Sparkles
Well-Known Member
He was such a good boy bless him. I took him the other week but have kept forgetting to post the pics!
I've had him 3 years now but had never yet hunted him, which was the one thing I really wanted to do with him. He really surprised me with how good he was - he stood perfectly at the meet [I managed to get quite a few nice glasses of port down my neck...main manners point for me! Got to have a horse that stands still enough to have a nice drink!], was perfect with the hounds, with the other horses....was just perfect with everything really! I knew he's a good boy normally and mr.reliable....but he is still an ex-racer so thought he might get a little bit of competitive notions lol!
But no - he was good as gold. He didn't heat up, fizz up or get silly once. He didn't get strong, just went down each line lovely, didn't waste energy being silly and then stood lovely after each line for a break.
He jumped absolutely everything too! Even some ones which I wasn't completely sure about, but aimed him at them and he did them all without hesitating! Just popped them in with his stride and jumped them lovely.
I've desperately wanted to do a hedge on him for ages - even though up until last season I'd flat out refused to do hedges as had a deep-seated phobia of them due to a couple of horrible experiences with them. Though last year I had the privilege of riding a couple of wonderful hunting schoolmasters weekly who really got me into jumping hedges again and enjoying it!
Anyway...had been itching to jump a hedge this season again and especially on Bustie. I've taken him over ones XC schooling and down steeplechase fences which he's always flown and never thought twice over.
So we had some hedges available down the last line to jump....I did umm-and-arr with myself briefly coming down to it but then made up my mind to do it. He jumped it without a thought and he did brush through the top of it but I was thrilled with him for doing it.
We downside of our day however was on the final hedge we did. I'm not sure what happened and it was just bad luck I think. We had a good gallop coming up to it, but it was quite a gappy looking hedge at the bottom and I just don't think he knew where to put his feet. I was taken by surprise as anything hedgy or brushy he normally flies and does find a 5th leg over them, but whatever happened, he hung his front legs and didn't make it, resulting in us both coming to a fall. He landed on me, my leg I think as my knee rather hurt and still has an extra lump lol, and I must have hit my head as saw stars for a while.
I wasn't bothered about me, it was him which scared my crapless as I went to get him back off a kind lady who caught him off her horse and his chest and front leg was red with blood. I thought he'd done something major with the amount of blood that was coming out and walked him back to the lorry park straight away with a kind photographer who escorted me back.
I didn't have our lorry there that day still as was getting picked back up at the end - something I'm not doing again! Luckily a lovely lady who had been watching from the ground on her binoculars had seen what happened [he had hung a leg and flipped over I found out] and came out and helped us, washed him for me and saw to his injuries. I'd like to publically thank her if she's reading this at all, as I finally lost it and was in slight hysterics shaking and thinking I'd seriously got him hurt. She and her partner took Bust off me, sat me down in their truck and gave me a drink whilst they sorted him. She washed him all off, sorted his chest and said not to worry, he literally had only scrapes and grazes - nothing major, probably because it was a holly hedge.
So he was absolutely fine - he had literally only scraped himself and was bleeding like a wuss like he normally does - which I should have really known as I always know the slightest little nick and he blows up and bleeds a lot anyway! I'm rubbish with blood and I think with him looking how he did and me also covered red from him also made me go into shock somewhat!
He had a few days off and just cleansed where his scrapes were to make sure he was fine, he wasn't stiff/sore/or bothered in any other way by it. I think I came off the worse as my knee throbbed for 2 weeks after and still twinges occasionally now lol. But looking back, it could have been a LOT worse and a few scrapes and a sore knee is nothing in comparison!
I'm not sure if it's affected either of us yet....I'll find out next time we're out I guess! He's not been affected jumping by it, he's not one to get put off anyway - he's bold as brass. I however, I'm not sure what I'll be like a hedge again next! I've tried to imagine going at a hedge again and am not instantly put off by the idea - but until I'm put in a situation to jump one or not jump one again, I'm not sure what I'll decide!
Other than however, I had a lovely day and couldn't praise him highly enough. He was an absolute darling all day and could have easily put a complete novice on him with how he behaved. He was wonderful to take out for the day. The last hedge on the final line was just bad luck to end what was, a brilliant day!
<3 Love him.
Now for a few [rubbish] pics!
Getting there
At the meet...
Port needed...
