Moreton report on the outside rides.. and some opinions needed.

MissDeMeena

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As you know i was rung up out the blue the other night and asked if i was free to ride two horses in the PN at Moreton today.. one of them had done a few PNs before, the other was a first timer!

I managed to get over to have a sit on them once before the event
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and came away REALLY liking the baby, he just felt like he was on springs.. the other one felt sweet enough, like it knew its job, but i was a bit worried about its SJing, as it liked to touch everything it jumped, and it's SJing record wasn't good in the past...

So, turn up at the event, and worry about finding the owners, as i don't know what sort of transport they have, and didn't have a mob. no. for them.. bit stupid i know!
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Anyway, we were early enough to drive round the lorry park, work out that they wern't there yet, and park up by the entrance to see if we could recognise them as they drove in
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So, the gray is up first (the older horse) and he felt like he was a right goody 4 shoes in the dressage!
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tucked his nose in and did exactly as he was told in exactly the right place
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a really sweet test to get a 34, which was pretty good in the section
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I then had 1hr before the chestnut (the baby) so hoped and prayed that it wasn't a long course, as this was the only time to walk it, so dashed round the course, (in 25mins) and was back in time to hop on the chestnut to warm up for the dressage..

To try and explain how much i like this horse.. after i went and sat on it i came home and have tried to get a group of 4 together to try and buy it.. it's what i call a 'proper' horse, not something to play with, but something that i think in the right hands could be 2* by the end of next season.. (i should add, that i is 7yrs old now, but i say baby, as it's younger than the other one, and has done nothing)...
This is only its second party outing.. so although it came out a bit tense it soon settled to produce some lovely work in the warm-up... however, we then moved from the warm-up field to the dressage field and his eyes came out on stalks again, and he never settled
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so he did a fairly tense test for a score of 39, which was a fair score!
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Quick change around, and off to the SJing with the gray.. i soon learnt that in order for him to clear a jump (rather than nock it down) you had to keep hold of him with your leg at all time!!
This seemed to work, and we came out with only 1 down
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owner was rather shocked and pleased (he was too nervous to actually come and watch
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Then another quick change around and onto the chestnut.. i was really looking forwards to this..
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once again his eyes were out on stalks, he jumped the practice fence ok, although knocked it down a few times..
Anyway, we got in there and i guess his mind was just not on the job, as he had 4 down...
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I've made up 1000xs of excuses as to why he had these fences down, which i wont bore you with now (as i already seem to be writing an essay
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Straight back onto the gray and we trot down to the XC and almost start straight away (after a quick hello to a certain HHO member whos usually found at most BE starts
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He gave me a GREAT ride!! like riding someones PC schoolmaster!! it really was fun to ride something that felt so push button XC (after having to kick and boot Orla so much
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).. he finished clear with-in the time
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Yet another quick change, and i'm trotting straight back to the start on the chestnut..
To cut this essay short, he too went clear with-in the time.. and felt every bit as classy as i wanted him to feel!!
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The gray ended up coming 6th, his best BE placing to date
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and the chestnut ended up 18th, although if he'd managed a clear SJing he would have been 8th
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So the opinion i need is this... am i right to keep going in getting some people together to buy this horse, cos i truely think the SJing can be worked on.. i've pretty much got 3 people interested already, and will work on the 4th on Monday.. although the 4th will be the trickey one, esp. when they hear it had 4 down SJing...

Sorry for such a long one!!!!
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Why not? If you think it has ability and the potnetial owners trust you and you trust them to keep it with you then you could be onto a good thing.

Did you decide what to do with the job?
 
You sound like you know in your gut he has something about him, 4 down today doesn't necessarily mean anything, J had 5 down one week and then jumped a lovely clear the next and I know he has something special about him just going to take time, he gave me that feel the first time I sat on him, the wow feeling
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Go for it!
 
Sounds like a lovely horse, I was about to PM you asking you how you got on, sounds like a good day, and glad u did it!
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Who was the HHOer at the start, as I was chatting away to them at the start yesterday!! lol
 
That sounds like a great day. I was one of the dressage stewards today so i think i saw you. Would be great if you do get to buy the horse.
 
