Lickle ex-racehorse update, incl a hair raising SJ report!

[Girlracer]

Well i thought as i'd be talking about the new arrival quite a bit i couldn't not talk about the main man in my life. He's doing very well, if being a bit of a toad mainly about hacking out. He got on the wrong side of me yesterday by generally taking the P so we trotted rather a long way home, with me pretty much having to chase him (from the saddle) down the road, nappy little sod! Although by the time we were nearly home i think he'd sort of realised he had to behave because suddenly everything that had been terrifying 10 minutes before suddenly wasn't. I figured nicey nicey wasn't working so this is my new tactic for the Kevin wanna be!

So we've been doing plenty of schooling and he's coming along nicely at home, we had our first medium trot in our lesson last week which he very much enjoyed (any excuse to go fast) and his canter is coming along now. Long way to go but he's getting there, plenty of lunge work to build up his puney muscles too!

Other than that mostly lazing about...

And yesterday evening i took him to my local EC to have attempt 2 at SJ! As some of you may remember my last report was basically we got to fence 4 before being eliminated on refusals, as well as having a refusal in the warm up. He wasn't going forward really and was very spooky. Anyway got him there this time (as always loaded, travelled stood by the box perfectly relaxed ) took him in the warm up, over the first little cross and que a massive excited fit and nearly squashing many children on ponys!

He was the opposite, so forward thinking, in fact a little too much... but that would become more apparent once i was in the ring. Trotted in spooking snorting at everything, so i figured it would be the same as last time refusals etc. Anyway i turned to fence 1 and oh my god, the little sod launched himself at it and ran as fast as his little legs would go! Un-fortunately it was a long straight stretch to 2 before a turn left next to the gate for 3. Anyway i was going far too fast to make a turn, napping to the gate didn't help and we had a refusal although more because we didn't come in straight. Re-presented it and we were off, but far too fast. Eventually we were eliminated because i crossed my tracks too many times trying to pull up to get to fences and eventually having to do a circle!

Stupid horse did not look at anything he flew round, loving every second of it! I had the best fun, as i said it was awesome fun but not particularly effective! So change of bit and the addition of a flash next time me thinks Here are some stills and i'll put the video on below

1-

To the second looking er... keen?

I'm looking where we were meant to go, he's looking the way we ended up going!

It seems my stickability is improving (this was due to a crappy out of control entry - see video...)

And we're off!

"nope don't fancy turning to the next one" i had to go round the next jump do a circle then ask him over lol

Hard to see but despite the speed he jumped this upright nicely

And then it was another turn to an oxer that just didn't happen and we were eliminated. But i'm so pleased he's the opposite to last time so i think a change of bit (back to the fulmer as we might actually turn then!) and putting a flash on will make the difference. I love him he is awesome fun and i think we might get on okay once i'm in control! We will event one day

Video (you may laugh, i was the whole way round!)

http://youtu.be/gDf04ZxQupY

Any CC welcome

 

[Baggybreeches]

Hiya, I haven't got time to do an indepth reply, but until you have more control and he is more obedient you would be better bringing him back to trot between each fence, otherwise you are setting him up to be able to run away with you between fences, his 'default' setting should be to jump and then trot until he is more established. Hope this helps

 

[shampain]

Hiya, I haven't got time to do an indepth reply, but until you have more control and he is more obedient you would be better bringing him back to trot between each fence, otherwise you are setting him up to be able to run away with you between fences, his 'default' setting should be to jump and then trot until he is more established. Hope this helps

I won't go so far as to give CC here, as he reminds me a lot of my little TB girlie, who also adores jumping and used to get rather... excited. But I'd agree with the above comment- coming right back to a steady (ish?!) trot between each jump has really helped calm her down, though admittedly I appreciate that it's not always necessarily the simplest of tasks.
Also, I know nothing about how you jump him at home, but maybe try mixing the sessions up so that you include jumping without the entire session being all about jumping, if that makes any sense? (you might already so this, so I apologise if I'm just writing this for no reason) For example, one thing my we did was set up a small cross and just occasionally incorporate it into the session, popping over it on a circle and then going on to do some lateral work before coming back to it, etc? Although that's only single jumps, it might help make jumping seem more everyday and less exciting, and I imagine you could slowly add a few extra jumps in and slowly tie them together?

