Weekend Plans!

[ScampiBigMan]

Haha I feel HHO is getting all philosophical this week!

I have a group of people around me, who I do trust, saying we're ready to event, Skylla is capable, I'm capable and yet when it's come to the crunch we haven't managed it. I am by nature a worrier and always blame myself for not being good enough and ruining my horse, this is now 'backed up' by both events lol, hence having a big ol' wobble.

We have done unaff hunter trials/ arena eventing/ farm rides (have a fun ride booked in), we've done the homework and yet I seem to still be 'missing' something. Now likely, it is just experience and I know from previous experience (none eventing experience) with horses you always need a hefty dose of luck on your side too.

This year has been made tricker with everything being cancelled and then re-opening so I've had to move fast to enter things just to try and get a run, ideally I would have done a couple of unaff ODE's first but there weren't any and now they're popping up after I've committed (and entered) BE ones. The most local one that I could have done was at Chomondley, that ScampiBigMan did, but actually on walking the BE I knew it would be big and bold track for Skylla so not an inviting low key one for her so didn't enter.



I think this in part might be my issue, I am not as experienced eventing so sought out lots of training, I then worked hard to do as I'm told, when actually in a couple of instances I really should have gone off my own instinct and rode slightly differently to a fence (letting her take a slightly longer one as its in her comfort zone than making her wait). However, this is how we learn and you guys unfortunately have to then listen to my whining when things don't go well .

By the same token it was the Tuffy clinic I did last year that actually got us jumping together as a partnership so I know her instruction should help us loads even in a group environment.

Good to hear about Llany! Frickley on reflection was quite buzzy for Skylla and the first XC fence took her by surprise so she was on the back foot. Skipton should have suited her perfectly but for bit issues and then deciding to roll off at the first fence . Knowing the events and courses does help so I guess the more I go out and know what the courses are like the better I will be at picking the best events to take her to.

Agree with you, I had done many years unaff /RC everything, some drag hunting, few farm /fun rides and BS SJ up to 1.3m but took a me a couple of years going around BE events to figure out for myself how to approach this particular sport. Couldn't afford to event when younger and never been my 'circle' of horse people that do BE - so had to learn for myself.

Current two horses have benefitted from the experience I gained 10 years ago with others as have (mostly...(!)) figured out how to tackle three phases so they are fun, keep improving and can reproduce at an event (mostly...(!)) My aim is for us all to enjoy the day out and feel we are progressing every time - anything else is a bonus(!)

Remember you being really positive after the last Tuffy clinic so makes sense to get her input again. We'll likely go back to Caroline (Moore) again for similar reasons as she definitely helped move us on again and gave me more tools for the box (and I can't get Blyth Tait any more...!)

I use Radfords (Llany) alot for hiring /Di lessons /unaff /BD as well as the BE because of the atm and people, the horses like it there (and so do we). So certainly hope you and Skylla find it relaxing too and helps you reproduce what you have both done many times before.

 

[DressageCob]

Haha I feel HHO is getting all philosophical this week!

I have a group of people around me, who I do trust, saying we're ready to event, Skylla is capable, I'm capable and yet when it's come to the crunch we haven't managed it. I am by nature a worrier and always blame myself for not being good enough and ruining my horse, this is now 'backed up' by both events lol, hence having a big ol' wobble.

We have done unaff hunter trials/ arena eventing/ farm rides (have a fun ride booked in), we've done the homework and yet I seem to still be 'missing' something. Now likely, it is just experience and I know from previous experience (none eventing experience) with horses you always need a hefty dose of luck on your side too.

This year has been made tricker with everything being cancelled and then re-opening so I've had to move fast to enter things just to try and get a run, ideally I would have done a couple of unaff ODE's first but there weren't any and now they're popping up after I've committed (and entered) BE ones. The most local one that I could have done was at Chomondley, that ScampiBigMan did, but actually on walking the BE I knew it would be big and bold track for Skylla so not an inviting low key one for her so didn't enter.



I think this in part might be my issue, I am not as experienced eventing so sought out lots of training, I then worked hard to do as I'm told, when actually in a couple of instances I really should have gone off my own instinct and rode slightly differently to a fence (letting her take a slightly longer one as its in her comfort zone than making her wait). However, this is how we learn and you guys unfortunately have to then listen to my whining when things don't go well .

By the same token it was the Tuffy clinic I did last year that actually got us jumping together as a partnership so I know her instruction should help us loads even in a group environment.

