mrsh2010
Well-Known Member
Eek!! I think I'm still in shock! But since our accident I have found a love for jumping. Some say I've gone crazy.
So the week started with going XC schooling on Tuesday and me having a complete melt down remembering that I hadn't been flat out in open spaces since the accident. After half an hour I kicked myself up my b*** and got on with it, ending on a high by allowing him to go between fences and stringing five together.
So on Saturday we trotted off to Offchurch Lands Eventing, day started terribly, as the lorry broke down on arrive (thank god for livestock and lorry recovery! Otherwise it would have cost £800+ to have got home safely!)
So as little dressage divas, the dressage part didn't worry us, apart from the terrible strong winds that were appearing to blow people off course. The wind spooked him into a rather nice trot, canter, trot, canter around a 20m circle, so we weren't expecting a lot. Ended with 32.5 and were lying in 5th in our section
Into the windy SJ, we've recently been caught with time penalties, so I used the corner as my experiment to allow him more forward, and we went clear and inside the time (!) YAY!! This moved us up to 3rd! (WOW!)
Then on to the part I was dreading the XC, I've only ever in all my life schooled XC and competed in an Arena ODE, so allowing him flat out in open spaces, with someone in the back of my mind reminding me what I was told when I bought him "you'll never hold him in a snaffle" yet here we were warming up in a hanging cheek snaffle.... there was some delay in the starters, so at one point we had 9 in front to go.
Then we were counted down, headed off towards the first fence and I actually had to ride him, he had no idea what we were doing, until fence two, then he came into his own. But fence 6 I was actually starting to enjoy it, we'd had a discussion in the lorry whilst I was plaiting, were I told him that if he came back when I asked, I'd let him go when I could, so 6 up to 7a & 7b was an amazing hill, so I let him fly, he was mega.
Between fence 8 and 9 there was a dip, he wouldn't do anything but walk, so I knew we'd be into the time penalties, but I didn't care, he was happy I was happy. 11 to 12 was a steep hill, so again he choose to walk, whilst I caught my breathe (running machine and exercise bike are back out!) Bit sticky over 12, into the water absolutely flew 13,
then fence 14; the sunken road, by boogy fence, he'd had problems with ditches on Tuesday, One refusal, put him at it again, and he was almost going to go, and we had to move a side for another rider, then he really didn't want to know so, 3 refusals = elimination but we were allowed to go passed and finish over the last two fences which he flew.
Wow - what a ball we had!!
Just entered another ODE! But then got to the field yesterday morning to find all the jumping has gone to his head, because the donut decide in that terrible wind that he wanted to be out with the others, so jumped the 5 bar gate with electric fencing on top measuring almost 5ft!! Thankfully it's just a skin scrap, but means at least a week off - horses!!
Thanks for reading
So the week started with going XC schooling on Tuesday and me having a complete melt down remembering that I hadn't been flat out in open spaces since the accident. After half an hour I kicked myself up my b*** and got on with it, ending on a high by allowing him to go between fences and stringing five together.
So on Saturday we trotted off to Offchurch Lands Eventing, day started terribly, as the lorry broke down on arrive (thank god for livestock and lorry recovery! Otherwise it would have cost £800+ to have got home safely!)
So as little dressage divas, the dressage part didn't worry us, apart from the terrible strong winds that were appearing to blow people off course. The wind spooked him into a rather nice trot, canter, trot, canter around a 20m circle, so we weren't expecting a lot. Ended with 32.5 and were lying in 5th in our section
Into the windy SJ, we've recently been caught with time penalties, so I used the corner as my experiment to allow him more forward, and we went clear and inside the time (!) YAY!! This moved us up to 3rd! (WOW!)
Then on to the part I was dreading the XC, I've only ever in all my life schooled XC and competed in an Arena ODE, so allowing him flat out in open spaces, with someone in the back of my mind reminding me what I was told when I bought him "you'll never hold him in a snaffle" yet here we were warming up in a hanging cheek snaffle.... there was some delay in the starters, so at one point we had 9 in front to go.
Then we were counted down, headed off towards the first fence and I actually had to ride him, he had no idea what we were doing, until fence two, then he came into his own. But fence 6 I was actually starting to enjoy it, we'd had a discussion in the lorry whilst I was plaiting, were I told him that if he came back when I asked, I'd let him go when I could, so 6 up to 7a & 7b was an amazing hill, so I let him fly, he was mega.
Between fence 8 and 9 there was a dip, he wouldn't do anything but walk, so I knew we'd be into the time penalties, but I didn't care, he was happy I was happy. 11 to 12 was a steep hill, so again he choose to walk, whilst I caught my breathe (running machine and exercise bike are back out!) Bit sticky over 12, into the water absolutely flew 13,
then fence 14; the sunken road, by boogy fence, he'd had problems with ditches on Tuesday, One refusal, put him at it again, and he was almost going to go, and we had to move a side for another rider, then he really didn't want to know so, 3 refusals = elimination but we were allowed to go passed and finish over the last two fences which he flew.
Wow - what a ball we had!!
Just entered another ODE! But then got to the field yesterday morning to find all the jumping has gone to his head, because the donut decide in that terrible wind that he wanted to be out with the others, so jumped the 5 bar gate with electric fencing on top measuring almost 5ft!! Thankfully it's just a skin scrap, but means at least a week off - horses!!
Thanks for reading
