Bossanova
Well-Known Member
Today was the big day- Moon's first novice.
Stonar's a nice place but having the dressage in the middle of the xc really didnt suit my horse! She didnt get uptight or silly but she was pretty unfocaused and managed to have a blip in most movements. However, I saw some horse blow up and they got around the same score as me whereas Moon just did a very quiet but rather boring test!
Straight on to the SJ. Track was riding pretty well, going was perfect and the course was up to height and a bit twisty but nothing overly challenging. Saw quite a few kick out the planks. Moon warmed up well, pinged her socks off and I was a little worried she may scare herself over-jumping so just popped the x-pole a few times then went in. She was super. Tried very hard, was a little green into the first combination but she cleared it well. She had the planks down but was fautless apart from that
Xc- Now I wouldnt describe Stonar as the perfect 1st time novice! Fences 1 and 2 were easy and she jumped them well, 3 was a decent sized hedge which she pinged over (Boss practised sitting back and slipping reins!!) 4 was a double of houses which you could either jump on a turning 4 or angle on 3. Moon's steering aint always that hot so we went for angling and she picked up her line and popped through like a pro. 5 Was another turning combination, this time a log, small run down hill and a right angled turn over a stone wall with an inviting slope away just encouraging them to run-out!! She was a little untidy over the log but very honest when I winged her round the turn!
6 was a box pimple thing, not quite sure how we made it over- Moon certainly has a 5th leg!! I think that was prob just because she'd had some difficult questions before so she went a bit brittle on me. 7 was a hedge which she jumped nicely. 8 was a BIG sloping palisade with brush on which she ballooned over (testing my secure lower leg
)
9 was a nasty little trakhner off a turn which I was a little worried about as she has been a bit ditchy in the past. Well she was very honest and got her leghs in a tangle when she saw the ditch but jumped it anyway. Then a nice gate which was fine.
11 was a double of box trianglular arrowheads on a slight turn. By this point Moon was really picking up her lines and she flew through no problem. 12 was tyres. 13 was another trappy combination- an aiy triple rail with one long stride to a parallel hedge thing. Again, she was super and by now I was beaming (the photographer took some very embarrassing photos)
She leapt into the water jump, I had reins at buckle-end and she locked onto the skinny on the way out with no help from me and jumped it very sweetly then just two more and we were home- clear!!
Could not be more pleased with her, she loved the xc which was my main worry with her. She relished the challenge. Whilst I realise getting round a novice is not the biggest acheivement ever, I feel very proud of my mis-shapen mule who no-body thought was any good. She gave me a super feel and it was probably one of the most enjoyable xc rounds I've ever had.
Photos in an hour or so....
Stonar's a nice place but having the dressage in the middle of the xc really didnt suit my horse! She didnt get uptight or silly but she was pretty unfocaused and managed to have a blip in most movements. However, I saw some horse blow up and they got around the same score as me whereas Moon just did a very quiet but rather boring test!
Straight on to the SJ. Track was riding pretty well, going was perfect and the course was up to height and a bit twisty but nothing overly challenging. Saw quite a few kick out the planks. Moon warmed up well, pinged her socks off and I was a little worried she may scare herself over-jumping so just popped the x-pole a few times then went in. She was super. Tried very hard, was a little green into the first combination but she cleared it well. She had the planks down but was fautless apart from that
Xc- Now I wouldnt describe Stonar as the perfect 1st time novice! Fences 1 and 2 were easy and she jumped them well, 3 was a decent sized hedge which she pinged over (Boss practised sitting back and slipping reins!!) 4 was a double of houses which you could either jump on a turning 4 or angle on 3. Moon's steering aint always that hot so we went for angling and she picked up her line and popped through like a pro. 5 Was another turning combination, this time a log, small run down hill and a right angled turn over a stone wall with an inviting slope away just encouraging them to run-out!! She was a little untidy over the log but very honest when I winged her round the turn!
6 was a box pimple thing, not quite sure how we made it over- Moon certainly has a 5th leg!! I think that was prob just because she'd had some difficult questions before so she went a bit brittle on me. 7 was a hedge which she jumped nicely. 8 was a BIG sloping palisade with brush on which she ballooned over (testing my secure lower leg
9 was a nasty little trakhner off a turn which I was a little worried about as she has been a bit ditchy in the past. Well she was very honest and got her leghs in a tangle when she saw the ditch but jumped it anyway. Then a nice gate which was fine.
11 was a double of box trianglular arrowheads on a slight turn. By this point Moon was really picking up her lines and she flew through no problem. 12 was tyres. 13 was another trappy combination- an aiy triple rail with one long stride to a parallel hedge thing. Again, she was super and by now I was beaming (the photographer took some very embarrassing photos)
She leapt into the water jump, I had reins at buckle-end and she locked onto the skinny on the way out with no help from me and jumped it very sweetly then just two more and we were home- clear!!
Could not be more pleased with her, she loved the xc which was my main worry with her. She relished the challenge. Whilst I realise getting round a novice is not the biggest acheivement ever, I feel very proud of my mis-shapen mule who no-body thought was any good. She gave me a super feel and it was probably one of the most enjoyable xc rounds I've ever had.
Photos in an hour or so....
