Let my horse down..

[humblepie]

The cross country photos look fab and I think you pulled it back together really well, so not letting the horse down at all and getting everything back on track. I have never really evented but when I was show jumping (Foxhunter level) I would seldom jump at home and only jumped small warm up fences. I was rubbish when the competition mode wasn't on. I would do some decent sized grids to get the horse in the air but using a little cross pole at the start to set me up. I couldn't see a stride at home for love or money. Enjoy your training course.

 

[Michen]

The cross country photos look fab and I think you pulled it back together really well, so not letting the horse down at all and getting everything back on track. I have never really evented but when I was show jumping (Foxhunter level) I would seldom jump at home and only jumped small warm up fences. I was rubbish when the competition mode wasn't on. I would do some decent sized grids to get the horse in the air but using a little cross pole at the start to set me up. I couldn't see a stride at home for love or money. Enjoy your training course.

Ah thank you!!! That is so comforting to hear lol. And a good point, we have done grid work at that height. Much easier.

I am one of those that only really jumps a x pole in the warm up ?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Well at least you admit when you have screwed up and don't just blame the horse! Go to your next one that you have entered with a big boot up your backside just before the show jumping and you will be grand! You make everything else look so easy.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

He looks fab in those photos! It sounds like a lot of factors went into making it a less than easy day for you mentally. I’m another that would take it as a bit of a kick up the backside for the next time, especially as you’ve got the chance to train before then. Clearly you’re both more than capable, and now you know you can do it, hopefully next time will feel a little easier. Well done though, sounds like you made the best of less than ideal circumstances!

 

[sheep]

Firstly your photos look amazing and it takes real courage to revisit a venue which holds bad memories!
I think AE summed it up beautifully, I thought her post was awesome.
You have done very, very well over a challenging course and your horse couldn’t have done it without you.
Well done and looking forward to your next report!!

 

[McGrools]

Well done! Your xc pictures are amazing! Go for the 90 the pony is loving it! Xx

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

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.

I feel sure that Boggle doesn't know this, so you'll probably get away with it! There are probably people out there blissfully ignorant or totally uncaring about any poor riding they are doing, the fact that you're prepared to reflect on how you're doing things (if a little harshly judging yourself) and being ready to do something to improve is not letting your horse down in my book.

I am in awe of anyone getting out there in competition. Every time I accompany someone competing my mind just cannot comprehend ever doing it myself. Especially if it involves jumping!

I'm not even remotely near the level you're at Michen but one thing I find helpful when I'm giving myself a hard time with riding stuff is to write things down pretty much the opposite of how I feel about it (i.e. I'm feeling totally crap about how I did but also x went well, y was an improvement on last time, z was good even though I was struggling).

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Genuine question, I thought once you had done a BE 90 you couldn't drop back to a BE80 in the same season??

 

[DabDab]

Lol, 'might be catastrophizing a bit'. Um, yes. You rode a dodgy SJ round, it happens. Get back the feel for the right rhythm in training and then go back and jump the next 90 like it's an 80

 

[Michen]

Genuine question, I thought once you had done a BE 90 you couldn't drop back to a BE80 in the same season??

Can you not? I have no idea! Next few are unaff anyway.

 

[dixie]

I get where you’re coming from re training at lower heights, I’m one of those too ?
I think you should go for the 90 too. You did so well to get round and looked great xc, which is what it’s all about.
I would also suggest getting rid of that photo of you falling as you’ll never get it out of your mind. Or at the very least hide it!
I had a video of me falling and getting concussed. I watched it a few times and then deleted it as I kept thinking back to it. Now it’s gone I very rarely even think about it. Just a thought …..

 

[SEL]

I doubt Boggle thinks you let him down. He had a blast and you're both home safely ?

 

[Roxylola]

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.

Your HHO soothsayer says Do It! Jump the big fences!
In fairness, you did the 90 to make him more rideable which it did so your plan was right. Just unfortunate that you then forgot that meant you had to ride. Easy done in the heat of the moment, but you had a word with yourself and fixed it and all was well.
Bog knows he did the stupid prancing and jumped all the jumps like a champ. He knows that when he reminded you about your job you did. Bog knows he's a winner and couldn't care less about what he could be doing with a better rider, he's having a fab time with the rider he's got thanks. Be more Bog!

