EmmaChal
Well-Known Member
Up at 4am to leave by 5am-yuk,yuk,yuk...
Got there at 7am, walked the XC & SJ, and got ready for my dressage at 8.54am, unfortunately my partner in crime was having serious problems with her studs, so after helping her with them I arrived to warm up, only to find I was due to ride my test NOW...whoops-poor horse was quickly trotted and cantered around arena, and straight into test, all rather a shock!
Anyway came away with 42 which was hell of alot better than it felt...
SJ-sticky over the 1st 3, then flew the rest and it was great to be the only one warming up before-how lovely!
XC-had to really ride the 1st 3 including the step up and over-oohhh step, what the hell is that? Then had an unfortunate refusal at the pheasant feeder-for a split second both our concentration off the ball when we rounded the corner as very interesting fence judge and motorbke....then yikes a jump! Jumped it beautifully the 2nd time. Down the steep hill and across the field to the palisade and skinny after. Orginally I was planning to take the alternative here as horse not experienced xc, however got a superb line, lovely rhythm and popped the straight route, with about a hundred people whatching....so thank goodness....
Fine at the top, abit sticky at the brush before the steps down, but just took it really steady and we sort of crawled over, then fine down the steps and woodpile at the bottom. He then gave me a lovely ride around the rest of the course with only a slight hesitation at the water and an enormous leap over the last. So all in all very very pleased with him at his 1st ever HT. Great for a horse that at 12 has only hunted by a man pretty much all his life. We still need to work on this fluidity around a sj/xc course as can be quite sticky and relies on his enormous jump from a standstill despite riders protestations on-top if at all concerned, but we are getting there! Roll on the next event and in the meantime lots of lessons....
Got there at 7am, walked the XC & SJ, and got ready for my dressage at 8.54am, unfortunately my partner in crime was having serious problems with her studs, so after helping her with them I arrived to warm up, only to find I was due to ride my test NOW...whoops-poor horse was quickly trotted and cantered around arena, and straight into test, all rather a shock!
Anyway came away with 42 which was hell of alot better than it felt...
SJ-sticky over the 1st 3, then flew the rest and it was great to be the only one warming up before-how lovely!
XC-had to really ride the 1st 3 including the step up and over-oohhh step, what the hell is that? Then had an unfortunate refusal at the pheasant feeder-for a split second both our concentration off the ball when we rounded the corner as very interesting fence judge and motorbke....then yikes a jump! Jumped it beautifully the 2nd time. Down the steep hill and across the field to the palisade and skinny after. Orginally I was planning to take the alternative here as horse not experienced xc, however got a superb line, lovely rhythm and popped the straight route, with about a hundred people whatching....so thank goodness....
Fine at the top, abit sticky at the brush before the steps down, but just took it really steady and we sort of crawled over, then fine down the steps and woodpile at the bottom. He then gave me a lovely ride around the rest of the course with only a slight hesitation at the water and an enormous leap over the last. So all in all very very pleased with him at his 1st ever HT. Great for a horse that at 12 has only hunted by a man pretty much all his life. We still need to work on this fluidity around a sj/xc course as can be quite sticky and relies on his enormous jump from a standstill despite riders protestations on-top if at all concerned, but we are getting there! Roll on the next event and in the meantime lots of lessons....
