Christmas Crumpet
Well-Known Member
After a real blip last Saturday yesterday was a total pleasure.
Last Sat I was gateshutting (again) and Happy was NOT happy at all. He hated being held back and it was bitingly cold and he got his knickers in such a twist and just would not settle. It was a bit disappointing given what a star he's been the last couple of times. I felt at any moment he was ready to send me into orbit and that was just at the meet!!
Yesterday however he was fantastic. We hacked to the meet and he stood eating grass at the meet (I think its just easier to let him eat to take his mind off all that's going on - probably a cop out but still!). Moved off and he was great all day. Hounds ran and ran and we had brakes, he jumped about 25 fences - some of which were really trappy like a post and rail which was jumped off a really steep hill so the horses were right on their forehands and he popped it out of a trot. He did get stuck over one which was a little rail off the top of a bank onto a concrete track - not my favourite of jumps at the best of times. He got one front leg over and the other left behind but just clambered over. I was right behind the field master and she said the amount of people whose horses had somersaulted over it in the past was amazing and what a clever horse Happy was to clamber over and not get stressed about it.
The last jump we did (just after rail clambering incident) was a socking great post and rails in a very dark corner of a field and we cantered in very quietly and he absolutely flew it. Didn't realise how big it was or quite how big the drop was till we were mid air.
Delighted is an understatement. I adored him yesterday!! Roll on next Sat.
Last Sat I was gateshutting (again) and Happy was NOT happy at all. He hated being held back and it was bitingly cold and he got his knickers in such a twist and just would not settle. It was a bit disappointing given what a star he's been the last couple of times. I felt at any moment he was ready to send me into orbit and that was just at the meet!!
Yesterday however he was fantastic. We hacked to the meet and he stood eating grass at the meet (I think its just easier to let him eat to take his mind off all that's going on - probably a cop out but still!). Moved off and he was great all day. Hounds ran and ran and we had brakes, he jumped about 25 fences - some of which were really trappy like a post and rail which was jumped off a really steep hill so the horses were right on their forehands and he popped it out of a trot. He did get stuck over one which was a little rail off the top of a bank onto a concrete track - not my favourite of jumps at the best of times. He got one front leg over and the other left behind but just clambered over. I was right behind the field master and she said the amount of people whose horses had somersaulted over it in the past was amazing and what a clever horse Happy was to clamber over and not get stressed about it.
The last jump we did (just after rail clambering incident) was a socking great post and rails in a very dark corner of a field and we cantered in very quietly and he absolutely flew it. Didn't realise how big it was or quite how big the drop was till we were mid air.
Delighted is an understatement. I adored him yesterday!! Roll on next Sat.