No one else wants to leap in? Weekend plans!

Do you think he could have been stiff from the night before if you've not ridden him much recently iknowmy?

training postponed, 5 people pulled out on Thursday! The organisers must wonder why they bother.
 
ester said:
Do you think he could have been stiff from the night before if you've not ridden him much recently iknowmy?

training postponed, 5 people pulled out on Thursday! The organisers must wonder why they bother.
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Possibly, but he has been being ridden, just not by me because I've been at uni. He is ridden 2-3 times a week for an hour and goes on the walker every day. Though perhaps he could be stiff from using different muscles to jump, or perhaps has lost a bit of confidence because he's not doing it regularly. I'm hoping to get to that venue for clear round on Thursday, so I can see how he feels after a few easier days.

Shame about your training, how annoying!
 
I just thought that! doh! They are confusing at times. Owning a welsh I was always used to random downing of tools where jumping was concerned and other days jumping the moon.
 
ester said:
I just thought that! doh! They are confusing at times. Owning a welsh I was always used to random downing of tools where jumping was concerned and other days jumping the moon.
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Haha, I'm used to horses that randomly decide to take the course on like a racehorse and have every single pole down, but the stopping is a new one for me! I think he probably just got a bit tired and bored and decided he'd rather not and that he'd try a new test for me. At least I can try to nip it in the bud with lots of outings and practice to build his confidence over the next couple of weeks.
 
ended up having a good day yesterday, despite the awful weather.
Came out of the first test thinking that it wasn't our best effort, but had expected that as was a brand new venue and in a lovely but bright and spooky indoor. had prepared myself to not be disappointed if we scored in the 50's. so was very pleased to see that we got 66% and came second in our section, and 5th overall out of 15.
Second test was much more forward and relaxed. Again very pleased to get 68%, and again come second in our section. also came second overall out of 17, just 1 mark behind the winner.
super pleased with my boy, he really is such a dude. :)
day off today as the wind is far too cold.
 
Well what a variable weekend :D Flatwork clinic (new venue, new trainer) yesterday - Jensen produced some absolutely fantastic, superb, amazing trot work, I was delighted with him! Kept looking in the arena mirrors and truly thinking 'wow' :) And then he had a complete meltdown and thought he couldn't canter.... trainer was fantastic, we worked through it, he wasn't brilliant but got some tiny bits of good canter :D The venue was very very busy (lots of horses cantering around paddocks near the arena, that kind of thing) and I think it blew his brains a bit.

Today we went arena eventing - OMG it was SO cold!!!! Lincomb is a lovely venue, the course was really nice too. Started off with the 70cm, the turn from fence 2 to fence 3 was a 180 degree turn and bearing in mind Jensen has been very uncoordinated and unbalanced I thought that might be our first problem and was prepared to come down to trot and take it gently. As it turned out I was delighted when he stayed in a nice rhythmical canter, I made sure we did a really wide turn into the corner of the school and he came round beautifully to the 3rd :) He pinged the fences like they weren't there (understandably I know) and we had a lovely round with one annoying blip where I let him fall out through his outside shoulder as we came round a corner and he skipped out the side of a very innocuous little XC style fence. I was annoyed with myself, but otherwise delighted with Jensen who looks awesome on the video that was taken :) :)

Then a very very cold wait for the 80cm class, not helped by some poor people who fell off, hope everyone was OK but touch wood it didn't look too serious. We finally went in with nerves on overdrive, Jensen came to the first corner to turn to the first fence and said 'come on then, lets go!' and off we went :D He jumped amazingly, I was so so pleased again - we aced the turn from fence 2 to fence 3 again, he managed to tip fence 8 by just knocking it behind.... we came round to that same fence that he had ducked out at in the first round.... I made absolutely sure I held onto his right rein and aimed us directly at the fence.... and he ducked out again. 4 times. (they were very kind about eliminations all day). I then called it time and pinged fence 6 on the way out so we ended on a good note - what was WRONG with that fence???!!!

