That's it I've had enough....no longer eventing

wodger_woo

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 July 2003
Messages
67
Visit site
Yet another sickenly dissapointing day with Chance at Eland Lodge.

The prep had been going OK and despite our 'moments' (such as me hitting the deck 3 times in a week) I wasn't really worried. In fact my only concern was if I tried to steady on the x-c and Chance did his 'freezing' thing
crazy.gif
.
The XC course was Fab a really nice and well thought out - they had changed it quite a lot from the spring event and was much nicer I thought. Given that Chance has skipped around the Pre-novice I was really excited about having a blast on it.

Dressage - His test was horrid - There was a patch of sand at A which he leapt 8 foot over everytime we had to cross it. He was also quite innattentive, against my hand and just felt argumentative. We had a score of 42.5 which I thought was rather generous as it was a rubbish test.

Showjumping - He warmed up ok, he seemed quite keen to be putting in a short one when we warmed up on the grass, but when we moved into the warm up on the surface he seemed much happier although he seemed to be jumping very up and down. I took him in and straight away I could feel he had one on him, he started grinding his teeth and spooking. He was backing right off the first so I gave him a smack and lots of verbal encouragement and he cleared it fine. The second was a non-descript upright of poles which he stopped at
blush.gif
He cleared it fine the second time. The third was a rustic parallel he had his handbrake on majorly as soon as he saw it and thats where my day ended.

I'm so gutted in 2003 this horse was flying around novice tracks and now......well. So I've had it really, I can't take the upset any more. I've tried for nearly a whole season and still haven't managed to get a score on the board for various reasons. Its not for want of trying as well. I've spent a fortune on lessons, clinics, saddles, physio's and TFT. Its too expensive and not forgetting soul destroying to keep going out and have these things happening.

So I'm going to get Chance's back checked AGAIN just to ease my mind, and then I'm going to let his fitness down a bit. The rest of this year I'm just going to do some tiny showjumping and small hunter trials and then maybe think about hunting him this winter. I'm not going to sell him as that would be like selling my husband and as infuriating as he is I do adore the bl**dy thing
laugh.gif
. Next year I will find something we both enjoy doing and if I do decide to return to eventing I will buy another.
 

JoBo

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 March 2004
Messages
8,329
Location
Rugby
s11.photobucket.com
I don't really know what to say but I feel for you! Maybe if you go back to basics for a bit e.g clear rounds and HT things might start picking up again? Horses, hey, they are just there sometimes to test the nerves!!

I hope that if you don't make it back into eventing with Chance that you find something that will be perfect for you!

Sorry I'm not very good at this but just felt I wanted to reply!
 

Sarah_Jane

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 July 2005
Messages
6,848
Location
Cornwall
Visit site
Hard luck it can be so frustrating. Just concentrate on having fun with him - you will be surprised how a winters hunting and playing around can change both your outlooks.

Don't rule out a physical problem it sounds like he is more than capable and used to enjoy the eventing - there can often be small problems that can be virtually impossible to detect. A small niggle can make a big difference and maybe it will mend over the winter.

Just concentrate on having fun for a while.
 

Autumna1

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 August 2005
Messages
76
Visit site
I gave up dressage with my big horse as he was becoming naughtier and naughtier and marks were getting lower and lower. He also had a bit of a reputation amongst the judges and sometimes even when he went quite nicely, he would get crap marks. I felt the same as you - it's just too expensive and soul destroying. I sold my horsebox and for the past 18 months we've just hacked out around the woods and didn't even venture into the lovely rubber surfaced arena we have at the new yard I moved him to.

However, we're having a little show in a few weeks time and I thought I might do the prelim on him so we went in the school yesterday and he was a star.

Give yourselves a break for a while and do something else, even if it's just hacking or hunting over the winter. Then have another go in a year or so.
 

wodger_woo

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 July 2003
Messages
67
Visit site
Thanks everyone for your kind replies. Sarah Jane that is the most infuriating thing that he has scope to spare, he finds jumping easy but he isn't prepared to even meet me half way at the moment.
I feel so knackered and worn out you wouldn't believe (and I've got to go to work at 5).....ahh well I'm sure some good strong coffee and some chocolate will get me through
 

lizzie_liz

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 November 2005
Messages
3,538
Location
Moray
Visit site
i can totally understand where your coming from, i had a horse which we bought to event but we could never get all 3 phases right on the same day. i had 2 bad falls on him and lost my confidence, we struggled with SJ at comps but would jump so well at home. but i couldn't part with him, so i affliated BD and we did that for a year and he did well. i then had to sell him last summer before uni.

i hope that it will all come together soon and maybe the pair of you need to just go out and have some fun for a while away from eventing. then maybe slowly come back to eventing middle of next year.
fingers crossed it all works out
 

NAT22

Active Member
Joined
17 March 2006
Messages
30
Visit site
I feel for you - I chucked in my eventing towel a few months ago - it was clear to me we just were never going to get it all right on the same day - and I was spending every waking hour stressing over it

chin up there is life after eventing - and you can always have another crack at it next year
 

sillygillyhorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 June 2005
Messages
2,666
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
I too became dispondent as I could not crack all three phases in one day, it was costing me a fortune and making me a stressed out miserable bag. This year I have backed right off and am just pootling around enjoying my horses but have to say that in itself is rekindling my confidence and I do want to do some more eventing, giving myself a break has helped me to realise that it is not the be all and end all.
 

