Rambo
Well-Known Member
So our run of SJ'ing mediocrity continues.....
Went to Golden Cross on saturday for the Blue Chip qualifier...Equinox Novice to be precise...with Trike, and just to run Bo round a 1m class to 'see'.
Well, jumping DC's with Trike has become a bit of a habit of late, so it's always good to remember that they're not machines and that you have to do some work as the rider occasionallt too
The course was a fairly strong 90cms and being Golden Cross was perhaps a little more technical than some of the tracks we've been jumping of late. The main area of concern was the final line of a double (parallel to upright on a very long one stride) then 4 or 5 strides to the last fence...and upright on a dogleg that appeared to be built very snugly into the corner
Anyway, Trike warmed up well...seemed to be very happy to be out and was jumping big and forward
Our turn came and we started our round. He's been inside at GC many times before...but still managed to throw a huge spook at the far end of the school on his way to the first fence...but no matter, he recovered and got a good shoot to the first which set him perfectly for the second
He felt as though he'd matured as I was able to shorten or lengthen his as I needed...something that hasn't always been possible in the past ! So, round to three and four nicely then a line of double of uprights on one stride to an oxer on three. Again he gave me a lovely shot going into the double and the oxer just flowed...wow!...where has this horse been all my life lol! Round to seven and I made my first small mistake...I took a pull going into another oxer which in itself may not sound too bad, but it did break the rhythm slightly...putting us on a slightl backward stride to eight. Two backwards fences is enough to destroy a round with Trike and we were coming round to the final line now and I knew I couldn't afford to be backwards again, so wound him up off the corner and got a decent shot going in over the oxer...but even on that good stride he found the distance long and hesitated slightly before jumping out over the upright...onto the last fence and we were clear so far
We'd got a bit ragged through the double and both of us were starting to blow a little, and we were a bit crooked coming to the fence.....and I have to hold my hands up at this point and say I dropped him and hoped he'd sort himself out as were a little long.....but for once the genuine horse that he normally is deserted, and he put down again and said nah ! A real gutter to have a stop at the last fence...and in a class that I had high hopes for him in too as he'd managed to qualify last year when he wasn't going half as well...but there you go...that's SJ'ing
Now onto Bo....who as you may be aware has not been a completely happy bunny lately. Anyway, I hoped that I had found the problem earlier in the week when I noticed his saddle had dropped on his withers quite badly. The saddler hadn't been out yet but I do have a couple of spare saddles, one of which seemed to fit him much better
I'd ridden him in it at home a couple of times and noticed he seemed to have got some of his spring back in his step, so thought we'd experiment around a small track to see if the improvement continued over fences. He warmed up nicely enough and jumped the practice fence well...no sign of the hesitation that had crept in in previous weeks. I did still feel that he was perhaps jumping a little flatter than I would have liked, but I guess if he's been worrying about things coming down on his back then it's logical that he might still be trying t avoid going 'up' more than he has too !? I was just finishing my warm-up when I heard them calling my number....I hadn't even watched one go so was feeling a little flustered as I entered the ring. The bell went straight away and I was off round to the first before I really even realised where I was
I'm sure Bo was as taken aback as I was, and he felt half asleep as he dragged his toes over the front and back rails of the first fence.....and I heard the thud of the pole hitting te sand
Never a great incentive having the first fence down, but after that we both woke up a little and he jumped a decent round from there on for just the four faults. On a positive note, there was no hesitancy, and OH said he looked a lot happier than he had done last time out....so maybe, just maybe, we have got to the bottom of the problem and can move forward from here. He still didn't feel as full of energy as I would have liked so a minor tweak to his feed regime has been implemented too. Watch this space
Went to Golden Cross on saturday for the Blue Chip qualifier...Equinox Novice to be precise...with Trike, and just to run Bo round a 1m class to 'see'.
Well, jumping DC's with Trike has become a bit of a habit of late, so it's always good to remember that they're not machines and that you have to do some work as the rider occasionallt too
Now onto Bo....who as you may be aware has not been a completely happy bunny lately. Anyway, I hoped that I had found the problem earlier in the week when I noticed his saddle had dropped on his withers quite badly. The saddler hadn't been out yet but I do have a couple of spare saddles, one of which seemed to fit him much better
