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

[JFTDWS]

Part of me sympathises, OP. I just want one good day - I've worked hard with F for years, I've put so much into him (literally blood, sweat and tears!), I've accepted his limitations, adjusted my own aspirations and repeatedly kicked myself up the arse about it. I just want one day where we go out and don't mess it up. I'm naturally competitive and I just want to win - something, anything, just once! - to make me feel like it's not been an absolute waste of time.

But life isn't like that - horses aren't like that. You take what you're offered, and sometimes that's being happy with a more modest success (decent %, clear round, whatever) or just looking at how your horse is going and realising that it has been worth it, regardless of competitive success. And ultimately, if you keep working at it, by the law of averages one day you'll have a good day (unless you're doing something wildly wrong ).

But that all hinges on knuckling down to do the work, in the first place. Getting on and working through even when you feel like death / it's peeing down / you'd rather be in the pub. Going running / swimming / to the gym instead of watching tv with a bag of donuts because you need to sort out your own fitness too. Paying through the nose to compete because you need the experience. Because ultimately, if it was easy, it wouldn't be worth doing.

 

[vam]

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!

This really (but without the baby and yoga lol) as it is the journey and training that I really enjoy, the actual comps I enjoy regardless of how I do because I now that I will have something to work on after. That I can focus on something and work and train for the next comp. I know how frustrating it can be when it all goes pear shaped at a comp but that pushes me to work harder.

Current horse is broken, I haven’t ridden in over seven months and if he comes back into work in the next few months he will only be a hacker. Gutted is an understatement. I’ve worked my butt off to get a horse that was far too good for me and had more talent than I knew what to do with, into a horse that I could ride well and I felt would jump anything I put in front of him, the feel he gave me on a good day was breath taking. Now I'm at a point where I'm climbing the walls for lack of a horse to ride, for not having a focus and comps that I can train and work towards, I miss the hard work. I will get another at some point when I have got current one in work and probably loaned out because I'm not the sort that will hack for the next 10 years, it’s just not in me to have nothing to aim for, I need that focus that comes with riding and competing.

I'm of the opinion that if it takes the right horse and hard work to make competing enjoyable, for it to live up to our imagination. We all sit there and think about that perfect show jumping round, dressage test or xc round, but that only comes from the work you put in. I have seen a number of people who go to shows and get upset when their horse doesn’t get past the 3 jump, they can’t understand it when they are ok at home, blame the horse for not wanting to do it when actually a lot of the time it’s because they don’t put the work in. Jumping once every now and again at home over a single jump is not training, having a quick walk trot and canter in the school is not schooling. Buying a horse that has been there and done it doesn’t mean it will keep doing it if you don’t put some work in either.
I guess you need to work out what you do want from owning a horse, not being able to ride every day or not able to put the work in so I can go and compete, wouldn’t be an option. No matter how much i like galloping on the beach or hacking on a sunny day, if I couldn’t compete regardless of how well I do, I'm not sure I would have a horse at all.

 

[palo1]

I have a lot of sympathy with your position OP! The problem is that competing is just that; it's not really designed to be a nice day out (though one hopes that will be a part of it) and horses, unfortunately don't really care about 'results'! I have had similar experiences to yourself in some ways and have come to the conclusion, like many others that if you want a nice day out whilst you compete then a huge amount of work must be put in beforehand. Even then, you are not guaranteed a nice day out but you are far more likely to get round whatever competition you are at and go home in one piece, feeling like at least something has been achieved! These days I try to be realistic about what may be achieved at a competition as I have a job and a family and don't always want to school/train in filthy weather....so I am happy to put the work in to ensure horse is happy with busy atmospheres/variety of situations and travelling etc, as well as schooling to a level I am happy with - even if I believe my total genius of a horse could be working at a higher level. Then when I do compete I know that horse is sensible enough for it not to be dangerous and fit enough/well schooled enough to compete at the level that I have chosen - even if that doesn't quite reflect 'the dream'. I have to say I don't always enjoy the 'competitive atmosphere' - particularly where other riders who are not so focussed on enjoying themselves and actually want to win/get a result can be stressed/selfish/adrenalised etc but I just tend to stay out of the way and get into my own 'zone'. The fact that I have chosen to be there is my problem really!! There are lots of ways of having fun with a horse but if eventing is your thing then it is going to require lots of hard work and discipline. Going for a lovely ride and having a picnic with friends isn't quite so demanding and more likely to be a nice day out but for some folk of course, that would be nightmare. Decide what you like, set realistic goals according to your horse, your time, your motivation and finances and then only do it if you enjoy! Only the professionals in this game have to compete - for the rest of us it is supposed to be for pleasure.