Video is great of that round too, and ironically although on paper it was not successful today I'm absolutely delighted with Jensen and how today went :) We need more XC practice for sure, in fact more practice at everything, but I love my boy to bits and am having so much fun :)
 
Sounds like a great weekend Lev, and more good results coming in from other WP-ers :)

We had a productive weekend, Salty went to arena hire on Friday and was a very good egg, first time I have got on away from home without lunging and she didn't really put a foot wrong. Hopefully she's got the hang of going out and about without making a big snorty fuss :p Same old, same old, but feeling more and more like a proper horse even with a few mistakes about canter transitions :o it'll come!

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(boring video https://youtu.be/K0edqHTCKek )

She went hacking yesterday and led almost all the way :cool3: I think she will be a brave one eventually :D

Kira did arena hire today, arrived in snow and finished in sunshine so that was a nice way round. Made the most of the space to develop the advanced stuff, I think we are on the brink of a breakthrough with the piris - they are still green but she's got the idea of keeping cantering now, and then finished with 2s that were better than the 3s and 4s :D go figure!

[video=youtube_share;rx2oHk33GiI]https://youtu.be/rx2oHk33GiI[/video]
 
Jumping was a delight today! My normal Fjord friend is off games with an abcess, so I got to compete the big mare I've been riding on the flat lessons. She is a barge of a horse, 15.2 but super long, wears extra full reins and is just 5 years old with a tendency to get a bit on the forehand and rush.

She was bouncing with excitement, so we decided to pop around the 80 with a warning to bring her back to trot anytime she got too flat. Bless her, she pinged around the whole course including the double and we only pulled up for one corner. So forward - she locked on to every fence and went with her ears pricked the whole time. I can't remember the last time I grinned so much while riding a course!

There were 9 in the jump off and I wanted to give her a nice round, but her canter is so forward that we came 4th on a double clear, again just trotted the sharp corner. The second round fried her brains a bit, she was very excited and lathered in foam.

We had a quick look at the 85, but with the double down to one stride, and a stile and some horrible fillers making their appearance, I took her for a wander round the lanes instead while she calmed down.

It was only once I'd untacked that I discovered this was her first jumping show! A lovely start to her career, clever girl. Sadly, she's on working livery and will be moving away soon so I might not get many more rides on her but it was so much fun, the most fun I've had over fences since my old Welsh boy died.
 
ester said:
Do you think he could have been stiff from the night before if you've not ridden him much recently iknowmy?

training postponed, 5 people pulled out on Thursday! The organisers must wonder why they bother.
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this is so annoying for organisers and other participants.

We had a fab weekend. Many placings a good lot of prize money and flew round our first Newcomers. Never ever thought I would be saying that
 
We had a fun weekend despite the weather!

Jumping for P on Saturday. He's so much stronger now, the canter is far more together and adjustable and he's pushing up and over the fences instead of using speed to clear them. Nothing too big but he felt fab. Then a soggy hack on a Eeyore-like Indio! He wasn't impressed with the weather, he was so happy when I got him in from the field and looked so content in his stable, I don't think he expected to have to get wet again ;)

The BD test clinic on Indio on Sunday, he was a lot more cheerful in the sunshine. It was fab! First time I'd done a test clinic and first time with the instructor. We worked on some movements first then did a test run-through (I'd selected Elementary 53). She really liked Indio (including 'Yay, a Spanish horse with a medium trot!') and as we worked through the trot and canter she said it was basically all 7s. I've been working a lot on his halts and they were good, but the move-off is now our homework. Before the test we ran through some shoulder-in, travers and half-pass and she reckoned we only needed a little polishing before being ready for Medium. Woohoo!

Then ran through E53 and she spotted that the quality of work is not as good when we start the test. Not sure why as I don't feel nervous, but I clearly forgot how to ride for the same feel. So helpful to know that and I definitely know what to focus on now.

Videos here, friend had to go and get her horse ready so missed the medium work and the test itself:
https://www.facebook.com/annette.scottc/videos/10156016545529043/?l=6868005095163186870
https://www.facebook.com/annette.scottc/videos/10156016546034043/?l=323508191609335301
https://www.facebook.com/annette.scottc/videos/10156016546309043/?l=3543320453743680865
https://www.facebook.com/annette.scottc/videos/10156016545754043/?l=495895520429620866

Then it was Pocholo's turn for a miserable hack - this time in a hail shower and freezing wind. I think my boys want to go back to Spain ;)
 
Away on a ski holiday so no horsey fun for me. Just been removing 6 inches of fresh snow from the car!

