Owen XC schooling today

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seabiscuit

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Owen was a HORROR today and got called all sorts of names but in the end he was jumping really well. Person I was with did not help us at all as she was letting her horse stop at everything and then charging off into the distance. Owens reaction to all the jumps was one of absolute horror. All of them were far too scary to even contemplate him going anywhere near them his excuse being that there was sand in front of each fence.
Anyway after a few falls and bashing both my knees on several flag posts he suddenly got the hang of it and was flying round everything really enjoying himself and jumped in a good rythym etc over 3 foot fences. mind you these were all fences that he had already had a good long hard look at so god knows what he would be like with new fences all over again.
He was a bastard about steps, would not pop down quietly(it was tiny) insisted on leaping them 5 foot high and out (hence why I fell off several times) I was beginning to seriously loose all hope in him and was ready to send him packing but thankfully he was ok in the end and was absolutely loving it.He went through water fine but was difficult about ditch.
Still, it is early days yet. He is still probably technically still a 5 year old in his head as he has had so much time off. So he has not grown up one little bit!!
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Need to put him on some serious calmer as well as he finds things so terrifcally frightening.
Anyway we have got into Mattingley- day before dressage- Ive got one hell of a lot more work to do with him hopefully it will all come together eventually, somehow, magically!
 
Oh dear.... didnt start off the way you intended ((((hugs))) hope youre not too bruised hun.

BUT!

He got there in the end, sounds like he needs a few more sessions and you will be flying again - just like you did at Goring
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I hope i get to see you, im in a later section at mattingley.

Best of luck hunny, you have something to aim for now, and hes going to get stronger and start remembering what fun eventing was
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Vxx
 
Thanks BB's ! It will be brilliant to meet you at Mattingley- I bags jump putting up duty for you and Snoops !
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I am just a little bit bruised but will be OK in a bit.Thank god Owen is good about just standing there when I fall off cos would have been there all day if I'd had to run( or rather, hop) around chasing him round the XC course to catch him! But he was really really good at the end I think he was just starting to remember what it was all about, he can do it he just has to get his brain in gear!

By the way, just read post about Snoops, glad to hear that he is feeling better now and is getting over the napping!
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Well done for getting there in the end.

Anyways dress rehersals are meant to be dire, means it will be all right on the night!
 
What a naughty boy!!
Makes Sunshine sound like a saint
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Glad he got it by the end, I'm sure you'll have cracked it by Mattingley. If it makes you feel any better, I fell off Grinder twice at home on Friday!!
 
Stubbornly! We are getting there though.

He has been most inconsiderate & muscled up too much for his saddle, so we are off to try on new ones on Saturday *gulp* I wasn't built with saddle willpower
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You didnt fall of the Grinder?!
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Glad to hear that Owens not the only one that insists on behaving like a complete utter so and so !!
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Funny you should mention Sunshine, At one point today I was thinking god I really would like to get rid of Owen and loan Sunshine she is sooo much nicer, Hehe!!
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Owens doing Larkhill hunter trial on sat, hopefully we'll get round somehow .....!
 
Isnt that just typical of them?!! Naughty boy!! But in the last pic I saw of him XC he looked as though he had muscled up loads and looks fab!
 
Sounds like you need someone else to go schooling with, if today's companion wasn't much use.
I'm sure though that Owen will be a different horse the next time. We took Flo out the first time and she was OK, but still a bit looky and launching herself at the fences. Took her out again about 4 days later, and she was much better, calmer, but much more confident.
Good luck anyway!
(how far away is Mattingley (ie how much time do you have to play with here)).

Fiona
 
Thats good to hear about Flo- I hope that Owen follows suit!
Are you doing any BE this year?
Mattingley is 20th May- so Ive got 3 weeks to play with!!
 
Three and a half weeks is loads of time. You will be able to fit in a few more XC sessions and lots of SJ. Owen will have such fun!!! Make sure there are lots of photos taken. I can't believe Owen is ready to event after all his problems (I'm sure you can't believe it either sometimes).

Will get Flo started hopefully in June, as trainer is going to ride her in her first one/two, and he isn't free until after Tattersalls. Reason for this is that I will have much more confidence in her if I have seen her doing it with someone else (I am a chicken too of course!!!) Can't wait.

Fiona
 
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You didnt fall of the Grinder?!
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Glad to hear that Owens not the only one that insists on behaving like a complete utter so and so !!
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Funny you should mention Sunshine, At one point today I was thinking god I really would like to get rid of Owen and loan Sunshine she is sooo much nicer, Hehe!!
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Owens doing Larkhill hunter trial on sat, hopefully we'll get round somehow .....!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep- twice in the space of 5 mins! We were jumping and it was all going lovely and then he chipped in short to a parallel, ballooned it, caught me off balance and bucked. 2nd time was pure naughty- he landed over an upright and just stuck his head between his knees!!

