Nurstead report PN

H

H-J

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So went to Nurstead Sunday for Spiders second PN. One of those days you think prob shouldnt have gone!!! I was really ill Friday and Saturday with migraine and sickness but felt better Sunday so decided to go.

Dressage was rubbish!! Lunged her for ten mins then got on and was literally in then! Time just ran away! well it was her worst test ever and she ended up with 39.5 which wasnt too bad at all considering!
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Then a 3hr wait! So walked the course and it was massive!!!! Well for Spider anyway, 80% was shared with the Novice, it was question after question, but I just thought oh i'll give it a go (maybe shouldnt have!
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) So warmed up for SJing well considering ground like concrete and warm had about 300 horses in it!! Well she went in a jump round nicely and jumped her first wall jump but had three down - it was just too small for her, she tried her heart out at Hambledon as they were twice the size this was so small she didnt try!

Then on to XC and she warmed up well and set off a treat! flew no 1,2, big house at 3 combination at 4 really well which was great as she has been starting off a bit babyish. Anyway get to 5 a pheasent feeder off the ground and she went up confidently then went oooo whats underneath so had a stop circled and popped it fine, then the elephant trap fine, then the hanging log down the steep hill, then the combination of palisades just spooked at the other side and stopped like she had lost a bit of nerve, anyway jumped that and then the second part and off we went, over the big roll top, then right handed down the brush and the big steap steps down, well she took one look down the brush and said no way!! was very scared by the drop! So had two stops at that = eliminiation, but then jumped it went down the steps and cleared the BIG log pile at the bottom! I then jumped the chair and pulled up as wasnt really allowed to continue!

So was a good day in that she started off so boldly but an annoying E, but then im never going to sell her so doesnt really matter to me! I can just see so much potential there everytime but she still does real baby things! Am I expecting too much?!
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She is 5 in a couple of weeks.

Oh and any suggestions on how to help her with fences with no ground line ??? Again is that just a baby thing?

Any suggestions comments welcome! I have Aston PN in 2 weeks then have dropped her down to Intro at Mattingley then the Intro at Borde Hill think she just needs a few confidence runs
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We do, do that though, we will jump with and without ground lines and with just fillers underneath etc etc. Xc jumps with no ground line look completely different dont they. And just found out I cant be swapped down to Intro at Mattingley I can just be put on waitlist which I think is a bit unfair as im in the PN anyway on her.
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I'd say take her xc schooling at least twice before your next event, sounds like she's lost a bit of confidence. If she still isnt totally blase by the 2nd schooling session, I wouldnt do a PN until you've had an unaff 3ft run or done an intro.

She's a horse for the future, may as well take it steady now!!
 
Going to say the same thing DD.

At home I just put a pole up, i have no fillers and dont alway put a pole as a ground line unless over big oxer.

Think youre sensible dropping her down a level, sounds like she needs a confidence run now.

TBH i think all horses are different, snoop hasnt seen a xc fence for a month and happily jumped round teh fences at aston yesterday. Equally had a i taken my mare when she was 8 she would have spooked at everything.

Aston is a great pn course and will give her confidence.
 
Well im XC schooling this weekend, then have Aston on the Sunday, unless it would be totally unfair to do some XC on Sat b4?
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Then she could go twice b4 Aston PN.

She was clear at Poplar Intro and Grt Witch Intro, then just two hesitations at Hambledon PN think yesterday was just too much, it was very big and technical for her I think
 
Well yes she would have gone and schooled round some fences and it isnt the height thats a problem it was the technicality I think, especially the brush then the steep hill down it was a big ask of her And she would of got round had it not been that I had 4 stops so had to leave the course really! Although I did sneakily jump another couple!!
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Going to say the same thing DD.

At home I just put a pole up, i have no fillers and dont alway put a pole as a ground line unless over big oxer.

Think youre sensible dropping her down a level, sounds like she needs a confidence run now.

TBH i think all horses are different, snoop hasnt seen a xc fence for a month and happily jumped round teh fences at aston yesterday. Equally had a i taken my mare when she was 8 she would have spooked at everything.

Aston is a great pn course and will give her confidence.

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Think I will do some more jumping probably Friday then with no ground lines. And XC schooling Monday. Then hopefully Aston should be fine.
 
But a suspended phesant feeder doesnt sound technical - and Hambledon PN isnt techincal at all.

Something has def put the wind up her, she prob just needs a nice schooling session somewhere quiet with no pressure.
 
Yes I know Hambledon isnt technical at all just big, and she coped fine with that. The single big fences seem to be fine.

Just the real technical ones and the suspended fences seem to be the prob. Is this a baby thing though?? As she doesnt seem to have majorly lost confidence.

But she will have some easy ones now so that she def doesnt loose confidence!
 
Would put it down to lack of experience, some horses needing more time.
You could have these same problems with a 8 year old.

Maybe you just need to go somewhere xc schooling which has more techincal fences. Or build them in the school with the fences you have?

Maybe all the excitment at being at a party and all the sounds she loses concentration?

I know snoopy has no problem with fences - yesterday was awesome, but i know come wednesday he will turn into a more spooky boy and worry whose that in teh car sat next to the fence, and try and nap back to the lorries - so he will go green on me, even tho i know full well he has no issue with the fences he will be asked to jump.
 
If she isn't properly five yet, I would be giving her a lot more time; she's still a baby after all; is there really such a rush? You say you are keeping her; it just seems you might cause more problems by being in a hurry.

Ignore me, I'm not a competitor but as you know I do like youngsters to have all the time in the world to develop nicely without any pressure; I think they last longer and are usually more sensible too!
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Would put it down to lack of experience, some horses needing more time.
You could have these same problems with a 8 year old.

Maybe you just need to go somewhere xc schooling which has more techincal fences. Or build them in the school with the fences you have?

Maybe all the excitment at being at a party and all the sounds she loses concentration?

I know snoopy has no problem with fences - yesterday was awesome, but i know come wednesday he will turn into a more spooky boy and worry whose that in teh car sat next to the fence, and try and nap back to the lorries - so he will go green on me, even tho i know full well he has no issue with the fences he will be asked to jump.

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I know its sooo frustrating as I know she is fine with the height and most fences its just the surroundings usually although she was better yesterday, hoping to XC school at Stratford Hills on Monday and they have more technical fences so will school over those as see how she goes!! I dont think at this point though I should withdraw from Aston, but not sure what to do about Mattingley!
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If she isn't properly five yet, I would be giving her a lot more time; she's still a baby after all; is there really such a rush? You say you are keeping her; it just seems you might cause more problems by being in a hurry.

Ignore me, I'm not a competitor but as you know I do like youngsters to have all the time in the world to develop nicely without any pressure; I think they last longer and are usually more sensible too!
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I agree, but then I dont think I am asking too much of her to PN, I agree yesteday prob was as it was a BIG PN nearly Novice! So was probably to much but most PN should be within her capability and all the PAVO qualifiers are over PN so she will have to PN over those!
 
Bad luck HJ, sounds like doing a few more intros will be great for her confidence and I bet you will be getting in the prizes too. and like every one is saying if you are keeping her for the long run then you don't need to press her on too much and get her super confident at the lower levels she will then breeze up the grades when she's ready.

I was at Withington Manor yesterday and thought of you! Looking around the tack shops Jefferies have brought out an IDENTICAL breastplate to the Devoucoux Kolibri, only difference is instead of green and yellow elastic it is navy and yellow- and VERY smart. It was £140 I think...
 
Do you think I should withdraw from Mattingley PN then? As I cant drop down Or should I just see how she goes at Aston?

And thanks for letting me know about the breastplate, going to have a look at Badminton to see if I can fine one, maybe the Jeffries one will be there!
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I was at Nurstead watching at the weekend after deciding not to tackle to PN course this year on my mare. I agree it was a very technical course and even the nice fences had some issues. The hanging phesant feeder although sounding straighforward was not on a partucularly nice line, was slightly shaded and so was probably not particularly inviting for a young, inexperienced horse. The log pile at the steps was huge and the angled skinnies after the chair and palisade were pretty off putting.

The SJ did't look up to height to me from the side lines but I didn't like the look of the wall jumping downhill.

I'm sure the looking at fences was just a confidence thing, I think a few Intro runs and a few schooling sessions at as many different venues as possible would help. I agree in taking things slowly as you want to keep her and she sounds as though she has real potential. She is very young so taking the time to build her confidence now will prove to be time well spent.

I've just put in my entries for Borde Hill Intro so will see you there!!
 
If she was mine I would take her XC schooling and see how she feels, if she feels green then I would pull out from Mattingley (or ring up and see if you can switch to the Intro) re. Aston I would take her and do D and SJ and walk the course to see what it was like. If there was nothing horrid I would use it as a schooling round and take long routes etc... if there was something you think was too much then w/d.
 