 

[Mince Pie]

Hiya, I haven't got time to do an indepth reply, but until you have more control and he is more obedient you would be better bringing him back to trot between each fence, otherwise you are setting him up to be able to run away with you between fences, his 'default' setting should be to jump and then trot until he is more established. Hope this helps

Exactly what I was going to say, in fact I would go one step further and say walk between fences and trot into them, they are tiny Also if he does take off with you then you don't need to give him much of a run up at that height, 3 or 4 strides out should be plenty.
Funny vid though he did look like he was having fun!

 

[Girlracer]

Thanks for the replies, I already do the popping a fence randomly in the school etc andi was trying to get him back to a trot, honestly I was! This isn't his normal way of going, normally if I take a pull he will come back to me not run on, I have plenty of vids to prove that

This is the first time he's jumped in that bit and I forgot my flash that was the problem plus he's obviously just discovered showjumps aren't that scary hehe! Funny boy!

 

[Girlracer]

PS i'm not being defensive this genuinely isn't his normal way of going, and i have been doing everything you've all said lol.

 

[Kokopelli]

My lad used to jump like that! Your doing a fab job with him it's not easy.

He really isn't going to really slow down until he has the muscle built up and even then I think you'll always have a wizzy lad, then it will be about channelling the energy.

Would it be possible to get to a clear round with him? Or perhaps hire a set of show jumps? I know every Wednesday at Summerhouse you can hire the arena which is fabulous not sure how far it is from you though.

What's he like if you put more leg on and then try and collect the canter/trot that way? It's the only way I can go slow with my lad.

Best of luck with him and your new one.

 

[Girlracer]

Thank you KP, they are great fun though aren't they? I'm hoping once back in his normal bridle set up he'll be keen but controllable. I can hire a set of jumps near me, however he has a total mental block over the venue (it's where we had our vertical rear) so i'm staying away for now. I'm taking him to Allens Hill again next Tues and i THINK it will be more successful, if not then at that point we'll have to work on it.

If you watch the practice jumps at the start you can see i am in control at that point, and that's how he normally goes

He struggles like you say because he doesn't have the correct muscle, although is better than a few months ago. We are a work in progress for sure, we have just started jumping with the instructor too so that should help

 

[Kokopelli]

I wouldn't change my lad for the world!

Just sounds like he needs lots of ring experience then, so your doing the right thing. Can't wait to see what he's like in 6 months.

 

[nikkimariet]

No CC from me - don't SJ anymore so wouldn't feel comfortable in giving any. The DR diva in me says keep at his schooling to build the muscle and your approach will be more controlled and balanced, as Koko says, think you'll always have a little wizzy guy!!

As a sidenote, I like the way you ride, and thought it v grown up and wise to circle away + little pat when he refused and napped at the 3rd? jump. He is too cute and looks like loads of fun, I too think he is going to be great!

 

[Girlracer]

No CC from me - don't SJ anymore so wouldn't feel comfortable in giving any. The DR diva in me says keep at his schooling to build the muscle and your approach will be more controlled and balanced, as Koko says, think you'll always have a little wizzy guy!!

As a sidenote, I like the way you ride, and thought it v grown up and wise to circle away + little pat when he refused and napped at the 3rd? jump. He is too cute and looks like loads of fun, I too think he is going to be great!

Thank you NM!

We do an awful lot of schooling, and actually don't jump all that often (probably less than i should ideally) his flat work is really coming on now, i'll have to get someone to video my next lesson. Although my instructor has gotten very strict with us now - it's all too much like hard work. We even had a medium trot in the last lesson as RI thought we were ready. But mostly we are working on transition and his canter, whilst he can be whizzy when he wants to be he's usually the opposite and doesn't go off the leg at all.

And thank you for your comment on my riding, i'm not a particularly confident rider and very much doubt my ability to not ride like a sack of potatos. But i enjoy horses too much to let confidence get in my way, so i do keep plugging on!

I wouldn't change my lad for the world!

Just sounds like he needs lots of ring experience then, so your doing the right thing. Can't wait to see what he's like in 6 months.

Yeah i think so, he's a fast little learner so fingers crossed he'll pick it up okay.