kerilli
Well-Known Member
okay, this was the first time i'd jumped the mare round a course. have only jumped her at home twice, was waiting for saddle, new bit, etc etc, and have been working on flatwork.
the venue's lovely, the course-builder isn't! the courses were very twisty, all the related distances were short or very short, and the combinations were the same. not impressed about that, not fair on novice riders and horses imho.
there weren't many there, but they only had 2 clears in the 75cm, 1 in the 85, none in the 95. hmmm. that says a lot to me.
well, my lass basically got fast and flat, was getting a bit wild in there. she's 100% honest, she never looked at anything (incl a row of cut-out ducks under one fence that freaked out a LOT of horses!), she's just too eager to get to the other side. she never thinks of stopping or ducking out. that's the good bit.
we did the 70cm clear round twice, then the 75cm (around exactly the same course, exactly what we didn't need, and very lazy of the course builder imho, it doesn't take long to move some numbers around, and the bogey fence, 3, first part of a double away from the collecting ring, with a row of wooden ducks underneath, was not helpful to young horses or inexperienced riders). then we did the 85, then the 95.
everything we got to from a trot, she made a really nice shape over, cleared easily. some of the canter ones were fine, but others she just got there too fast and flat, or too close, and skittled them out behind. we still have lots of work to do. it was so tight and twisty that i didn't have time to get her back and soft before the next one, you know. hmm.
had to do an extra circle at one point as we were approaching the double at an angle off the turn at terminal velocity... no thanks!
she makes a lovely shape over a fence when she gives herself a bit of time, she really picks her knees up every time, and she's not casual, it's hard to explain... it's just that sometimes she's so busy fighting me to get there that she doesn't give us a chance, you know.
if anything, she jumped the bigger fences a bit better, she certainly didn't back off them at all though. we didn't get any clears, had one or two (or 3) down in every round, but i know why, and it wasn't casualness on her part.
she may be much much better outdoors, my best ever mare hated indoors and got quite unrideable, bouncing off the walls, but would jump clear round an A outdoors, with no fighting or fuss. hmm. at least outdoors there's lots more space and time.
anyway, we both learnt a lot! trying to work out what clinics to go on now, going to do a lot here from trot and walk for a week or two...
will put up pics/vids when boyf shows me how!
overall, pretty pleased.
oh, and in the 95, the first fence was a triple bar!!! (the biggest fence on the course by far). has anyone EVER had that sj? because i have never ever ever seen that, at any level. unbelievable.
whole jar of cookies to anyone who trawled through all that!
pic:
not too bad i think, considering she was still rushing quite a bit at this point.
any comments very welcome! thankyou.
the venue's lovely, the course-builder isn't! the courses were very twisty, all the related distances were short or very short, and the combinations were the same. not impressed about that, not fair on novice riders and horses imho.
there weren't many there, but they only had 2 clears in the 75cm, 1 in the 85, none in the 95. hmmm. that says a lot to me.
well, my lass basically got fast and flat, was getting a bit wild in there. she's 100% honest, she never looked at anything (incl a row of cut-out ducks under one fence that freaked out a LOT of horses!), she's just too eager to get to the other side. she never thinks of stopping or ducking out. that's the good bit.
we did the 70cm clear round twice, then the 75cm (around exactly the same course, exactly what we didn't need, and very lazy of the course builder imho, it doesn't take long to move some numbers around, and the bogey fence, 3, first part of a double away from the collecting ring, with a row of wooden ducks underneath, was not helpful to young horses or inexperienced riders). then we did the 85, then the 95.
everything we got to from a trot, she made a really nice shape over, cleared easily. some of the canter ones were fine, but others she just got there too fast and flat, or too close, and skittled them out behind. we still have lots of work to do. it was so tight and twisty that i didn't have time to get her back and soft before the next one, you know. hmm.
had to do an extra circle at one point as we were approaching the double at an angle off the turn at terminal velocity... no thanks!
she makes a lovely shape over a fence when she gives herself a bit of time, she really picks her knees up every time, and she's not casual, it's hard to explain... it's just that sometimes she's so busy fighting me to get there that she doesn't give us a chance, you know.
if anything, she jumped the bigger fences a bit better, she certainly didn't back off them at all though. we didn't get any clears, had one or two (or 3) down in every round, but i know why, and it wasn't casualness on her part.
she may be much much better outdoors, my best ever mare hated indoors and got quite unrideable, bouncing off the walls, but would jump clear round an A outdoors, with no fighting or fuss. hmm. at least outdoors there's lots more space and time.
anyway, we both learnt a lot! trying to work out what clinics to go on now, going to do a lot here from trot and walk for a week or two...
will put up pics/vids when boyf shows me how!
overall, pretty pleased.
oh, and in the 95, the first fence was a triple bar!!! (the biggest fence on the course by far). has anyone EVER had that sj? because i have never ever ever seen that, at any level. unbelievable.
whole jar of cookies to anyone who trawled through all that!
pic:
not too bad i think, considering she was still rushing quite a bit at this point.
any comments very welcome! thankyou.
