Pidgeon
Well-Known Member
Ok am after some serious advice now from the likes of Kerilli, Sarah Jane, Nicky M etc whose advice I take on board.
As some of you may have been aware I've had problems with the XC pace esp at Eland this year not that we've done much but still! So swapped his drop noseband for a mexican grackle which I had tried years ago but was too harsh and killed his enthusiasm for jumping. So have been using the grackle for a couple of months now but due to the damn weather haven't done as much XC as I'd have liked. Done a couple of events at Eland and some XC schooling at Eland and Woodside.
Touch wood all seemed well and I could control him in it but most importantly it didn't kill his enthusiasm and he still took me to a fence.
Well today has proved the grackle is obv too much as we did the Novice HT at Eland again. He knows his way round very well as I'm too chicken to do the Int as its a mix of the intro and PN fences
So nice and keen and into the start box we went, nicely over 1, jumped 2 at the far right to avoid the cut up take off and off to fence 3, he was taking me nicely but was trying to set the pace a little too quick so I checked him going in and told him not to take off from silly stride away so like he does when I ask he put a short one in, however I wasn't sure if he was going to take off as he thought I'd asked him too much so we kind of got over the fence but due to the drop I came off on landing. I knew as we scrambled over I wasn't going to be with him when we landed ho hum thank god for body protectors.
Dusted myself and got back on not before putting the bogey on the fence as the next rider came off before the fence, and the person after her came off at fence 4!
So it would appear that the grackle is as I thought just a tad too harsh for him as when I nicely ask him to woah he woah's too much
So do I go back to drop and put him in boot camp or can you recommend anything else?
Please be nice as had a **** week at work, shoulder still sore as hell and popping ibuprofen like smarters from the other week, Pidge caught his leg on the brush so has a nice gouge out of his leg - would have been worse with no boots on, and some **** came over the white line on the way home and smashed the lorries side mirror to bits.
Apologies to dilmil123 who I chatted to on the way back, I forgot to say hi properly, sorry x
As some of you may have been aware I've had problems with the XC pace esp at Eland this year not that we've done much but still! So swapped his drop noseband for a mexican grackle which I had tried years ago but was too harsh and killed his enthusiasm for jumping. So have been using the grackle for a couple of months now but due to the damn weather haven't done as much XC as I'd have liked. Done a couple of events at Eland and some XC schooling at Eland and Woodside.
Touch wood all seemed well and I could control him in it but most importantly it didn't kill his enthusiasm and he still took me to a fence.
Well today has proved the grackle is obv too much as we did the Novice HT at Eland again. He knows his way round very well as I'm too chicken to do the Int as its a mix of the intro and PN fences
So nice and keen and into the start box we went, nicely over 1, jumped 2 at the far right to avoid the cut up take off and off to fence 3, he was taking me nicely but was trying to set the pace a little too quick so I checked him going in and told him not to take off from silly stride away so like he does when I ask he put a short one in, however I wasn't sure if he was going to take off as he thought I'd asked him too much so we kind of got over the fence but due to the drop I came off on landing. I knew as we scrambled over I wasn't going to be with him when we landed ho hum thank god for body protectors.
Dusted myself and got back on not before putting the bogey on the fence as the next rider came off before the fence, and the person after her came off at fence 4!
So it would appear that the grackle is as I thought just a tad too harsh for him as when I nicely ask him to woah he woah's too much
So do I go back to drop and put him in boot camp or can you recommend anything else?
Please be nice as had a **** week at work, shoulder still sore as hell and popping ibuprofen like smarters from the other week, Pidge caught his leg on the brush so has a nice gouge out of his leg - would have been worse with no boots on, and some **** came over the white line on the way home and smashed the lorries side mirror to bits.
Apologies to dilmil123 who I chatted to on the way back, I forgot to say hi properly, sorry x
Last edited: