Let my horse down..

[Michen]

And I could kick myself for it. We arrived with minutes to warm up for dressage due to a closure and he still managed a 31.3 despite breaks into canter.

Then the SJ. Two years at at this venue, the only time I’d attempted a 90 on him, we both hit the deck in the SJ (photo below- not from today!!) He went to add a stride with one leg but got caught up in a pole and we fell.

So I was a little on edge as not great memories. Well the SJ was a BE90 and big and twisty. I didn’t think I was too nervous but I went in and chased him round whilst burying him into the bottom of oxers. I’m honestly ashamed at my riding, and gutted as we’d been having such lovely easy 80 rounds. I can’t even post the video as I’m so cross with myself. So a couple of poles but should have been more. This horse has touched less than 5 poles this calendar year in training!

Onto the XC and I felt I should withdraw, did very little warm up and Bog went out and actually for the first time ever felt sticky. I don’t think he actually really was, or actually just “looking” at the fences given they needed a bit more attention at this height, but I was literally about to pull up when he jumped the fourth fence on a downhill into thin air so nicely I thought I’d carry on. I felt like I’d made him lose confidence in me which was completely understandable, but that’s gut wrenching if I did that to a horse so bold and honest. Anyway I don’t know if he changed or I just thought he had changed but after that it was brill. It was a very technical BE90 and he is just so good the more technical it is.

I got totally lost and ended up back by the SJ ?‍ Amazed I didn’t get eliminated!!! Anyway he flew round clear for some time faults which were minimal given the huge detour and faff, so we must have been flying around rather quick.

And how awesome he’s jumping like this after being all but written off to event last year.

So do I drop back down to 80 to improve the SJ or keep at 90? He’s entered for aston leg walls on the 15th and the sj is on a surface. Do I try again at that level or go back and train more and go next year instead?

first pic is 2019 so at least we improved on that ?

 

[brighteyes]

Well, he clearly didn't feel let down - I am amazed you can still go XC after a fall SJ, (rules-wise) but the rest sounds OK. You know him best but maybe a nice 80 might let you both regroup, whilst training for 90?

 

[Michen]

Well, he clearly didn't feel let down - I am amazed you can still go XC after a fall SJ, (rules-wise) but the rest sounds OK. You know him best but maybe a nice 80 might let you both regroup, whilst training for 90?

No sorry that fall was two years ago!! At the same venue. We didn’t fall yesterday at all just had a rubbish round in the SJ with poles and bad riding from me. Edited my post to make it more clear.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I think it depends on your feeling. I think there was a bit more of a mental aspect involved at this particular venue for you. I usually school a bit higher at home than I do at competition (well, way back when I used to event and jump/had a horse for it).

What is your schooling over fences like at home?

 

[Goldenstar]

Nerves affecting performance are very common and the anger you feel after is also normal .
He will forgive anything that needs forgiving which I suspect is not much .
Having set plans for doing things does help .
Being late at the beginning would be the catalyst for this happening just park it and get out again as soon as you can .

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I think you need to take an experienced set of eyes to work you in for each section if going to do the 90 and maybe a couple of sessions training with them before x
Worth the expense in the long run.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Don’t be so hard on yourself! You were nervous which makes perfect sense after last time. And when people are nervous they ride more tentatively and hold for that extra stride etc. That’s not a riding problem - that’s just losing access to your skills for a moment as the anxiety takes over. Same process that leads to people taking their leg off 2 strides out, chasing, chucking the rein at the horse, looking down etc etc. All totally normal. Unhelpful - yes - but now you know you might get tight in the SJ you can mentally prepare for that. I’d stick at 90. The SJ is on a surface and the course is forgiving at A le Walls. And next time you’ll be a lot more confident having banished the demons of 2019.

I think you did brilliantly and what a superstar Boggle is

 

[Michen]

I think it depends on your feeling. I think there was a bit more of a mental aspect involved at this particular venue for you. I usually school a bit higher at home than I do at competition (well, way back when I used to event and jump/had a horse for it).

What is your schooling over fences like at home?

Schooling was/is great but I haven't jumped at home for 6 weeks! He had his hocks jabbed etc and I just couldn't get training in when I want to. I do try and minimise what I do at home to an extent, to respect his hocks, but we have two days of training camp this weekend so plenty of time to jump before Aston.

I/We always jump better at comps usually but we school well too!

