you go with the flow and try not to run over someones dad / monther / other half as they wip out to change the jump before noticing another horse is bearing down on them (yelling helps!)

I then nobble anyone handy to hold horse for course walking. Fotunately mine are very quiet. I have even tied one to the nice plastic rails at summerhouse by the reins (I'm sure they appreciated that!)

However if you have a nutty horse, I think it would be very difficult as you would keep having to load and unload.

Worth noting I am only allowed to go to venues alone, annual shows require a person, as they do not have the facilities to put your horse up if you got carted away by the men in white....
 
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