HufflyPuffly
Well-Known Member
Heading up for our eventing debut we thought we'd try out each discipline over consecutive days 
.
Ok so dressage was just schooling at home, but showjumping we headed down the road on Saturday for a local comp on grass. Perfect practice for a ODE!
Hmm except I was the only muppet that braved the weather lol, it really wasn't that bad, but that might have been because I was so local so only a 15min drive? Anyway the lovely venue owner was amazing and said I could pop round and change the jumps as I wanted. No pics of this but Skylla was super cool, one tiny peep at the fillers the first jump over, but no stopping and feeling very confident about it all!
Onto yesterday and the weather was not much better, very persistent heavy drizzle, though the wind had calmed down! However, more people were as daft as me and the class of 21 was only reduced down to 18 competitors for Skyllas first hunter trails attempt. The course was an interesting challenge as although the jumps were small (70-80cm) there were some technical questions and bravery needed!
I'd already decided trotting only was happening, Skylla is still barefoot and erm not the most balanced in canter yet! Arrived, got my bib, walked the course, threw up a little in my mouth at some of the fences
, got on and away we went! Trotted out of the start and up to fence one, a small box in the tree line, apparently this had caught a few out and some hadn't got past fence one, think the ground being a little slippy and jumping through the trees (it was quite dark), meant it was a little off putting? However, Skylla trotted up, I said jump it, so she did . Looped back and jumped another small box back through the trees, onto the red train number 3 and I made a hash of getting the right line which resulted in:
Skylla - 'oooo look there's people over there what are they doing'
Me - 'Skylla theres a fence we need to jump here'
Skylla - 'Hello people'
Me - 'SKYLLA'
Skylla - 'Oh hooman you did not tell me there was an obstacle here?'
Circled (ok we could have jumped it from a standstill, but it was a genuine green mistake of me not getting her focus enough in time!) and she jumped it super on the second attempt. Skylla thought she was great by this point so cantering happened, I saw fence 4 and thought best trot, popped the log and approached the bank to trakehner with a water tray underneath (vomit in mouth moment!) small but perfectly terrifying! Skylla spooked at the sand at the bottom of the bank, I told her to man up and she could get her toes dirty, she then popped up and over, zero cares given! Onto a hanging rail, down a slope to a very bright tyre fence painted as a zebra 
, back up to the liquorice allsorts fence no problems here, over a small step up to some undulating ground and the approach to the water!
Remember I said the course needed brave pants? The water was a small roll top in, and then a small roll top out, Skylla wondered why the rider had clenched so much her arse might explode but trotted through still pondering the riders odd reaction. Out and now thinking we are awesome, Skylla is awesome, Tuffy Tilley is awesome, love xc it's such a buzz!
Onwards to the a log down a slope to another log at the bottom, quick turn left (ok slow trotting turn left), and onto the combination! Three fences with a stride between, Skylla said yep that's ok. Small canter in a controlled straight line fashion, before trotting for the step down.
As you can see, the hedge that I though looked big was no issue, the yellow house easy peasy and the x poles with a coffin in the middle super easy! She's still a touch wobbly at keeping straight when her focus drifts, but that is definitely something we can work on! Out back up the step, small canter again before trotting down the slope and over the barrel and over the last fence and finished!!!
I'd forgotten the high of xc even at small heights and trotting lol. The course seemed to be causing some issues so hung about to see where we'd come, only managed to bag an amazing 6th place even with the stop and million time faults!!
Ordered some of the pro pictures so will share them too when I have them! Really feel like the eventing dream will happen with this little grey horse!
.Ok so dressage was just schooling at home, but showjumping we headed down the road on Saturday for a local comp on grass. Perfect practice for a ODE!
Hmm except I was the only muppet that braved the weather lol, it really wasn't that bad, but that might have been because I was so local so only a 15min drive? Anyway the lovely venue owner was amazing and said I could pop round and change the jumps as I wanted
. No pics of this but Skylla was super cool, one tiny peep at the fillers the first jump over, but no stopping and feeling very confident about it all!
Onto yesterday and the weather was not much better, very persistent heavy drizzle, though the wind had calmed down! However, more people were as daft as me and the class of 21 was only reduced down to 18 competitors for Skyllas first hunter trails attempt. The course was an interesting challenge as although the jumps were small (70-80cm) there were some technical questions and bravery needed!
I'd already decided trotting only was happening, Skylla is still barefoot and erm not the most balanced in canter yet! Arrived, got my bib, walked the course, threw up a little in my mouth at some of the fences
, got on and away we went! Trotted out of the start and up to fence one, a small box in the tree line, apparently this had caught a few out and some hadn't got past fence one, think the ground being a little slippy and jumping through the trees (it was quite dark), meant it was a little off putting? However, Skylla trotted up, I said jump it, so she did . Looped back and jumped another small box back through the trees, onto the red train number 3 and I made a hash of getting the right line which resulted in:Skylla - 'oooo look there's people over there what are they doing'
Me - 'Skylla theres a fence we need to jump here'
Skylla - 'Hello people'
Me - 'SKYLLA'
Skylla - 'Oh hooman you did not tell me there was an obstacle here?'
Circled (ok we could have jumped it from a standstill, but it was a genuine green mistake of me not getting her focus enough in time!) and she jumped it super on the second attempt. Skylla thought she was great by this point so cantering happened, I saw fence 4 and thought best trot
, popped the log and approached the bank to trakehner with a water tray underneath (vomit in mouth moment!) small but perfectly terrifying! Skylla spooked at the sand at the bottom of the bank, I told her to man up and she could get her toes dirty, she then popped up and over, zero cares given! Onto a hanging rail, down a slope to a very bright tyre fence painted as a zebra , back up to the liquorice allsorts fence no problems here, over a small step up to some undulating ground and the approach to the water! Remember I said the course needed brave pants? The water was a small roll top in, and then a small roll top out, Skylla wondered why the rider had clenched so much her arse might explode but trotted through still pondering the riders odd reaction
. Out and now thinking we are awesome, Skylla is awesome, Tuffy Tilley is awesome, love xc it's such a buzz! Onwards to the a log down a slope to another log at the bottom, quick turn left (ok slow trotting turn left), and onto the combination! Three fences with a stride between, Skylla said yep that's ok
. Small canter in a controlled straight line fashion, before trotting for the step down.As you can see, the hedge that I though looked big was no issue, the yellow house easy peasy and the x poles with a coffin in the middle super easy! She's still a touch wobbly at keeping straight when her focus drifts, but that is definitely something we can work on! Out back up the step, small canter again before trotting down the slope and over the barrel and over the last fence and finished!!!
I'd forgotten the high of xc even at small heights and trotting lol. The course seemed to be causing some issues so hung about to see where we'd come, only managed to bag an amazing 6th place even with the stop and million time faults!!
Ordered some of the pro pictures so will share them too when I have them! Really feel like the eventing dream will happen with this little grey horse!
