Natch
Well-Known Member
... because reading others on HHO from a few years ago helped me, I thought I'd write my own.
I arrived at 7.45 - DO check with the venue what time you are supposed to arrive. Also read the letter and what you are supposed to bring - I'd got the letter and my membership card but didn't read the letter properly and hadn't brought my Riding & Road Safety Certificate - oops! Luckily they can & do ring up the head office to check with them.
We started with walking the jumping course at 8am - a good chance to compare with others what routes you are going to take. Our course was outside, and around other jumps. The trot pole, cross pole, straight bar grid was also to be jumped before fence no.1. Gather back inside for a briefing at 8.30am, the usual "please feel welcome, please give us good feedback, please ask if you need anything" chat. Hats checked, program for the day given out, etc etc. There were 5 groups with up to 5 people in each, but loads were taking the odd unit, or not doing the complete exam for various reasons - resits and not yet confident to jump etc. I nearly didn't register to jump but the nice lady in the exams office convinced me to, and I'm glad I did, as my jumping came on loads in the last month!
My group did stable management first - grooming & strapping, plaiting, tacking up with tack fit etc. I had to groom, explaining what I was doing at each point and demonstrate strapping. Don't forget your stage 1 stuff, like how to approach a horse in the stable, tie them up, haynet and water bucket out, skip out - one or two of you group did forget this. Then I had to put one mane plait in and show a bit of tail plaiting. I asked to take my horse out of his stable to plait but I was asked to plait with bands instead of a needle so that I could stay inside the stable - hopefully that will be marked as a knowledgeable thing to have done/asked for not an annoyance! Quite proud of the little plait I put in
Next I had to put two travelling boots and two travelling bandages on, and any other clothing that the horse might need to travel in. They put time pressure on us, the lorry arrives in 10 minutes, and what you've got on then is it, no other chances! Ask if you can't find something you need - my pony was tiny so I nearly didn't find any travelling boots that fit, and the leather headcollars were huge - so I asked for the headcollar and it was noted that I would have put a leather headcollar on if one was available. It was a warm day so I opted not to rug and explained why, but I did bandage the tail and put a tail guard on. I chose not to put a knee boot on with the bandage, but I did explain why. We were asked to tack up, including a martingale, and explain basic tack fitting - how to check the bit size, how to fit a martingale, how to check saddle fit and if everything is in good repair including stitching. Accident procedure, basic first aid, health and safety legislation.
Next we rode, thank goodness, I wanted to get that out of the way! Flatwork first, 4 of us, I had a nice, tall bit fine and flexible horse to begin with (I do ride there regularly; there was a marked difference in those who had done that versus those who had never been. I HIGHLY recommend training at the exam centre and getting to know the horses and yard). Walk and trot in free order on one rein, wait to be told to canter then canter including across the school in an arc. Change the rein, repeat to include 20m circles in canter. Take away your stirrups - I had been dreading getting this horse for trot without stirrup work, he's so hard to sit to! Sitting trot without stirrups as a ride, lead file to call out a change of rein then ride to take that as a ride, then lead file to canter to the back of the ride. Repeat until everybody has lead a change of rein and cantered without stirrups - I enjoyed quite a long canter on this horse because it's so much more comfortable than his trot without stirrups! I am SO pleased with myself that I did it quite well, 3 weeks ago I was tensing up on this horse, wobbling like a novice and generally practicing how not to do it, so I've managed to sort my position and relaxation vs tone balance sufficiently in the meantime!
Time to change horses - I got a big mare who had a different bit in to usual - a pelham with roundings. I later found out that she had her normal 3 ring gag in for the flatwork for the previous group, they changed her to pelham to jump and she was so naughty in the jumping that they decided to keep her in the pelham to do flatwork! Gosh she felt wide and powerful after my previous horse! Also curling behind the bit more than I've ever experienced her doing, so lots of let and hands held artificially high to try to uncurl her! W/T/C on the new horse, get a feel for them, change the rein etc. Ride figure of 8 with reins in one hand, show a bit more canter work. Dismount, get brought a VERY welcome cup of orange squash. Examiner came over and we talked about how each horse was to ride, if we'd have changed anything in the way we rode them etc.