 

[Bernster]

Been interesting to read this. A combination of being a total wuss, a bit of a perfectionist, and hating being so nervous, means I don't compete at the moment although horse is perfectly capable of it (and in my more positive moments, I am too tbh).

So right now I am enjoying the journey without necessarily having a final destination (of competing) and really enjoying lessons, clinics, course hire, fun rides etc. There's no need to compete unless you want to and feel ready to.

As I do more of the fun stuff, I am starting to feel like maybe I do want to do a low level comp or two, cos I have an annoying streak of always wanting to challenge myself and improve, and actually the adrenalin and sense of achievement afterwards is fabulous, and (almost/definately?) outweighs the awful sicky nerves beforehand!

And I love reading the comp reports on here and wouldn't it be nice to be able to write one

 

[ester]

Surely half the enjoyment of a 'good' day is that you have had to work hard to get it- oh and that they are rare enough that you have to make the most of it when it happens. A friend has a saint of an easy horse, pretty much always top 10 BE I think even though imo she barely rides him at home - never schools or jumps unless going elsewhere for an occasional lesson. But equally compared to the one who tries very hard and has plenty of blips doesn't really seem to enjoy it that much!

 

[Wheels]

I haven't competed properly for a number of years for one reason or another - I really miss it, the ups and the downs.

My current horse is a 5yo, we are just starting to get out and about to clinics to get him used to new places and meeting new horses etc. I am aiming to take him to his first dressage test towards the end of June, I'm pleased to have something concrete to aim for

Everything now is geared towards this - I've made a list of everything I need to do, have learnt one of the tests already, spent many an hour teaching him to load properly over the last few months, gradually introducing him to indoor and different outdoor arenas, new horses, new environments yet I still expect that we will have issues on the day and may well do for some time to come. That's just horses I'm afraid.

OP - do you really want to compete? There is nothing to say that you have to and if you don't find it fun then I can't see how you will put your soul into it and how you will truly be prepared etc.

 

[TPO]

From a slightly different angle I can sort of see where you are coming from OP.

I had a big strop to myself last night that was all my own making because I was anthropomorphising my horse. He's on week 10 of box rest following surgery (and countless weeks before that) but he's been hand walked/grazed and out in the summer field for short periods of time to get a leg stretch. He was put out last night with a "friend" and spent the whole time screaming his head off and galloping about having blown his tiny peanut brain. I was so mad at him because I just wanted him to have a stretch and a measley one hour of peace to get his stable sorted as it was he was estatic to be brought in 15mins later.

I know he's late cut (was 5 or 6) and can be extremely hormonal hence the screaming for his friends (all geldings on this yard apart from one very old pony mare) and to be out isn't part of his routine. He's not a food orientated horse so grass doesn't hold as much appeal to him as it would with others. There is no reason for me to be so blindly mad/upset at him for his behaviour as he was.

After everything I've done for him, the thousands he's cost me (original vet practice majorly screwed up so insurance ran out at the start of 2013 so everything that has lead to a proper diagnosis, surgery and his recovery has come out of my pocket and is about 5x more than he'll ever be worth on paper) and that I've never given up on him couldn't he just for once please be normal and "pay me back".

Completely irrational, all my fault for having stupid expectations and all in all just a blip but in short, yes I can understand your feelings that your horse "owed" you a good outing.

But... and this is when I'm slightly less empathetic

You had the opportunity to ride daily, if you wanted, but felt too pressured to "have" to ride. Obviously given my situation I have a different point of view but I'd literally do (and am doing) everything to have a sound, fuctioning horse. Don't get me wrong some folk don't want to be riding regularly and that's grand, there is no law to it, but at the end of the day you get out what you put in.

If competing, and training/practising, to compete isn't your bag then fair enough (it's not really mine either) but you can't complain when it goes wrong.

I think PS, MM and FW, amongst others, have hit the nail on the head. Yes it would be lovely for all our 4 legged dependents to load first time, travel well, behave immaculately, produce nice ridden work and for the sun to shine while all of this is happening but that's not life and it's definitely not life with horses!

I'm sure you were just having a mini rant/off load but perhaps when it's passed and you read your OP back you'll see where (most) of the respondents are coming from.

Nothing worth having comes without work.

 

[nikkimariet]

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.

Nothing worth having comes without work.

Amen.

