Liking the "theory" of competing... But "reality" is different?

[wench]

Been thinking today at work. As I'm sure most of us do I generally dream about riding my horse instead of being at work, and possibly going on a nice hack, or having a really good productive lesson.

I'm currently only riding at the weekends due to me working away from home. Horse is kept at yard near home, miles away from where I work. When I had my horse near work, and had oppertunity to do something with horse every evening, I felt I had to, and was becoming very tierd and sick of it. (It didn't help that the facilties at the yard weren't quite right for me and my horse at the time, but a wonderful yard!)

Now horse is back at home, I can ride twice a week, possibly three times if I get home at a suitable time Friday evenings! Unfortunately this hasn't worked out quite yet due to me being ill and having been in and out of hospital, been on my horse three times in the past month.

Anyway, so here's the point of my post really. I dream about riding my horse at a competition and having a nice day out. (I like eventing), so a nice settled warm up and test, then followed up by a nice clear show jumping round, and a smooth easy ride around xc... Happy all round, horse has enjoyed his day out, and I've had a nice time. Brilliant in "theory".

However in reality this never happens to me. The horse won't load. The horse isn't in the right mood that day all the toys come out of the pram. Won't settle in the warm up, and then goes nuts in the sj warmup and then deciding it's not going xc that day and bogs off back to the lorry park whilst your still on him.

All of the above have happened to me, not on the same day, not on the same horse, and not with the horse I have now. I know you have to prepare for events, and I'm starting lessons shortly.

However I don't know if I can really be bothered with the actual competing, as all I want is a nice day out to enjoy myself, and every time I seem to go anywhere it all goes wrong, I get stressed, and may as well just have set fire to the entry fee money!

Any comments?

 

[MagicMelon]

Thing is OP, to get a nice day out you have to expect the odd dodgy one to begin with until you've been out enough that the horse is experienced enough to give you a nice day out If you only go to an event very occasionally then no wonder your horse is a bit mental. The more you go out, the nicer it'll get

I'm getting my new horse out to lots of in-hand events as we speak, I'm just in the process of backing her so hopefully by the time I'm ready riding-wise to go out competing, she'll be totally chilled out about it as she'll have already been to lots of parties. That's the plan anyway...!

 

[wench]

If you read my post it says that no matter which horse I've had, or where I have been something will go wrong...

 

[Valo]

How about doing some pleasure rides in between? They're really fun, they get you out and about and help with fitness too but the pressure is totally off.

 

[wench]

With one of my old horses that could well have been a possibility... I did actually do some endurance pleasure rides on him, and he managed to throw a tantrum on those when he was convinced that he knew the right way and I didn't. (I was right he was wrong!)

Wouldn't be so keen on taking current horse on one!

 

[Moomin1]

How about you and a friend heading off to a farm ride where you can also hire an arena to do some schooling before you head out onto the ride - it would sort of simulate a competition to a certain extent, but without the pressure and time constraints.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

If you want a nice day and moderate success you have to be prepared to work your butt off in ****** weather, when you're tired and ill and just plain don't want to and to spend endless time and money getting things right.
It doesn't just happen.
If you just want a fun day, farm rides, hunting etc?

 

[humblepie]

I think it depends. First of all you need a horse that is easy to do, loads itself, no hassle type of horse. That makes the day enjoyable. The reality is more in the work that goes on to get to that point. Perhaps do things like riding club clinics etc to get into the swing of going out and above and then move onto competing.

 

[slumdog]

I sort of get what you're saying. I work my a** off, spend a fortune on entry fees and lessons etc and then usually have 4 faults or most recently forget where the hell I'm supposed to be going. (Yep, twice. Brilliant) it can be the most frustrating and soul destroying hobby.
But do I have fun? Yeah course I do. I'm the most competitive person in the world (husband calls me Ridezilla) but at the end of the day I do it because I love it. Whether I've been dumped at the first fence or I've come home in the money, that's the name of the sport. I pick myself up and try again.

My son has just got a go kart for his 9th birthday, it starts when you tell it to start, stops when you tell it to stop, goes where you point it and doesn't mind being loaded into the van. Maybe you should get a go kart haha!