Enjoying reading how everyone is getting on though. Great vid MP. And great report Lev, well done.
 
We had an interesting weekend... Our prep day on Saturday was blemished with B being super spooky. Whilst riding, a couple of times found ourselves teleporting to other end of the school. Not great when you're trying to run through tests! So we managed a run through of N30 but still no full run through of E49... never mind.

D-day came, morning went well. Had loads of time to get ready, everything was relaxed and easy. But it was windy..! Had some problems parking at the venue, wound up near the jumping arena and B suddenly on high alert having heard the buzzer and the announcer. It was SO busy, the atmosphere just wound him up. He would not settle at all, his travel buddy was super calm and chill but made no difference to B. Borrowed friend's neck strap, Acoustic ears on...

Started warm up, he did settle a bit once working but still felt like riding a ticking time bomb. Another friend turned up to support & read tests. I pointed out the neck strap and she asked "what do you need that for, what's wrong with him?" and right on cue he immediately squealed, humped his back, shook his head and went to eff off with me... had to do a much longer & intensive warm up for the Novice than I'd wanted, but it was that or possibly get bucked off in the test!

Managed 65% in the Novice, kept the lid on it but there was quite a bit of tension so did lose a few marks. Mainly 6.5 with a few 7s. Last movement was a 5 because I couldn't get him back after medium canter and he forgot how to trot so we did a weird pacey-canter down the CL instead :D quite a generous mark, I think!

A short break before the Elementary. Got back on, was a bit calmer but still not fully settled. Warmed up OK, he was keen to go forward but not rideable at all. One moment he's a slug and I'm using all the leg, next moment you can't use any leg at all otherwise you get a buck... fun. Also some scary things happened. There was a sudden hail storm, which in itself was fine - he's used to the sound of rain/hail on the roof of our indoor at home. The noise made a horse inside a lorry kick off, which then set him off and we teleported. Later on, another horse started rearing and then went over backwards, and we teleported (rearing horse & rider both OK). I'm exhausted by this point.

Onto the test, a mixed bag. First few movements were good, he was pretty much out of juice so the medium trots were laboured/broke to canter. Leg yields had too much neck bend. Couldn't use my legs at all in the canter work - first shallow loop was good, second he went a bit dull and then bucked/changed when I applied some pressure on 2nd half of loop. Same deal in circle with medium canter.

How we scraped together 61% & 4th place I'll never know. Judge comment 'horse is trying hard'... I was def trying harder than he was :D

So not the best day but it definitely could have been a lot worse. There are a few good points that I am clinging onto! I will 100% stick at this level from now on, I think we both prefer having more to do.

Sorry for the wall of text, maybe I should have started my own thread :D :D :D
 
Nice vids Jiffy, who was the clinic with? I have test riding booked at Summerhouse next week and I'm really looking forward to it, always loads of good stuff to come away with and well timed for me as regionals coming up :p

Sounds like a challenging day, Embo! Well done on the Novice and getting round the Elem! I think it often looks better than it feels when you are having one of THOSE days so you def earned your frilly :)
 
Gosh Embo, that all sounds a bit stressful! Well done on persevering and getting a placing!

MP - it was with Sue McMahon. She was great, and very encouraging!
 
Well done everyone on your weekend!

Mine got cancelled after mayhem happened on Friday afternoon ....
A naughty horse (not mine) broke out of his paddock and took a couple of extras with him - causing much exuberance from everything on the yard.

Rapid capturing and putting horses in their stables - mine had dinner left in there ready, which in his adrenaline fuelled state he choked on. I get a phonecall to come up, but car was in garage for MOT so managed to get a lift. Choke hasn’t cleared and he was being a bit of a wuss about it so Vet called and tubed him. 15 mins after Vet left he colicked! He had a good dose of buscopan and improved quickly but that and the lost shoe meant we had a quiet weekend!

