henryhorn
Well-Known Member
Well today was the first time we attempted to travel Chocolate with a mare.
Loaded Layla, then him with two partitions between them with a gap, his view of her blocked etc and he went mental from the start.
We ended up tying him up with three lead ropes so he couldn't turn his head to her or climb over the partition (almost to the roof I might add).
He settled down and when we got there unloaded her then him. He was an absolute maniac, I can't tell you how he behaved, he lashed out with his front legs, kicked with his back ones, danced, screamd etc and in short behaved in a totally unlike himself manner. We hurridly decided to shove him back in the box, and so we did, he then proceeded to create upsetting horses all round with screams andthe chap next door glared at us, saying in a loud voice he didn't know what had upset his horse..
CCj set off on Layla in the 2' 3" and after a bit of a sticky first three fences she was fine, she hesitated at the water twice but otherwise jumped well.
Next class was 2' 6" and she didn't like number six a narrow sort of roll top, so after she dived past twice C missed it out and went and jumped a similar but lower one (eliminating herself o course) then did the remainder of the course very nicely. Layla isn't fit enough and tired towards the end but behaved sensiby and pleased us overall.
Back to the dreaded stallion.. A hurried call to husband brought him 20 miles to help, and between us we manged to stud him up in front, no way could we do behind which later on proved a mistake.
He was still breathing fire, screeching and dancing but she worked him in as usual.
At one point he was getting upset by some of the idiots ther today, one woman on a hard pulling bay actually cannoned into the rear of him at a canter..Others were cutting in front and behind the practice fences, I was shocked because they appeared to be event types, (so if you were there today madam on a very elegant white faced belly splashed white chesnut mare, learn some bl***y ettiquette!)
Sh popped the practice fence eventually despite the riders schooling round it on a small circle, then Chocx leapt in the air, his unstudded hind feet slid sideways, his front pitched forwards and down and CCJ flew off.. Her Dad and I were running like hell at this point as we were only 100 yards away, but the daft stallion got up, stood within a foot of her with a mortified expression on his face..(she's never come off him before) She calmly caught him and got back on..
She set off in the 2' 9" at storming pace ut decided to take the long way round the time section as he was not really concentrating at all. He ended up 10th with a rosette after a fast clear round in that class.
Back to the 3'-3'-3"..I wasn't there as by this time I'd set off with the groom for home to do th other horses, but as CCj said later, he was on a different planet in that round.. She got round reasonably well but he felt to be not really listening, and at the big open ditch he managed to skip out at the side. Jumped it next time.
Finished the rest but overall we had a foul day.. We found out Layla has come in season by being next to him, which of course is why he went mad, on the way home he reared several times and got his legs over one of the partitions, they had to stop to release him.
Not a good outing before Pontispool's Pre Novice, and although we were pleased with layla he was a pain in the arse.. normally we would wallop him and that brings him to his senses, but today he was so wound up nothing would haveworked, and I tapped him a few times with absolutely no results at all.. He threw himself sideways at his haynet when tied up and tried to scrape himself along the box, he reared and bashed the box sides, he struck out with his front legs etc, and you could see his frustration..
Our own fault of course and we won't travel him except alone again..
On the good side several people asked about using him at stud, as he jumped well when he thought about what he was supposed to be doing, but we are all knackered (I bet he is too) and have come home to Jonty to inject and hand walk (her knee is swelling today) others to check and feed and the box looks like a monsoon has hit it (he peed, so did the mare of course..)
One of those days best forgotten I reckon...
Loaded Layla, then him with two partitions between them with a gap, his view of her blocked etc and he went mental from the start.
We ended up tying him up with three lead ropes so he couldn't turn his head to her or climb over the partition (almost to the roof I might add).
He settled down and when we got there unloaded her then him. He was an absolute maniac, I can't tell you how he behaved, he lashed out with his front legs, kicked with his back ones, danced, screamd etc and in short behaved in a totally unlike himself manner. We hurridly decided to shove him back in the box, and so we did, he then proceeded to create upsetting horses all round with screams andthe chap next door glared at us, saying in a loud voice he didn't know what had upset his horse..
CCj set off on Layla in the 2' 3" and after a bit of a sticky first three fences she was fine, she hesitated at the water twice but otherwise jumped well.
Next class was 2' 6" and she didn't like number six a narrow sort of roll top, so after she dived past twice C missed it out and went and jumped a similar but lower one (eliminating herself o course) then did the remainder of the course very nicely. Layla isn't fit enough and tired towards the end but behaved sensiby and pleased us overall.
Back to the dreaded stallion.. A hurried call to husband brought him 20 miles to help, and between us we manged to stud him up in front, no way could we do behind which later on proved a mistake.
He was still breathing fire, screeching and dancing but she worked him in as usual.
At one point he was getting upset by some of the idiots ther today, one woman on a hard pulling bay actually cannoned into the rear of him at a canter..Others were cutting in front and behind the practice fences, I was shocked because they appeared to be event types, (so if you were there today madam on a very elegant white faced belly splashed white chesnut mare, learn some bl***y ettiquette!)
Sh popped the practice fence eventually despite the riders schooling round it on a small circle, then Chocx leapt in the air, his unstudded hind feet slid sideways, his front pitched forwards and down and CCJ flew off.. Her Dad and I were running like hell at this point as we were only 100 yards away, but the daft stallion got up, stood within a foot of her with a mortified expression on his face..(she's never come off him before) She calmly caught him and got back on..
She set off in the 2' 9" at storming pace ut decided to take the long way round the time section as he was not really concentrating at all. He ended up 10th with a rosette after a fast clear round in that class.
Back to the 3'-3'-3"..I wasn't there as by this time I'd set off with the groom for home to do th other horses, but as CCj said later, he was on a different planet in that round.. She got round reasonably well but he felt to be not really listening, and at the big open ditch he managed to skip out at the side. Jumped it next time.
Finished the rest but overall we had a foul day.. We found out Layla has come in season by being next to him, which of course is why he went mad, on the way home he reared several times and got his legs over one of the partitions, they had to stop to release him.
Not a good outing before Pontispool's Pre Novice, and although we were pleased with layla he was a pain in the arse.. normally we would wallop him and that brings him to his senses, but today he was so wound up nothing would haveworked, and I tapped him a few times with absolutely no results at all.. He threw himself sideways at his haynet when tied up and tried to scrape himself along the box, he reared and bashed the box sides, he struck out with his front legs etc, and you could see his frustration..
Our own fault of course and we won't travel him except alone again..
On the good side several people asked about using him at stud, as he jumped well when he thought about what he was supposed to be doing, but we are all knackered (I bet he is too) and have come home to Jonty to inject and hand walk (her knee is swelling today) others to check and feed and the box looks like a monsoon has hit it (he peed, so did the mare of course..)
One of those days best forgotten I reckon...
