Showjumping report - should have stayed in bed

madhector

madhector

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Took J to NH today showjumping, he was very very fresh in the warm up, met FranA and the lovely Digby who was very well behaved unlike my monster. He eventually calmed down, and took him in the 2"3 as a warm up, he wouldn't let me do anything, every time I corrected him he threw his head up and ran through the jump, resulting in a lot of faults
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Though maybe the change of bit from a rubber straight bar pelham to a jointed rubber pelham might have been the cause, so I swapped back and went to warm up for the 2"6, he was much better, and jumped one jump beautifully, then went to jump another, and he shot sideways in the approach, so I corrected him and he shot the other way, ending up facing the wing, which he then tried to jump, some how I ended up on the floor, having landed on my bad ankle.

I tried to walk and couldn't, managed to hop out of the warm up ring, and sat on a bale of savings while mum walked J round. After a bit I decided it couldn't be broken again, just twisted, the screws felt in place still, so I got back on. Took him back over that jump and he was fine, but it was agony landing. I really wanted to take him round the 2"6 even though my leg hurt like mad. I couldn't leave it like that though.

So I went in, and the adrenaline kicked in and I forgot about my leg. He jumped much better but still had a couple down where he argued on the approach again. Decided however that he was getting better rather than worse so I would do the 2"9. Mum wasn't too happy about this and insisted the paramedics checked my leg first. He said it was the ligaments around the screws, but that I should get it xrayed as soon as possible to check everything was where it should be. He advised against riding, but I pointed out I had been OK in the ring.

Got on to warm up and couldn't even manage to trot
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Was so angry with myself, he felt loads better, but I was too broken to jump him. A friend was jumping hers and offered to take him, no one other than me and Ali has jumped him before but I thought it might do him good....bad idea, they did not get along, and ended with 24 faults as he argued the whole way round. I feel so down about the whole thing, really wished I had stayed in bed this morning. The only good bit about the day was meeting Fran and Digby. Got some videos of the whole thing, but not sure I can face the stairs at the moment to upload them.
 
Strapped up with ice on it, cant walk, am back on crutches and fed up. Was supposed to be having a lesson tomorrow but don think will be better in time. Though maybe I would see if my trainer would jump him and see what she thinks. He seems to have gone from being ultra careful to not really caring if he knocks them flying
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Hmm, he really is a difficult one...may be worth getting trainer to ride him and stick up some testing/siable grids to get him thinking/picking feet up? Dont ride until you are 100%, he will play on it and it will gte you down. No point IMHO.
 
Oh I’m so sorry to hear this, and I hope your ankle is ok!
I don’t know if I should say this or not, but I have been reading your posts, and are you really sure this horse is for you?????

I battled for a year with a horse which wasn’t right for me but now I having so much fun on a horse that is right for me (ok so he’s a cob).

Please feel free to ignore me/ tell me to bog off, but horses are just too expensive and too emotionally involved to not be enjoyed.
 
Aww! Dont beat yourself up about it, there has to be down bits to producing your own horse, otherwise there would be no highs!
I went through this with Sov, last year and it was really frustrating and actually a bit upsetting, because I am not used to being last! But he was great at home and got really tense and stressed at shows, and behaved like a d***.
We took our time, started to just be happy with going and jumping nicely round a 2ft3 or 2ft6 and then going home. Now I have a horse who loves going out and tries his heart out!
Be Patient! xx
 
He's a git. I have no doubt in his ability, but he needs to learn he doesnt know best, and be more rideable. unfortuantely if you have the most talented horse in the world, but he isnt rideable, there isnt alot you can do....
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I think he will grow out of it, but he needs to learn to respect you and the work you are asking of him.
 
Yes - this horse is for me, seeing my friend ride im made me 100% sure about this, he was awful with her, so it wasnt just me being c**p.

When we get it right together it is fantastic, and now I feel like we are finally getting somewhere with the flatwork. My friend siad he was impossible to ride, and she couldnt do anything with him, but I think he can sort this out.
 
Blimming horses, it's just up and down isn't it
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Was very brave of you to get back on and at least with you, he had to go back in and do it again. We know he is smart enough to learn from that!
Just scratch the 2'9 up to experience as they can be a right pain with a new person on board - that's why I don't do showing as when the judge gets on to ride, April becomes a beast and she is now 20!

Hope your ankle is ok. xx
 
Ouchy!! Hope the ankle isn't too sore over the next few days.

I wouldn't feel too down, people from my yard were at NH today and I think it was a disaster for everyone from the sounds of things
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Onwards and upwards....
 