Jumping:
http://www.carolineormephotography.com/viewpicture.tlx?albumid=315465&pictureid=17156805
Our fail
Others:
[Photos off BB website too
]
I've had him 3 years now but had never yet hunted him, which was the one thing I really wanted to do with him. He really surprised me with how good he was - he stood perfectly at the meet [I managed to get quite a few nice glasses of port down my neck...main manners point for me! Got to have a horse that stands still enough to have a nice drink!], was perfect with the hounds, with the other horses....was just perfect with everything really! I knew he's a good boy normally and mr.reliable....but he is still an ex-racer so thought he might get a little bit of competitive notions lol!
But no - he was good as gold. He didn't heat up, fizz up or get silly once. He didn't get strong, just went down each line lovely, didn't waste energy being silly and then stood lovely after each line for a break.
He jumped absolutely everything too! Even some ones which I wasn't completely sure about, but aimed him at them and he did them all without hesitating! Just popped them in with his stride and jumped them lovely.
I've desperately wanted to do a hedge on him for ages - even though up until last season I'd flat out refused to do hedges as had a deep-seated phobia of them due to a couple of horrible experiences with them. Though last year I had the privilege of riding a couple of wonderful hunting schoolmasters weekly who really got me into jumping hedges again and enjoying it!
Anyway...had been itching to jump a hedge this season again and especially on Bustie. I've taken him over ones XC schooling and down steeplechase fences which he's always flown and never thought twice over.
So we had some hedges available down the last line to jump....I did umm-and-arr with myself briefly coming down to it but then made up my mind to do it. He jumped it without a thought and he did brush through the top of it but I was thrilled with him for doing it.
We downside of our day however was on the final hedge we did. I'm not sure what happened and it was just bad luck I think. We had a good gallop coming up to it, but it was quite a gappy looking hedge at the bottom and I just don't think he knew where to put his feet. I was taken by surprise as anything hedgy or brushy he normally flies and does find a 5th leg over them, but whatever happened, he hung his front legs and didn't make it, resulting in us both coming to a fall. He landed on me, my leg I think as my knee rather hurt and still has an extra lump lol, and I must have hit my head as saw stars for a while.
I wasn't bothered about me, it was him which scared my crapless as I went to get him back off a kind lady who caught him off her horse and his chest and front leg was red with blood. I thought he'd done something major with the amount of blood that was coming out and walked him back to the lorry park straight away with a kind photographer who escorted me back.
I didn't have our lorry there that day still as was getting picked back up at the end - something I'm not doing again! Luckily a lovely lady who had been watching from the ground on her binoculars had seen what happened [he had hung a leg and flipped over I found out] and came out and helped us, washed him for me and saw to his injuries. I'd like to publically thank her if she's reading this at all, as I finally lost it and was in slight hysterics shaking and thinking I'd seriously got him hurt. She and her partner took Bust off me, sat me down in their truck and gave me a drink whilst they sorted him. She washed him all off, sorted his chest and said not to worry, he literally had only scrapes and grazes - nothing major, probably because it was a holly hedge.
So he was absolutely fine - he had literally only scraped himself and was bleeding like a wuss like he normally does - which I should have really known as I always know the slightest little nick and he blows up and bleeds a lot anyway! I'm rubbish with blood and I think with him looking how he did and me also covered red from him also made me go into shock somewhat!
He had a few days off and just cleansed where his scrapes were to make sure he was fine, he wasn't stiff/sore/or bothered in any other way by it. I think I came off the worse as my knee throbbed for 2 weeks after and still twinges occasionally now lol. But looking back, it could have been a LOT worse and a few scrapes and a sore knee is nothing in comparison!
I'm not sure if it's affected either of us yet....I'll find out next time we're out I guess! He's not been affected jumping by it, he's not one to get put off anyway - he's bold as brass. I however, I'm not sure what I'll be like a hedge again next! I've tried to imagine going at a hedge again and am not instantly put off by the idea - but until I'm put in a situation to jump one or not jump one again, I'm not sure what I'll decide!
Other than however, I had a lovely day and couldn't praise him highly enough. He was an absolute darling all day and could have easily put a complete novice on him with how he behaved. He was wonderful to take out for the day. The last hedge on the final line was just bad luck to end what was, a brilliant day!
<3 Love him.
Now for a few [rubbish] pics!
Getting there
At the meet...
Port needed...
Jumping:
http://www.carolineormephotography.com/viewpicture.tlx?albumid=315465&pictureid=17156805
Our fail
Others:
[Photos off BB website too
]