 

[Michen]

Thanks guys I should have said- I have a 2 day training camp this weekend (although I'm reducing the sessions down as I wasn't planning to have packed so much in within a few weeks) so I will have a chance to jump again beforehand...with an instructor who knows us.

 

[Michen]

Nerves affecting performance are very common and the anger you feel after is also normal .
He will forgive anything that needs forgiving which I suspect is not much .
Having set plans for doing things does help .
Being late at the beginning would be the catalyst for this happening just park it and get out again as soon as you can .

That is a good point tbh, I was already in that mindset of "oh I've fluffed this" with the dressage. Thank you.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Schooling was/is great but I haven't jumped at home for 6 weeks! He had his hocks jabbed etc and I just couldn't get training in when I want to. I do try and minimise what I do at home to an extent, to respect his hocks, but we have two days of training camp this weekend so plenty of time to jump before Aston.

I/We always jump better at comps usually but we school well too!

I think given the lack of schooling over fences beforehand (not that he wasn't in shape or anything) and potential mental element of it all, then it wasn't so terrible. You both made it around in one piece and it sounds like XC continued to improve on course.

Is it possible to assess things at camp and then change your entry (or not) from there?

Edit: had to edit like 6 times. Autocorrect fails.

 

[Michen]

If it helps I feel like I want to go back out at 90. Which I didn't expect to. Probably because Aston is a surface and generally easy.

 

[Michen]

I think given the lack of schooling (not that he wasn't in shape or anything) and potential mental element of it all, then it was so terrible. You both made it around in one piece and it sounds like XC continued to improve on course.

Is it possible to assess things at camp and then change your entry (or not) from there?

Yes I think it would be easy enough to drop down if there were spaces, or if camp didn't go well I'd just withdraw and re route another week. We had gone around an 80 last week, so we did "school" to a degree but just not at that height at home. But that's not unusual for me, tbh when we did our first 80 this year I was only schooling at 70! And when I regularly did 90's with my other horse I always found it easier to jump bigger at comps.

I know that's not the right way though!

 

[Bellaboo18]

Well you clearly haven't let him down!

Honestly, just sounds like one of those days. Some things are out of our control (road closure). When the warm up is a bit rushed it's so easy to feel on the back foot and you've obviously got in the back of your head about your previous experience at this event.

*But* it sounds like there were lots of positives from the xc.

Sometimes it doesnt look pretty (although such lovely pictures) but you get round safe and sound and you live to fight another day.

As for going for the 80 or 90 next. Things were stacked against you, a 90 is clearly in both of your abilities. An 80 might just boost the confidence again *but* the next 90 will always be a slightly bigger deal mentally. Go with your gut.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Yes I think it would be easy enough to drop down if there were spaces, or if camp didn't go well I'd just withdraw and re route another week. We had gone around an 80 last week, so we did "school" to a degree but just not at that height at home. But that's not unusual for me, tbh when we did our first 80 this year I was only schooling at 70! And when I regularly did 90's with my other horse I always found it easier to jump bigger at comps.

I know that's not the right way though!

Eh, but if it works, it works!

 

[Michen]

Eh, but if it works, it works!

Well, until it didn't, haha!

Well you clearly haven't let him down!

Honestly, just sounds like one of those days. Some things are out of our control (road closure). When the warm up is a bit rushed it's so easy to feel on the back foot and you've obviously got in the back of your head about your previous experience at this event.

*But* it sounds like there were lots of positives from the xc.

Sometimes it doesnt look pretty (although such lovely pictures) but you get round safe and sound and you live to fight another day.

As for going for the 80 or 90 next. Things were stacked against you, a 90 is clearly in both of your abilities. An 80 might just boost the confidence again *but* the next 90 will always be a slightly bigger deal mentally. Go with your gut.

Thank you, maybe I am catastrophising a bit!! I have just been genuinely please with my SJ riding this year, so much improved, but I rode him around the 90 SJ the way I used to ride him around an 80 and I KNOW I can do better. He's so genuine to have even got me around it tbh.

To be fair not one moment of the XC was hairy (well I had to fix a bad line to an arrow head brush before a water by straightening him with the whip), It was just the first few fences I felt like he was questioning me. I think he was just waiting for me to push him on but then insist he got in to the base of it so once he realised I was not doing that nonense anymore he was back to usual Boggle

Thanks though your post makes lots of sense.

