Teeny tiny hunter trial that meant a great deal more with loopy lilly and my £1 pony!

Vickijay

Vickijay

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Hiya,

This is probably the most insignificant competition report on here but it made me happy and so I thought I would tell you about it.

I havent braved taking Lilly to many competitions where she has jump anything as much as she adores jumping she has always been a bit of a **** at competitions. She used to cannon about when tied to the truck, kick the total cr*p out of it when she was in it, be shaking, stressed and tricky to ride. She has been out to quiet dressage a few times and has always done very well but has always been tense and tricky and if im honest I havent braved or felt she was ready to go out jumping.

I have been taking her to loads of RC things, basically anything that envolves riding in a group and she has been getting much better. She has been out in the truck tons over the summer and now will stand nicely (ish) I really want to event her but havent braved a busy warm up arena anywhere to get out there and do it.

I thought enough was enough so entered her in munsteads hunter trial. I also thought that as Jake (the tb 4 yo I brought for £1) had jumped 4 whole times ever (but he is super sensible sparkly halo pony) so decided to enter him too! He did practice XC a few days before and jumped everything first time...

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And hacked out onto the very busy road, by himself down to the ford to play in the water...

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So had to leave at 6:20 am, got there and loops was chilled and lovely (maybe something to do with the new instant calmer!) She was also calm in the warm up, even when loads of pony club kiddies came whizzing about on their ponies!! She was the most relaxed she has been at any competition (and this was far the busiest) and she was really working through and was lovely and soft in her back. Felt like I should be going to do dressage!!

Trotted and cantered over all the teeny tiny jumps sweetly and with no issues. Did jump a 90 combination as it was too tricky to turn her away from the last part and didnt want to pull her out, she just pinged through the whole thing. She was just ace :D

Cantering through the finish I felt the tiniest bit emotional as she can be very tricky and I honestly didnt know if I would ever be good enough to manage to complete a XC, not the actual jumping part but the busy enviroment and the tension from the warm up, box park and a busy event feeling. Shes sharp at dressage so in my head I thought we would never get to be calm doing this.

Here are the link the the XXXXXXtreme fences (for her its not the height, its the being a sensible horse thats tricky!)

http://jumporamic.instaproofs.com/category.php?event=469067&id=1197279


Lots of pats and an apple later and I put her in the truck (and waited for the kicking the hell out of it to start) and we took Jake off to play (with my friend who has been riding him a bit) Needless to say Jake continued his halo polishing by being super relaxed at his very first party. As walking into the arena a person really really galloped through the finish. Jake just watched then carried on! Into a busy warm up and he didnt bat a eyelid.

He was called and off he trotted. He really is super cool and such a darling. He did get overtaken (as he was only trotting round) but jumped everything first time and came back with a big smile on his face as did my friend.

Heres his pics...


http://jumporamic.instaproofs.com/category.php?id=1197389&event=469067#130427193

Got back and was expecting loops to of killed the truck and she was just standing and munching her hay, something I NEVER thought would ever happen!

So all in all a great day. Jake is proving to be the lovliest pony ever, cant believe I only spent £1 on him! I sent his old mum a link to his pics and he said she was very glad that he wasnt turned into sausages :o I was thinking of advertising him now but think I maybe might keep him till the spring as he is so super easy to have around. Although it does worry me that pretty soon he might not be going anywhere! He is so super, I think he will make someone very, very happy one day.

And the greatest feeling of all thinking that I might actually be able to event my horse next season. Its funny what trotting and cantering round a teeny tiny event can do :)

Sorry for being gushing!!
 
Well done, espicially for the improvements in your mare, particularly about not kicking the lorry. I used to have a mare that would kick in the lorry and the stable, we had her ovaries checked and had her on a course off regulate it helped imensely, I know yours was better just a thought for you if she does start again?
Love your £1 pony, very nice :) :)
 
My mare is just the same we call her the bipolar pony. She's ace in lessons and at low key local stuff but BE just blew her brains out. It's taken me three years and 9 events a lot of messing about with calmers, warm up, regumate etc. but in our final event of the year she did her first XC clear. SJ was still rubbish but one phase at a time eh?
Keep chipping away you'll get there and it's such amazing pay back. I felt prouder of that 90 round than I did of anything I've done before because it was hard won and took blood sweat and tears to get to that point.
 
