Thankg god for prolite XC boots, eventful XC session at Somerford......

Pidgeon

Pidgeon

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Started off ok, warmed up and started putting some fences together. 2 roll tops on an arc followed by log pile, big log, ditch house and double of triangle fences. Had one sill stop first time round at double of triangle fences as forgot to put my legs on :rolleyes: Then had a play at the step complex and jumped up the big step one stride to big step only Pidge put two little steps in and clambered up the second step the ground being considerably closer than I am used to on all 17hh of him :eek: Fortunately his near hind prolite took the brunt of the step and has a fair few scratches on the front Pidge just got two small scrapes near his hock on the inside of his leg :( Checked him over and trotted him round, consensus was he was fine so we did the steps again in much better style! However now sporting a rather nice scratch on the front of my saddle where my body protector zip had connected with it :(
Carried on round and went to the water complex, all good until we got to the ditch with water going through where he had a good look then jumped from a standstill I got left behind and there is only 2 strides uphill to the sharks teeth which we stopped at as had absolutely no impulsion whatsoever so don't blame him for that one. Did it again properly so was happy. Then played over the double of skinnies, through the water, out over the roll top, over the ditch and sharks teeth which was good. Then did the rail one stride to log drop into the water, I knew I was forward coming to the log drop but did nothing so ended on his neck and half out the saddle when we landed in the water :eek: I was determined NOT to come off in the minging water so somehow managed to get back in the saddle, in the process bending my left thumb right back :(
After a little breather to let the pain subside in my thumb we attempted the sharks teeth the other way round, I took my legs off too much as didn't want him to fly over them as its downhill to the ditch but must have took them off too much as we stopped again, he then stopped twice more so I gave up and jumped over the ditch and back over the ditch and over the sharks teeth the other way round cantered a circle and back over the sharks teeth ok, phew!
Played over some more fences including ditch in front of step followed by house, owl howl and round over the bench. We'd lost a little bit of confidence by then so were not taking the fences in XC mode more SJ some of them but hey ho! Then came to the BIG steeplechase fences in the middle of the XC paddock, so decided to have a bash stopping at it the first time as I really wasn't in the mood. Went and played over the owl hole etc and came at the steeplechase one again, scrambled over ok so went back and did it lovely the second time round :)finished off with a couple more and then had a lovely bowling canter from one end to the other with a quick gallop back to the entrance and then cooled him off.
So a not very confident schooling session, one scratched XC boot, 2 grazes on Pidge's leg, one very sore thumb, one rather large scratch on my jump saddle! So sorry for the marathon essay but any tips on how to get my legs on when I don't want to jump or am thinking of other things much appreciated (please remember I'm blonde so thinking of more than one thing at a time is obviously difficult especially when XC :rolleyes:) I usually go with saying "legs legs legs" in my head into the fence but this failed me yesterday as I totally forgot :(
 
Sounds eventful pidge!!!

Can you not just think of all of the above, ie thumb, scratched saddle and boot etc....if you don't put you're leg on ;-p !!!

Might work!! LOL!

Failing that, just really concentrate on keeping him forward and in a rhythem, legs to keep the engine going, leg to hand, leg to hand, something like this??
 
:D good idea :D so instead of legs legs legs I'll mutter thumb, leg, saddle, thumb, leg, saddle.......... defiantely a plan of action!
 
Glad you didn't fall into the water, ouch at the sore thumb though!

I usually concentrate on my rhythm, I find this usually helps alot. I find my horse can jump anything as long as I maintain a good strong canter which I can adjust according to the type of fence.

I don't know whether you have any lessons xc at all, but I started lessons with an eventer based at somerford and she has helped so so much, after just a few lessons the amount I have learnt is honestly invaluable. PM me if you want her contact details. :)
 
me too! can't quite get my thumb to touch the palm of my hand yet but hey ho!
Our rhythmn is usually pretty good but when I have a wobble and take my legs off it goes to pot :( it's just sometimes the brain doesn't give the message to the body, does that make sense, I know what I'm supposed to do but can't do it!
Yes have lessons from a BE accredited judge near me but decided yesterday just to play with no instructor.
 
try to get the feeling that you have 2/3 of the horse in front of your legs before you approach any fence. If you feel him drop behind, put legs on immediately to push him up again. you'll soon get used to the feeling and react really quickly to get it back again. It's not the type of fence that's the problem at all imho, it's when your approach impulsion etc varies and he drops behind your leg.
 
Thanks Kerilli, I'll give that a whirl, it's just so hard sometimes as I know what I need to do but still just sit there! sooooo frustrating. I like the idea of 2/3rds of the horse in front of the leg will definately work on that one, thanks :)
 
Ouch.....bent my thumb back years ago xc schooling wouldn't admit to D_K so clicked it back into place (it had dislocated, but woof wear gloves kept it back in place:D). After an hour had to admit that I couldn't ride anymore, and got the B******ing of my life (6 yrs later he still tells me off if I dare hold my hands the wrong way:rolleyes:) it still gives me grief now so hope yours wasn't as bad.

Good job you had Pidges boots on.

