Girlracer
Well-Known Member
So to firstly answer a question that I asked a few months ago... "Can you event from the field and without transport?".
Well yes you can, you can definitely go eventing on a green horse carrying a bag called nerves, from the field having not done so much as trot in a circle or over a pole since the last competition... you can go... of course you can, but can you do it well... not in my case, no!
King, my dear old boy, as some may know isn't the most 'straightforward' animal. I am told he is a 'typical Mill Law', that he will take time, but that he will be worth it in the end. Which is all true I am sure, but there is the odd day, as we glance off a 90cm corner to the right for the third time when I wonder... Will we ever get there?
Another question I recently asked you all "am I ready to step up to 90?", well it turns out that in fact, no, not quite.
After a mostly fault free, confident first season (for us both) so far, I confidently entered us into our first 90... at the area 5 BRC qualifier at Solihull. It's up to height I thought, but straightforward and flowing... perfect I thought. A few days after our two day event at Princethorpe, when I realised that actually in the next fortnight on the lead up to our first 90, we once again would be limited to trotting up hills or cantering round sheep, I thought it best to try and squeeze in a two phase, 90cm at Offchurch.
Perfect to get us going, ready for Solihull. That was until I walked the course and realised this was no ordinary, flowing 90... this was a technical, one after the other, jump into water at 3, huge corner at 4 type of 90... added to that us arriving late, and the heavens opening ready for our arrival it didn't really lend itself to a successful outing. He warmed up well actually, as many other horses ground to a halt here there and everywhere not enjoying the increasingly slippy ground, good I thought... we can do this!
In we went, over fence one turned to fence two and very nearly went splat on said increasingly slippy ground. We then rushed and clattered our way round the show jumping, and headed off to the XC... fence 1, 2, 3 (in to water) on to fence 4... and that there is how we ended our first 90.. walking home from fence 4, our first XC retirement.
https://www.facebook.com/cassey.watson/posts/917423175049952
Never mind... onwards and upwards to Solihull. Except, as stated above.. King, the dear old boy, isn't the most straightforward animal and actually he had taken this failure hard. My brave, bold, if a little worried King had shrunk into himself and lost all belief in his ability to jump a X pole. I messaged my riding club to withdraw, but they were able to offer me an 80cm place instead. So as the week went on after our failure on Saturday, our inability to jump a X pole on Monday, and now we were confined to dodging sheep again I didn't hold out much hope.
Then came Sunday, it was a lovely course, and I was apprehensive.
However, and here comes the surprising good, we went to do our dressage test and I not only smiled the entire time we were in there, I also smiled when I found out our score! We have finally achieved a goal, a sub 40 dressage! I was incredibly proud to score 37.3, and almost normal score, and to achieve it when I know there is SO much more in the tank if I can just get him to relax a little more... the prancing giraffe is no more!
All hope was lost as we got stuck half way over the first X pole warming up to show jump. But in actual fact he went on to jump a not very stylish 4 fault round.
Here we are - on for a placing again - all the way up to the point where I retired him at fence 6 XC, and cried my way back to lorry giving him as many hugs as possible to try to apologise for taking him to Offchurch and over facing him.
A video of the slightly better bits...
https://www.facebook.com/cassey.watson/posts/922331257892477
So that's the good and the bad, now for the ever so slightly improving. And firstly I just want to publically thank everyone involved this weekend for their support - if you're reading this, which I know some of you might! I am totally bowled over by everyone's generosity and support, from my friends who came along, those who gave me a hug or a pep talk, all the way to the owner of the horse box I hire allowing me to keep it until the next morning so that I could go XC schooling to battle our demons. And battle them we did, by the end of 1 hour at Swalcliffe on Monday I had my brave, bold King back and we galloped round in our usual not so stylish, but loving it none the less fashion...
A video of us stringing a few together, in the rain... as usual.
https://www.facebook.com/cassey.watson/videos/vb.100003468353211/922674304524839/?type=3&theater
SO where do we go from here... well firstly its a week off for King, followed by the chiro on Sunday, and physio on the 6th. I have also decided that enough is enough, and he moves on July 1st to a yard with arena. Major and Poppy will stay in the field I rent, as it is a stones throw from work, it will be hard but we aren't going to get anywhere without regular schooling, jumping and most of all lessons!