Change horses - swap from schooling to jumping whip, and put on body protector if you've brought one (it's optional for jumping at this level. I do wear one). Next horse is my favourite, a coloured cob mare. Heck she was sweaty though, she'd already worked really hard! Moment of embarassment as I couldn't get on her from a small stool, I had to take her to the mounting block - which, as my instructor had just whispered to me, might have been/was a problem because she just didn't think she should be ridden any more and didn't want to walk to stand by the block. an examiner asked if I wanted help and I said no, she was just walking backwards a bit, and I eventually, with the insisted assistance of the examiner, got her to the block and got on. Adjust stirrups, ride outside, W/T/C outside to get a feel for them, pop the trot pole to X pole both reins, pop the grid with added straight bar at the back, then the grid followed by fence 1,2 and 3. She was a superstar, and despite having to get after her I thought I jumped her well. Swap horses, back onto the bendy bay gelding, Oh, this is interesting for me, I've jumped him but never a course and never this height, though I know he's capable of much higher, I also know what he's capable of doing (napping and rearing if he doesn't want to leave his friends)! Oh well, W/T/C get a feel for this horse, which I don't think I did very well - he was reluctant to leave his friends, and kept breaking from canter into trot (which is REALLY unlike him - don't know but perhaps I was holding his head a bit too much). We were under time pressure as the day was running late, so straight over just the cross pole and then straight into fences 1-6. Somebody cut me up after I'd been called to go
but luckily I saw what was about to happen and circled away to start again. Approached at trot, then after the X pole vaguely realised that I was probably supposed to be in canter Funny old round, horse just not going forwards, broken back into trot quite often but also stressy with throwing his head around and not wanting to go away from the other horses. Managed a few strides of canter into each fence, and got round the whole course, though quite a thelwell style jump was made over one of them -oops! Realised half way round perhaps I had been holding his head too tight and he sort of improved after that. Remembered to ride positively after the last fence and ended slowing down in the direction away from his friends and walked calmly back to them. Dismount, and despite not being the last to jump was somehow the last person to talk to the examiner about how I felt the ride on both horses had gone. I think I identified everything that I did wrong and why this that or the other happened. Felt like that chat was quite long, as perhaps he was seeking to find out if I knew that round hadn't gone very well and why - I suspect I may need to resit the jumping element, I guess it just depends on how they balance riding the other horse fairly well, with him not so well but understanding what went wrong and what I'd change, or if they really want to see you doing a good round on both horses.
Practical theory next - clippers/clipping, trimming and tidying, signs of health and ill health, anatomy. How to remove a shoe and how to fit a shoe. I won't go on about this bit, it is what it is, I felt I might have failed it but I don't know, there was a lot that I did get right, but one or two silly mistakes. Shoeing seemed to be everybody's weak point, talking to others afterwards. Again we were told we wouldn't be over examined but I don't know, it felt like we were really grilled on everything!
Lunch!!
Afternoon - practical lungeing and lungeing theory - fit side reins, check the tack they are already wearing, fit a cavession and get going. That session goes FAST and I didn't have time to cool my horse down. Talked about theory of lunging and how it went with the examiner afterwards.
Final session - Theory, sitting down, aaaahhhh nice! Pasture management, Stables and stabling, poisonous plants, feeding and watering, fittening, procedures for a new horse arriving.
It took us until 4.30, so be prepared for a long day and take plenty of sugar, water, and/or money to buy lunch and drinks!
Results in 10 days, eek! But I hope the above helps somebody to prepare for their stage 2 exam.
I arrived at 7.45 - DO check with the venue what time you are supposed to arrive. Also read the letter and what you are supposed to bring - I'd got the letter and my membership card but didn't read the letter properly and hadn't brought my Riding & Road Safety Certificate - oops! Luckily they can & do ring up the head office to check with them.
We started with walking the jumping course at 8am - a good chance to compare with others what routes you are going to take. Our course was outside, and around other jumps. The trot pole, cross pole, straight bar grid was also to be jumped before fence no.1. Gather back inside for a briefing at 8.30am, the usual "please feel welcome, please give us good feedback, please ask if you need anything" chat. Hats checked, program for the day given out, etc etc. There were 5 groups with up to 5 people in each, but loads were taking the odd unit, or not doing the complete exam for various reasons - resits and not yet confident to jump etc. I nearly didn't register to jump but the nice lady in the exams office convinced me to, and I'm glad I did, as my jumping came on loads in the last month!
My group did stable management first - grooming & strapping, plaiting, tacking up with tack fit etc. I had to groom, explaining what I was doing at each point and demonstrate strapping. Don't forget your stage 1 stuff, like how to approach a horse in the stable, tie them up, haynet and water bucket out, skip out - one or two of you group did forget this. Then I had to put one mane plait in and show a bit of tail plaiting. I asked to take my horse out of his stable to plait but I was asked to plait with bands instead of a needle so that I could stay inside the stable - hopefully that will be marked as a knowledgeable thing to have done/asked for not an annoyance! Quite proud of the little plait I put in
Next I had to put two travelling boots and two travelling bandages on, and any other clothing that the horse might need to travel in. They put time pressure on us, the lorry arrives in 10 minutes, and what you've got on then is it, no other chances! Ask if you can't find something you need - my pony was tiny so I nearly didn't find any travelling boots that fit, and the leather headcollars were huge - so I asked for the headcollar and it was noted that I would have put a leather headcollar on if one was available. It was a warm day so I opted not to rug and explained why, but I did bandage the tail and put a tail guard on. I chose not to put a knee boot on with the bandage, but I did explain why. We were asked to tack up, including a martingale, and explain basic tack fitting - how to check the bit size, how to fit a martingale, how to check saddle fit and if everything is in good repair including stitching. Accident procedure, basic first aid, health and safety legislation.Next we rode, thank goodness, I wanted to get that out of the way! Flatwork first, 4 of us, I had a nice, tall bit fine and flexible horse to begin with (I do ride there regularly; there was a marked difference in those who had done that versus those who had never been. I HIGHLY recommend training at the exam centre and getting to know the horses and yard). Walk and trot in free order on one rein, wait to be told to canter then canter including across the school in an arc. Change the rein, repeat to include 20m circles in canter. Take away your stirrups - I had been dreading getting this horse for trot without stirrup work, he's so hard to sit to! Sitting trot without stirrups as a ride, lead file to call out a change of rein then ride to take that as a ride, then lead file to canter to the back of the ride. Repeat until everybody has lead a change of rein and cantered without stirrups - I enjoyed quite a long canter on this horse because it's so much more comfortable than his trot without stirrups! I am SO pleased with myself that I did it quite well, 3 weeks ago I was tensing up on this horse, wobbling like a novice and generally practicing how not to do it, so I've managed to sort my position and relaxation vs tone balance sufficiently in the meantime!