 

[glamourpuss]

But having the crap experiences is also fun....honestly it is!
Last year I had a disaster of a day at a BE90. I sobbed for 2 hours in my trainers lorry, whilst her dog tried to lick my face. She couldn't walk her her showjumping course because she was too busy telling me that I wasn't the worst rider in the world. We roar with laughter about it now.
& that's not the end of it. I could tell you 101 stories where I didn't ride brilliantly & I got a crap competition result & each one of them would now be accompanied by a little giggle.
It's just a competition, a bit of fun. Yes, I train my hardest & do my absolute best but sadly my horse didn't read the rule book so of it doesn't go to plan I. 'Exercise my chimp' then crack on with the next one.

 

[marmalade76]

Yep, I keep dreaming about getting out to comps again with mine (only small ones, though) then I think of all the work it will take, time and money..

No choice ATM anyway as pone has tweaked something after some serious hooning around the field so is off work

 

[MadJ]

Is it possible your health and hospital visits have had an impact on your way of thinking? Stuck in a bit of a negative rut maybe? Negativity breeds negativity. You need to look at the positives and turn your thought process around.

 

[Queenbee]

But having the crap experiences is also fun....honestly it is!

I couldn't agree more. Now, showing not competing, but as some of you will remember I put tons of effort into two showing outings last year. One as a warm up (was disastrous, stressful and complete nightmare) frm which I came home disheartened and ready to give up, but when I saw the photos of how he looked, it spurred me on to the big county show. I've never been a 'showing person' and I will always be a sj / xc person at heart, but the county show experience, staying away overnight, £100 for travel alone, let alone hiring a stall, entry fees, cleaning products etc (and I'm by no means flush) coming last out of five... Was simply the most amazing and fun experience of my life with horses, Ben looked the business, he looked like he belonged there, behaved wonderfully, we had people from the forum come and watch us.... We came nowhere, weeks and weeks of preparation, so much cash haemorrhaged, and for me, I was walking on the moon for weeks from that, I still get a tingle when I look at the photos. This year we are working on jumping, aiming at a few local shows, my hope is that we will perform a serviceable round at 2 ft 3, I have no aspirations of getting a rosette, I hope we will go clear at some point and that this becomes more and more consistent, but that's it, that's all I want, is to make it out there and make it around in an ok fashion. Knock downs are fine in my book, as long as my boy goes over them and doesn't stop.... Those are my targets this year.

 

[showpony]

Strip it back op... If you can't physically commit the time to prepping for a big comp who cares?? Take pressure off... Maybe aim for an unafillated dressage test or even a spot of clear round jumping... Rome wasn't built in a day

 

[Marydoll]

You take the rough with the smooth,one day youre riding high and qualifying for something,and it all falls in to place, the next your like a meerkat on the xc course, stopped, standing up in stirrups wondering where the hell youre going next, or in the ring done a great round, to find you went before the bell !!
Best one so far is driving 60 miles to a hunter trial and forgot the key to the tackroom on the trailer, in the end we asked to go later, asked around, got a screw driver and took the door off to get our tack, nightmare at the time but pee ourselves at it now

 

[Lolo]

If you want a nice day and moderate success you have to be prepared to work your butt off in ****** weather, when you're tired and ill and just plain don't want to and to spend endless time and money getting things right.
It doesn't just happen.
If you just want a fun day, farm rides, hunting etc?

This, or spend good money finding something that's uncomplicated, willing and relatively talented. But they don't come cheap by a long shot!

 

[Firewell]

To be fair I have a talented, nice, relatively easy horse (who didn't cost much btw). BUT I also try HARD. I ride EVERY day. Rain, shine whatever. I have a 10 month baby and I still ride even if it is at 5am. I plan my rides. I work on the flat and over jumps. I work on rhythm and straightness. I do pole work and lateral work. Even when I lunge I expect my horse to behave, track up and work in an outline. Out hacking I expect him to be bold and forwards, I do hill work and shoulder in along the road. I took my horse to clinics and training shows and treated every one like its Badminton. I do yoga 3x per week and pilates once a week just to make sure I'm fit to ride. Before a ODE I have walked the course twice, practiced every type of fence 10x over and fallen asleep reading Lucinda Green XC book, in my head I know the perfect coffin canter and in real life I have ridden it a dozen times. My dressage is a level higher and so is my SJ. I leave no stone unturned. My horse is fit, he is shiney and my bank account is empty from paying for umpteen lessons, correct saddles, back men, the best farriers and nutritionists, the livery bill is more than most peoples mortgages and even then we only just scrape above average at local competitions. I don't enter affiliated competition unless I KNOW we will do well and I have put in the leg work and I do do well for only that reason.
It is HARD hard work and I don't blame you if you don't want to do it. Take your horse to the beach, or for a gallop over a field! Ultimately it is about what makes you happy!