 

[wench]

I'm not saying you dont have to practise before you go to competitions. Previously when I was going out to competitions I was a lot less knowledgable than I am now, although arguably my riding was possibly better as I had been doing it more. But horse asides, no matter how much I seemed to plan the day, SOMETHING would go wrong (and yes all of these have happened):

>Someone parked in front of my trailer then gone out for the day so I was very later and missed half of what I was supposed to be doing
>Hitched trailer up to my truck, drop the ramp down ready for horse, some idiot goes and parks right at the bottom of my ramp so I cant get my horse in.
>Someone had helped themselves to my trailer and left it full of *****, leaving me to clean it up before I went to the show
>Friend/helper (who knew what they were doing with horses) tacking my horse up entirely wrong at a competition and horse wasnt best impressed and left me eating dirt
>Same friend read insisted that they were calling out my dressage test, and missed half of it out. Horse was going really well and still ended up with a rubbish score.
>Mother deciding that just as I'm about to leave home she's got a load of jobs for me to do before I go. Making me massively late.
>Needed to test the brakes on my trailer; it needed hitching up to my truck and seeing if it was ok. My dad was using the truck the weekend before the competition, so asked him to drop by the yard with the truck (it wasnt that much out of the way), and see what happened. He wouldnt. Came to hitching the trailer up next weekend, the brakes were stuck on. No competition for me.

My points with the above is, and along with original post, is that nothing ever seems to go right, no matter how much planning and preparation I do; either the horse behaves and everything else goes wrong, or the horse misbehaves and everything else goes right.

I do find towing horse and then riding quite stressful - its much easier when you tow the horse there then hand it over to someone else to ride!

 

[Dizzle]

I felt like that when I had my horse...

...feel the total opposite now I have my pony, we got to stuff, no dies whilst we travel, I have fun, I relax and very occasionally we get placed in something!

The thing I love most is being able to tack up with her tied to a trailer, not trying to tack up whilst they trot round thinking they're warming up for the 13.30 at Aintree!

 

[Flame_]

In relation to yet another cancelled endurance ride, I worked out the other day… The challenge isn't winning a competition, it isn't completing a competition, its not even getting a fit, sound, healthy, prepared horse, rider and truck to the competition, it is now, apparently, there even being a competition to get to. Don't let it get you down.

 

[wench]

You had the opportunity to ride daily, if you wanted, but felt too pressured to "have" to ride. Obviously given my situation I have a different point of view but I'd literally do (and am doing) everything to have a sound, fuctioning horse. Don't get me wrong some folk don't want to be riding regularly and that's grand, there is no law to it, but at the end of the day you get out what you put in.

Realised I forgot to quote on this! Riding every day always seems so appealing when you can't do it... (as I am now!) however earlier on this year, as per my original post, the facilities were not quite what my horse and I needed, it was a huge drag, and I really, really didnt want to get on, as I knew I wasnt going to get anything out of the session.

Years ago with tantrum horse I was forcing myself to ride most evenings to get him ready for competitions. He was generally good to ride at home and didnt have many tantrums, but I was exhausted from work, and wasnt enjoying it that much...

...which interestinly leads me on to the next point. In one of my previously stressful jobs, I'd have entered tantrum horse into a competition... spend all week at work dreaming about it, and how much I was looking forwards to taking tantrum horse out and riding him (he was a special horse to me!), but then Saturday morning would come, and rather than being "buzzing" about going to the competition, I was worn out from work, and all I wanted to do was stay in bed.

 

[stilltrying]

I'm not saying you dont have to practise before you go to competitions. Previously when I was going out to competitions I was a lot less knowledgable than I am now, although arguably my riding was possibly better as I had been doing it more. But horse asides, no matter how much I seemed to plan the day, SOMETHING would go wrong (and yes all of these have happened):

>Someone parked in front of my trailer then gone out for the day so I was very later and missed half of what I was supposed to be doing
>Hitched trailer up to my truck, drop the ramp down ready for horse, some idiot goes and parks right at the bottom of my ramp so I cant get my horse in.
>Someone had helped themselves to my trailer and left it full of *****, leaving me to clean it up before I went to the show
>Friend/helper (who knew what they were doing with horses) tacking my horse up entirely wrong at a competition and horse wasnt best impressed and left me eating dirt
>Same friend read insisted that they were calling out my dressage test, and missed half of it out. Horse was going really well and still ended up with a rubbish score.
>Mother deciding that just as I'm about to leave home she's got a load of jobs for me to do before I go. Making me massively late.
>Needed to test the brakes on my trailer; it needed hitching up to my truck and seeing if it was ok. My dad was using the truck the weekend before the competition, so asked him to drop by the yard with the truck (it wasnt that much out of the way), and see what happened. He wouldnt. Came to hitching the trailer up next weekend, the brakes were stuck on. No competition for me.

My points with the above is, and along with original post, is that nothing ever seems to go right, no matter how much planning and preparation I do; either the horse behaves and everything else goes wrong, or the horse misbehaves and everything else goes right.

I do find towing horse and then riding quite stressful - its much easier when you tow the horse there then hand it over to someone else to ride!

The majority of that still sounds like lack of prep though. Dont get me wrong, I too have had many an issue….but all pretty much avoidable.