Swirlymurphy said:
Well done :D I was one of the starters and we could see your smile from way before the finishing line!
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Thats embarrasing!! :o :)

It was silly how much her being quiet and normal meant though. She has only been to 3 quiet dressage comps and I NEVER thought we would get to behaving like a normal horse. She tried to jump me out of the arena at one dressage as a horse freaked her out. I nearly fell off her alot of times at another dressage warm up too as she is so sharp and quick to react. I just didnt think we would function at a hunter trial or event. Maybe she will be normal one day!!
 
ajn1610 said:
My mare is just the same we call her the bipolar pony. She's ace in lessons and at low key local stuff but BE just blew her brains out. It's taken me three years and 9 events a lot of messing about with calmers, warm up, regumate etc. but in our final event of the year she did her first XC clear. SJ was still rubbish but one phase at a time eh?
Keep chipping away you'll get there and it's such amazing pay back. I felt prouder of that 90 round than I did of anything I've done before because it was hard won and took blood sweat and tears to get to that point.
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Its nice to hear that others have been in the same boat!! Do you have any pictures? What calmers etc is she on now?

Of course Halo pony Jake just waltzed in, to his first trip away from home, took it all in his sensible stride and did brilliantly! He needs to have a word with Lilly!!
 
Please don't be embarrassed! It is lovely to see someone enjoying their rounds. So many people set off looking pale with their teeth clenched, and come back not much better. It is supposed to be fun after all! And when you have had a bit of a battle to get there, it makes it all so much better for you. Well done :)
 
It has certainly been a interesting road to get there. Just last week I was thinking she was too good for me and that someone better or more professional should have her as was expecting her to behave like a idiot! Tbh I wasn't really expecting her to be sensible enough even to ride in the warm up!!

One teeny hunter trial made me realise that her and I can get out and about without her being a headcase and me feeling useless. Which has done a great deal for how I feel about her and I.

It's funny having a lovely but tricky horse. She's the best I have owned but I find her the hardest to ride. Not helped by some people saying she's a pro ride. The teeny jumps and sensible pony made me realise that I can carry on. Yes a better rider would do it quicker and no doubt better but loops and I are doing ok :)
 
Vickijay said:
Its nice to hear that others have been in the same boat!! Do you have any pictures? What calmers etc is she on now?

Of course Halo pony Jake just waltzed in, to his first trip away from home, took it all in his sensible stride and did brilliantly! He needs to have a word with Lilly!!
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I do but I'm not sure how to post them? She's now on regumate constantly during the season, she has two scoops of a calming supplement in evening and morning feeds before comps from a company called prosportive. (I'd never heard of them but a friend of a friend works for them and gave me a tub to try and I've found it works really well for her) and a shot of magic two hours before the dressage time. She has gone from doing a rodeo impression, getting E'd everywhere for disobedience (wouldn't go in dressage ring or SJ would just rear and rear) and is now slowly becoming more like the horse I have at home in dressage and XC. The SJ is still a lot for her to cope with and to be fair it's my worst phase and the thing that makes me most nervous so that probably doesn't help her. We are making progress and have 3 completions under our belt, where as last season we never got to XC so I'm hopeful for next year.
 
That is brilliant so very well done!
I did the small course at Munstead for J's first time although he wasn't quite as good as lil in the warm up and I had to get off and then get on him just before I went!
I know how you feel as J can be sharp but funnily enough only doing jumping warm ups not dressage. Its like he can't stand the anticipation of about to jump/perform and he doesn't mean to do anything, its just adrenaline making him reactive. Once we are off he is fine! I think the good ones are so desperate to please and get on with it that they sort of have a brain malfunction in expectation. I say to my mum how can a horse thats so easy to actually compete, jump ect be such a pain in the warm up :p.
I have a feeling J will grow out of it as once he does settle a rocket could go off up his arse and he doesn't flinch. However at the moment I have to mess around with warm up routines, calmers and getting to shows super early so he can settle but its worth it for the smile I have every time at the end of the round, I don't think iv'e had one show where he hasn't done a good job. It seems like Lilly will be the same.
I have also found unaffilliated summer shows, the big noisy ones with lots of showing classes and gymkana's and jumping great for getting J used to big atmospheres. He was actually pretty calm at the 2 BE's iv'e done as they seemed quiet in comparison to a million screaming kids, ponies and horses at the local oversubscribed summer shows!
My late mare was also an overreactive TB and she was awful at shows untill she was about 8. She was such a flippin pain it could take 3 of us just to get a bridle on her and it would take me about an hour to warm up for the dressage before she would stop cantering sideways, we used to get 4's for explosions in the tests and such like. Then one day she just grew up and was an angel!

