The best xc horses

[LEC]

I know there is no hard and fast formula for this but what have your best xc horses felt like especially as youngsters? Sorry to be pedantic but ideally looking for answers from those who have competed at BE novice and above.

I have ridden a fair few xc and bought all of them on myself but have a horse who is sharp in the brain and bold and just seems to get everything that he is asked. I hardly use any leg into a fence other than to keep him straight and fact he is sometimes is too bold and gets himself into trouble. All the others have previously been good horses but have taken some of their confidence from me so needed either a smack or a more leg to get them going and got better with time.

This horse has done 2 fun rides and one xc school and I have never known a horse get it so easily and be so bold about ditches, water and skinnys. I have not hunted him really as he is so sharp and gets wound up.

I am just intrigued what your best horses have felt like as youngsters whether they felt in another league or grew as xc horses as they got older?

 

[kerilli]

the best ones felt like your lad. silly bold from the world go, would try to run themselves into trouble and then have to jump us out of it. but they had their cheeky moments, because they were so forward-thinking and confident, they weren't above the odd cheeky-run out, and one was a total git to xc school, didn't take it seriously and took the mickey all the time, but was switched on totally at comps.
another wasn't naturally brave at all but learnt to have total trust in me, and in fact she was prob the most reliable, i could do ridiculous angles etc on her that i just KNEW she wouldn't run out at (there was a direct route on the Int course at Henbury '03 that only 3 of us did all day, it was that extreme, and i knew she wouldn't even wobble. she was a bit surprised by it but went just because i said so. a friend walked it later and said she couldn't believe it was even jumpable that way!
so, i guess the perfect xc horse would be both - naturally very brave and confident but also totally believing in the rider, not having cheeky moments.
yours sounds lovely, what are the plans with him?

 

[quizzie]

I think the most "telling" thing about a young event horse is what it does after it has made a mistake.......if , for example, they hit a fence down a grid, what is their reaction next time?. If they learn from their mistake in a positive , forward-going , but not stupidly over-bold way, then that is a horse I want to go XC on. Those that panic & either back right off or rush blindly through are usually less confidant when the going gets tougher at the higher levels.

 

[LEC]

Well canter is still an issue. Its getting better but he cannot canter into fences yet as he cannot deal with all that at the same time. I have him entered into a 80cm unaff ODE in April as told to get on with it by my trainer. I have done 80cm BSJA clear round on him in trot and now he has xc schooled so just need to get the dressage passable. Trainer said her 4* horse trotted round all his first events so told me there is no shame in it! I am taking it slowly as he finds it easy but want everything to be perfect.

 

[quizzie]

Is that the Tweseldown unaff. that you are going to, if so ,I am planning on doing the exact same thing!. Mine has such long legs, that I think he will knit with them, I am planning to say to the starter...."see you in 20-30 mins"!!!

 

[cundlegreen]

Ok, proud breeder moment! These pics are of my homebred 5 yr old out of my 2* mare. She was started in October after having a foal last year. She has been in her new loan home for 5 weeks, and this was only her third time schooling XC. These are some of the pre novice fences at Stratford Hills. I think I can safely say she has taken to XC and is a chip off the old block!

 

[LEC]

I am going to Stockland Lovell Manor. Its Area RC Horse Trials so hoping the course will be fair!

Cundlegreen your 5yo looks smart.

 

[ecrozier]

Lol mine sounds a bit like yours lec, ridiculously bold over a fence and just so much jump that he really doesn't think about it! First time xc he didn't want to jump anything solid as seemed to just get it, but was straight over ditches steps and into water.
Off topic - your area has 80cm at rc qualifiers? Is that a non-qualifier class?

 

[Baggybreeches]

I think it is a can-do attitude. Like you said they need to feel like you have only got to steer and everything else happens sub conciously. My mum's mare was like that, she was an absolute dream to XC on, the only jumping faults were from brake failure or 'over bold' mistakes, I can't think that she ever in 5 seasons looked at anything XC and she was taken out at PN on the strength of 1 hunter trial run and an XC schooling session (total in her life!).
We qualified to run her at intermediate (and I think 1*) but even though she could have done the XC the stretch may have been a step too far.

 

[Sarah_Jane]

Have to say while Sarnie has not got 'no' in her nature she has never been a pull you into the fence horse always needing a kick and generally winding up a bit. If I dropped my reins xc she would stop! She has always been like this and I know is not typical. I have to say some of the bolder horses (I mean really bold) I can sometimes find do not have enough respect.