Examples:

Discovering on morning of comp that my boots had been next to a leaking pipe for 6 months and were full of water…..answer: get boots out prior to morning of comp.

Having a friend call a test and get lost half way through and go silent….answer: learn the right bl**dy test so you don’t have to rely upon someone else to call for you.

Going XC after half a bottle of cherry brandy (nerves), horse slid over and I pee’d my pants (literally) in front of the photographer. The ground was very hard. Anyway….answer, use the loo before your round.

I could go on….but I feel I may have said too much already. If I had spent the time and effort suggested by some on here to still go out and have crappy days, then yes I’d be feeling pretty short changed. But the fact is I’m winging it most of the time. That’s what makes it fun! I have first comp this weekend in ages. Have I ridden my test yet??...or looked for my boots??...or my show shirt?! : )

 

[ester]

I'm not saying you dont have to practise before you go to competitions. Previously when I was going out to competitions I was a lot less knowledgable than I am now, although arguably my riding was possibly better as I had been doing it more. But horse asides, no matter how much I seemed to plan the day, SOMETHING would go wrong (and yes all of these have happened):

>Someone parked in front of my trailer then gone out for the day so I was very later and missed half of what I was supposed to be doing
>Hitched trailer up to my truck, drop the ramp down ready for horse, some idiot goes and parks right at the bottom of my ramp so I cant get my horse in.
>Someone had helped themselves to my trailer and left it full of *****, leaving me to clean it up before I went to the show

Big signs on your trailer
>Friend/helper (who knew what they were doing with horses) tacking my horse up entirely wrong at a competition and horse wasnt best impressed and left me eating dirt
I think you only do this once then always tack your own horse up, I know I always do and let others do it when I am helping them, or at least the important bits

>Same friend read insisted that they were calling out my dressage test, and missed half of it out. Horse was going really well and still ended up with a rubbish score.
Never trust them, always learn the test anyway (mum did this to me too!)
>Mother deciding that just as I'm about to leave home she's got a load of jobs for me to do before I go. Making me massively late.
say no? as you are an adult and all that
>Needed to test the brakes on my trailer; it needed hitching up to my truck and seeing if it was ok. My dad was using the truck the weekend before the competition, so asked him to drop by the yard with the truck (it wasnt that much out of the way), and see what happened. He wouldnt. Came to hitching the trailer up next weekend, the brakes were stuck on. No competition for me.
hammer and a big lump of wood usually sorts that
My points with the above is, and along with original post, is that nothing ever seems to go right, no matter how much planning and preparation I do; either the horse behaves and everything else goes wrong, or the horse misbehaves and everything else goes right.

I do find towing horse and then riding quite stressful - its much easier when you tow the horse there then hand it over to someone else to ride!

I do also think the more you go out the less stressful you find all the 'other stuff' as trailering your horse about just becomes normal and what you do - same with plaiting and other prep.

 

[wench]

I used to go out a fair bit... it always seemed to go wrong though!

The people that parked in front/behind my trailer wouldnt have taken any notice even if I had put a sign near it saying "do not park here", and I couldnt have sorted out the brakes on the day of the competition, as there was no way of checking the brakes were stuck until it was actually hitched up to something.

I do not have to worry about my friend/groom anymore, as I do not speak to him anymore (not horse related), I dont have to worry about a wrong tacked up horse, or incorrect test. (I do actually learn the tests, it was more for backup that he was calling, but I'd had some bad news a couple of days before that comp, and my mind wasnt really focused, him calling for me was a huge help.)

 

[glamourpuss]

I love all these posts about how hard people work to be able to enjoy their competing.

I decided to bite the bullet with regards to my training last year. I approached a new trainer. One of the first things she said to me is 'No one ever regrets giving it all they've got'
It really struck a chord with me & over the last 12 months I've really changed my whole attitude.

Ironically I recently had a real succes at a comp, something I was really proud of....a so called 'friend' was discussing it with someone else I know & said
" well I should bloody well hope she did get placed, all that time & money she spends on training. It's embarrassing for her how hard she has to work at it"
What an awful thing to say! But actually I'm not embarrassed in the slightest about how hard I work. Yes as I stated before I can (eventually) laugh off mistakes but I learn from them & keep going.