Time to change horses - I got a big mare who had a different bit in to usual - a pelham with roundings. I later found out that she had her normal 3 ring gag in for the flatwork for the previous group, they changed her to pelham to jump and she was so naughty in the jumping that they decided to keep her in the pelham to do flatwork! Gosh she felt wide and powerful after my previous horse! Also curling behind the bit more than I've ever experienced her doing, so lots of let and hands held artificially high to try to uncurl her! W/T/C on the new horse, get a feel for them, change the rein etc. Ride figure of 8 with reins in one hand, show a bit more canter work. Dismount, get brought a VERY welcome cup of orange squash. Examiner came over and we talked about how each horse was to ride, if we'd have changed anything in the way we rode them etc.
Change horses - swap from schooling to jumping whip, and put on body protector if you've brought one (it's optional for jumping at this level. I do wear one). Next horse is my favourite, a coloured cob mare. Heck she was sweaty though, she'd already worked really hard! Moment of embarassment as I couldn't get on her from a small stool, I had to take her to the mounting block - which, as my instructor had just whispered to me, might have been/was a problem because she just didn't think she should be ridden any more and didn't want to walk to stand by the block. an examiner asked if I wanted help and I said no, she was just walking backwards a bit, and I eventually, with the insisted assistance of the examiner, got her to the block and got on. Adjust stirrups, ride outside, W/T/C outside to get a feel for them, pop the trot pole to X pole both reins, pop the grid with added straight bar at the back, then the grid followed by fence 1,2 and 3. She was a superstar, and despite having to get after her I thought I jumped her well. Swap horses, back onto the bendy bay gelding, Oh, this is interesting for me, I've jumped him but never a course and never this height, though I know he's capable of much higher, I also know what he's capable of doing (napping and rearing if he doesn't want to leave his friends)! Oh well, W/T/C get a feel for this horse, which I don't think I did very well - he was reluctant to leave his friends, and kept breaking from canter into trot (which is REALLY unlike him - don't know but perhaps I was holding his head a bit too much). We were under time pressure as the day was running late, so straight over just the cross pole and then straight into fences 1-6. Somebody cut me up after I'd been called to go
but luckily I saw what was about to happen and circled away to start again. Approached at trot, then after the X pole vaguely realised that I was probably supposed to be in canter Funny old round, horse just not going forwards, broken back into trot quite often but also stressy with throwing his head around and not wanting to go away from the other horses. Managed a few strides of canter into each fence, and got round the whole course, though quite a thelwell style jump was made over one of them -oops! Realised half way round perhaps I had been holding his head too tight and he sort of improved after that. Remembered to ride positively after the last fence and ended slowing down in the direction away from his friends and walked calmly back to them. Dismount, and despite not being the last to jump was somehow the last person to talk to the examiner about how I felt the ride on both horses had gone. I think I identified everything that I did wrong and why this that or the other happened. Felt like that chat was quite long, as perhaps he was seeking to find out if I knew that round hadn't gone very well and why - I suspect I may need to resit the jumping element, I guess it just depends on how they balance riding the other horse fairly well, with him not so well but understanding what went wrong and what I'd change, or if they really want to see you doing a good round on both horses. Practical theory next - clippers/clipping, trimming and tidying, signs of health and ill health, anatomy. How to remove a shoe and how to fit a shoe. I won't go on about this bit, it is what it is, I felt I might have failed it but I don't know, there was a lot that I did get right, but one or two silly mistakes. Shoeing seemed to be everybody's weak point, talking to others afterwards. Again we were told we wouldn't be over examined but I don't know, it felt like we were really grilled on everything!
Lunch!!
Afternoon - practical lungeing and lungeing theory - fit side reins, check the tack they are already wearing, fit a cavession and get going. That session goes FAST and I didn't have time to cool my horse down. Talked about theory of lunging and how it went with the examiner afterwards.
Final session - Theory, sitting down, aaaahhhh nice! Pasture management, Stables and stabling, poisonous plants, feeding and watering, fittening, procedures for a new horse arriving.
It took us until 4.30, so be prepared for a long day and take plenty of sugar, water, and/or money to buy lunch and drinks!
Results in 10 days, eek! But I hope the above helps somebody to prepare for their stage 2 exam.