Good to hear about Llany! Frickley on reflection was quite buzzy for Skylla and the first XC fence took her by surprise so she was on the back foot. Skipton should have suited her perfectly but for bit issues and then deciding to roll off at the first fence . Knowing the events and courses does help so I guess the more I go out and know what the courses are like the better I will be at picking the best events to take her to.

Llanymynech is lovely if you have an outing planned there. The cross country is properly out of the way until you get towards the end, so you can block everything out and just focus on the jump.

It's a shame that with the way the season has gone you haven't been able to have some unaffiliated "easy" outings to get into the rhythm of it all again. There's a lot to be said for having a go at a small height so you can just ride without worrying about it and without nerves getting in the way. Eland is a great one for that - even their 50cm involves proper XC fences, just in miniature. I get quite nervous jumping so it was great for me.

I'm sure you will get a lot out of your Tuffy clinic so that should set you up well for your next event. She looks to really enjoy her jumping. Mostyn is such a nice farm ride. Onwards and upwards!

 

[Roxylola]

Are you going to llany? I'm going to groom for my friend doing the 100 (officially but secretly I'm going to look at the 80) I like to have some idea of what to expect at a comp - not just 80cm fences, but the ground, the type of fences etc.
I really enjoyed schooling round eland a few weeks ago, no pressure but it's the actual xc course and I was pleasantly surprised by most of it seeming quite friendly really. But I've still only booked for the 70 when we compete (unaffiliated obvs) because it's a new question

 

[ScampiBigMan]

Are you going to llany? I'm going to groom for my friend doing the 100 (officially but secretly I'm going to look at the 80) I like to have some idea of what to expect at a comp - not just 80cm fences, but the ground, the type of fences etc.
I really enjoyed schooling round eland a few weeks ago, no pressure but it's the actual xc course and I was pleasantly surprised by most of it seeming quite friendly really. But I've still only booked for the 70 when we compete (unaffiliated obvs) because it's a new question

Think you might have been directing this to HP but just for info - Llany q often make the BE XC course available for use following the event as long as the ground is ok (same with Kelsall). So if so, you could go and school round whichever fences you fancy afterwards.

We're in the 100 Sat, Novice Sun. If you spot the orange or brown horse, would be great to say hello - we have a very purple horsebox too which is much easier to find in the car park than our old white one.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Agree with you, I had done many years unaff /RC everything, some drag hunting, few farm /fun rides and BS SJ up to 1.3m but took a me a couple of years going around BE events to figure out for myself how to approach this particular sport. Couldn't afford to event when younger and never been my 'circle' of horse people that do BE - so had to learn for myself.

Current two horses have benefitted from the experience I gained 10 years ago with others as have (mostly...(!)) figured out how to tackle three phases so they are fun, keep improving and can reproduce at an event (mostly...(!)) My aim is for us all to enjoy the day out and feel we are progressing every time - anything else is a bonus(!)

Remember you being really positive after the last Tuffy clinic so makes sense to get her input again. We'll likely go back to Caroline (Moore) again for similar reasons as she definitely helped move us on again and gave me more tools for the box (and I can't get Blyth Tait any more...!)

I use Radfords (Llany) alot for hiring /Di lessons /unaff /BD as well as the BE because of the atm and people, the horses like it there (and so do we). So certainly hope you and Skylla find it relaxing too and helps you reproduce what you have both done many times before.

Yeah I feel like the more I do of BE the better I'll get, it just doesn't have quite the same feel as the other HT/AE/unaff ODE I've done either on Skylla or previously on Topaz.

Hoping Skylla likes it, I'm not sure I've been to Radfords since my showing days with Doodle, but Skylla is fairly easy going with new venues (unlike Topaz!).

Llanymynech is lovely if you have an outing planned there. The cross country is properly out of the way until you get towards the end, so you can block everything out and just focus on the jump.

It's a shame that with the way the season has gone you haven't been able to have some unaffiliated "easy" outings to get into the rhythm of it all again. There's a lot to be said for having a go at a small height so you can just ride without worrying about it and without nerves getting in the way. Eland is a great one for that - even their 50cm involves proper XC fences, just in miniature. I get quite nervous jumping so it was great for me.

I'm sure you will get a lot out of your Tuffy clinic so that should set you up well for your next event. She looks to really enjoy her jumping. Mostyn is such a nice farm ride. Onwards and upwards!