Sometimes I think there's almost a reverse snobbery with regards to effort. Unless you've dragged your horse in from the field & gone on to win at Badminton then somehow success isn't 'valid'

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

I'm not saying you dont have to practise before you go to competitions. Previously when I was going out to competitions I was a lot less knowledgable than I am now, although arguably my riding was possibly better as I had been doing it more. But horse asides, no matter how much I seemed to plan the day, SOMETHING would go wrong (and yes all of these have happened):

>Someone parked in front of my trailer then gone out for the day so I was very later and missed half of what I was supposed to be doing
>Hitched trailer up to my truck, drop the ramp down ready for horse, some idiot goes and parks right at the bottom of my ramp so I cant get my horse in.
>Someone had helped themselves to my trailer and left it full of *****, leaving me to clean it up before I went to the show
>Friend/helper (who knew what they were doing with horses) tacking my horse up entirely wrong at a competition and horse wasnt best impressed and left me eating dirt
>Same friend read insisted that they were calling out my dressage test, and missed half of it out. Horse was going really well and still ended up with a rubbish score.
>Mother deciding that just as I'm about to leave home she's got a load of jobs for me to do before I go. Making me massively late.
>Needed to test the brakes on my trailer; it needed hitching up to my truck and seeing if it was ok. My dad was using the truck the weekend before the competition, so asked him to drop by the yard with the truck (it wasnt that much out of the way), and see what happened. He wouldnt. Came to hitching the trailer up next weekend, the brakes were stuck on. No competition for me.

My points with the above is, and along with original post, is that nothing ever seems to go right, no matter how much planning and preparation I do; either the horse behaves and everything else goes wrong, or the horse misbehaves and everything else goes right.

I do find towing horse and then riding quite stressful - its much easier when you tow the horse there then hand it over to someone else to ride!

really?! im sorry but???????

being blunt, thats just lack of organisation and lack of prep.

lock your trailer, dont lend you towing vehicle to people, get there earlier and tack up your own horse,learn your test, move your trailer the day before the show etc etc!

i really dont think any of these things are stuff that could not be sorted by being PREPARED.

some people on here cant even ride due to horse injury let alone compete and here is a list of completely sortable things?!

my mind is boggled.

make laminated lists and tick stuff off in the week and days before the show.

 

[wench]

What a rude response

 

[HotToTrot]

Oh hello, welcome to my world. I'm overdue a disaster-report for HHO, maybe I'll write one in due course.

Yes. I like the theory. When the reality goes well, I like the reality, too.

However. The reality can go very wrong, and when it does, it is soul-destroying, I sympathise. Yesterday, I told my trainer that I was considering giving up, because I am too rubbish to be doing this any more. He laughed a bit and said I was over-dramatising it, that I was making a few mistakes, that Vito is a good horse and I ride him well enough to put this behind me and just move on. Then he told me it was supposed to be fun. Honestly? I wanted to slap him and scream "IT IS NOT MEANT TO BE "FUN". DON'T TELL ME IT IS MEANT TO BE "FUN". IT IS MEANT TO BE A SUCCESS. I DON'T WANT TO GO ON A NICE HACK WITH MY HORSE AND HAVE "FUN". AND DON'T TELL ME IT'S JUST A FEW MISTAKES. IT IS THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THERE ARE CHILDREN STARVING TO DEATH IN SYRIA AND HALF THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ANNEXED BY MOSCOW? THESE THINGS ARE TRIVIAL. THE REAL DISASTER IS HERE. IT'S ME."

But I didn't. And now that I have hopelessly hijacked your post and responded about myself (because, in addition to being a terrible rider, I am also inately selfish), I agree with you. It's hard, it's tough and things do go wrong. It sounds as if sometimes they go wrong for you quite often. But I also think you want them to go right, you don't want to give up which is why you've posted.

So, plan. Allow more time that you should need. And be a bit pushy. If something goes wrong once, why? How do you stop it from happening again? Don't park with your trailer brakes on, put a chock by its wheels to stop it from moving. If you do get its brakes locked on, then drive backwards, forwards, backwards, forwards, on a hard surface (not gravel) until they wang off. If someone parks by your ramp, stick ramp up and pull fwds. There are an infinite number of things that can go wrong, but at least if the same thing doesn't go wrong twice, that's fewer things to potentially go wrong. Focus on the good bits. A good DR, a nice SJ round. Grit your teeth and accept that sometimes, you wish you hadn't bothered.

You dream about a good day. If you even get part of the dream in reality, then remember it. Then remember the next time that part of it becomes reality. And the next time. Your dream day might never come in totality. It's possible. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. But if you stop trying, then you can be sure that it definitely won't come. You have the frustration now of things going wrong. If you stop, you'll have the disappointment of knowing that, though things won't go wrong any more, your dream will never come, either.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

What a rude response

....................there are no real barriers to you doing better than planning better and prepping better and being more on the ball.

none of the things you have listed are un-preventable (if thats even a word) so this just comes over as a bit whiney and woe is me!

i dont even think theres any practical advise anyone can give here because the answer is so obvious!

good results, fun, and success are the reward for planning hard and working hard and this is about the 5th thread ive read today where people want the former without putting in the latter!