 

[Michen]

Don’t be so hard on yourself! You were nervous which makes perfect sense after last time. And when people are nervous they ride more tentatively and hold for that extra stride etc. That’s not a riding problem - that’s just losing access to your skills for a moment as the anxiety takes over. Same process that leads to people taking their leg off 2 strides out, chasing, chucking the rein at the horse, looking down etc etc. All totally normal. Unhelpful - yes - but now you know you might get tight in the SJ you can mentally prepare for that. I’d stick at 90. The SJ is on a surface and the course is forgiving at A le Walls. And next time you’ll be a lot more confident having banished the demons of 2019.

I think you did brilliantly and what a superstar Boggle is

Thank you AE that is super kind! xx

 

[View]

From what you have said on this thread, you had one of those days. And you did actually pick yourself up and start to ride the horse that was with you on the day. I'd plan on sticking with the 90, unless something at camp says definitely not.

Stop being so hard on yourself, you've had a lot on your plate. One of the biggest lessons we all have to learn is to ride the horse we have at that moment in time. Boggle is obviously not bothered, so why should you be? You have not let him down - well done for going with the flow cross country!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

From what you have said on this thread, you had one of those days. And you did actually pick yourself up and start to ride the horse that was with you on the day. I'd plan on sticking with the 90, unless something at camp says definitely not.

Stop being so hard on yourself, you've had a lot on your plate. One of the biggest lessons we all have to learn is to ride the horse we have at that moment in time. Boggle is obviously not bothered, so why should you be? You have not let him down - well done for going with the flow cross country!

I agree with all of this.

I think it's good that you're able to recognize and reflect about your rounds though.

I'd chalk it up to a learning experience.

 

[Michen]

Thank you all. I've bought the XC video as it will be interesting to see if I see what I think I felt early on, and get some feedback from you guys too.

You'll probably all get a laugh hearing me tell the fence judge I'm a dumb blonde when I finally found my fence, and apologising to Boggle for the shoddy line into the water

 

[nikkimariet]

Don’t be so hard on yourself. Even the pro’s get it wrong.

As per someone else comment - being late really upsets me and puts me out of sync with the rest of the day!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Watching video is also good. I've had it where it didn't look nearly as bad as I thought!

I am also another that gets a bit flustered by being late. Probably would've taken me all the way until XC to get my (mental) sh*t together and enjoy myself ?

 

[palo1]

Fwiw, if you want to do the 90 course then you should. Experience tells me that on these sorts of occasions - where somoneone clearly has the ability (both you and Boggle) but a 'bad' day then dropping down often doesn't help in the long run. It can create more blocks and barriers mentally and doesn't really help with any physical/training development really either. You know you can both do a 90 so you should just take what you can from today and move on as positively as you can. Boggle sounds like he did a great job to be fair so it may just be that you need a bit more of something to get and keep you in the 90 zone.

 

[Lexi_]

And I could kick myself for it. We arrived with minutes to warm up for dressage due to a closure and he still managed a 31.3 despite breaks into canter.

Then the SJ. Two years at at this venue, the only time I’d attempted a 90 on him, we both hit the deck in the SJ (photo below- not from today!!) He went to add a stride with one leg but got caught up in a pole and we fell.

So I was a little on edge as not great memories. Well the SJ was a BE90 and big and twisty. I didn’t think I was too nervous but I went in and chased him round whilst burying him into the bottom of oxers. I’m honestly ashamed at my riding, and gutted as we’d been having such lovely easy 80 rounds. I can’t even post the video as I’m so cross with myself. So a couple of poles but should have been more. This horse has touched less than 5 poles this calendar year in training!

Onto the XC and I felt I should withdraw, did very little warm up and Bog went out and actually for the first time ever felt sticky. I don’t think he actually really was, or actually just “looking” at the fences given they needed a bit more attention at this height, but I was literally about to pull up when he jumped the fourth fence on a downhill into thin air so nicely I thought I’d carry on. I felt like I’d made him lose confidence in me which was completely understandable, but that’s gut wrenching if I did that to a horse so bold and honest. Anyway I don’t know if he changed or I just thought he had changed but after that it was brill. It was a very technical BE90 and he is just so good the more technical it is.

I got totally lost and ended up back by the SJ ?‍ Amazed I didn’t get eliminated!!! Anyway he flew round clear for some time faults which were minimal given the huge detour and faff, so we must have been flying around rather quick.

And how awesome he’s jumping like this after being all but written off to event last year.

