Ups and Downs at RAF Halton, long with pics :D

MontyandZoom

MontyandZoom

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I took Zoom to RAF Halton yesterday for the sponsored ride. We didn't have a good start :(

I went and paid my entries and then took her off the lorry.......to find a big gash on her nose :( It is totally my fault, I didn't tie her short enough and she was obviously moving around to look out of the window when we got there and caught it on a small bolt that she should not have been able to reach if I hadn't been a **** mummy :( :(

I promptly started crying and the vet came over to look at it. He basically said, it was no where near as bad as it looked, it was basically just a skin flap so looked a bit gross. He said he could either sedate her and put a stitch in or leave it alone. I didn't know what to do but he said she would be fine to just have it cleaned and do the ride. So we cleaned it, creamed it up and started to get ready.

We set off and the ground wasn't great but not terrible either. Where was my jumping pony :( We jumped the first and then got some very concerned looks when she crashed through the next two completely not listening and very hesitant. She then started stopping at everything, most jumps were only about 2'3! She was behind my leg and just not confident at all.

Luckily Tedster turned up behind us with her AMAZING horse Teddy who is a XC machine. As soon as Zoom saw him she lit up! My jumping pony was back :D We went behind Teddy and she jumped brilliantly!! The airfield has a row of big (by my standards!) brush fences which she ate up and loved every second of it. We were in a group of green horses and riders and I'm rubbish so I think she just needed the confidence of a good horse.

We approached the plane......and flew it! :D I heard a huge cheer and turned to see my mum and dad and 13yo cousin with all her friends. My parents have never seen me jump and my dad has only seen me on a horse 3 times so it was fab to have them there to see us.

All in all a great day! I think by the end we are back on form. I bought 4 photos but there were even more!!!

Ones I bought:

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...45-1420-1445;i=44;img=1028031-vasr-02612c.jpg

My mum bought this one since it's funny! Guess what I’m saying……it starts with F and rhymes with DUCK:

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...48-1420-1450;i=50;img=1028031-vasr-02793b.jpg

And the plane WHOOOP!

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...p 47 - Plane/Jump 47-Aeroplane-1420-1440;i=62

My FAVOURITE ever!!

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...45 brush and Laurel/Jump 44-45-1420-1445;i=36

A couple of others that I didn't buy:

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...45-1420-1445;i=35;img=1028031-vasr-02603c.jpg

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...de 2010/Jump 48 Laurel/Jump 48-1420-1450;i=49

Zoom is AWESOME :D Loves my pony

CC welcome, however I know I need to give with my hands and get my fat arse out of the saddle more. I think I just get too scared and freeze!!!
 
Great Photos :D Zoomys flying!

My pro ones from the fun ride I did yesterday are not so good!!

Hope her nose heals quickly!
 
No CC but well done it isn’t easy when they start off backwards to then have the confidence to carry on jumping.

The plane looks a scary jump i don’t think i would have done it.

Well done it looks like you have great fun.:D
 
Yay for Miss Zoom

Told you she would do it and she did need a lead just a bit of encouragement... then she was FLYING!! :)

Was such a good day really enjoyed it and buzzing today.. roll on West Wycombe :)
your pics are great
 
Well Done looks like a fab day, I def have a soft spot for zoom. Pickle cut his face open when he got his headcollar caught on the bolt of his stable (I left him for all of 5 seconds! and felt so guilty) his took a little while to heal, but never had a stitch and you can't even see it now :) sure Zoom will be the same :)
 
tedster said:
Yay for Miss Zoom

Told you she would do it and she did need a lead just a bit of encouragement... then she was FLYING!! :)

Was such a good day really enjoyed it and buzzing today.. roll on West Wycombe :)
your pics are great
Click to expand...

You were FAB! Where is the Tedster who is scared of jumping???!!!! I was really pleased with little one-eye, although poor girl had to have her nose dressed when we got home and then hated me and wouldn't eat her banana!

Thanks for the comments guys :D
 
MontyandZoom said:
You were FAB! Where is the Tedster who is scared of jumping???!!!! I was really pleased with little one-eye, although poor girl had to have her nose dressed when we got home and then hated me and wouldn't eat her banana!

Thanks for the comments guys :D
Click to expand...


Where abouts did she cut it? Pickle we tried and tried to keep dressings on, he looks like a complete nutcase with vetwrap round his head to try a keep it on and failed miserably!
 
JessPickle said:
Where abouts did she cut it? Pickle we tried and tried to keep dressings on, he looks like a complete nutcase with vetwrap round his head to try a keep it on and failed miserably!
Click to expand...

I just meant dressed with creams and stuff. It's just above her nostrils so no hope of bandaging, especially since she lives out. I think that is why it looks bad, the skin has sort of flopped down if you get what I mean. I'm hoping the flap may stick back down but the vet said it may shrivel up......sorry a bit gross for a Monday morning! It was very clean this morning, she has rolled but it's in a good place in terms of not getting mud in it. I put some cream on this morning, but unless she dirties it again my plan is to leave it alone.
 
Glad you had fun, I was one off the mounted stewards there, I would say that for cc riding you don't actually need ti be out the saddle much more, some pep will disagree but u won't to be as secure as poss, and you aren't restricting him too much thru your rein don't worry!! I love the one of u landin over the hedge, I think that's a good postion to be in on landin esp if they jump big!!
 
MontyandZoom said:
You were FAB! Where is the Tedster who is scared of jumping???!!!! I was really pleased with little one-eye, although poor girl had to have her nose dressed when we got home and then hated me and wouldn't eat her banana!

