More on the goings on at Olympia.....

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merlins-mum

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WHAT is the deal with Ellen Whittaker's horse's tail? It looked as though someone had tried to dock it and then stopped halfway through. Either that or it had extremely bad hair extensions!

Also - What did you think of the 12.2hh jumping.
While I was thrilled to see those young people jump to such a high standard (and wasn't the winner such a wonderful little professional) I had to wonder at the behaviour of the ponies - they seemed to have been hyped up to the max, and then controlled by so much ironmongery and leatherwork to make them manageable again. (actually - only marginally manageable in most cases).
Props to the couple who actually rode in snaffles -and OMG! to the young lady who had the most ironmongery around to provide brakes - AND STILL WORE SPURS!
 
It was Ella Popely on 'Show me again'. She was about the only one who managed to get her pony standing still for the prizegiving too - so should have got an extra rosette for that!

That explains about the tail - looks like it's still got a lot of growing out to do!
 
I dont know but respect to Ellen for not only staying on but doing very well on the Grey Mare (dont know her name) in the Puisance... She (mare) was being a right baggage
 
Yeah ladina B was the grey, well done ellen, I was gutted for her, i know there has been a lot of negative feedback on here about her lately so I was really looking forward to watching her. I thought she did really well, apart for the knock down, and as ellen admitted it was her fault, but give credit where it is due,

and at least when I jump and grab mane I can say ellen whitaker does too lol (although I would no way be jumping that height lol)
 
I've often wondered about the spurs thing especially in junior showjumping.
I have a showjumping pony who has a typical showjumping pony way of going (bouncing when you try and shorten & generally going way to fast) that no amount of schooling has managed to change. I would never dream of using spurs while on her, infact when i got her i had to train myself to keep my legs almost off her sides.
So it confuses me when i watch high level junior BSJA all the kids on similar ponies wear spurs. Is it due to the height they are jumping at?
 
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oh come on give the kids a break, ok it's not nice seeing big bits in but such is life, IT ISN'T perfect!!

Olympia has a HUGE atmosphere about it and most of the ponies in there would have never experienced anything like it, so it is a LOT for them and their riders to cope with.

Rant over!

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*Claps hands*
 
you have to remember spurs aid a horse who is dead to the leg the riders may have no problem geeing them up
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but they may have issues with the horse ignoring the leg aids to turn, I used to have this problem with ban he used to get so hyped up (wore a pelham) but would NOT turn well if I didn't have my spurs on
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They are not "gee'd up" - very fit and full of feed perhaps, as is necessary. Unless you're referring to the spurs, which are not certainly used for "gee'ing up"...

A lot of the ponies are Welsh/part breds, particularly Arab/Welsh crosses, which sadly are being bred less and less as are considering unsuitable for kids to ride. As you can see, the kids handle those ponies as well as any adult could, but unfortunately kids such as the offspring of the pink and fluffy brigade on this forum wouldn't be allowed within 100 miles of a pony like that, and it is therefore considered dangerous.

My JA was only fed haylage and was a complete fruit loop in the ring. He just got himself hugely over-excited and worked up, and there was no way you could keep him away from a fence if he wanted to jump it. However, leg was still required to put him where you wanted him, and if he was in so much of a tizzy that a touch with a spur was necessary to get his attention, then so be it.
 
Absolutely - I think people sometimes forget that the point of spurs is to refine a leg aid, not to stab the horse harder in the ribs... and that you should only use them when you have sufficient control of your leg to apply them when and how you need them.

If those kids have achieved that - good on them, and I don't have a problem with it.
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I dont know but respect to Ellen for not only staying on but doing very well on the Grey Mare (dont know her name) in the Puisance... She (mare) was being a right baggage

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I thought that too. It didn't look easy.
 
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