Amy567
Well-Known Member
So, I've had my new boy for just over 4 months now. We bought him with an active splint, which is now hard and cold, he had a month off for that, then we've been fighting a losing battle with abscesses and bruised soles - so much so he didn't have much sole left to attach shoes onto, so his front shoes have come off! We bough hoof boots and in the time it has taken for it all to be sorted and fitted, he's become 100% sound, even under saddle - so now the 24/7 hoof boots are only hacking/gravel hoof boots 
I was taking my old mare to a small local evening competition on Friday and decided it would be a good learning opportunity for him to go and have a go at the clear round. He's been jumping really well at home and it was 2ft6 - usually they're really nice, kind courses. It was his first ever course and he'd only done 1 filler before, but didn't even look at it. Basically the course wasn't one built for.babies! Fillers at almost every fence and some awkward turns.
We stopped at the first three but then did 4,5,6a&b, 7 and 8a and stopped at 8b then went over 9 first time. It was all completely rider error, not riding him enough into the fences, then I kind of died coming into 8 (I had a 3 year break so my fitness isn't quite there yet!). I'm so pleased with him, we had skinnies (number 4 which he jumped first time), water trays (another one first time!), viaduct walls, planks, brushes, among other scary fillers. We did, however, find he doesn't like horses cantering towards him in the collecting ring! I'm so pleased with him! A lot of firsts for the combination and him and he did jump everything, it told me what we need to work on and how I need to ride him (complete opposite to almost all other horses I've ever owned!).
What's more, who would have thought the bruised sole, abscess prone horse would be sound bare foot after just a week!
I was taking my old mare to a small local evening competition on Friday and decided it would be a good learning opportunity for him to go and have a go at the clear round. He's been jumping really well at home and it was 2ft6 - usually they're really nice, kind courses. It was his first ever course and he'd only done 1 filler before, but didn't even look at it. Basically the course wasn't one built for.babies! Fillers at almost every fence and some awkward turns.
We stopped at the first three but then did 4,5,6a&b, 7 and 8a and stopped at 8b then went over 9 first time. It was all completely rider error, not riding him enough into the fences, then I kind of died coming into 8 (I had a 3 year break so my fitness isn't quite there yet!). I'm so pleased with him, we had skinnies (number 4 which he jumped first time), water trays (another one first time!), viaduct walls, planks, brushes, among other scary fillers. We did, however, find he doesn't like horses cantering towards him in the collecting ring! I'm so pleased with him! A lot of firsts for the combination and him and he did jump everything, it told me what we need to work on and how I need to ride him (complete opposite to almost all other horses I've ever owned!).
What's more, who would have thought the bruised sole, abscess prone horse would be sound bare foot after just a week!