 

[wench]

I'm not actually aiming for anything at the minute (I keep on eyeing stuff up!)

It was more if anyone is actually in the same sort of "boat" as me... The theory is great but the reality is it's to much like hard work, or when you get there everything goes wrong, which I can well be doing without!!!

 

[VRIN]

I think this domes it all up and made me think 'yep thats why i do it too'

To be fair I have a talented, nice, relatively easy horse (who didn't cost much btw). BUT I also try HARD. I ride EVERY day. Rain, shine whatever. I have a 10 month baby and I still ride even if it is at 5am. I plan my rides. I work on the flat and over jumps. I work on rhythm and straightness. I do pole work and lateral work. Even when I lunge I expect my horse to behave, track up and work in an outline. Out hacking I expect him to be bold and forwards, I do hill work and shoulder in along the road. I took my horse to clinics and training shows and treated every one like its Badminton. I do yoga 3x per week and pilates once a week just to make sure I'm fit to ride. Before a ODE I have walked the course twice, practiced every type of fence 10x over and fallen asleep reading Lucinda Green XC book, in my head I know the perfect coffin canter and in real life I have ridden it a dozen times. My dressage is a level higher and so is my SJ. I leave no stone unturned. My horse is fit, he is shiney and my bank account is empty from paying for umpteen lessons, correct saddles, back men, the best farriers and nutritionists, the livery bill is more than most peoples mortgages and even then we only just scrape above average at local competitions. I don't enter affiliated competition unless I KNOW we will do well and I have put in the leg work and I do do well for only that reason.
It is HARD hard work and I don't blame you if you don't want to do it. Take your horse to the beach, or for a gallop over a field! Ultimately it is about what makes you happy!

 

[Flame_]

I feel that way about hunting. My first thought about it is always the smartly dressed riders having their port and nibbles in front of the pub then popping hedges in the sunshine. The reality is having your arms pulled out all day in the rain and mud, dicing with death climbing through silly ditches. No thanks, I gave up trying years ago but I still always say if I had plenty of money I'd get a lovely hunter for the winter. If you know the reality doesn't match up to whatever romanticised idea you have in your head why do you still bother?

Ps It helps a lot to have the right horse for whatever it is you want to do.

 

[TGM]

Everyone has days when things don't go right, but if disasters happen almost every time you compete then I think you need to analyse the reasons why. As most of your problems seem linked to horse behaviour, are you perhaps choosing the wrong type of horse for your own circumstances? Would you be better with a calm, unstressy type who you can pick up and put down, even if it is not the most talented horse? Is it perhaps your mental attitude at competitions that is causing the problem - do you get stressed and wound up which transmits to the horse. Are you choosing competition levels that are at the limit of your comfort zone, or could you choose a much lower level of competition which might allow you to be more relaxed? Are you sure you really want to compete, or do you feel pressure to do so because it is the 'done thing' or because you feel you need something to aim towards? Do you just like having an outing, in which case can you look for non-competitive activities which you might enjoy more?

PS: I rarely compete these days because I recognise I don't really have the dedication any more - I like to ride once or twice a week and have a sharer for my mare. I have the odd spurt of motivation where I do a bit more, but I have a been there, seen it, done it type who takes it all in her stride. So I can understand the viewpoint of liking the idea, but not wanting to put in all the required effort!

 

[meardsall_millie]

The theory is great but the reality is it's to much like hard work, or when you get there everything goes wrong, which I can well be doing without!!!

Well behaved horses and good days at competitions (clinics, lessons, fun rides, hunting, etc, etc) don't happen by magic, they take hard work and dedication.

If you don't want to do it then don't do it. It's not compulsory.