Got a lesson tonight so fingers crossed he is ok.
 
ihatework said:
Well done everyone on your weekend!

Mine got cancelled after mayhem happened on Friday afternoon ....
A naughty horse (not mine) broke out of his paddock and took a couple of extras with him - causing much exuberance from everything on the yard.

Rapid capturing and putting horses in their stables - mine had dinner left in there ready, which in his adrenaline fuelled state he choked on. I get a phonecall to come up, but car was in garage for MOT so managed to get a lift. Choke hasn’t cleared and he was being a bit of a wuss about it so Vet called and tubed him. 15 mins after Vet left he colicked! He had a good dose of buscopan and improved quickly but that and the lost shoe meant we had a quiet weekend!

Got a lesson tonight so fingers crossed he is ok.
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Gosh what an eventful afternoon...! Hope he's all better now, good luck in the lesson.
 
I had a great weekend - good polocrosse training session with my little mare on Saturday, and then a trip to Warwickshire with some friends for an unmounted polocrosse session - playing games and doing drills in a sports hall, which is not my natural environment. At one point, I ran away from someone during a game and ran straight into a wall, which is pretty indicative of my decision making under pressure... It was all good fun though :D

At training, my mare was a bit overwhelmed at first by the busy atmosphere - we had a pretty full group, complete with a couple of little people on buzzy little ponies, and a number of very fast bigger polocrosse ponies. However, we ran through a few drills and exercises that got her more relaxed and comfortable with all the horses around her - getting her moving into and out of their space, and vice versa, to the point were we were starting to ride off another pony (albeit a 13,2 pony!), and happy tackling and being tackled for the ball. She was also very good and sensible moving around the pitch - following the play, getting in between other horses and then moving away again, and playing with some rollbacks when we had space. Basically, she was cool :)

Then Fergus gave a friend of mine a nice, chilled out introduction to the game in the next session, because he's a legend like that.

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Lévrier;13724130 said:
And she has THE most gorgeous dog Hamish :D :D
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Is that the grey wolfhound-y one (I’m not very good at dog breeds beyond the obvious!)? If so he looked gorgeous, she was waking him just before my session and I wanted to hop off and give him a cuddle!

And apologies, I missed your update. Well done on a successful weekend! Can’t wait to see how much you guys achieve this season :D
 
jiffy, MP, ikmv and embo love your mini reports. Well, I love everyone's but there are too many usernames to remember! Glad those of you who had a nice weekend enjoyed yourselves, commiserations for those who perhaps could have done with a bit of luck on their side!

ikmv, Henry is already a totally different horse to the one you first took on, he is amazing and it will all come with time-I believe in you!

Embo... All I can say is well blooming done after all that in your ele warm up to get in and remember your test. That is an achievement in itself!

MP, Salty looks so cool and a fast learner, feel free to send her my way if you ever get bored of her!!

jiffy, you need to donate Indio to me asap, he is handsome and beautiful and I am very jealous and also have nothing to ride which i will go onto explain in a moment!

I had a sunday afternoon and night away in edinburgh (hi jenni_ !) visiting a friend at uni. We spent a fab afternoon in the city doing all the cool touristy stuff like the castle, camera obscura, the elephant house café (excellent pilgrimage for me as a crazed harry potter fan) and then went out at night. I had forgotten it was scot vs france (my congrats to scotland) six nations. All the young french rugby fans were also having a night out-possibly to drown their sorrows. Mad night! Came home yesterday with a raging hangover, took Chilli to hand graze...

Anyone who has me on facebook will know that she heard something, lifted her head quickly, flicked the rope over her ears and spooked, pulled back and put even more pressure on her poll so she went up but slipped over and fell on a fence. One off fore sliced open and an emergency vet call later and she is going to be out of work for a while :(

I'm going to make a Chilli's Leg Thread to keep a track of the progress on here. Really upset as we had had an incredible moment schooling the other day where she got nearly the whole way across the width of the school in right canter half-pass and finished it off by getting straight again and going beautifully...

Incoherent ramble post here really, feeling a bit down in the dumps if I'm honest!
 
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