Well I really hope so, honestly! I wasn’t doubting your riding at all, just how genuine he is. Just want you to be safe.
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I’m sure in a few months times there will be some ‘we won’ posts!
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My ankle had better be ok, I cant afford to give him any time off again, maks him worse than ever. Wish I hadnt let my friend ride him now, but I was so convinced it was me being useless, and that he would jump a perfect clear round with someone else on him.
 
horses are such levellers especially the young ones...

Noticed you were asking about feeding for condition the other day, maybe he's just starting to feel in better condition?

Maybe it's worth finding an unaffiliated show and asking the organisers if at the end you can just pop around so he thinks he's at a party but actually you can just stay and school at the end until he behaves himself! An invalueable thing to do I find sometimes if I have a horse that is being a bit of a pr*t!

Hope the ankle gets better soon and doesnt give you too much grief
 
hmmmmmm, is he on any calmers? strange horse, it happens to one of mine, he never puts on weight just gets neurotic... The only way I can get any shape on him is to put muscle on riding so long as he's having the feed... sometimes the stressheads are like this! what did you end up feeding him (i'm interested from the ulcer point of view!) The other thing to take into consideration is perhaps what you are feeding him now is easier on his ulcers so perhaps life is seeming pretty good at the mo!

Find with the young ones they have to learn that if they come out fresh and tire themselves being a prat quickly they still have to do the work required and eventually they conserve their energy haha but obviously you couldnt in that situation! I would deffo try and take him back there as soon as your ankle has healed even if its just to school?

Ughhhh horrid silly young tb horses! Dont you wish you could do brain transplants from the nice sensible horses into the silly but uber talented ones?
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I was planning on going back next weekend, just pariniod I have done more than strain my ankle
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He is now having Alfa oil, alfa beet, corn oil, cooked linseed, and D+H equine sensitive (althugh at the moment just a handful a day as being ultra careful!) He looks a bit better but still lean, and so fit! He didnt feel tired in the least and he did a hell of a lot today, I must have warmed up for at least an hour for the first class.

I think I am going to take him back to basics, he is now acting in the pelham like he did in the snaffle (he had an adversion to jumping with anything metal in his mouth but schools perfectly in it
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) So I wil try him in that again as cant be any worse, might also pop the jumps up a lot and get him thinking again, it has all become to easy for him now
 
Oh dear
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god he is a total git isnt he! So sorry to hear that he is back to being a prat again. I think that with horses like this, if you turn up to a show and they are being stupid the only thing you can do is to get right off them and give them a good blast on the lunge.Then when they are tierd again just get back on and make them work. Think that the bit evasion thing is just a 'eff off I dont want to work' so do not think that going back to basics is a good idea. With some horses you just have lunge them at every show forever more, at every comp. The rock king horses will quite happily do an hour on the lunge before a one day event, even as 8 year olds! Like Jerry, they are very talented but absolute tricky bastewards. I dont think that you will need to always do this with Jerry, because he has been good at shows in the past, so stop lunging at shows only until he wants to be a grown up again.
As for the condition, it will come, once he becomes more established on the flat and is working correctly. Most of these TB;s just do not put the weight on until they're working properly and consistently, until then they will be skiiny rakes., even if your feeding them every conditioning mix under the sun!
Really really PRAY that the ankle is not damaged and it is just bruised!! Fingers crossed!
 
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MH please get your leg xray-ed. You've probably got a titanium plate/screws like I have and although they are very very strong it would be best to get it checked. Your leg has got to be your priority - you don't want to end up with problems later on in life.
Hope you feel better soon.
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What a naughty boy...

I hope your leg is ok. Please do get it checked and let your trainer ride him tomorrow, at least then you can watch him from the ground and analyse what he is doing as you probably don't get chance to watch him that often.
 
Argh, what a pain (literally and metaphorically!).

I think I'd cut out the alfa-oil and the alfa-beet - seen a number of horses (including mine, a 15 yo appaloosa, a 6yo hackneyX etc etc - lots of different types/sizes) become altogether too opinionated when fed Alfalfa for me to trust it isn't that! It has to be worth a try - you'll know in a week if it has made any difference and if he isn't putting on weight anyway, swapping to something else won't do any harm.

Fingers crossed it is something that simple. Mine has now gone back to being nice and polite, even if he does wear a 'go to hell' expression a lot!
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Thing is they are the only things Ive found that he will tolerate, everything else brings him out in bumps. He was perfect on saturday when I schooled him, so not convinced the feed is entirely to blame. Cant wait till spring when he can be out 24/7 and live off grass!
 
Sister is almost a doctor and she thinks I have torn the ligaments around the screws, but she said if it is still really bad in 48hours to get it xrayed. It was loads better after a hot bath last night, but has seized up again overnight, which makes me think it is ligaments rather than bone.
 
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