So do I drop back down to 80 to improve the SJ or keep at 90? He’s entered for aston leg walls on the 15th and the sj is on a surface. Do I try again at that level or go back and train more and go next year instead?

first pic is 2019 so at least we improved on that ?


View attachment 76781View attachment 76782View attachment 76783View attachment 76784

Orrrrrr, you did a decent dressage off basically no warm up, got round the showjumping after a horrible incident there last time out, and had a clear cross country round which must have been lovely and fast if you only had a few time faults after getting lost?

Boggle looks to be flying in those pics, you want to do another 90 next time out… go for it! Stop being so chuffing hard on yourself.

 

[ycbm]

You are way too hard on yourself, most people will never get near a BE90 on a horse! Well done the pair of you ?
.

 

[Upthecreek]

You have some massive positives to take out of this I think:

You got a respectable dressage score despite not doing a proper warm up.

You said your riding was awful in the SJ, but you only had a couple of poles down. I thought it was going to be a cricket score from your description.

Your only mistake on the XC was getting a bit lost, which I think most of us have done.

Nothing terrible happened and it looks from the photos as though Boggle is jumping confidently and having a lovely time, so despite you being so hard on yourself it wasn’t so bad. And you didn’t have any run outs.

I do find your approach of jumping higher in competition than you do at home strange though. It’s the opposite to what most people do! Surely you would find competing less nerve-racking and more enjoyable if you felt better prepared having trained at that level? A BE90 course is way more technical than a BE80, so it’s not just the difference in height either. You wouldn’t get away with not doing it with a lot of horses, so just goes to show how talented Boggle is.

 

[Michen]

You are way too hard on yourself, most people will never get near a BE90 on a horse! Well done the pair of you ?
.

Thanks, I know I probably am but he’s such a good horse and realistically with a decent jockey would be out at BE100, probably novice, flying around and probably also picking up plenty of rosettes.

Though that said he probably wouldn’t have made it to his 9 years under that kind of pressure ?

 

[Michen]

You have some massive positives to take out of this I think:

You got a respectable dressage score despite not doing a proper warm up.

You said your riding was awful in the SJ, but you only had a couple of poles down. I thought it was going to be a cricket score from your description.

Your only mistake on the XC was getting a bit lost, which I think most of us have done.

Nothing terrible happened and it looks from the photos as though Boggle is jumping confidently and having a lovely time, so despite you being so hard on yourself it wasn’t so bad. And you didn’t have any run outs.

I do find your approach of jumping higher in competition than you do at home strange though. It’s the opposite to what most people do! Surely you would find competing less nerve-racking and more enjoyable if you felt better prepared having trained at that level? A BE90 course is way more technical than a BE80, so it’s not just the difference in height either. You wouldn’t get away with not doing it with a lot of horses, so just goes to show how talented Boggle is.

Thank you. Yes I know it’s odd, I have always been like that. I just generally “rise” to the occasion when jumping out and about. Whereas at home unless I force myself into the bigger group etc I’ll always choose a lower level at a thing like a camp. I also prefer the feel I get from jumping Bog when out, as sometimes at home he’s just a bit casual.

I wouldn’t take Bog out at that higher level without knowing his capabilities though, he’s done BE90s and a 100 and SJ at 90/100 with his semi pro rider so he’s got the mileage albiet it was a couple of years ago now. The SJ was a complete reflection of me, not at all him, who if I had just simply sat and turned would have done a far better round than what I did which was completely over ride.

I hadn’t thought about the Sj being more technical! Good point.

 

[Michen]

Orrrrrr, you did a decent dressage off basically no warm up, got round the showjumping after a horrible incident there last time out, and had a clear cross country round which must have been lovely and fast if you only had a few time faults after getting lost?

Boggle looks to be flying in those pics, you want to do another 90 next time out… go for it! Stop being so chuffing hard on yourself.

Thank you! Right I will. We will go to Aston and I will not ride like a pleb and I will tell Boggle daily until then what a king he is ?

 

[splashgirl45]

from your previous videos you both looked like it was easy, you could drop down to 80 and cruise round easily or you could do the 90 which i think you could also sail round easily, dont forget you went clear c/c and only had time faults which you knew you would get after losing your way....depends how you feel, you are both more than capable of doing the 90 but if you really dont feel like you want to, theres no shame in having a confidence giving run. i would be extremely happy (and surprised) if i completed an 80 fault free so you are doing brilliantly whatever you decide...