Your £1 pony sounds gorgeous, lucky you to have two such wonderful horses :).
 
EnduroRider said:
Did an endurance ride round there, o ended up in the crossing before that one! Damp pony and rider by the time we got to the second http://rad-foto.co.uk/20110904BramshillFord/imagepages/image88.html
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OMG your soaking!!

ajn1610 said:
I do but I'm not sure how to post them? She's now on regumate constantly during the season, she has two scoops of a calming supplement in evening and morning feeds before comps from a company called prosportive. (I'd never heard of them but a friend of a friend works for them and gave me a tub to try and I've found it works really well for her) and a shot of magic two hours before the dressage time. She has gone from doing a rodeo impression, getting E'd everywhere for disobedience (wouldn't go in dressage ring or SJ would just rear and rear) and is now slowly becoming more like the horse I have at home in dressage and XC. The SJ is still a lot for her to cope with and to be fair it's my worst phase and the thing that makes me most nervous so that probably doesn't help her. We are making progress and have 3 completions under our belt, where as last season we never got to XC so I'm hopeful for next year.
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See there is hope for mine too!! I dont think hers is her hormones though, I think its more just excitement and me not wanting to mess it up by doing things too quickly.

Mike007 said:
I like this sort of competition report. :)
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Thanks :)

firewell said:
That is brilliant so very well done!
I did the small course at Munstead for J's first time although he wasn't quite as good as lil in the warm up and I had to get off and then get on him just before I went!
I know how you feel as J can be sharp but funnily enough only doing jumping warm ups not dressage. Its like he can't stand the anticipation of about to jump/perform and he doesn't mean to do anything, its just adrenaline making him reactive. Once we are off he is fine! I think the good ones are so desperate to please and get on with it that they sort of have a brain malfunction in expectation. I say to my mum how can a horse thats so easy to actually compete, jump ect be such a pain in the warm up :p.
I have a feeling J will grow out of it as once he does settle a rocket could go off up his arse and he doesn't flinch. However at the moment I have to mess around with warm up routines, calmers and getting to shows super early so he can settle but its worth it for the smile I have every time at the end of the round, I don't think iv'e had one show where he hasn't done a good job. It seems like Lilly will be the same.
I have also found unaffilliated summer shows, the big noisy ones with lots of showing classes and gymkana's and jumping great for getting J used to big atmospheres. He was actually pretty calm at the 2 BE's iv'e done as they seemed quiet in comparison to a million screaming kids, ponies and horses at the local oversubscribed summer shows!
My late mare was also an overreactive TB and she was awful at shows untill she was about 8. She was such a flippin pain it could take 3 of us just to get a bridle on her and it would take me about an hour to warm up for the dressage before she would stop cantering sideways, we used to get 4's for explosions in the tests and such like. Then one day she just grew up and was an angel!

Your £1 pony sounds gorgeous, lucky you to have two such wonderful horses :).
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Thanks its so nice to hear that you were there too. She was ace at the weekend so have got a late entry to another hunter trial this weekend too. I know she is getting better as before she was a complete idiot even to put in the truck, let alone get her out and have her sensible! While I filled in the form to school round mattingley last year it was honestly like I had some wild mustang in the truck that was trying to kick its way out of it!

Do you give Jay any calmers? I think with Lilly it is just going to be going out and out and out and out till the novelty wears off. I guess I have to remember how far she has come and remember that if Im careful and get help I shouldnt bu**er it up too quickly!!

Yeah Jake is ace too, esp as he is babysitting my yearling, who chews him, jumps on him and generally annoys him!! He is angel pony :D
 
I'm trialling the new syringe callers by blue chip for them at the moment and they seem to help... It's hard to tell really as sometimes Jae is a donkey at a show and sometimes he's a firecracker! It seems to depend on what side of the bed he gets out of more than the calmer...
Out of the ones I've tried the blue chip seems the best though, Jae likes the carrot flavour :)
 
Carrot tasting calmer! Ill see if they have those ones at the tack shop. I was going to try rescue remedy but I doubt she would eat it on a sweet!

Im sure the equine america one worked but at £19 a time it wasnt cheap!!
 
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