henryhorn
Well-Known Member
Well he loaded slowly and shook like a leaf so we quickly grabbed 36 year old mini shetland to accompany him and off we went. The course is around 50 mins drive and a difficult one with non stop hills bends etc, and despite my very steady driving he was dripping when we arrived. (Charlie of course was bone dry and calm as a cucumber!)
Tied up quietly and once CCJ was ready with the addition of the body protector over her jacket and the neckstrap and breast plate to ensure the saddle wouldn't slip she went off to lunge him. he didn't have studs on as this was his first set of shoes, and promptly slipped and fell over.. He then found his feet, and after some careful assistance from Sunnyways who held him gently and moved the mounting block once she was on, he walked off calmly.
She had left ages before the dressage in order to settle him down, and he trotted quietly round the arena, the poor judge must have wondered what the hell she was in for by all the gear, but apart from spooking at the markers a couple of times and getting totally confused in one of the canters (the horse next to him was cantering towards him and it worried him a bit) he did a sensible if erratic test.
Off to the Sj which was only 2' 3" but had really bright spooky fillers and was full of parallels and spreads. He trotted fine until the second spooky filler when he refused twice, the third time he almost jumped it but skidded (next time we will get stud holes in) and then powered beautifully over the last fence as he left the ring.
She asked to go again HC if possible and this time he cantered in to the fences and made absolutely nothing of them even the one he got eliminated at.
Then he came to the one I reckoned would cause him the most trouble, a black and yellow double with sloping fillers that loads had been eliminated at.
Sure enough he ran out th first time, jumped the first part the next twice and was eliminated again.
C asked if she could try once more as her "jump allowed" fence and he went through it to a huge clap from the watching people.
Two different people came up to me afterwards and said how impressed they were with her calm unflustered riding, I didn't tell them getting flustered might end up with being sent 7 feet into the air by Jacq!
He behaved really well and we weren't disappointed at all. The dressage judges comments were very good and he travelled home much better. Poor devil, he may have thought he was being set away from home like last time and was scared stiff hence the sweating..
Plan now is lots of grid work this week, plus some spooky fillers under the fences, then take him clear round jumping later this week.
He is the first horse we have bred that appears to have the foundation brood mare (his grand-dam)'s incredible jumping prowess, so he won't be for sale.
Many thanks to Sunny Ways, who was a real help today, I tended to keep my distance because any nerves I felt may have affected him, she made the day much easier all round.
Tomorrow P goes into Exeter hospital for his op to repair whatever damage Jacqes managed to inflict on him two weeks ago, luckily when he leapt CCJ off earlier his week she landed on soft arena sand so no damage but to her pride..
Pic in gallery of him doing one of the first few fences out of a trot....Yes they were 2' 3" not 4' 6" !!!!!!
Tied up quietly and once CCJ was ready with the addition of the body protector over her jacket and the neckstrap and breast plate to ensure the saddle wouldn't slip she went off to lunge him. he didn't have studs on as this was his first set of shoes, and promptly slipped and fell over.. He then found his feet, and after some careful assistance from Sunnyways who held him gently and moved the mounting block once she was on, he walked off calmly.
She had left ages before the dressage in order to settle him down, and he trotted quietly round the arena, the poor judge must have wondered what the hell she was in for by all the gear, but apart from spooking at the markers a couple of times and getting totally confused in one of the canters (the horse next to him was cantering towards him and it worried him a bit) he did a sensible if erratic test.
Off to the Sj which was only 2' 3" but had really bright spooky fillers and was full of parallels and spreads. He trotted fine until the second spooky filler when he refused twice, the third time he almost jumped it but skidded (next time we will get stud holes in) and then powered beautifully over the last fence as he left the ring.
She asked to go again HC if possible and this time he cantered in to the fences and made absolutely nothing of them even the one he got eliminated at.
Then he came to the one I reckoned would cause him the most trouble, a black and yellow double with sloping fillers that loads had been eliminated at.
Sure enough he ran out th first time, jumped the first part the next twice and was eliminated again.
C asked if she could try once more as her "jump allowed" fence and he went through it to a huge clap from the watching people.
Two different people came up to me afterwards and said how impressed they were with her calm unflustered riding, I didn't tell them getting flustered might end up with being sent 7 feet into the air by Jacq!
He behaved really well and we weren't disappointed at all. The dressage judges comments were very good and he travelled home much better. Poor devil, he may have thought he was being set away from home like last time and was scared stiff hence the sweating..
Plan now is lots of grid work this week, plus some spooky fillers under the fences, then take him clear round jumping later this week.
He is the first horse we have bred that appears to have the foundation brood mare (his grand-dam)'s incredible jumping prowess, so he won't be for sale.
Many thanks to Sunny Ways, who was a real help today, I tended to keep my distance because any nerves I felt may have affected him, she made the day much easier all round.
Tomorrow P goes into Exeter hospital for his op to repair whatever damage Jacqes managed to inflict on him two weeks ago, luckily when he leapt CCJ off earlier his week she landed on soft arena sand so no damage but to her pride..
Pic in gallery of him doing one of the first few fences out of a trot....Yes they were 2' 3" not 4' 6" !!!!!!