I always find questions like yours hard to answer because I don't want to offend, but in my opinion yes, you are asking too much.
We've competed for a long time in lots of levels, and right from the lowest 2' class we do we have the same criteria, you don't go up a level until you've mastered and got preferably got placed before tackling the next level up..
A confident horse has no trouble going up a level, but that means clear rounds and a feeling of "Wow that was easy" when you dismount..
I just don't understand the reasoning behind people doing Pre Novice when Intro is there as a learning step..
That PN we did yesterday saw quite a few horses retire eliminated, at Intro you can virtually "force" the horse over, at PN, you really can't, and although we are comparative beginners at BE, we have done years and years of Hunter Trialling at similar heights to PN !
I would step back to Intro to regain your horse's confidence, and do plenty of XC practice at any HT around.
She is only young and with that sort of potential she sounds too good to spoil by rushing..
Don't forget , I hate truthfully answering questions like yours..
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If she was mine I would take her XC schooling and see how she feels, if she feels green then I would pull out from Mattingley (or ring up and see if you can switch to the Intro) re. Aston I would take her and do D and SJ and walk the course to see what it was like. If there was nothing horrid I would use it as a schooling round and take long routes etc... if there was something you think was too much then w/d.

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I will do that then, I have asked to be put on the wait list for the Intro at Mattingley so fingers crossed. And if Astons XC is fine I will use it as as a schooling round and take alternatives I think or just do the dressage and SJing as I will be taking the other horse just to Dressage and SJ anyway
 
I agree with others re: doing a few intro's to rebuild her confidence again rather than frightening her more by continuing with the two PN's you've entered-PN is becoming more technical, with a greater number of combination fences rather than just bold 'push-on' courses.
As Aldon is soon-yes, agree with EllieJS-do the dressage and sj, and see how you feel xc-if theres even 1/2 fences that you feel uncomfortable about-w/d as better safe than sorry every time!
Try Tweseldown for schooling-I'm sure you've been there but I found it a great place to go to school as so many different types of fences that were a mixture of the bold and the technical.
Good luck-she sounds like a really lovely mare, and lots of fun and no need to push her yet as still young.
 
Well I will XC school Monday as well as three jump sessions at home b4 Aston and see how we go, have also asked to be put on waitlist for Intro at Mattingley, then have Borde Hill Intro run and Little Downham Intro run b4 her PAVO PN at Stratford Hills so fingers crossed that works!

Thanks for your help everyone
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it is very much down to how the horse feels and what you feel it is capable of - sounds like she needs abit more time to get used to whole xc experience and sounds like you have it hand by doing some more xc schooling and down grading to couple of intros.
i went straight into PN with Bud as a 5 yr old and we only did 6 or so before upgrading him to novice the following season - he finds it all very easy and takes everything on and has done from the first time i took him xc, some just take more time.
when i first started BE i went striaght into Novice with my mare from doing PC!! wouldn't be doing that now a days just shows how much courses have changed!!
Good luck for rest of season and don't worry too much.
 
i would definitely agree that you have asked too much. The professionals can progress their horses quickly as they get it right 99% of the time.

If I was in your position I would definitely withdraw from aston and mattingley.

I would go back to small fences and build confidence again and then I would have a short holiday. a 5 yo should have years ahead of it and therefore I would not be competing or schooling on hard ground.

She could also be tired and jarred up from too many runs on hard ground.

You only learn how you manage and educate event horses after years of competing. I have been be-ing for 10 years and still know nothing!
 
Hi HJ.

Saw your SJ round and I agree the fences were a little on the small side. Unfortunately missed you XC.

Sorry to hear you're having probs, agree with the others work on building her confidence and see how you go. When is PAVO?
 
Hi thanks for your reply but there is no way she has done lots on hard ground!!! or had jarring on her legs! She has only done real competing this year!

And I have done BE for a good few years and competed for a long time too, with continuous lessons from top BE dressage and SJ trainers. I will ake her XC Schooling at the weekend and then take her to Aston - she is dropped down to Intro then for Mattingley and Borde Hill and Little Downham (a level she breezed around)
 
Oh and she has literally done Nurstead on slightly hard ground, teh rest were perfect! Poplar and Grt witch.

Hi FMC - yes the SJing was very small for her she just didnt try! XC she was cool up until the fences that asked a bit too much really, but she started off so much more confident which was cool, hopefully with some schooling and Aston is sposed to be small!! then some Intro runs she should be good for the PAVo class which is at Stratford Hills end of June.
 
Dont feel rushed into doing the PAVO HJ. Its only really won by pro's anyway, on silly sub 20 dressage scores! just do whats right for your mare at that point in time. Don't feel pressured
 
I dont feel pressured would just like to do the, like most people have a plan, im sure she will be ok to do at least Stratford Hills Pavo, I will be schooling arund it on Sunday. If she isnt ready for the other ones thats fine I will just keep doing Intros, im in no rush with her.

I sometimes dont like posting not so good runs on here as everyone seems to make a real big deal out of it! We all have bad runs, and bad days which was what I had Sunday! Onwards and upwards from here!!
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