Cash
Well-Known Member
(this should probably be in CR but those who've said they like C have said so in here 
)
Sooo today was my first hunter trial with my TB- it was definitely not what you'd call a 'good' result on paper but we both had a great time and I'm very pleased with him!! 
Summary: I did two classes, both v small (2'6) but thought it was best to stick to smaller as we've only done cross country schooling a couple of times before, and we are by no means good at everything yet
Warmed up well, felt great (very cheerful and exuberant ). We had a few refusals, but got over everything second time round- I'm pretty much certain that the ones we had trouble with (inc a step and a sunken road) will just take practice practice practice, until he totally trusts me enough to chuck himself off ledges and so on at my bidding The rest of the time he was totally loving it- very speedy but in a rhythm, felt so eager and keen, he'd lock onto a fence from miles off Helped me out when I rode like a fool at times too!
The next class was much the same, trouble at the steps and sunken road again but good pretty much everywhere else- including through the water which I am thrilled about- the first time I went XC schooling with him, when i'd just got him, he was very reluctant to go in and I had quite a struggle, but all he needed this time was some vocal encouragement and he cantered straight through!! I think that shows the improvement in trust between us- I love the fact that he tries so hard to do things he doesn't particularly feel too keen about, he is really eager to please and it's really rewarding. And even at the end of class 2 he was still standing off everything, and jumping about two feet higher
I am so pleased, as I enjoyed myself, and he definitely did too- as we were waiting to start the second time, the starter began to count down from 15, and C immediately started hopping around and twirling as if he couldn't wait to go Soo like I said, not good on paper but I don't mind, I finished feeling really optimistic that after the couple of years on horses who weren't really any fun (one napped badly whenever he felt like it-most of the time- and the other basically lacked any enthusiasm and didn't enjoy the stuff I did) and made XC stressful (and often painful 
) I've finally got one who loves to do it, and is definitely capable of improving- just like me!
Sorry for that essay ('summary'- yea right), here's a pic. Will post the others once i've got them off my phone, and once the professional ones are up. For some reason I appear to have forgotten how to ride
so excuse my cr*ppy position.
This was the last fence, to give you an idea of his never fading enthusiasm (love this horse!!)
)Sooo today was my first hunter trial with my TB- it was definitely not what you'd call a 'good' result on paper
but we both had a great time and I'm very pleased with him!! Summary: I did two classes, both v small (2'6) but thought it was best to stick to smaller as we've only done cross country schooling a couple of times before, and we are by no means good at everything yet
Warmed up well, felt great (very cheerful and exuberant
). We had a few refusals, but got over everything second time round- I'm pretty much certain that the ones we had trouble with (inc a step and a sunken road) will just take practice practice practice, until he totally trusts me enough to chuck himself off ledges and so on at my bidding The rest of the time he was totally loving it- very speedy but in a rhythm, felt so eager and keen, he'd lock onto a fence from miles off Helped me out when I rode like a fool at times too! The next class was much the same, trouble at the steps and sunken road again but good pretty much everywhere else- including through the water which I am thrilled about- the first time I went XC schooling with him, when i'd just got him, he was very reluctant to go in and I had quite a struggle, but all he needed this time was some vocal encouragement and he cantered straight through!!
I think that shows the improvement in trust between us- I love the fact that he tries so hard to do things he doesn't particularly feel too keen about, he is really eager to please and it's really rewarding. And even at the end of class 2 he was still standing off everything, and jumping about two feet higher I am so pleased, as I enjoyed myself, and he definitely did too- as we were waiting to start the second time, the starter began to count down from 15, and C immediately started hopping around and twirling as if he couldn't wait to go
Soo like I said, not good on paper but I don't mind, I finished feeling really optimistic that after the couple of years on horses who weren't really any fun (one napped badly whenever he felt like it-most of the time- and the other basically lacked any enthusiasm and didn't enjoy the stuff I did) and made XC stressful (and often painful ) I've finally got one who loves to do it, and is definitely capable of improving- just like me! Sorry for that essay ('summary'- yea right), here's a pic. Will post the others once i've got them off my phone, and once the professional ones are up. For some reason I appear to have forgotten how to ride
so excuse my cr*ppy position.This was the last fence, to give you an idea of his never fading enthusiasm
(love this horse!!)
