HT ground conditions - will be shocked at those who run

Santa_Claus

Santa_Claus

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www.katiemortimore.com
Went and walked local HT course this evening just to see if by some miracle ground holding up ok (fairly old turf, good grass covering and large stream to help). Well first field VERY hard but even and good grass and only 100m so kept going, Field two which houses majority of fences on the way out and loop back had some give good grass covering and vaguely passable.

Field three concrete at this point had decided no even with grass covering. BUT then walked into next field and I swear I could have broken my ankles several times over had I run across it instead of walked. It was concrete with long grass but the ground wasn't flat it was just completly full of divots. Suspect was grazed with cattle over winter when boggy (looks like should be meadow) and then come this weather its just dried out.

I couldn't even justify walking a horse across the field never mind galloping and jumping.

Can't hold it against the organisers as because unaffil they can't reasonably do much to the going and the venue set up requires this field must be used. At this point I gave up walking the course having not even gone half way.

But i just know that tomorrow there will be a large turnout over ground which is essentially concrete. So seriously are those that run simply ignorant to the damage that they could be causing? there is no areovation etc and grass covering can only do so much. I feel sorry for the horses and ponies that are run over the course as not even fit TB types will be over to run over the top of this!
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Katie
 
Well we won't be going!
The problem this year is no-one has done any rolling at all, no point when the ground is so hard it won't make any difference. Our hay fields haven't been harrowed or rolled as they are every year, first it was too wet then too dry!
So ground which was grazed when it was muddy has dried rock hard and rutted.
We are saving Chocx for the Be events until the ground softens up, rain is supposedly arriving tomorrow which would be marvellous, our fields look like flippin' deserts, all poos and no grass!
All I can suggest is find some indoor jumping.... (or have a weekend off like me!)
 
know what you mean....a a local rc venue to me, has rock hard ground but also incredibly rutty...and lacks a grass covering as well tbh!
 
She is having a weekend off. She has come into season for the first time this year as well and in an arena will have far more potential to nap so going to have lazy weekend instead! Can't wait for the rain but they keep forecasting it and except for the very odd shower it hasn't come!

There is a HT on Monday as well at Blackdown hills but of course the BE event was meant to be tomorrow but that was cancelled. Least they shouldn't have the rutting but wonder whether they areovated or not just for the HT?! Not that I can even go watch really as working!
 
Oh dear
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They should cancel it by rights
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There was the last hunter trial of the season on today, the ground was meant to be like concrete, many of my friends went but none of them rode!
 
I have a HT course to walk tomorrow afternoon but if the ground is like our fields I won't be competing either. Yard has SJing on tomorrow but the ground is concrete, just too hard. Not worth the risk, even at just 2ft9.
 
mmm im worried, i have a ODE on monday and i dont know what the grounds like over there as it is quite far away, and its a 3"3ft course, so will proberbly go and walk it tomorrow to avoid dissapointment if we turn up on monday and its too hard to ride on.. fingers crossed we get that rain thats meant to come tomorrow!
 
to be honest if it rained now the only effect it will have is to make the going very slippery. we need steady rain for at least a week (pref a fortnight) to make a real impact. Ground which is areovated will soften quicker as the rain will soak through to the underlying areas far quicker but its definetly not an overnight job.

Would definetly drive up tomorrow before to walk rather than wasting diesel etc to drive up there on day to just turn round again. It may be surprising and actually runable if old turf, near water, grass covering etc but it all depends on your definition of runable and your individual horse.
 
I'm only doing the CR class at yard tomorrow (2ft6 and 2ft9-3ft; first time ever doing a 2ft9-3ft class
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) because they're on a surface in the arena.

I will probably upset my pair by pulling out but I don't want to risk the horse. There will be plenty of other XC things on after we've had some rain. I wouldn't jump on tarmac, and equally don't want to jump on "grass" that feels like concrete.
 
i'm hoping it will be quite good actually, is at Gamecock barracks by kind permission of the Commanding Officer, 30 Signal Regiment- so im guessing it wouldnt have been used for grazing so ground should be reasonably flat? who knows, will have to find out tomorrow!

saying that, we have done 2 ODEs so far on this hard ground and horse hasn't shown any signs of lameness/heat/swelling/stiffness after xcountry and on the day after- shes very hardcore for a skinny TB!
 
Hi

Hard ground is potentially very damaging and jarring to horses, I think it is each individuals decision and I it is true that some horses prefer firm going and wont go well on soft going.

I think when the grass is there and quite lush and there is surface around the fences/where the grass is sparse then some horses will be ok. Then a lot of hosing afterwards.

Again Zara Phillips knew her horse had been injured before and doesn't go well on hard ground so didn't run, Lucinda Fredericks mare likes firm going so ran and finished Badminton sound, so again, know your horse.

Diana
 
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