Laughton Manor BSJA Report, 7.11.09

[MandyMoo]

i'll try to keep this short...

headed off to lauhton manor for the 90cm first round today...

well, first things first - set my alarm clock for 5:40am, meant to leave the house at 6:15am, arrive at yard 6:30am, leave yard in horsebox at 7am, arrive at laughton manor at 8:30am, go in arena at 9am... WELL - that plan went out the window when my STUPID alarm didn't go off, AGAIN

(i really need to buy a new one....) so my mum (luckily) woke up naturally and woke me up, but it was 6:30am!!!

!!! so i leaped out of bed, shoved clothes on, we got in the car and sped to the yard (didnt have time for any breaky

eek!)...arrived at yard at 6:55am...quick rug up/tail bandage/load up (poor boys didnt have time for abreakfast either

but they had hay in the lorry

) and we left the yard at 7:10am...managed to reach laughton manor at 8:30am (including some rapid speeding and red light jumping by my AMAZING mum on a mission, determined to get me there on time

so tacked them up and got on to warm up..

warmed bugsy up first as he was first in the drawn order..he was really lovely and forwards, pinging every fence fab, so i was feeling really confident when i went in, especially after my lesson with Michael Potter on wed. went in, showed him a couple of frightening fences and got a good forward bouncy canter, headed to the first fence, lovely stride, and he popped it fab...came round the corner to no.2 (a red and white viaduct wall thing off a corner, but not much room to see it, and it was at the entrance) - had a perfect canter, leg on, perfect take off, and he slammed on the breaks...*whack* came around again, same perfect everything, STOP...*whack* *whack* *whack* *rear* (elimination bell

oh no...not AGAIN!) popped fence no.1 again before i left... i was SO disapointed with bugsy

i don't know what is happening to us at bsja's nowadays...he just won't jump

he is always fab in the warm up, at home, at my lessons at michaels yard and when i hire out arenas...but when i take him into a comp - he just wont have it... i just feel like giving up

its a watse of diesel, time and effort to take him there and jump one fence...

really think i am going to have to go back down to 60cm AGAIN with him...and re-build it up AGAIN

so annoying...

so, feeling a bit down in the dumps, fetched monty off the lorry, and dragged him to the warm up (only had 7 riders between bugsy and monty...so luckily i was on monty who really doesnt need a long warm up atall!) had a walk trot canter round, keeping him forwards and using himself...he was rather fresh and nicely going forwards

popped a few fences, bless monty - this is why i love him so much, he is just so easy to ride and really a ''sit and kick'' horse, in his fine age of 19 and his bsja expertese

bless him. So went in the arena, got a good forward canter going, went round with a lovely clear

got a bit sticky a couple of times, but i was riding like a pillock - he sorted himself out though

bless his old self!

learnt the jumpoff, and decided to 'go for it' so went in for my j/o and got a really forward canter going (well...forward for monty...he doesnt look fast - but he covers the ground...he's VERY deceptive)...popped over no.1 lovely, went inside no.2 to no.3 (only route available really) got a bit deep to no.3 so had to chip in an extra stride into the 1 stride double

but luckily he left it up and sorted himself out, round to no.4 and jumped on an angle, whipped inside the wall and popped over no.6, cantered round, popped the last two lovely

double clear!!!

2nd place!!!

was rather pleased!! it was very close aswell, i think 1st place was 26.8 secs? i was 27.39 and i think 3rd was 28.2? something like that anyway, but won some money and a nice blue rossette

bless him, why do they have to get old?!

i dont want him to ever have to stop, as he gives me such easy lovely rounds

so very disapointed with bugsy...very pleased with monty

anyone know how to deal with dirty stoppers atall??

thanks for reading...im sorry - i promised to try and keep it short...but i dont think i acheived it

oops... big glass of vino for anyone who got this far

xxx

Monty's round (sorry it's fuzzy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52t0Fx0SoVc

(there is a photo of bugsy over fence no.1 at the end of it, but mainly the video is monty)

 

[CrazyHippo1]

Dont always post but always read your threads as I love your horses! So sorry Bugsy was naughty again - I think you sometimes comment on my youtube with my little black pony? Well she is exactly the same, at home I can jump 1.15m courses without a care in the world, put fillers, water trays and she's fine. Yet I get out for some BSJA and is usually ends in elimination.

I spent a long time re-watching the videos of us at the shows, and in comparison to home there was a HUGE difference...I rode like sh*t at shows lol!!

Would really recommend going and hiring the venue/going for a clear round day and treating it like a show., eg. warm up and go and jump the course at whatever height you normally compete. Then if you encounter a problem have someone on hand to drop the fence to something tiny and just get over it rather than continually circling (my mare would end up planting 8strides away!). Also, I'd go out unaff a few times - I dont know what it was but it just worked with me. I think a bit unconsciously I was turning up BSJA, often the youngest in the class with the smallest horse and thinking I wasn't good enough to be there and ended up riding negatively. I went out unaff a few times, not over that much smaller courses, but just the smaller entries and more relaxed atmosphere really relieved any pressure I felt and the clears started coming back.

Sorry, mammoth essay there! Just wanted to say your 100& not alone, your report just sounds so so similar to my mare. I think the other problem, is once eliminations start to happen you can't help but wonder if it'll happen again...and I know I walk courses and think 'will she stop at that one' and all the negative thinking ends in too defensive riding which doesnt help my stopper!