Yes we're entered for the 80 there in a couple of weeks!

Eland is a funny one, she stormed round the 70cm course end of last year (well she looked quite hard at the whale but jumped it), but has decided she is not a fan of the 80 or setting off the way round it is at the moment. Not sure if she's holding a grudge or not from getting upset at the HT we did, but even schooling she was uncharacteristically sticky there (perhaps goes back to letting her have her going on a long one to get her confidence up before insisting on too much technical stuff). It's on the list to go back and do more schooling round it as she has jumped bigger things at Somerford very happily but had a couple of meltdowns at little fences at Eland...

Are you going to llany? I'm going to groom for my friend doing the 100 (officially but secretly I'm going to look at the 80) I like to have some idea of what to expect at a comp - not just 80cm fences, but the ground, the type of fences etc.
I really enjoyed schooling round eland a few weeks ago, no pressure but it's the actual xc course and I was pleasantly surprised by most of it seeming quite friendly really. But I've still only booked for the 70 when we compete (unaffiliated obvs) because it's a new question

Yes just in the 80 on the Sunday, I had seen the unaff they're doing but it's the same weekend as Stafford and I've been told Stafford is a lovely event to go to so figured I'll try there too to find out where suits us most .

 

[Roxylola]

Think you might have been directing this to HP but just for info - Llany q often make the BE XC course available for use following the event as long as the ground is ok (same with Kelsall). So if so, you could go and school round whichever fences you fancy afterwards.

We're in the 100 Sat, Novice Sun. If you spot the orange or brown horse, would be great to say hello - we have a very purple horsebox too which is much easier to find in the car park than our old white one.

I'll look out for you, I'll only be there on the Saturday.

 

[ScampiBigMan]

(perhaps goes back to letting her have her going on a long one to get her confidence up before insisting on too much technical stuff

With Reilee (in particular) when started XC schooling and rounds with her, I learnt that best just to get her balanced some distance out then keep leg on into a contact but leave her to figure out and jump the fence on the stride she chose as if I checked her (even v mildly) on the approach (when she had locked on to the fence and was thinking about it) she would hesitate and worry about whether she was supposed to jump the fence - which meant I had to react and apply another leg aid. It was a confidence thing as she grew out of it quite quickly after a few good rounds, she now always knows to jump the fence in front of her. Generally, it is true that the less we do on the approach, the better the horse jumps.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

With Reilee (in particular) when started XC schooling and rounds with her, I learnt that best just to get her balanced some distance out then keep leg on into a contact but leave her to figure out and jump the fence on the stride she chose as if I checked her (even v mildly) on the approach (when she had locked on to the fence and was thinking about it) she would hesitate and worry about whether she was supposed to jump the fence - which meant I had to react and apply another leg aid. It was a confidence thing as she grew out of it quite quickly after a few good rounds, she now always knows to jump the fence in front of her. Generally, it is true that the less we do on the approach, the better the horse jumps.

Yeah I think it has wobbled her a little, she absolutely needs to learn to jump with better shape and this is what we're working on at home, but sometimes out xc when she has a wobble she needs me to be '100% you are going' and not getting a slightly confused 'you're going but I'm holding for a stride I want'.

Always learning and sometimes I need to check her for certain fences, sometimes I just need to soften the hand more and just say a simple 'go'.

 

[milliepops]

Yeah I think it has wobbled her a little, she absolutely needs to learn to jump with better shape and this is what we're working on at home, but sometimes out xc when she has a wobble she needs me to be '100% you are going' and not getting a slightly confused 'you're going but I'm holding for a stride I want'.

Always learning and sometimes I need to check her for certain fences, sometimes I just need to soften the hand more and just say a simple 'go'.

I think maybe there's an element of when under stress both we and the horses revert to type
when you're in the middle of learning something it's really hard when you hit that stress-trigger. No one has instincts they trust any more!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I think maybe there's an element of when under stress both we and the horses revert to type
when you're in the middle of learning something it's really hard when you hit that stress-trigger. No one has instincts they trust any more!

Ahem to that!

Am I allowed to say that . Her behaviour at Eland showed me that, it was like trying to ride her before the last 12 months of training! I know the more I do the more I can trust my own judgement, I'm much better at dressage confidence now after the past 7 years of training. It also makes it slightly hard to train for, as for us, it seems to be mostly popping up at comps not schooling, so only really fixed by going competing and getting more miles in.