Thanks for the comments guys :D
Click to expand...

I dunno yesterday I felt brave actually I wished I had done a few more of the bigger ones, but its easy when U have a Teddy lol he does it all for you :)

Poor Zoommys nose ;(
 
You must all have been just in front of us I think! We started about 1.30 and finished at almost exactly 3pm. I thought the ground was pretty good actually, although the jumps that people had had more issues with were quite churned up where horses had been grinding to a halt just in front of the fence! We skipped a few like that, but jumped a lot which is our first proper XC jumping since I broke my leg last year (still technically supposed to be playing it safe and not jumping but stuck to the little ones!)
Glad you had a good ride, shame about your girl's nose but sure it will heal up fine!
Some of my pics:

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...45-1445-1500;i=26;img=1028031-vasr-02851c.jpg

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...45-1445-1500;i=27;img=1028031-vasr-02852c.jpg

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...45-1445-1500;i=35;img=1028031-vasr-02860c.jpg

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...ne-1440-1505;i=38;img=1028031-vasr-02914e.jpg


Thank god the weather was lovely eh?!
 
Your plane pic is GREAT!! You were only a few horses behind us.....what a shame we didn't see each other. I was really suprised by how good the ground was actually. I was dreading it but the airfield was spot on!

Looks like you had a fab day!
 
Glad you had fun, I was one off the mounted stewards there, I would say that for cc riding you don't actually need ti be out the saddle much more, some pep will disagree but u won't to be as secure as poss, and you aren't restricting him too much thru your rein don't worry!! I love the one of u landin over the hedge, I think that's a good postion to be in on landin esp if they jump big!!

Sorry didn't mean to put twice and can't work out how to delete??
 
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We let a few groups overtake us - hate it when groups of 4+ came careering up behind me, my lad is impeccably behaved usually but gets in a bit of a tizz and it worries me that so many people go round these rides and seemingly have almost no control! Watched a group jump through that triple on the airfield and not one of them hit a decent stride throughout!
We did have a nice day - the pics are good too! They chose nice fences to take pics of. Take it you are off to West Wycombe next? I'm not, must admit don't often go on sponsored rides but two friends were really keen to do Halton and I'm the only one with transport, and then they both cried off at the last minute!
 
My mum is non-horsey and she was terrified of all the teenagers whizzing round with no steering or brakes. I have to say I get super annoyed with people careering past at a million miles an hour!

We actually saw one horse gallop straight through some string fencing onto a lawn!! Scary stuff! I do love sponsored rides though since I only do the bigger jumps when my adrenaline is up. We're doing Wycombe, Frensham, ECH and Cambs one, South Oxfordshire, Candover Valley and Hampton :D If you ever want to come along and need a ride companion feel free to tag along with us!
 
Not sure I have heard of Frensham or ECH ones - where are they? And Hampton? Know Wycombe and love South Ox, always do that one. Waddesden is nice too.

Also is that a Bengal in your signiture - looks just like my brown spotted Bengal!
 
That is my darling Bengal Wee-wee :D He is a stunner!! ECH is in Wheathampstead in Herts in September. Hampton ride is great, it's in Surrey and is usually in Sept too. Frensham is in Surrey and is on 18th April this year :)
 
Ha Ha, i was in the group when the horse went through the string! The little bay Putin, i was on the big black horse, you must of been right behind me. It was a lovely day. Zulu was very well behaved as his only a 4yr he flew the airfield one and the plane.
 
Hmm Ok will look up Hampton! Busy on 18th April. Your Wee Wee Cat looks very much like my Pippin (or Pippi!)
21033_691594632263_61205302_42811172_619698_n.jpg


21033_691594831863_61205302_42811175_5450064_n.jpg
 
Pippi is soooo cute, I'm a sucker for a spotty-cat!!

Finephilly - were you on the gorgeous mega-chunk black horse......with double reins??! Bless the little bay, I saw him at the end walking back to the lorry and he was still full of pop!!
 
Hi, we were at it too but went quite a bit earlier than you guys, we started around 11.20 or so. I made the stupid mistake of trying out my brand new saddle that day and so went over most jumps in a rather uncomfortable way sadly. Managed to fall off over the double in the woods too! Stupid, I was too far forward and lost both stirrups but pony is so genuine that she carried on and jumped the second part with me on her neck, fell on my feet so not too bad and got straight back on so no harm done- nobody there to see apart from my friend so I'm safe enough! I found thge ground pretty good but I can see that it would be rutted within a couple of hours. I also saw a lot of people receiving treatment after falling off, hope everyone was ok. Just coming onto the airfield after the S-jump we got overtaken by a hoard of lunatics at full gallop as we were trying to take it easy to make it up the hill and both horses got a little bouncy. Thank goodness we were both on honest horses! Here are some of my pics- I bought the first plane one, I'm not even touching the pony in the second plane one, not sure what thats all about :D

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...ne-1225-1245;i=41;img=1028031-vasr-01412e.jpg

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...p 47 - Plane/Jump 47-Aeroplane-1225-1245;i=42

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...de 2010/Jump 48 Laurel/Jump 48-1230-1250;i=43

http://www.ultimate-images.co.uk/cg...45-1225-1245;i=28;img=1028031-vasr-01301c.jpg
 
LOVE your plane piccie!! :D Boo for falling off....glad you were ok though :) I think there will always be lots of falls at Halton.

Last year, my saddle slipped so i got off to adjust it. Zoom bloody reared as I got on and fell over backwards.....OOPS! The checkpoint steward actually remember us as she was holding on to Zoom as I got on. Silly moo-moo pony!
 
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