I can always lend you Mini DK, he does a grand job of shouting leg leg leg, just at the right time, he has now been banned from the edge of warm up arenas, as it is too embarrassing to be shouted at by a six yr old:D
 
thats a good tip K will try that myself (i'm terrible for taking my leg off and freezing before fences that scare me :rolleyes:)
P- you jumped some seriously good stuff, try not to beat yourself up too much, most of the fences you describe are EASILY PN/NOV standard (ok maybe not in height/dimensions but certainly in terms of the questions asked). An XC trainer (v well respected) once told me that the coffin with water in it (to the sharks teeth) is intermediate level fence and that he will never train anyone over it as it causes so many problems. i once begged a trainer to let me try it on my rather nappy grey- spent half an hour trying to get him over the ditch. in the end i had to lead him over it by getting off and jumping the ditch myself :rolleyes: My friend's very genuine mare will jump one way fine but HATES the shark teeth, ditch, roll top direction...so it must be something that horses don't like for some reason. :)
 
I don't think its my seat that's necessarily the problem, more the lack of legs on and brain not functioning quick enough! If I ride the fence Pidge jumps anything, if I don't ride it he doesn't. Gahhhh so frustrating as I know the problem is me but more difficult sorting it!
 
Sanolly - don't think so as it is more of a gouge than a scratch, ho hum it is a work saddle after all!
Ouch H that sounds so painful, I don't think I dislocated it just bent it back as far as it would go before something went pop. Have managed tonight to get it to touch the palm of my hand so is getting better slowly but putting the gear stick into reverse on the car is bloomin painful :mad: Yep that's the second time the prolites have saved Pigs legs, won't jump without them not worth the risk IMO. Tell you what if I promise to feed and water mini DK he's hired :D sounds exactly what I need :D
diggerbez, I suppose thinking about it that coffin is quite tough as it slopes down to the ditch and then back up again, perhaps I'm being too hard on myself and Pidge then? Half an hour, eep so I am worrying over nothing then!
Ooh yes forgot to say we jumped one of the big trakheners where the log was at an angle over the ditch first time lovely so I think on reflection I should be pleased how it went :D Took Pig for a gentle hack and he seemed fine so no problems from his scramble up the steps thank god.
 
You jumped some pretty big fences then! :O The steeplechases are huge (I once jumped the fence at the side of them accidentally... :S )
Re: the coffin, it is horrible. Shrimp didnt like it, and no matter how many times we jumped the ditch he never jumped it well. Only on very few occasions did I do all three elements in one go. So basically you should be really pleased with what you both did! The more you do stuff, the quicker your reactions will be. I think you both have come on really well in quite a short space of time so dont be so hard on yourself!! :D Where are next going to?
P.s. hope the thumb is ok!
 
Meep the ones to the side of the steeplechase fence are massive :eek:
So the ditch there is a horrible one thanks am starting to feel better now how we did over it then :) and yes I do think, sorry I know, I'm too hard on myself:rolleyes:
Eland unaff HT on Sunday and then Stafford BE90 a week on Saturday :D
The thumb is much better thanks :)
 
This is a totally different approach and may not be right for your horse, but all ideas you could try right!!??...

My horse is pretty inexperienced though very geniune at XC as an ex-SJer he has clearly been brutalised into never stopping at an upright fence (which actually works quite well in my favour!) :o However, he is pretty clueless about any kind of ditches, drops, steps, water jumps etc etc. So I always try to really encourage him and kick on at these types of fences.

However, I was schooling him down some biggish steps and drops with my trainer last week and he said to me take your leg off completely as you come to fence. Just let him figure it out for himself. WHAT!!!!???? (But being a very good pupil I just did as I was told - quite difficult when you're using your legs to hold you in place anyway!!)

Nevertheless is worked! We then continued for the rest of the session with this method and he was a legend. By the end of it popping up and back down at speed really nimbly "like and old pro" (as trainer put it).

So I have been trying this approach ever since just in general day to day as well as XC and it seems to work for him!! Even hacking today we came to the narrow gap with spooky boulders in it to stop vehicles. I took my leg off completely, gave him a lose rein and he sniffed his way through! (Sooo much better than the usual spooky shenanigans we have and a pretty chuffed mum to boot! :D).

Anyway, may not be the right approach for your horse but could be worth a try next time, after a few repetitions of the same obstacle they seem to have it taped!!!
 
Those are some tough combinations so don't worry if it was a bit messy. That coffin by the water has a lot going on. Maybe go back and have a really comfortable session of easy fun stuff before your next comp to boost both of your confidence? I find looking at a point at the top of the fence and then focusing on that helps me ride forward and see a stride and stops me from getting frozen or focusing on any scary aspect.
 
thanks for the suggestion HB but if I did that with Pidge we'd never get over a single fence unless he was chasing another horse, he had hunted in Ireland before I got him so is pretty clued up on steps, ditches etc and has taught me loads, especially not to interfere just before the fence as his irish sense of self preservation and that fifth leg when needed come in very handy :) Glad you have found something that works wonders with your boy :)
ajn1610, have got Eland HT on Sunday so that will be a nice confidence boosting run as been there lots so know the course well :) and duh why didn't I think of that exercise as its so easy to focus on something after the fence and ride to it and hey presto over we go before we know it, thanks
 
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