clairel
Well-Known Member
So I don't think it's very fair calling Nicky neurotic anymore as he is quickly becoming the most laid back horse on the planet!!!! I had to force him off the horsebox when we got to Loughanmore as he was quite content to stand and sleep.
Was there in plenty of time so gave him a wee brush over and got ready for dressage.
Wasn't expecting a good performance because as some of you may know I had his teeth done on mon morning and he needed a wolf tooth taken out! (he is 10!!!
) Dentist said it would be fine to compete as long as he was happy, so after riding in the hackamore most of the week I was content that he could run today
. I think he is still adjusting to the change in his mouth because although he is much softer now he is a bit unsteady in the contact, and unsure of were he wants to be. (Does that make sense?
)
So anyway back to the dressage! Warmed up lovely but when a pro rider needed to go ahead of me, Nicky went slightly off the boil and so test itself was a little stiff. Got a 41.4 which was about 13th.
Went straight over to sj and he warmed up nice and calmly. Have been trying him in a pelham which he seems to like as there is less fighting!
He jumped well over a up to height course with a few tricky lines, but unfortunately he just didnt jump high enough and had 5 down! Although this sounds really bad I am actually quite happy with how much he has come on and with lots of work over the winter on his technique I think there may be light at the end of the tunnel!
Then went off to walk xc and generally thought it was a nice course, 1st 1/2 was nice and bold and 2nd 1/2 had a few combinations but all in all looked very jumpable.
Went xc in pelham as he was so settled in it sj and with Loughanmore being a big galloping course with a pretty leaniant time I knew I could just let him canter along in a good rhythm.
He jumped the 1st 3 fences brilliantly including a great shot at the steeplechase at 3 which he really flew. 4 was a hedge which looked big but he jumped really nicely.
5 was a hanging log at the top of a steep slope with a skinny at 6 which was on a right hand turn at the bottom of the slope and caused a few problems. I was worried that Nicky might launch over the log at 5 as he has been known to
but he was a star, just popped over it and ran down the hill and over 6.
7, 8 and 9 he jumped very well and had a great jump at 10 which was a square oxer into a copse. We had to pick our way causiously through the trees and ran down the hill to a weird box thing with a bit of a hedge behind and a ditch underneath. Jumped it well and on to the water.
It was a log with 1 stride to a wee brush in, then a right hand turn to a step up and 1 stride to a nice roll top skinny. Nicky is a fantastic water jumper so always makes it feel very easy. You then went into another copse and jumped a strange wee double on a short 2 strides. We went on an easy 1!
The rest of the course was pretty straightforward with 1 large drop to an oxer and a water splash to skinny. Nicky flew round and finished inside the time although we never kicked on.
I'm over the moon with how much he is improving and although it doesn't look good on paper he is starting to feel like proper horse!
Sorry for long post and picture overload but it seems like ages since we have been eventing!
Was there in plenty of time so gave him a wee brush over and got ready for dressage.
Wasn't expecting a good performance because as some of you may know I had his teeth done on mon morning and he needed a wolf tooth taken out! (he is 10!!!
So anyway back to the dressage! Warmed up lovely but when a pro rider needed to go ahead of me, Nicky went slightly off the boil and so test itself was a little stiff. Got a 41.4 which was about 13th.
Went straight over to sj and he warmed up nice and calmly. Have been trying him in a pelham which he seems to like as there is less fighting!
Then went off to walk xc and generally thought it was a nice course, 1st 1/2 was nice and bold and 2nd 1/2 had a few combinations but all in all looked very jumpable.
Went xc in pelham as he was so settled in it sj and with Loughanmore being a big galloping course with a pretty leaniant time I knew I could just let him canter along in a good rhythm.
He jumped the 1st 3 fences brilliantly including a great shot at the steeplechase at 3 which he really flew. 4 was a hedge which looked big but he jumped really nicely.
5 was a hanging log at the top of a steep slope with a skinny at 6 which was on a right hand turn at the bottom of the slope and caused a few problems. I was worried that Nicky might launch over the log at 5 as he has been known to
7, 8 and 9 he jumped very well and had a great jump at 10 which was a square oxer into a copse. We had to pick our way causiously through the trees and ran down the hill to a weird box thing with a bit of a hedge behind and a ditch underneath. Jumped it well and on to the water.
It was a log with 1 stride to a wee brush in, then a right hand turn to a step up and 1 stride to a nice roll top skinny. Nicky is a fantastic water jumper so always makes it feel very easy. You then went into another copse and jumped a strange wee double on a short 2 strides. We went on an easy 1!
The rest of the course was pretty straightforward with 1 large drop to an oxer and a water splash to skinny. Nicky flew round and finished inside the time although we never kicked on.
I'm over the moon with how much he is improving and although it doesn't look good on paper he is starting to feel like proper horse!
Sorry for long post and picture overload but it seems like ages since we have been eventing!