 

[humblepie]

My earlier reply was a bit tongue in cheek but for what it is worth from personal experience :

in days gone by I show jumped. I had an ex racehorse, lovely to handle, always loaded, always tried. Was kept at DIY livery. I had no lessons. I also had very little money but we competed regularly up to Foxhunter. It was great fun. I don't think I even had to work very hard at it - obviously I was lucky to have such a lovely horse but it is possible to have a lovely easy horse!

Preparation does go a long way but there are other factors which can and will always affect particularly when they are outside of your control. Whilst you say that towing and then doing the riding is stressful, perhaps (and obviously I don't know what experience you have) get more comfortable with the towing so that is nothing to worry you. In some ways doing it all yourself negates some of the problems you have had though of course doing it on your own means you do need a horse that is easy to do.

I hope you get your comp mojo back if you want it - if it not just enjoy your horse for what he is. I am a lot less competitive than I used to be and really enjoy my retired horse for what he is and am happy to have someone far more talented compete my other horse for me.

 

[soulfull]

I think this happens to us all
over the last 6yrs all I have wanted to do is compete my horse and do ok and have fun
so far i have had 4 lots of surgery, 2 stays in hospital for phuemomia

reoccurring lameness with horse 1
lost my 8yr WB after surgery

had terrible times at shows with horse 3 as he was so naughty
fractured my hand

new horse was bought as a been there done it. (and competitve) Took her to first RC show on sunday and she behaved like a toddler on too many E mumbers, bouncing around everywhere

show I was going to this sunday has been cancelled (no reason given) So I will now do DR on saturday instead, not what I wanted but hey

I could not begin to remember all the smaller things that have happened like, lost shoes, forgotten tests, naughty horses, transport problems

Wench please don't take this the wrong way, but are you perhaps feeling very low in life in general too (hugs)

 

[SaffronWelshDragon]

Really interesting stuff about preparation. I've just made my list for my first show of the year, agree about needing to be super organised. I don't think I've ever put as much effort into preparing for a test as I have this time (want to do things 'properly' now). Lots of work on various test movements etc. I have gone into unaff tests previously without properly practicing trot to halt (crazy I know!) I agree with everyone saying to try to compete regularly (I'm aiming to go to my local venue once a month).

Since this is the first one of the year, I really want this to be as stress free as possible. We're hacking down as no transport and to reduce stress. We'll probably be soaked on arrival as the weather looks a bit shocking, but I'm determined to enjoy my morning. I'm aiming to get there in good time, mooch about, show Saf around, do my test, bacon sarnie, mooch some more, then hack home. That's the theory anyway!

So, boots cleaned and polished, saddle cleaned, bridle clean tonight after my ride. Then getting all my gear together, need to put everything in the car tomorrow night as it's at the garage today.

 

[ester]

TBF like PS I was thought your list of issues was a bit bizarre.....

 

[montanna]

TBF like PS I was thought your list of issues was a bit bizarre.....

Same here. Without offending you (which is totally not my intention, as I am just as capable as having a toys out the pram woe-is-me type strop believe me!!!!) it sounds like you need a bit of tough love *cough* a kick up the a*se *cough*. I don't think PS was rude, just realistic! Your problems ARE totally preventable by being prepared aren't they? And you CAN be prepared! Come on, think about it, you don’t have any problem with your horse, which at the end of the day is the only real thing that is unpredictable – you know, the thing with a mind of it’s own!!

Your post does come across as a little annoying... My last gelding was FANTASTIC, he used to win nearly every time out BS. I used to have people come up to me saying how lucky I was to have such an easy horse and win all the time! It used to REALLY grind on me. No I wasn’t lucky! He was a little b*gger to shoe, clip, handle , hack, stand on the lorry etc etc – wouldn’t stand still – needed trotting straight from the warm up to the ring or he would create – needed to be led/shooed/chased in - basically a complete nightmare. I had to go to shows with him alone half the time as I didn’t have anyone to come with me! It wasn’t luck! I used to work blimmin hard!! I made it work and didn’t complain about – as I ENJOYED it. It sounds to me like you just don’t enjoy it?

To echo almost all posters above, if you want to compete and want to be successful you just have to be prepared! That’s all it is. Whether that be through training, foresight, or just plain learning from your mistakes! If you want to be successful, you can, but you MUST put your mind to it. If you aren’t in the right frame of mind, you certainly won’t be able to compete with people that are…

Sorry if this came across as harsh, I really don’t mean to offend you, just think you need a bit of a reality check.