 

[Roxylola]

it seems to be mostly popping up at comps not schooling, so only really fixed by going competing and getting more miles in.

Can you, mentally get into a state of mind where you just see this as schooling - I know theres stuff going on that you cant recreate, but short of taking speakers with you and having whistles going etc, there is only so much you can do to recreate the atmosphere.
If you can just think of it as a school round it might help. It's only 80s, she can jump the off a bum stride, she can jump them from trot if she needs to (not gonna lie we've done one or two basically from halt but it's not pretty and usually results in me bashing my face on his neck so I dont recommend it but its technically possible)

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Frickley on reflection was quite buzzy for Skylla and the first XC fence took her by surprise so she was on the back foot. Skipton should have suited her perfectly but for bit issues and then deciding to roll off at the first fence . Knowing the events and courses does help so I guess the more I go out and know what the courses are like the better I will be at picking the best events to take her to.

Fence 1 at Frickley was hard because you leave the start box, go round a corner and it is right there. Horses are still feeling the pull of the warm up area and have very little time to prepare for the jump. I watched several riders while waiting for Katie to start and every single one of them was sticky at the first.

Overall though I am with you on the not getting eliminated front though. Apart from anything else it is a long and expensive day out to not do XC! But eventing is weird assuming I have understood the rules right. (Never a certainty ) After my fall I was on 2 XC clears and 1 Elimination. So as I entered the event after being eliminated I was facing either a forced step back to 80T if I had been eliminared again, or alternatively I could (and did) get my MERS for BE100. Not that I wanted to step up anyway but it felt weird that the line between success (MERS YIPPEE) and failure - downgraded to 80T - was so fine. But the line between triumph and disaster IS desperately fine in eventing. You can jump clear or fall on your arse. Every. Single. Time. Most sports are a little more predictable/forgiving. I love eventing but it can be unbelievably frustrating!

But your friends are right. You are ready for this. It's just it is quite easy for things to go wrong, despite being ready.

 

[ScampiBigMan]

Yeah I think it has wobbled her a little, she absolutely needs to learn to jump with better shape and this is what we're working on at home, but sometimes out xc when she has a wobble she needs me to be '100% you are going' and not getting a slightly confused 'you're going but I'm holding for a stride I want'.

Always learning and sometimes I need to check her for certain fences, sometimes I just need to soften the hand more and just say a simple 'go'.

Some horses naturally have the wonderful bascule and knees up - Reilee has neither. Her natural jump is like a steeplechaser (long and flat) with dangly front legs but she does have plenty of scope, good balance, a willing attitude and does not like to hit fences. This combined with a huge canter stride makes doubles and trebles (in particular) challenging and is a continuous work in progress and I want to improve the adjustability much more before moving her up to Novice. She has improved a great deal in 2 years, there is much more to do. She can now jump from closer and get her shoulders up but still lands a long way out over fences q often (if in doubt she wll jump bigger). Her technique for folding front legs and the bascule improves over bigger fences (>1m), over small fences she just jumps higher and dangles the front legs. Nix's technique (bascule and front leg fold) also greatly improves over 1.1m and higher. With both, we work alot on core strength so they use their bodies more rather than launching and gives them more than one way to get over a fence(!) Plus our dressage work has helped hugely with Nix & R - helped the SJ long before it helped the dressage....

I expect Reilee to be fine XC Novice as she is rideable enough for Novice XC qns now and is training them. However, I do not want to give her a bad experience Novice SJ because we still haven't progressed to having a consistently good enough SJ form yet for the SJ phase. Similarly with Nix, Int XC fences are well within our comfort zone but we need to regroup and recapture our SJ rideability before we return to Int. With her it is a huge stride that is very adjustable but we can get bouncing /rapid acceleration if I don't get the rebalancing timing and extent good and accurate enough and if she has just got herself too over excited.

So I guess, from all that - point is that going forward and jumping the fence in front has to be the first rule of jumping (could think of it as being like dressage scales of training if makes any sense). Without that, everything else is a little academic . Once that is embedded then we continually finesse and improve how we approach, get over and away from the fence....forever!!!

