Hilltops vs Pauntley vs Deer Park

M

MegaBeast

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Which is the better venue for XC schooling at BE Intro level?

I want somewhere with a nice water and good range of jumps. Normally go to Leyland Court but they won't reopen til mid April and I need somewhere for early March and haven't been to any of the three.

I like the look of Hilltops but have heard the water isn't very inviting. However can't tell much from Pauntley's website and Deer Park appears quite small.

Advice please!

(Can you just tell I've got nothing better to do this evening than contemplate my diary)
 
Well...I would go for Hilltop over Deer Park. Both very nice but a much bigger range at Hilltop- water is ok, not much to choose btwn them, tho deer park has got a new complex with a little jump actually in the water. Never been to Pauntley but from what I hear it is nice but if you have to choose one would go at the bottom of the 3 (...if that makes sense!) Have fun :-)
 
No, no, don't listen to Av
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, Pauntley is horrible, do not take your lovely event horse there.

Hilltop is best of the three but I think water is nicer for babies at Deer park, although the only step in is a bit big. But the most inviting to walk through.

Lincomb is brilliant but I'm guessing too far up for you?
 
What is the water actually like at Hilltops?

She's happy with water so long as she can wade in first then she'll jump in happily enough. Have been to a couple of unaffil xc's where the water was a drop in, railway sleepered the whole way round a pond so no way of just walking in, had to drop in which she really didn't get on with.

Matafleur - where is Lincomb? I'm planning on combining CR at Summerhouse with a XC school in the local(ish) area on the same day so want somewhere within say 45mins of Summerhouse
 
Lincomb is up past Worcester, you wouldn't do it in 45 mins from SH. What about Ampney Down near Talland? I've never been but I know William Miflin sometimes teaches there.

The water at Hilltop is totally fine, I just think Deer Park is more inviting if you've something that's never seen water. From what you've said Hilltop would be your better bet. Have you looked at the pics on the website? There isn't a brilliant range of steps in/out etc but enough to give an Intro level horse a good school.
 
no no no dont listen to matafleur- she is biased hahaha!!! Water at hilltop is very straight forward- you have a choice of wading in or dropping in down a variety of steps from tiny to bigger. Deer park has one run way water which you can choose to drop down a largish step into or splash through a run way, second water is a step in then a little jump then a step out. I would go for Hilltop for definate!- agree with M tho- Lincomb would be ideal if you could trek over there :-)
 
Hmmm, decision time, Lincomb is only about 10 mins further from Summerhouse than Hilltops, however it's only 1hr 34 to get home from Hilltops whereas Lincomb is 2hrs 7 to get home.

Think it'll have to be Hilltops seeing as I'll be doing all the driving!

But will Lincomb on my list of future XC schooling venues as would be happy to drive there and back if I wasn't planning on the CR on the way.

Will look into Ampney Down too.

Thanks very much
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I would definitely, definitely go to Lincomb - whole thing is more "professional", they understand what baby horses need more - other two are RC/PC type places, I agree of the two I'd go to Hilltop but still... Hilltop has the disadvantage of being, er, hilly so there are few jumps on the level which adds a new dimension of difficulty for babies. The distances in some of the combinations are well dodgy so if you do go, avoid those
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The water is fine (still Hilltop), two side by side with slopes into both, but can get a bit deep if it's been wet. Pauntley is fine for what it is but water is a muddy puddle and anyway if weather has been wet it's out of bounds as gets very boggy round it. No training ditches, just a rather uninviting open ditch, very narrow (as in skinny) therefore encouraging babies to go round the side.

Lincomb is designed for pro schooling (fences up to Int/Adv not that that's relevant), at least 3 separate waters, one of which is a 20m run through, nice and flat, so you can walk in first time, then trot then canter through, great for training them to get the idea, they love it
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The others are more conventional water complexes. Nice baby training ditch with wings (like the one at SLM) plus several others. The ground in the fields by the river at Lincomb is perversely almost always amazing, they must be incredibly free-draining. I'mn a big fan, as you can tell, and almost always even from my place would drive straight past both Pauntley and Hilltop to get there!
 
Thanks TD, Lincomb does sound good I must admit, now to toss up if I fancy the 2hr+ drive home, to be honest it's not worse than going to Stockland Lovell which we've done a fair few times.

We had cracked the XC last season but not having been out since Oct she may have reverted to baby horse again so somewhere really inviting would be great, and for the sake of only 45mins extra driving in total sounds like it would be worth it.

Very appreciative of the info re combination distances - it's the combinations we have problems with if we hit snags xc so definitely don't want to put her off so early in the season, if it is Hilltops will definitely avoid as I don't want to be hopping off and on constantly to check the distances, although my mum will be with so guess I could get her to walk them and then decide whether or not to jump!

I presume Lincomb will be open first week of March?
 
if you email or call Becky at Lincomb she will let you know when it is open.

it really is a super place for xc schooling.

we are actually moving our lot to livery there this spring, as the facilities are so great for our young horses.
 
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