 

[ITPersonnage]

Excellent post (Roxylola) go team Bog Onwards and upwards, put it behind you you'll do fab next time !!

 

[Michen]

Thank you all very much (especially HHO soothsayer ). I have kicked myself up the arse and we are going to train this weekend then do the Aston 90 mid August. I will ride my horse properly!!!

And yes, tbf, as much as Bog did seem a bit bewildered after the SJ (this is not a horse that touches poles), from his XC pics he was jumping pretty damn well wasn't he. Will be interesting to see the video soon.

 

[splashgirl45]

you need all of us there cheering you on, good luck

 

[RachelFerd]

Photos XC look absolutely awesome. Unfortunately the only answer to the SJ is to push out of your comfort zone in training and pure SJ competition. I think you always want to be schooling and competing 5-10cms above what you are trying to event at. So BE90 horses want to be schooling over 1m/competing at British Novice, BE100 horses schooling 110 and competing at Discovery, Novice horses schooling over 115/120 and competing at Newcomers etc. Eventing is too expensive to use as a schooling round!!

 

[sheep]

Photos XC look absolutely awesome. Unfortunately the only answer to the SJ is to push out of your comfort zone in training and pure SJ competition. I think you always want to be schooling and competing 5-10cms above what you are trying to event at. So BE90 horses want to be schooling over 1m/competing at British Novice, BE100 horses schooling 110 and competing at Discovery, Novice horses schooling over 115/120 and competing at Newcomers etc. Eventing is too expensive to use as a schooling round!!

This!! I am more of a wimp SJ than I am xc weirdly. So I have set myself a target of comfortably schooling round an SJ course of 90 with at least 1 fence at 1m, hopefully by the end of the month.
Horse has v long legs and happily jumps more or less anything, but he does like to be given a bit of direction and when I get nervous I forget to ride, then it can get a bit disorganised.

 

[RachelFerd]

This!! I am more of a wimp SJ than I am xc weirdly. So I have set myself a target of comfortably schooling round an SJ course of 90 with at least 1 fence at 1m, hopefully by the end of the month.
Horse has v long legs and happily jumps more or less anything, but he does like to be given a bit of direction and when I get nervous I forget to ride, then it can get a bit disorganised.

Yes absolutely. I find the SJ the scariest of the three phases, and am definitely inclined to not put things up that big in training. However, having jumped round a 120 track in a group training session a few weeks ago, the BE Novice tracks I'm jumping have now shrunk slightly in my mind, leading to less panicky riding from me.

 

[GG13]

Its totally understandable to be nervous and I’m sure you’re being far too hard on yourself with the sj round. I often find it feels 10x worse than it actually looks.

ALW is always really nice so I’m sure you’ll have a good run. I think the sj-img is always very up to height, but maybe that’s just because the sj fences always look far bigger and scarier than the xc to me!

 

[Afon_34]

Aston SJ is on surface as you say & their xc is a nice one so I’d stick at 90 for there

 

[Upthecreek]

Yes absolutely. I find the SJ the scariest of the three phases, and am definitely inclined to not put things up that big in training. However, having jumped round a 120 track in a group training session a few weeks ago, the BE Novice tracks I'm jumping have now shrunk slightly in my mind, leading to less panicky riding from me.

The thought of jumping higher in competition than I’ve been training at brings me out in a cold sweat ? I am always training at least 10cms higher, so competing feels comparatively easy, which helps keep the competition nerves at bay so that I can think clearly and therefore ride properly. I have to take my hat off to Michen for having the balls to do it, I know I couldn’t. I would be so nervous I would never be able to remember the dressage test, the SJ and XC courses and remember how to ride ?

 

[Michen]

Meh, well from various replies it doesn't seem all that uncommon a method, so I guess I'll see whether I can pull my riding together for round 2. If not I'll have to do it the way I don't want to do it

There is also something to be said for saving my horse as much as possible, I don't particularly want him jumping lots at home. To be comfortable jumping full stop I'd have to be jumping lots- as in twice weekly. I certainly don't want him jumping more than once a week inc comp as a general rule. By the time you add that in, there's only really a handful or training sessions less in the season, or I stick at 80 for the rest of it.