At 80, going forward and over the fence in front should be enough for all the SJ and XC questions you find BE and you know that you can both do that if you focus on the task rather than the environment.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Can you, mentally get into a state of mind where you just see this as schooling - I know theres stuff going on that you cant recreate, but short of taking speakers with you and having whistles going etc, there is only so much you can do to recreate the atmosphere.
If you can just think of it as a school round it might help. It's only 80s, she can jump the off a bum stride, she can jump them from trot if she needs to (not gonna lie we've done one or two basically from halt but it's not pretty and usually results in me bashing my face on his neck so I dont recommend it but its technically possible)

It's the aim for sure, I surprised myself how nervous I felt the week running up to Frickley but actually on the day was ok. Skipton I felt good, felt like we should have a good day. I think I need to ride at comps like I was riding in the middle of last year, and although I know she is way more capable and confident now, still baby her a lot so if she feels wobbly it doesn't matter...

As I said it's the aim lol, she surprised me at Eland and a little at Frickley by switching off the leg completely (she is a mare and when she says no, she is 100% nope lol), was like kicking a brick. What I'm thinking now (and have done schooling), is ok lets go back to trot then, you're confident in trot so trot your fences, again always learning as now Skylla knows she can canter at fences she is apt to 'forget' how to stop cantering . It's all a balance but everyone is telling me we can get there .

Fence 1 at Frickley was hard because you leave the start box, go round a corner and it is right there. Horses are still feeling the pull of the warm up area and have very little time to prepare for the jump. I watched several riders while waiting for Katie to start and every single one of them was sticky at the first.

Overall though I am with you on the not getting eliminated front though. Apart from anything else it is a long and expensive day out to not do XC! But eventing is weird assuming I have understood the rules right. (Never a certainty ) After my fall I was on 2 XC clears and 1 Elimination. So as I entered the event after being eliminated I was facing either a forced step back to 80T if I had been eliminared again, or alternatively I could (and did) get my MERS for BE100. Not that I wanted to step up anyway but it felt weird that the line between success (MERS YIPPEE) and failure - downgraded to 80T - was so fine. But the line between triumph and disaster IS desperately fine in eventing. You can jump clear or fall on your arse. Every. Single. Time. Most sports are a little more predictable/forgiving. I love eventing but it can be unbelievably frustrating!

But your friends are right. You are ready for this. It's just it is quite easy for things to go wrong, despite being ready.

Yep that was the problem, she can round the corner and went 'WHAT, I'm jumping fences, why didn't you show it to me!'. Just green and forgivable, it just popped her on the backfoot for the rest of the round and hence a couple more stops (at silly fences too, the coffin type fence, drop, water, barrels, flowers were all fine go figure).

Yeah it surprised me the rules a little (wonderful HHO messaged to let me know), as my two consecutive XC E's meant I have to be assessed before competing again as there is no step down for BE80t , makes it feel more pressured to not get eliminated knowing its a bigger faff to be able to go back out and try again .

Some horses naturally have the wonderful bascule and knees up - Reilee has neither. Her natural jump is like a steeplechaser (long and flat) with dangly front legs but she does have plenty of scope, good balance, a willing attitude and does not like to hit fences. This combined with a huge canter stride makes doubles and trebles (in particular) challenging and is a continuous work in progress and I want to improve the adjustability much more before moving her up to Novice. She has improved a great deal in 2 years, there is much more to do. She can now jump from closer and get her shoulders up but still lands a long way out over fences q often (if in doubt she wll jump bigger). Her technique for folding front legs and the bascule improves over bigger fences (>1m), over small fences she just jumps higher and dangles the front legs. Nix's technique (bascule and front leg fold) also greatly improves over 1.1m and higher. With both, we work alot on core strength so they use their bodies more rather than launching and gives them more than one way to get over a fence(!) Plus our dressage work has helped hugely with Nix & R - helped the SJ long before it helped the dressage....

I expect Reilee to be fine XC Novice as she is rideable enough for Novice XC qns now and is training them. However, I do not want to give her a bad experience Novice SJ because we still haven't progressed to having a consistently good enough SJ form yet for the SJ phase. Similarly with Nix, Int XC fences are well within our comfort zone but we need to regroup and recapture our SJ rideability before we return to Int. With her it is a huge stride that is very adjustable but we can get bouncing /rapid acceleration if I don't get the rebalancing timing and extent good and accurate enough and if she has just got herself too over excited.

So I guess, from all that - point is that going forward and jumping the fence in front has to be the first rule of jumping (could think of it as being like dressage scales of training if makes any sense). Without that, everything else is a little academic . Once that is embedded then we continually finesse and improve how we approach, get over and away from the fence....forever!!!