 

[montanna]

To be fair I have a talented, nice, relatively easy horse (who didn't cost much btw). BUT I also try HARD. I ride EVERY day. Rain, shine whatever. I have a 10 month baby and I still ride even if it is at 5am. I plan my rides. I work on the flat and over jumps. I work on rhythm and straightness. I do pole work and lateral work. Even when I lunge I expect my horse to behave, track up and work in an outline. Out hacking I expect him to be bold and forwards, I do hill work and shoulder in along the road. I took my horse to clinics and training shows and treated every one like its Badminton. I do yoga 3x per week and pilates once a week just to make sure I'm fit to ride. Before a ODE I have walked the course twice, practiced every type of fence 10x over and fallen asleep reading Lucinda Green XC book, in my head I know the perfect coffin canter and in real life I have ridden it a dozen times. My dressage is a level higher and so is my SJ. I leave no stone unturned. My horse is fit, he is shiney and my bank account is empty from paying for umpteen lessons, correct saddles, back men, the best farriers and nutritionists, the livery bill is more than most peoples mortgages and even then we only just scrape above average at local competitions. I don't enter affiliated competition unless I KNOW we will do well and I have put in the leg work and I do do well for only that reason.
It is HARD hard work and I don't blame you if you don't want to do it. Take your horse to the beach, or for a gallop over a field! Ultimately it is about what makes you happy!

Again, think this pretty much sums it up. Funny how the harder you work the luckier you become !

 

[Vodkagirly]

Anyway, so here's the point of my post really. I dream about riding my horse at a competition and having a nice day out. (I like eventing), so a nice settled warm up and test, then followed up by a nice clear show jumping round, and a smooth easy ride around xc... Happy all round, horse has enjoyed his day out, and I've had a nice time. Brilliant in "theory".

We all dream about this - in reality you have either worked amazingly hard or are amazingly lucky to get this.

I've had my horse 3 years and try my best. 2 years ago at an ODE he spooked in the dressage and I almost came off then refused to go back down that end of the arena. Eliminated at 3rd fence show jumping. Went XC and spooked and dumped me before the first fence. He then took 2 hours and lots of tears to load.... I almost gave up. I didn't and booked more training and analysed our issues.
2 years on, at same event we got 25.5 dressage, clear sj then in the xc got 2 stops so ended up no where. We aren't there yet and I was gutted but we will get there - days are much more pleasant now but the more you work the "luckier" you get.
If you want a nice day out, pack a picnic and go to a clinic or a training day with no pressure. If you want to compete there will be lows and sometimes you need to adjust your expectations to be in line with what preperation you have (or haven't) done.

 

[RunToEarth]

That's why I enjoy showing & TCing these days - jolly social day/weekend out with a little bit of competing squeezed in around the edges

 

[wench]

Tc - team chasing?

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

To be fair I have a talented, nice, relatively easy horse (who didn't cost much btw). BUT I also try HARD. I ride EVERY day. Rain, shine whatever. I have a 10 month baby and I still ride even if it is at 5am. I plan my rides. I work on the flat and over jumps. I work on rhythm and straightness. I do pole work and lateral work. Even when I lunge I expect my horse to behave, track up and work in an outline. Out hacking I expect him to be bold and forwards, I do hill work and shoulder in along the road. I took my horse to clinics and training shows and treated every one like its Badminton. I do yoga 3x per week and pilates once a week just to make sure I'm fit to ride. Before a ODE I have walked the course twice, practiced every type of fence 10x over and fallen asleep reading Lucinda Green XC book, in my head I know the perfect coffin canter and in real life I have ridden it a dozen times. My dressage is a level higher and so is my SJ. I leave no stone unturned. My horse is fit, he is shiney and my bank account is empty from paying for umpteen lessons, correct saddles, back men, the best farriers and nutritionists, the livery bill is more than most peoples mortgages and even then we only just scrape above average at local competitions. I don't enter affiliated competition unless I KNOW we will do well and I have put in the leg work and I do do well for only that reason.
It is HARD hard work and I don't blame you if you don't want to do it. Take your horse to the beach, or for a gallop over a field! Ultimately it is about what makes you happy!

yes.exactly! no baby here lol but i work an office job and teach nearly every evening atm and ride 5 days a week and go swimming with NMT twice a week and there are days i just want to sack it all off and crawl back in to bed but the desire to do well over rides it all and i just suck it up and get on with it. If you want it bad enough you will make it work.

