Spooky Scary day doing BS at SNEC *with video*

[applestroodle]

Took my boy to his first BS show although it was only an intro BS show it was a different atmosphere to what he has seen before. People sitting in the gallery are very scary you no, bless him! Once he had got over the fact that it wasn’t all to scary and there were no horse eating gremlins he knuckled down and jumped!
He jumped two rounds with one down in each. Dragged a friend along who took a wee video of us, it is the first time I have seen us in action, I would love some helpful cc or advice but please be nice! Feeling a little disappointed and disheartened about yesterday but I think sometimes I put a little to much pressure on myself to get it right all the time.

Looking at his canter its very long and bit fast, at home or on the flat cantering is much better but when you put a course of jumps into the equation the canter gets a bit unbalanced and babyish! Can anyone offer any help or tips with his spookyness, jumps don’t seem to bother him to much, it’s the surroundings, we get out regularly and do a mixture of stuff, is this just miles on the clock at this stage?? I feel the spooking is getting worse than better, could it be im maybe doing bigger more testing stuff or could be because he is a lot fitter and stronger? Anyway thoughts and pondering for a rainy Sunday morning!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FavbGnsOm0

 

[kez1001]

Not going to offer any CC as i am rubbish at SJ, but i will say with regards to the spooking sometimes with young horses we can make it worse as we anticipate it. I would think that the more you both do and become confident together the better it will get. Its very hard to replicate what you get at home and lessons at shows with baby horses! too many variables.

on the whole though i dont think it looks bad at all, the canter is a bit fast and long but just keep at it sure you will get there brownie points on going BS and waiting around all day! Sjing makes me so nervous, scary coloured poles really need to get some practicing in!

what have you got planned next?

 

[KatB]

Bless him! He looks a bit worried and "scuttly" as a result! I would like to see you a bit more organised and taking your time a bit more, so if he lands on the wrong leg, correct him quickly, so you have longer to prepare for the next fence.

He also doesn't look 100% off your leg, which is probably down to being spooky, so being a bit stricter with transitions as you go round, will help him get his concentration on you, and should equal a better round

The only other thing i would say is don't collapse forward on the last stride, as you are "dropping" him a bit, hence the oxer down. Keep the contact and your shoulders back and feel like you are squeezing him with your leg forward into the contact as you take off, and then let the contact go forward as he takes off, if that makes sense?! That way you will keep him together more, and get more "jump" off the floor.

Overall though, and really sweet round for his first BS outing, so a lot you should be proud of

 

[Chloe_GHE]

Awwww I think he looks very sweet and honest.

I would suggest (and I'm rubs at SJing so ignore this if you want ) try to get him a bit more flexible in the neck, when he corners he's almost stright and rigid in his neck, I would lay down some poles at home and work on cantering them as if they are a course and really focus on getting the right bend and soft in his neck in the corners, I think this will help the rushing as when they are 'locked' into a fixed neck position it's much harder for you to alter the pace as when stright through the spine and neck they are at their most powerful, and can jst brace/lean against the hand. I would also try to think to yourself not to put too much leg on, he looks like he's not spooky and he's going to jump for you 9 times out of 10 so try to ride reactively not proactively eg if you feel him hesitate apply some leg, but don't just slap it on just incase, make sense?....

I think he's lovely looking and when you get the rhythm/control of neck sorted he will be craeful enough to go clear

 

[applestroodle]

Thank you everyone for your help and advice.


Kez1001- I havent been to BS or when I used to do it, it was bsja for a good few years and forgotten about all the hanging about and the mad warm up! Why is it show jumpers only warm up on the one rein and insist on putting up massive practise fences!! Im not sure what next, think im going to go back to flat work and try and improve my canter. Riding club have a club day at snec in a couple of weeks so think I will put my name down.

KatB- thank you I do need to be a lot more organised, I think I try and get it all over and done with quickly which isn’t going to help him. I have a very bad habit of collapsing which will just make him get longer something I do try and work on in lessons but often goes to pot when at a competition. Ur right to he needs to be a lot sharper of the leg, at home he is very sharp but away from home he is the complete opposite which I find very hard to ride.

Chloe_GHE- thank you he is very sweet and honest. Ur right he gets very fixed in his neck and his head gets very high, this is something again I am trying to work on at home. On the flat he is getting better and getting more flexible but jumping it all goes out the window, he is starting to feel very strong into fences. I will get some poles I think out and practise softening this neck. Do you have any exercises or tip to help soften, we have been doing lots of shoulder in, leg yielding and stretching but that’s all on the flat.

 

[MagicMelon]

Only think I'd suggest is you sitting and waiting for the fence, as you seem to see a stride quite far out and ride for it rather than just sitting and waiting for the fence to come to you.

Perfectly reasonable round though