At 80, going forward and over the fence in front should be enough for all the SJ and XC questions you find BE and you know that you can both do that if you focus on the task rather than the environment.

Yeah I think we got a bit caught up in 'improving' her for the future (bigger fences), I took my eye off the goal of just getting us round an 80 nicely and to do that she actually doesn't need to be 100% technically perfect...

 

[milliepops]

Overall though I am with you on the not getting eliminated front though. Apart from anything else it is a long and expensive day out to not do XC! But eventing is weird assuming I have understood the rules right. (Never a certainty ) After my fall I was on 2 XC clears and 1 Elimination. So as I entered the event after being eliminated I was facing either a forced step back to 80T if I had been eliminared again, or alternatively I could (and did) get my MERS for BE100. Not that I wanted to step up anyway but it felt weird that the line between success (MERS YIPPEE) and failure - downgraded to 80T - was so fine. But the line between triumph and disaster IS desperately fine in eventing. You can jump clear or fall on your arse. Every. Single. Time. Most sports are a little more predictable/forgiving. I love eventing but it can be unbelievably frustrating!
.

Yeah it surprised me the rules a little (wonderful HHO messaged to let me know), as my two consecutive XC E's meant I have to be assessed before competing again as there is no step down for BE80t , makes it feel more pressured to not get eliminated knowing its a bigger faff to be able to go back out and try again .

dare I say it... (and it's easy for me to say having hung up my eventing boots) but I think this is the right thing.
success isn't getting round, to me, success is consistently making a good job of it and to me, it should be predictable that you will do so not a fine line between success and failure, because otherwise you aren't really at the level you should be.

(HP don't take this as though I'm trying to put you off, I think you've got some baby wobbles that have sort of come at the wrong time). but the rules are doing the right thing. it's hard not to take it personally because it's personal when it affects you but if you were someone just crashing around trying to event on a horse that was not improving in the training in between shows, then getting E-d multiple times shows that the combination aren't ready and then let's face it they potentially aren't safe either.

i get it's a faff but the rules are there to protect people from themselves, in a way.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I don't object to the rules. It just seemed odd that I could get my MERS or be downgraded at the same event depending on one round. The pricniple is perfectly sound. And as great friend of mine landed on her head every event season before last, I was quite pleased the BE powers that be saved her from herself!!!

 

[ScampiBigMan]

dare I say it... (and it's easy for me to say having hung up my eventing boots) but I think this is the right thing.
success isn't getting round, to me, success is consistently making a good job of it and to me, it should be predictable that you will do so not a fine line between success and failure, because otherwise you aren't really at the level you should be.

(HP don't take this as though I'm trying to put you off, I think you've got some baby wobbles that have sort of come at the wrong time). but the rules are doing the right thing. it's hard not to take it personally because it's personal when it affects you but if you were someone just crashing around trying to event on a horse that was not improving in the training in between shows, then getting E-d multiple times shows that the combination aren't ready and then let's face it they potentially aren't safe either.

i get it's a faff but the rules are there to protect people from themselves, in a way.

I agree that it is a big step forward for BE to be stepping in and ensuring people do not just carry on at a level they are clearly struggling at. It is a backstop and considering the risks, one is needed.

Baby greenness gets caught by the rules too as they are broadbrush but that should resolve itself (relatively) quickly and easily - if they want to go XC then they will when they figure it out - if they don't then they are unlikely to get round many times (so the rules do their job correctly again in this case).

 

[milliepops]

I don't object to the rules. It just seemed odd that I could get my MERS or be downgraded at the same event depending on one round. The pricniple is perfectly sound. And as great friend of mine landed on her head every event season before last, I was quite pleased the BE powers that be saved her from herself!!!

the end result is dependent on one round but your MERS isn't, is it? that has to show some sort of consistency. I understand what you're saying but I don't think it's odd - it has to cater for all circumstances so either you'd not be up to it and the previous E was a sign of things to come, or it was a blip and you're Ok to continue. like SBM says it has to be a broad brushstroke because otherwise you'd need to be signed off in a little book and the manpower needed would be disproportionate!

there's a similar thing in dressage where if you get a crap (50%) score PSG or above you slide back down the snake and have to get a qualifying score at advanced again. i guess that's to save the judges' eyes!

 

[Roxylola]

On a tangent, do I need a throat lash on my bridle? My jump bridle is one of these with a funky noseband instead