I'm not actually aiming for anything at the minute (I keep on eyeing stuff up!)

It was more if anyone is actually in the same sort of "boat" as me... The theory is great but the reality is it's to much like hard work, or when you get there everything goes wrong, which I can well be doing without!!!

cant we all.......

Well behaved horses and good days at competitions (clinics, lessons, fun rides, hunting, etc, etc) don't happen by magic, they take hard work and dedication.

If you don't want to do it then don't do it. It's not compulsory.

agree 100%. luck is not given its made (by blood sweat and tears)

Again, think this pretty much sums it up. Funny how the harder you work the luckier you become !

again, agree 100%.

you need the right horse for the job and if you cant afford it you have to work even harder making the one you have the *right*one. such is life.

 

[smja]

I find it helps me to focus on one small thing that I can do each competition. Last weekend, it was to ride the xc properly - I had a wibble last year and basically rode like a plonker every time out. There's nothing like seeing blips on your lovely horse's BE record that you know are your fault to spur you on!

Anything else is just a bonus, if you achieve your set task. Nothing ever goes entirely right on the day, but don't let the little things take away from enjoying what you're there to do.

 

[PaddyMonty]

Success at comps always comes at a price. Mainly hardwork plus taking decisions that you know will detract short term from the enjoyment of the competition but will give longer term rewards.
Last night I was out schooling the horse I compete (dont own him) in pouring rain despite me having a chest infection and suffering from asthma. Currently on high level of steroids just to make it through the day. Why did I do this. Simple, I have my first lesson on him friday and want to get the max out of it so he needed to be worked.

Between now and June 1st all our BD comps will be in the training section because I cant afford to get points on him prior to the winter champs qual date opening. This really is not going to be much fun at all. I have a horse that on most days can win. Also have a very competitve nature so going non-competive is against all my instincts. However, horse is green and needs to get out a lot before the regionals in August so I just have to suck it up and get on with it if I want a shot at the bigger prize.

Simple answer is competing successfully costs and most of the time it's not the money but the effort required.

If it really matters to someone they will put in the work no matter what.

 

[chestnut cob]

Lots of good replies on this thread.

OP, look at why you want to compete. Because you think you should? It certainly doesn't sound like you actually enjoy it. Why not take off the pressure, do some hacking and fun rides. Nothing comes easily - all of those people you see out there having lovely days and winning, are doing so because they worked their backsides off to achieve it.

Are you sure your horse enjoys the job you are asking of it? And are you preparing the horse sufficiently? If you are continually having bad days with a horse who misbehaves then you need to look at why - and as you're saying you don't want to put the hard work into preparing the horse then that's your answer.

I had a horse who was a PITA before the one I have no - terrible loader, generally pretty ungenerous, nappy.. it's no fun. Now I have a fabulous little horse who loves to work, to go out in the trailer, tries his heart out at whatever you ask him to do (whether it's hacking, DR, eventing, hunting...), loads himself into the trailer because he can't wait to go out somewhere new. Competing a horse like that is a totally different experience! I had a wobble at the end of the winter when I was utterly fed up, didn't want to put the work in, was frustrated that things weren't going as well as I wanted them to. Got a right b*****king from my instructor about nothing coming without hard work, spent a few days having a tantrum then got my a££ in gear.

I've just started BE and it is EXPENSIVE. I am not spending that kind of money to have cr@p days. We have a lesson once a week at least, often 1x DR and 1 x SJ. I pay for my instructor to school my horse once a week, and several times if I'm away. I do the hill work, the fast work and intervals, the extra schooling competitions (popping down to local RS to do a couple of SJ classes etc) in the week or on a weekend when I want a lie in, travel 2 hours in the trailer for XC training at a good venue with a decent trainer, do my work without stirrups that I detest, now force myself to ride when I don't want to, make time to hack before or after a lesson so that horse is getting sufficient work.... and it pays off, because (although I'm only doing 80s ATM), our first BE80 felt easy. It felt like schooling around, because at home we are jumping and schooling a level higher, in XC training he's jumping 90s and 1m with ease. We had a fantastic day at our last event, because I've spent a fortune in time and money preparing us for it.