MontyandZoom
Well-Known Member
Zoom will be going to France in September to live with my parents as I am going to uni. I was feeling really positive for our last ever hunter trial on Sunday.
We entered the 2'6 class and it was a challenging course with lots of interesting things, in and out of woodland, a ditch, two drop fences, steps and a bank with a two stride double on top.
The box was very tight and so they let me go from outside the box as Zoom's one eye means she doesn't like narrow gaps. She was quite backwards to the first, a small WH style pole jump but popped it. On to 2 which was a rail with a drop going into the woods. She backed off miles away and a stop
it was very dark in the woods and she seems to really have trouble with light to dark. Circled, LOTS of leg and popped it. Lots of twists and turns in the woods, 3 was a tiny log pile on a down hill slope. Zoom was being very silly and not listening 
We careered down the hill huge jump and almost ran over the photographer 
Gave her a good talking to and she came back to me 
4 was an up to height chair, I bloody hate chairs
I rode very positively though and she flew it. Over an open ditch at 5 no bother. 6 was a wierd kind of ditch/dip thing and she leapt it and then up a hill in the woods. There were lots of tree roots and she was jumping them like they were 3foot spreads 
7 was an upright rail back into the open fields. Then a gallop across the field and back into the woods over green barrels with a drop on landing. MUCH more confident over those Finally getting into a rhythm. Through the woods and up over some more barrels into another field. Got a great jump over a hanging log in the field (and a great photo ) then we had to double-back on ourselves. There was a bank which was a steep slope to an upright, two strides to another upright to drop off the bank. This is where it all went wrong
She napped on the turn back to the start and then wasn't reallly going forwards up the bank. She went to take off, then changed her mind and so got her fronts over but not her backs. She panicked and dragged her back legs through the jump. Luckily the top rail came off as it was adjustable. They allowed me to continue but Zoom wouldn't go near the next jump. She was really wound up. They said I could continue as a schooling round.
Unfortunately the next was a trakener Two dirty stops there so went round to the big tyres. They were VERY big but simple so thought she would go........two dirty stops and I called it a day.
Put my hand up and headed back across the field feeling terrible. I then spotted a small log jump from the previous class which was just in front of the last jump from my class (a small hayrack). I checked with jump judges and popped over the log, really attacked the hayrack and had a lovely jump and then cantered across the finish with huge pats (got some lovely encouragement over the tannoy).
Went back to the lorry, stripped her and washed her down, gave her a drink, then closed myself in the lorry and cried.
Not at all disappointed with her, these things happen. It just would have been great to go out on a high! However, Zoom owes me nothing. The £1 polo pony that has one eye and has never jumped has got this crappy novice rider who is afraid of jumping going to actual competitions!! I really love her to bits, she is such a special girl.
I am going to go schooling next week over some tiddly jumps to get her confidence back. Got a SUPERB photo over the hanging log so will post when they are up.
Hobnobs and choccies for anyone who bothered to read this!
We entered the 2'6 class and it was a challenging course with lots of interesting things, in and out of woodland, a ditch, two drop fences, steps and a bank with a two stride double on top.
The box was very tight and so they let me go from outside the box as Zoom's one eye means she doesn't like narrow gaps. She was quite backwards to the first, a small WH style pole jump but popped it. On to 2 which was a rail with a drop going into the woods. She backed off miles away and a stop
it was very dark in the woods and she seems to really have trouble with light to dark. Circled, LOTS of leg and popped it. Lots of twists and turns in the woods, 3 was a tiny log pile on a down hill slope. Zoom was being very silly and not listening We careered down the hill huge jump and almost ran over the photographer Gave her a good talking to and she came back to me 4 was an up to height chair, I bloody hate chairs
I rode very positively though and she flew it. Over an open ditch at 5 no bother. 6 was a wierd kind of ditch/dip thing and she leapt it and then up a hill in the woods. There were lots of tree roots and she was jumping them like they were 3foot spreads 7 was an upright rail back into the open fields. Then a gallop across the field and back into the woods over green barrels with a drop on landing. MUCH more confident over those
Finally getting into a rhythm. Through the woods and up over some more barrels into another field. Got a great jump over a hanging log in the field (and a great photo ) then we had to double-back on ourselves. There was a bank which was a steep slope to an upright, two strides to another upright to drop off the bank. This is where it all went wrong She napped on the turn back to the start and then wasn't reallly going forwards up the bank. She went to take off, then changed her mind and so got her fronts over but not her backs. She panicked and dragged her back legs through the jump. Luckily the top rail came off as it was adjustable. They allowed me to continue but Zoom wouldn't go near the next jump. She was really wound up. They said I could continue as a schooling round.
Unfortunately the next was a trakener
Two dirty stops there so went round to the big tyres. They were VERY big but simple so thought she would go........two dirty stops and I called it a day. Put my hand up and headed back across the field feeling terrible. I then spotted a small log jump from the previous class which was just in front of the last jump from my class (a small hayrack). I checked with jump judges and popped over the log, really attacked the hayrack and had a lovely jump and then cantered across the finish with huge pats (got some lovely encouragement over the tannoy
).Went back to the lorry, stripped her and washed her down, gave her a drink, then closed myself in the lorry and cried.
Not at all disappointed with her, these things happen. It just would have been great to go out on a high! However, Zoom owes me nothing. The £1 polo pony that has one eye and has never jumped has got this crappy novice rider who is afraid of jumping going to actual competitions!!
I really love her to bits, she is such a special girl.I am going to go schooling next week over some tiddly jumps to get her confidence back. Got a SUPERB photo over the hanging log so will post when they are up.
Hobnobs and choccies for anyone who bothered to read this!