Sunny is sweet and very good when she's in her comfort zone but she's soooooo spooky at events- she literally has to trot half the xc as it's all so terrifying! Owen is certainly the far better horse.

Good luck for Sat, if I dont have too many to ride I may pop up, may even take Sunshine round if there's a 2'9 class?
 
Sorry to here about the falls and the naughy behaviour to start with but thats great that after he was really enjoying things! Hope that next time all goes well for you both!
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That sounds like a great plan for Flora- I look forward to the photos! Owen will hopefully get lots of photos taken of him over the next few weeks.,hopefully he will remember doing Mattingley from two years ago when he 'nearly' had a clear round ( he found the first fence horrifying and gawped at it then sailed clear!)
Yes I cant believe that he will be eventing again so soon, funnily enough it does not feel like all that long ago now since he last did it!
 
I will love you for doing my fences for me lol I seem to get in a complete state - B&J did my fences at T and it helped me loads - dont get in a tizzy then lol

Yes snoops is a little more co-operative, although this evening i rode for 1 and 1/2 hours! not too bad in the arena, jumped him about a handful of times went back to flat work (trying to get him to realise just cos we've jumped or done canter doesnt mean we have to work at 300mph in trot
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Then i took him for a hack - was so funny he now stops waits about 3 seconds then walks on again lol was so funny, then he proceeded to refuse to move past YOs house, tried to rear, i spun him round, he got bored and walked to the end of the village and back YAY!

So tomorrow we are giong to try and go even further lol

Where did you go xc schooling? if it was at T surely thats a bit more of a softer landing??

Owen just needs match practice, liek you say brain needs to be in gear a bit more then bobs your uncle.

So excited about going to M - its a fabby event
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Vxx
 
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What a naughty boy-Sounds v.painfull! He is obviously loving his jumping though!

Ooh do come up to Larkhill- they are running a 2.6, 3ft and 3'6 class,the 3ft will be at about 11 ish I think....but dont let Sunshine have any words with Owen, the two of them conspiring tricks on 'how to be as spooky and as difficult as possible' would be too much to handle I think! !!
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But I think that they will be giving chestnuts a bad name on Saturday at this rate anyway!!
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Great !consider me booked as official fence putter upper for Mattingley
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its such a fab event and am very lucky to have got in considering that his registration has not gone through yet so had no reg number or ballot sticker!

The XC was GORGEOUS-at a place called fair oak which is near Midhurst on the Hampshire/West Sussex borders, its brill for young horses but nothing over 3 ft and all weather take offs and landings but Owen perfected the art of throwing me just *outside* the sandy bits- thank you Owen!!
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Snoop is making good progress!Sounds like a bit of a eureka moment for him with this stopping business- as though he was just mulling things over in his mind and realising he has no need to nap any more!
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Ill give him mulling things over!
Hes one hell of a cheeky devil! and hes only lucky that i like him so much that he doesnt get a very tanned bottom.
TBH with him it wouldnt work, you have to make him think *it was his idea* mind you arent all men like that?

Im in section R, so have a few hours between dressage and sjing... so of course if you have to leave i understand, but i do hope you get to stay for longer.

Fair oak sounds very nice, yes how charming of owen to dislodge you from the scary sandy bits
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That the thing with these allweather take off and landings, you either have a horse that loves them or hates them.
I normally (like you) have the latter, and spend most of my time trying coax pony to go near them lol

Where you off next? Larkhill this weekend then where?

I think i may have managed to squeeze a lesson with Nigel at Aston on sunday (got ot ring to confirm tomorrow).
Not sure what to do, sjing or xc or a bit of both....
Joss is helping me on monday night, will go for a flat lesson i think. Saddler is out on tuesday as im now not happy with my jumping saddle on him (more expense).
Bricking it for wednesday, i seem to be trying to fit in 3 wks of work into 6 days atm!

Where you planning after mattingley? im thinking GT and or BCA
 
So glad to hear Owen's going so well now!
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Good luck for Mattingley, and i think its very funny you kept falling off him, bet Owen did too!
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Sorry, but sounds funny the way you tell it!

Its point to point at Larkhill on Sat too, that should be fun! I'll be up there, might waddle over to watch your round! Good luck!
 
hope you arent too bruised hun!!

little horror - i can imagine Archie will be the same the first time i take him x country aswell
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At least he went well at the end tho xx
 
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