Anyway, *big hugs and wine*

 

[MandyMoo]

thanks crazy hippo

i do comment on your videos, i love your mare! sounds as if we have the same problems!! i am usually the youngest one there on the least 'posh' horse, so end up feeling out of place and negative

i think what you said is the best thing to do, go smaller and build confidence...i really hope it works out as i had/have high hope for bugsy as he has such scope and a lovely jump (when he wants to!)

thankyou for your post

xxx

 

[Mrs_Wishkabibble]

Well done on your placing.

Laughton had unaff on the evening before, maybe next time take Bugsey there the night before and see if he is any different instead of going down in height again maybe?

Don't get disheartened about it, you are obviosuly doing something right to get the second placing on your other horse.

 

[MandyMoo]

thats Mrs_W

i was thinking about dropping doing bsja with bugsy for a couple of months and taking the pressure off by doing unaff for a while...
i do HOPE im doing something right

xx

 

[jumptoit]

Well done, 2nd is fabby

!

Don't let it get you down, I've been having exactly the same issues, fine up to 90 and then after that she just really could not care. I'm sure things will sort themselves out

.

I'm not sure if you've already tried but is there the possibility of perhaps given him a couple of weeks off jumping and just doing lots of flatwork, then starting him again small and working up?

Hugs and Quality Street or Chocolate Orange - take your pick

 

[SamuelWhiskers]

Well done on 2nd, thats fab!!

Grr horses are so annoying, but as others suggested, go and hire a venue, or just got to evening unaffiliated clear round at a similar height, go through the whole process, warm up and jump and see what happens....

I'm sure its a blip, we all get them, you'll be fine ) don't give up, just try a different method

 

[MandyMoo]

thanks guys...

hmm, jumptoit, i might give him a couple of weeks off jumping, might be good for him, and then i will go to some small unaff/clear rounds and see how he goes...

xxx

 

[KatB]

Well done with Monty, he is such a dude!

Re. Bugsy, it does sound like he is messing you about a bit! As said, go unaff and if need be HC so he learns if he slams the brakes on, he still has to carry on round (and make sure whatever you do he DOES get going again) and hopefully he will soon learn stopping doesnt mean he leaves the ring

What is he like if you really get hold of him in a stronger contact than normal and really buzz him up and get him very strongly between leg and hand? Sometimes taking hold of them a bit means you can feel when they drop behind the leg a little bit quicker, and can resolve it before you;re at the base of the fence?

Also, if you get elim BSJA, enter again HC just to school round so again he doesnt get into the habit of finishing work once he has said "no"!

 

[Meandtheboys]

how fustrating........is it worth asking your trainer to ride Bugsy @ his next few events or someone he can recomend just to try and stop him napping at the entrance, they could maybe give you some tips on changing your approach.

but well done Monty.............

 

[lucemoose]

defo agree with KatB, whenever Ruby has had a duff round I go in asap HC and the comp nerves have gone, theres no pressure so we often pop around clear or without an argument. Well done on 2nd, I hope he carries on for ages with you!

 

[MandyMoo]

[ QUOTE ]
Well done with Monty, he is such a dude!

Re. Bugsy, it does sound like he is messing you about a bit! As said, go unaff and if need be HC so he learns if he slams the brakes on, he still has to carry on round (and make sure whatever you do he DOES get going again) and hopefully he will soon learn stopping doesnt mean he leaves the ring

What is he like if you really get hold of him in a stronger contact than normal and really buzz him up and get him very strongly between leg and hand? Sometimes taking hold of them a bit means you can feel when they drop behind the leg a little bit quicker, and can resolve it before you;re at the base of the fence?

Also, if you get elim BSJA, enter again HC just to school round so again he doesnt get into the habit of finishing work once he has said "no"!

[/ QUOTE ]

thanks

monty is a dude.

yea i think he is p*ssing me about a bit, like you said, he gets to leave the ring and stop work when he gets elim. i was going to go HC, but i had to jump off and sort out monty, and then sort monty for the j/o...but i know i should have gone hc afterwards...just to get him round.

hmm...buzzing him up might work...but he is a very spooky horse though, so buzzing him up might get him a bit too silly?

don't know...i could try it i suppose

xx

 

[MandyMoo]

[ QUOTE ]
Well done on 2nd, I hope he carries on for ages with you!

[/ QUOTE ]

thankyou, i really hope he lasts for years to come!

haha xxx

 

[sassybebe]

I know the feeling you get when that bell rings so well, i've had my horse nearly 4 years and this september we got placed for the 1st time, not just bsja in anything! I've had so many disappointments with the horse and in all honesty i wish i'd never seen him but i could never sell him now. I think your choices are either keep working hard take him back to basics, give him a break from jumping, take him round a few clear rounds where he has absolutely no excuse to stop and you can kick him on from a standstill or cut your losses and sell him on before you completely lose your confidence. Is there anything you do different for bsja shows ie are you more tense, do you try too hard to get him just right? Also are you aggressive enough at the second attempt? i used to do exactly the same as i did the first time and got exactly the same result. Don't want this to sound patronizing its just i'm a few years down the line from where you are and have spent alot of money and cried alot of tears over my beloved monster horse. Well done for your second at least that should prove to you that you alone are not the problem its just that you and bugsy aren't quite clicking in the ring for whatever reason.