Scopey But Big Headed !!!!

[randira]

I am a little curious as to what classes to aim my 6 year old at BSJA wise for the future. She has been out about 5 times affiliated now and is jumping clear BN & Disco but gets bored and switches off - this means we often get 4 faults in the JO. Put them up to 1.20 and she eats them up and gives me a really nice feel. I tried loose schooling her but she popped through 1.30 and then neatly cleared the fence around the school

from a trot. I think I'm going to go no bigger than 1.05/1.10 over the winter as she is only 6 with NO mileage. What does everyone think - keep it really tiny or give her something to keep her interested. She is the boldest most unflappable, careful horse I have ever sat on - I just don't want to make the mistake of too much too soon. She is an ISH and I have done her all myself but never had any transport until 2 months ago and all she had done before was a few clear rounds on hitched lifts. Advise please xx

 

[dianchi]

Id get out get ur doubles clears and move through the grades. Remember that there is amaeture (sp) classes too, as well as local qual classes.

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

I understand what you mean - try her round a bigger course and if she goes ok then stick to it ?? Shame you cant get your double clears in BN and Disc too though !! you can always move her back down if you think she struggled x

 

[samp]

I think I would work on schooling them more at home to sharpen then up and to get them more forward. By all means try a larger class and see how it goes. I would prefer double clears first though personally

 

[Bossanova]

Well, I took my 6 yr old BSJA last november, jumped the BN and discovery and swore never again to jump those heights as she said it was way too easy! So next time we did a 1.05 and a 1.10 and thats what we've been jumping since.

 

[kerilli]

i'd be tempted to make things a little more tricky for her with distances, grids, etc, rather than with height. have you ever been on/watched a Lucinda Green xc clinic, the first day, when she does everything with lightweight show-jumps? she says she'll only do it occasionally with a horse, cos it can worry them (doesn't sound as if anything much will worry your mare though!), and she deliberately sets up weird distances with very small fences and super-lightweight plastic poles. e.g. for us, she set up a distance, from trot, of 2 x 1 foot uprights, about 8 yards apart. so, from trot, far too long for 1 stride, too short for two really... it's to see how the horse copes, what its instinct is, how fast it thinks, and ditto, how the rider copes. as long as the poles weigh nearly nothing, the horse can't get hurt, and you can both really learn something! i'd do little bounces, little angles, little bends between fences, doglegs... lots to make her think a lot.
might help avoid that irritating odd 4 faults when she's not concentrating, too!

 

[SpottedCat]

Ditto what Boss has said - my horse although a bit older had no SJ milage - he is lazy as hell over BN and Disco, but 1.05 and 1.10 and he picks up, so that is now what we jump!