Haniki is the HHO'er on the start
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J. i think i've decided to go for the job, obviously for all the good and obvious reasons, but also cos i simply can't find anything else
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!!! that said, i still can't get hold of them to say i want the job, but they are obviously in Europe at the mo
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I really do think this horse has star quality!!
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But the worst i've done in the SJing on anything before is 5 down, and that was on a really bad jumper.. we were all expecting a clear from this one.. the roles were reversed today, haha..

Anyway.. before i get too ahead of myself... getting 4 people together to buy a horse will be easier said than done.. and IF i do manage that, i've then got to talk my way into taking it to new yard (obviously saying that said new owners would pay for it)..
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Huge well done, great result with the grey horse.
The chestnut sounds exciting, and i think if you have that gut feeling you should GO FOR IT.
xx
 
[ QUOTE ]
That sounds like a great day. I was one of the dressage stewards today so i think i saw you. Would be great if you do get to buy the horse.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well i was there twice, haha, as i expect a load of other people where, on a chestnut and a gray.. which steward were you??
 
On a purely practical note, how likely is it that you could have two at the new job and do them both justice?
If there are more opportunities coming your way at home, and it sounds like there are, would you be best off carrying on as you are.....

Tricky one!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
On a purely practical note, how likely is it that you could have two at the new job and do them both justice?
If there are more opportunities coming your way at home, and it sounds like there are, would you be best off carrying on as you are.....

Tricky one!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, it would be sooo much easier to stay at home, but it's not an option.. at the mo. i'm living with mum and dad, and the credit crunch has hit them hard!! losing me and two horses will help a bit, but they might end up having to sell the house
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It's not as hard a work in that yard as it is in some others.. more disorganised, so you spend alot of time hanging around waiting for someone to turn up, or waiting for that someone to decide what they want to do inbetween phonecalls
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so yeah, long hours, but not hard work!!
If they say no. to the second horse (even if it's paying full livery) then it makes the whole thing easier i guess
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I think you were in my arena on the grey. I had brown jeans and a blue jacket on, with brown hair.

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I remember
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But if you don't mind me asking, how do you reckon you remember me? as there must of been loads of people riding a gray and a chestnut
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Cos the BE steward was talking about you to me
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He pointed you out and said you had been asked to ride two chance rides, i then looked at your name on my sheet and it said you were Claire. Is that right?
 
It was nice to see you today MDM and well done for your good result with the grey horse! Jules89, I was at Moreton both days - sitting on the end at the cross country start. I had headphones on over one ear (to keep in touch with control) so I wasn't very good at chatting! I am friends with Keith the starter so I tend to get roped in to help at some of the events he goes too.
 
Yeah, those are the ones.. and Bear is the one i want, even tho we managed to flatten 4 fences
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His prep for the event involved 3 mile gallops EVERY day! as the guy thought they needed to be really fit!! so no wonder the poor horse was tense, but i would have though also pretty stiff!!
 
WEll done C, and I agree with those who say go with your instincts: as long as he's not asking silly money for it which I don't suppose he is you can always turn it into a profit project for the owners and you if he isn't as good as you hope. At risk of stating the bleeding obvious, if you do set up this syndicate, make sure it's all in writing up front, including what share of the profit you get if/when he's sold on. Sounds obvious but isn't it amazing how many people don't bother/remember, including those who ought to know better
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, and it ALWAYS ends in tears/court
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Haha, trouble is, he IS asking silly money for it!!!
I'm not sure, but i 'think' he's asking £10k... a certain mother of a certain local big name child (the one who rides 5 + ponies/horses at one event) has already offered him £6k for it, which he has turned down!! Before the event (when i'd sat on it the once and loved it) i thought if i could get 4 people together and offer £8k (ie £2k each) he might take that.. but now after the event, i reckon it's a £6k at the most...
He's a funny guy tho! and i reckon he'd sell to me over someone else just because i've done him a favour, ie riding the horses at the last min!!
 
Well done if you think he has potential go for it, do you think you could sort the SJ out? i know a horse by BANDMASTER and it is totally rubbish SJ its only gone clear 5 times since 05 and it runs alot plus i now another one that just wont leave the floor. I dont know the stallion though just going on the two ive seen by him.
 
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