Just one more bit of advice needed please

madhector

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I have Jerry entered for dressage at Wix on Thursday, at the moment I am struggling to do rising trot and still cant really walk normally, I could probably manage to do the test in sitting and get by ok, but I wouldn't get the best work out of him. Now I have a friend that would ride him (different one from the weekend
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) I think she would suit him, but after the disaster on Sunday I am a little wary of putting someone else on him. I really want him to go, as he has improved so much in the last 2 weeks, I would love to see the difference in his test. I figure I have 3 options.....

1) Get on and ride him, do my best, probably not do my leg much good, or do the best test, but at least I wont do him any harm.

2) let friend take him and risk the chance of them not clicking (there is no way she can ride him before)

3) forget the whole thing and cancel


Opinions please
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I'm by no means an expert but having a stranger get on and do a dressage test is much different to jumping in my opinion!
With jumping they need to have trust in the rider if they are nervous, which I think Jerry might be, but dressage is much simpler.

I would take him to get him out and about but just wait and see how your ankle is. Don't ride if you are going to make it worse!
Even if no-one ends up taking him in then it won't do him any harm to be in a competition environment and just have a wander around
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Hope it goes ok xx
 
I would leave it until your ankle is better so you can ride himself, particularly after what happened when your other friend SJ'd him.
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Personally I would leave it. Give him and yourself an easy week or two then get back into again. Hope u get better soon and J behaves better next time!!!
 
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Personally I would leave it. Give him and yourself an easy week or two then get back into again. Hope u get better soon and J behaves better next time!!!

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The thing is the last thing J needs is an easy week! the more I can get him worked the better, so if he went then he could have fri off and give my leg a break before the weekend.
 
It sounds like you have already made your mind up!

You seem quite set on him going so I would suggest that you go to the show. Perhaps arrive early so your friend can have 15/20 mins to ride around and see whether or not they gel.

If they are getting on then your horse can have a little breather until time to work in properly.

If not then he's had an outing, been in company but doesn't end up being put under extra pressure and expected to do a test with a strange rider.

My other suggestion would be why not just ask your friend to come and ride for you at your yard on the day of the comp. This way your horse only has to cope with having a different rider. I have not read what happened with the last person but it sounds like they didn't get on. why not just deal with 1 stressful situation at a time? Then when you are better you can go to the shows.
 
She would be taking time off work to compete him, dont think she would do it just to ride tbh.

Im still undecided, I cant give him any time off so either he goes and competes or I ride him at home, so I suppose he might as well compete with either me or her on him. Now just have to decide which
 
if she's good and a sympathetic rider, it'll do him a lot of good, and you'll learn a lot from watching how he behaves. i'd take him.
i almost daren't ask... what happened on sunday, and what have you done to your ankle....
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The little horror threw me off in the warm up, landed on my recently mended ankle and now it doesnt work very well. I managed one more round, but then had to hand him over to a friend as was too painful, lets just say they didnt click and ended the round with 24 faults
 
Right, friend cant get off work tomorrow for the Dressage, so new plan is I will attempt to school him this afternoon, and if we achieve anything half decent without too much pain, then I will take him, if it is unbearable then I will cancel... does that sound sensible
 
yes, does sound sensible.
are you better riding without a stirrup on that foot? i saw someone compete at BD once with permission to go without a stirrup because she'd done her ankle too...
hope it's okay this afternoon and he's a good boy.
 
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