Good luck

 

[SaffronWelshDragon]

Your post does come across as a little annoying... My last gelding was FANTASTIC, he used to win nearly every time out BS. I used to have people come up to me saying how lucky I was to have such an easy horse and win all the time! It used to REALLY grind on me. No I wasn’t lucky! He was a little b*gger to shoe, clip, handle , hack, stand on the lorry etc etc – wouldn’t stand still – needed trotting straight from the warm up to the ring or he would create – needed to be led/shooed/chased in - basically a complete nightmare. I had to go to shows with him alone half the time as I didn’t have anyone to come with me! It wasn’t luck! I used to work blimmin hard!! I made it work and didn’t complain about – as I ENJOYED it. It sounds to me like you just don’t enjoy it?

To echo almost all posters above, if you want to compete and want to be successful you just have to be prepared! That’s all it is. Whether that be through training, foresight, or just plain learning from your mistakes! If you want to be successful, you can, but you MUST put your mind to it. If you aren’t in the right frame of mind, you certainly won’t be able to compete with people that are…

Sorry if this came across as harsh, I really don’t mean to offend you, just think you need a bit of a reality check.

Good luck

LIKE

 

[palo1]

Oh crikey, now I am panicking that my preparation for the next event is a bit lacking!! Horse is very sensible and polite - loads and travels easily and is sensible enough for me to be able to manage everything on my own - which is what I have to do. Horse is also fit enough - I am pretty confident about that, I know where the event is, how to get to it and my start time, I even have a game plan, but....I have hardly had time to ride this week because my small children are on holiday and we have had another of our horses poorly, I still have a few minor tack alterations to make and to clean and pack my competition stuff. Sadly I am unlikely to have enough time to wash/clean the very hairy travel kit horse will need or do anything to make sure that I can look anything other than 'correct' (would love a bit more time to glamourise horse and I but that's just not going to happen!) To a certain extent I will be slightly winging it - I cannot plan for every eventuality or I will go bonkers/neglect the children/lose my job so I would hope that my experience and gut instincts will help 'fill in' where necessary.

I am not expecting to 'win' or even be placed but will enjoy the challenge of seeing how we get on and whether training has resulted in improvement in my quite young horse. The other thing, of course, is that if I spend too much time thinking about the succeeding element (as opposed to the preparation element) then I get terribly nervous and that has never actually helped me as it completely takes my mind off the practical preparation which is the bit that makes the difference. So now, I try to get into a zone where I know that I have done all that I can (there are a number of limitations on me - job, family, time, money etc etc) and try to be confident that Horse and I will manage the pitfalls as we meet them. To me, some of the problems you have had sound as if they could be remedied/avoided/dealt with but only if you are feeling generally confident and happy about going to a competition. For the vast majority of riders, competing has its stresses - some people deal with them really well and others find it harder.

Sorry if this sounds blunt or unsympathetic as its really not meant to but dreaming about a lovely day out with your horse is not actually preparation for the reality! If you like the idea of competing, give yourself the best possible chance to enjoy it and remember to stay positive about the small problems that are sent your way!

 

[nikkimariet]

OP... Despite popular belief, goods things do not come to those who wait. Good things come to those who go out and earn it!

 

[wench]

I appreciate the comments about being prepared, and as I have previously stated I know NOW where things have gone wrong, and how to prepare to avoid them. However I seem to be one of those people that if it can go wrong, it will go wrong, and this really, really stresses me out, especially on competition days. This is an example of one day that I think was possibly the worst I’ve had.

I planned on taking my horse to an XC clinic. Nice easy height jumps (approx. 2ft), well within our capabilities, and a straight easy drive to get to the venue (a god send when most of the venues I go to involve towing down horrid bendy roads). The times came through, I think it was approx. 2 or 3 pm (I’d taken the day off work), so thought this was great; time for a lay in, and pack my truck in the morning. (All of my show stuff baring mounting block, hat, BP, horse, saddle and bridle were always prepacked in a large plastic box so no need to worry where anything was.)

Went to yard evening before checked my trailer was ok for next day and noticed the number plate had vanished. Someone had borrowed trailer earlier on in the week (and this was a person I couldn’t say no to before anyone says anything!); rung them up, and apparently the number plate was still on it when trailer was returned to the yard. Slightly annoying, but plenty of time to get a new numberplate in the morning.

The morning arrives, and I needed a few bits of shopping, so nip into my local town. Get the shopping, then went to Halfords for a new plate. Queuing for about ten minutes only to be told by a very rude woman that I couldn’t get a number plate until 1pm, which was no use to me. The day just didn’t get any better. I went around about three or four more shops to get my number plate, and eventually got one, but this had delayed me by at least an hour, meaning my timings for the day were all completely out.