He's fit, well and sound but I'd like to keep him that way and be careful what he does. He doesn't need to train at a higher level, it's me that's the weak link, so I need to get myself together a bit more. 80 or 90 or 100 to Boggle makes no difference if I just ride him properly.

 

[Upthecreek]

Meh, well from various replies it doesn't seem all that uncommon a method, so I guess I'll see whether I can pull my riding together for round 2. If not I'll have to do it the way I don't want to do it

There is also something to be said for saving my horse as much as possible, I don't particularly want him jumping lots at home. To be comfortable jumping full stop I'd have to be jumping lots- as in twice weekly. I certainly don't want him jumping more than once a week inc comp as a general rule. By the time you add that in, there's only really a handful or training sessions less in the season, or I stick at 80 for the rest of it.

He's fit, well and sound but I'd like to keep him that way and be careful what he does. He doesn't need to train at a higher level, it's me that's the weak link, so I need to get myself together a bit more. 80 or 90 or 100 to Boggle makes no difference if I just ride him properly.

Oh I completely understand you saving him and not wanting to do too much, I’m in the same position with one of mine. Which is why I focus on small amounts of training for maximum benefit. So if I’m jump training it’s never lower than the height we would be competing at as what is the point? If I know he can jump 80 all day long with his eyes shut why am I spending time and adding mileage practicing that?

 

[Ambers Echo]

Katie's trainer never schools them up to height XC. And not very often SJ. She says rthere is no need to jump big in between events and she prefers to focus on technical difficulty in schooling and let adrenaline take you round on the day. No XC faults at all since stepping up to 90 suggests that it is certainly possible to never school over what you compete over.

 

[Michen]

Oh I completely understand you saving him and not wanting to do too much, I’m in the same position with one of mine. Which is why I focus on small amounts of training for maximum benefit. So if I’m jump training it’s never lower than the height we would be competing at as what is the point? If I know he can jump 80 all day long with his eyes shut why am I spending time and adding mileage practicing that?

Yep, but for me I can't just go 2 weeks without an SJ lesson and then go and jump 90/100cm. I basically have to "restart" every time. I need to be doing it really regularly and consistently. So lucky you that you are able to do that, I'm jealous.

The ideal would be to be more consistent and make sure I was training weekly on top of competing.

That said if I can't get the training in (which I don't think I can without making it super regular), and I can't ride him properly at 90 SJ without it, then I will need to rethink and just have fun at 80. I am hoping it won't come to that as I used to be perfectly capable of riding Basil nicely around a 90 SJ albiet 5 years ago

 

[Michen]

Katie's trainer never schools them up to height XC. And not very often SJ. She says rthere is no need to jump big in between events and she prefers to focus on technical difficulty in schooling and let adrenaline take you round on the day. No XC faults at all since stepping up to 90 suggests that it is certainly possible to never school over what you compete over.

Ha, Bog has XC schooled I think 4 times in his life! Absolutely zero need for it.

Interesting re Katie's trainer, my instructor keeps things on the smaller side but more technical too as I then ride better because I have to concentrate more on what I'm doing.

 

[Upthecreek]

Katie's trainer never schools them up to height XC. And not very often SJ. She says rthere is no need to jump big in between events and she prefers to focus on technical difficulty in schooling and let adrenaline take you round on the day. No XC faults at all since stepping up to 90 suggests that it is certainly possible to never school over what you compete over.

We all know that technical difficulty increases as well as height as you move up the levels. Your trainer’s approach is not one I’ve come across, but it obviously works for some. I would not personally rely on adrenaline to take me or my kids around a full up technical BE 100 or novice course. I feel you need a certain amount of training/experience in your back pocket to be safe at that level.

 

[Ambers Echo]

I agree really. We took Dolly in her own to Somerford recently and schooled over bigger fences. More for Katie really. I’m sure the trainer is right that Dolly is fine competing higher than she schools but Katie needs to ride towards fences that look ok to her. I think you always need to balance what is good training for the horse with what a rider needs to feel confident so they can ride effectively and not get tight or tentative .

 

[Ambers Echo]

ETA though Katie is reserve rider for U18s BE90 team and has done a lot of team training. That’s never up to height either. But very technical.

Sorry Michen. Went off topic. But I do think horses are ok competing higher then they school and raise their game in competition. Riders might need a different approach though for confidence