Beanyowner

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 December 2003
Messages
2,455
Location
Bristol, UK
Visit site
...and here is me desperate to get into eventing! I hope you can take a break and maybe come back to it at a later date or find something else which keeps you and your horse happy...without the stress.

x
 

I_A_P

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 March 2005
Messages
5,869
Visit site
i know how frustrating it is,my mare for example, coss counry no probs as yet.
sj had greatly improved careful ness and striding wise but seem to have taken a strange turn and she has gone a bit speedy in the ring and very careless.
my flatwork used to be theworst but its coming a long, so the whjole time i feel like if one thing improves the other goes down the pan.

after sj tonighty i was completely upset, it is soul destroying
take a break and good luck:)
 

Iceni Warrior

Active Member
Joined
5 October 2003
Messages
33
Location
Lethbridge, Victoria, Australia
Visit site
I know how you feel, my last BE event was Aston Le Walls (in knee deep mud / 2001??) and my lovely reliable horse threw the towel in in the SJ. He had tried his hardest but just didnt enjoy it and was only doing it because I asked him to .. so I respected him and gave up BE eventing. Maybe if another good horse had come along Id have given it another go, but we moved over here and the eventing scene is very different.
 

Peanot

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 October 2005
Messages
1,961
Location
Derbyshire
Visit site
W-W, I know how frustrating you must be feeling, we`ve all been there at some time. I know that you say that you have spent a fortune on physios, but have you tried a chiro?
I have a lady come out to my mare and she has sorted out our problems. She is a chiro and also a muscle massager and she uses the equissage if needs be and the lazer treatment too. She is very good and we are now jumping well and doing well in dressage too. When my mare is `wrong` and in pain somewhere, she lets you know as her flatwork and jumping deteriorates, quickly, and she is spookier than normal. The reason that this lady works well is because she can manipulate the skeletal frame and then get rid of the spasms in the muscles which are usually the culprits for the problems, and she finds all sorts of little niggles whether they are on the surface or deeper.
I hope that you can sort out this problem.
I am near Ashby and I`m sure that you are not that far away, so if you would like her number, pm me.
 

Sparklet

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 September 2005
Messages
1,259
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
Please dont rule out selling your horse - it might just be the best thing for both of you. I have seen far to many people struggle with the completely the wrong horse or the wrong discipline for that particular horse who have taken the brave decision to sell. It has been the best decision for both horse and rider - the horse ends up with someone who wants exactly what they have to offer.

I know how hard it is to struggle with the wrong horse and you get so disillusioned, mad with your horse and then guilty because because you are mad. The horse struggles on trying but getting nowhere. I parted with my girl (masses of tears) but she is having a lovely time as a hack now and I have a new horse who is a star. I still care deeply about my old horse and am in touch with the new owner.
 

Patchwork

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 July 2006
Messages
499
Visit site
[ QUOTE ]
Showjumping - He warmed up ok, he seemed quite keen to be putting in a short one when we warmed up on the grass, but when we moved into the warm up on the surface he seemed much happier although he seemed to be jumping very up and down.

[/ QUOTE ]

Could it be the hard ground making him sore, even if there is no other obvious physical problem (which I assume you have checked)? I know someone with an incredibly genuine horse who started stopping whenever the ground was hard - they avoided working or jumping him on poor ground and the problem was solved.
 

nrob1982

Member
Joined
6 April 2006
Messages
12
Visit site
I know exactly how you feel. One of my horses is a fab x-country horse and a truly lovely character. But he hates dressage, or to be more specific anything that vaguely approaches a collected canter.

So at several ODEs we've turned up full of confidence, knowing the course is well within our abilities, only for him to hurl his toys out of the pram during the dressage test. And once that's gone wrong we're both tense and nervous, so the showjumping is a disaster. He'll run out at fences he'd sail over at home and gawp stupidly at fillers that are almost identical to those we use for practice.

After a couple of 60-plus dressage scores I was so depressed I decided I had to something to bring the joy back to my riding. So now I have restricted competitions to few hunter trials, which we both enjoy. In the meantime we've both gone back to complete basics on our flatwork, sometimes spending entire sessions in walk with the emphasis on avoiding stress. I hope to return to eventing in the near future but in all honesty I don't know if it will ever happen. But I do know both my horse and I are now happier
 
Top