Got to yard, stuck number plate on with gaffa tape, fortunately horse was a good boy and loaded. The organiser of the clinic had given wrong directions of how to get into the venue, and the wrong directions of where to park. (I had doubled checked these with them, as I thought they were rather strange, but was assured that they were correct.) Ended up going down an access track, that you could only get through the gate if you had a code. I didn’t have the code. Fortunately there was someone who lived in the vicinity who let me through the gate; getting rather stressed by now! Followed directions to the parking, and ended up going down a farm track that was a dead end, and the wrong way. Ended up having to turn my truck and trailer around by reversing into a field entrance, which was no easy feat. More stress!

Finally got to where I was supposed to be parked, although I was late, I wasn’t too late, the others were just unloading and tacking up. Unloaded my horse (who was still being a good boy), and tacked him up. Got myself sorted and got my mounting block out. Put my foot on, and crunch, crack, my foot went right through it. I then also realised that I didn’t know what I had done with my car keys. Tried looking for them, and couldn’t find them. At that point I’d just had enough and was knelt on the ground next to my horse crying as I had just had enough of everything going wrong in one day.

Someone very nice came to help me out, and we got sorted in the end. Horse was very good when I was riding him that day; but it’s a day I never, ever wish to repeat (and yes it really all did happen before anyone accuses me of telling fairy stories), and the only possible thing that could have been avoided by planning was the number plate debacle by having a spare.


If anyone can beat this for a stressful day out I'd like to hear it!

 

[montanna]

I appreciate the comments about being prepared, and as I have previously stated I know NOW where things have gone wrong, and how to prepare to avoid them. However I seem to be one of those people that if it can go wrong, it will go wrong, and this really, really stresses me out, especially on competition days. This is an example of one day that I think was possibly the worst I’ve had.

I planned on taking my horse to an XC clinic. Nice easy height jumps (approx. 2ft), well within our capabilities, and a straight easy drive to get to the venue (a god send when most of the venues I go to involve towing down horrid bendy roads). The times came through, I think it was approx. 2 or 3 pm (I’d taken the day off work), so thought this was great; time for a lay in, and pack my truck in the morning. (All of my show stuff baring mounting block, hat, BP, horse, saddle and bridle were always prepacked in a large plastic box so no need to worry where anything was.)

Went to yard evening before checked my trailer was ok for next day and noticed the number plate had vanished. Someone had borrowed trailer earlier on in the week (and this was a person I couldn’t say no to before anyone says anything!); rung them up, and apparently the number plate was still on it when trailer was returned to the yard. Slightly annoying, but plenty of time to get a new numberplate in the morning.

The morning arrives, and I needed a few bits of shopping, so nip into my local town. Get the shopping, then went to Halfords for a new plate. Queuing for about ten minutes only to be told by a very rude woman that I couldn’t get a number plate until 1pm, which was no use to me. The day just didn’t get any better. I went around about three or four more shops to get my number plate, and eventually got one, but this had delayed me by at least an hour, meaning my timings for the day were all completely out.

Got to yard, stuck number plate on with gaffa tape, fortunately horse was a good boy and loaded. The organiser of the clinic had given wrong directions of how to get into the venue, and the wrong directions of where to park. (I had doubled checked these with them, as I thought they were rather strange, but was assured that they were correct.) Ended up going down an access track, that you could only get through the gate if you had a code. I didn’t have the code. Fortunately there was someone who lived in the vicinity who let me through the gate; getting rather stressed by now! Followed directions to the parking, and ended up going down a farm track that was a dead end, and the wrong way. Ended up having to turn my truck and trailer around by reversing into a field entrance, which was no easy feat. More stress!

Finally got to where I was supposed to be parked, although I was late, I wasn’t too late, the others were just unloading and tacking up. Unloaded my horse (who was still being a good boy), and tacked him up. Got myself sorted and got my mounting block out. Put my foot on, and crunch, crack, my foot went right through it. I then also realised that I didn’t know what I had done with my car keys. Tried looking for them, and couldn’t find them. At that point I’d just had enough and was knelt on the ground next to my horse crying as I had just had enough of everything going wrong in one day.

Someone very nice came to help me out, and we got sorted in the end. Horse was very good when I was riding him that day; but it’s a day I never, ever wish to repeat (and yes it really all did happen before anyone accuses me of telling fairy stories), and the only possible thing that could have been avoided by planning was the number plate debacle by having a spare.

If anyone can beat this for a stressful day out I'd like to hear it!

Erm - don't lend out your trailer, make sure you know the directions beforehand, check your mounting block, put your car keys in a place where you can find them?

All of these problems came about because you were disorganised/unprepared? They are nothing to do with competing, they are things that could happen in every day life? Maybe have someone else drive for you and totally organise everything (pay an instructor if needs be!) if you get nervous/can't concentrate on anything else but riding/competing.

If you are expecting people to turn around and say 'poor you' I don't think they will. There are people out there who have SERIOUSLY bad days - thinking life changing/horse injuring etc etc.

You make your own luck I'm afraid.