Onwards and upwards, but I am grateful for the journey.
Well yes you can, you can definitely go eventing on a green horse carrying a bag called nerves, from the field having not done so much as trot in a circle or over a pole since the last competition... you can go... of course you can, but can you do it well... not in my case, no!
King, my dear old boy, as some may know isn't the most 'straightforward' animal. I am told he is a 'typical Mill Law', that he will take time, but that he will be worth it in the end. Which is all true I am sure, but there is the odd day, as we glance off a 90cm corner to the right for the third time when I wonder... Will we ever get there?
Another question I recently asked you all "am I ready to step up to 90?", well it turns out that in fact, no, not quite.
After a mostly fault free, confident first season (for us both) so far, I confidently entered us into our first 90... at the area 5 BRC qualifier at Solihull. It's up to height I thought, but straightforward and flowing... perfect I thought. A few days after our two day event at Princethorpe, when I realised that actually in the next fortnight on the lead up to our first 90, we once again would be limited to trotting up hills or cantering round sheep, I thought it best to try and squeeze in a two phase, 90cm at Offchurch.
Perfect to get us going, ready for Solihull. That was until I walked the course and realised this was no ordinary, flowing 90... this was a technical, one after the other, jump into water at 3, huge corner at 4 type of 90... added to that us arriving late, and the heavens opening ready for our arrival it didn't really lend itself to a successful outing. He warmed up well actually, as many other horses ground to a halt here there and everywhere not enjoying the increasingly slippy ground, good I thought... we can do this!
In we went, over fence one turned to fence two and very nearly went splat on said increasingly slippy ground. We then rushed and clattered our way round the show jumping, and headed off to the XC... fence 1, 2, 3 (in to water) on to fence 4... and that there is how we ended our first 90.. walking home from fence 4, our first XC retirement.
https://www.facebook.com/cassey.watson/posts/917423175049952
Never mind... onwards and upwards to Solihull. Except, as stated above.. King, the dear old boy, isn't the most straightforward animal and actually he had taken this failure hard. My brave, bold, if a little worried King had shrunk into himself and lost all belief in his ability to jump a X pole. I messaged my riding club to withdraw, but they were able to offer me an 80cm place instead. So as the week went on after our failure on Saturday, our inability to jump a X pole on Monday, and now we were confined to dodging sheep again I didn't hold out much hope.
Then came Sunday, it was a lovely course, and I was apprehensive.
However, and here comes the surprising good, we went to do our dressage test and I not only smiled the entire time we were in there, I also smiled when I found out our score! We have finally achieved a goal, a sub 40 dressage! I was incredibly proud to score 37.3, and almost normal score, and to achieve it when I know there is SO much more in the tank if I can just get him to relax a little more... the prancing giraffe is no more!
All hope was lost as we got stuck half way over the first X pole warming up to show jump. But in actual fact he went on to jump a not very stylish 4 fault round.
Here we are - on for a placing again - all the way up to the point where I retired him at fence 6 XC, and cried my way back to lorry giving him as many hugs as possible to try to apologise for taking him to Offchurch and over facing him.
A video of the slightly better bits...
https://www.facebook.com/cassey.watson/posts/922331257892477
So that's the good and the bad, now for the ever so slightly improving. And firstly I just want to publically thank everyone involved this weekend for their support - if you're reading this, which I know some of you might! I am totally bowled over by everyone's generosity and support, from my friends who came along, those who gave me a hug or a pep talk, all the way to the owner of the horse box I hire allowing me to keep it until the next morning so that I could go XC schooling to battle our demons. And battle them we did, by the end of 1 hour at Swalcliffe on Monday I had my brave, bold King back and we galloped round in our usual not so stylish, but loving it none the less fashion...
A video of us stringing a few together, in the rain... as usual.
https://www.facebook.com/cassey.watson/videos/vb.100003468353211/922674304524839/?type=3&theater
SO where do we go from here... well firstly its a week off for King, followed by the chiro on Sunday, and physio on the 6th. I have also decided that enough is enough, and he moves on July 1st to a yard with arena. Major and Poppy will stay in the field I rent, as it is a stones throw from work, it will be hard but we aren't going to get anywhere without regular schooling, jumping and most of all lessons!
Onwards and upwards, but I am grateful for the journey.
you've identified the issue and taken steps to address it so onwards and upwards 
