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I'm still alive!
Went to Wellington today. Had entered the 2ft6 - walked it last night and thought they must have a very odd measuring stick, and thought about swapping to the 2ft3 but half the fences were shared anyway, so just got on with it. This is the whole course:
http://pets.webshots.com/album/571700260gwYHIh?vhost=pets
Took him in the warmup and he was rather wired by horses galloping past him in all directions. Managed to get him to walk for about 5mins, had a very forward going trot and then let him canter. He felt full of beans so let him canter round for quite a while. Practised opening him up and bringing him back again. All good.
There was only one warmup XC jump which was some 2ft3 barrels, the other was a good 2ft6 spread rustic show-jump, didn't think we'd try that! Cantered bodly up to the barrels and he almost stopped - great start! Put leg on, growled and over we went! Did it a few more times. Had a rest, chatted to a friend, jumped it another couple of times and we were up.
I was in positive mode, but despite lots of leg, he clocked the first fence and was backing off, trying to go to one side or the other. Managed to keep him straight, let him trot at it and he hopped over it. Cantered away and then we had the same palava at fence 2.
Moved onto the stile at fence 3 and headed at the little one, same baulking and back to trot, but over we went. Then spooked wildly at the barely noticeable bridge and then we got stopped. Rider ahead had fallen and horse loose. Great for my confidence! Stood for a good five minutes, just kept walking him round. Got the all clear to go again straight onto the biggest fence on the course - the log pile that came to top of my leg.
He actually jumped it really nicely. We trotted through the whole wooded section though as it was really windy, ground not great and he was being really spooky. He popped down the step into the shallow ditch no probs, spooked at the smallest log on the course but jumped it fine then popped over the log pile, across the lane and out into the field and there I could let him canter again. Flew over the rails and caught up the rider in front at the manky water as her horse was refusing to go in it. She got out the way and I just brought him back to trot a few strides before, leg on and he hopped straight in. Up and out of that and up the step then onto the weird wedge shaped fence. Aimed at the middle over the lowest height bit, bit spooky but over we went. Ground to a halt when he clocked some horses in the field next door, spooked his way through a gap in the hedge, got a smack on the shoulder to remind him who was in charge!
Then onto the Irish bank - never done anything like that before, a bit spooky but over that and over the log then blast across the field and line up for the haycart. Nice and straight and then he spotted what he was headed at - cue major panic attack! First he tried going rapidly sideways to the left. That didn't work, so he tried going to the right. Still didnt work, so he just ground to a halt in front of it. Turned him away, quick smack on the neck to remind him of his job, came at it again and he did a humongous jump over it, nearly jumped me out the saddle but we were away! Popped down the drop no probs then up the Wellington/Hickstead bank! trotted over the log on top and then over the rail with drop the other side no probs. Let someone go past me which conveniently gave me a nice lead through the timed section. Jumped the timed section nicely from a canter, over the barrels, backed off a bit at the tyres but jumped it, flew the rails with ditch in front, spooked a bit at the alternative to the trakehner but over we went. Then just neatly hopped the straw bales and the log pile to finish!
We were 20 odd seconds over the optimum time for the tiny timed section which only covered 4 jumps! God only knows how many mins over we'd have been if the whole course had been timed, but we weren't there to make the time. I'm pleased with him, but hunting has given me a false idea of his bravery. He is sooooo not brave on his own! Me thinks lots more XC on his own needed. No more group clinics, either schooling or lessons on his own. He must learn to be brave by himself.
Big pats for the boy though - not bad for his first ever HT.
Went to Wellington today. Had entered the 2ft6 - walked it last night and thought they must have a very odd measuring stick, and thought about swapping to the 2ft3 but half the fences were shared anyway, so just got on with it. This is the whole course:
http://pets.webshots.com/album/571700260gwYHIh?vhost=pets
Took him in the warmup and he was rather wired by horses galloping past him in all directions. Managed to get him to walk for about 5mins, had a very forward going trot and then let him canter. He felt full of beans so let him canter round for quite a while. Practised opening him up and bringing him back again. All good.
There was only one warmup XC jump which was some 2ft3 barrels, the other was a good 2ft6 spread rustic show-jump, didn't think we'd try that! Cantered bodly up to the barrels and he almost stopped - great start! Put leg on, growled and over we went! Did it a few more times. Had a rest, chatted to a friend, jumped it another couple of times and we were up.
I was in positive mode, but despite lots of leg, he clocked the first fence and was backing off, trying to go to one side or the other. Managed to keep him straight, let him trot at it and he hopped over it. Cantered away and then we had the same palava at fence 2.
Moved onto the stile at fence 3 and headed at the little one, same baulking and back to trot, but over we went. Then spooked wildly at the barely noticeable bridge and then we got stopped. Rider ahead had fallen and horse loose. Great for my confidence! Stood for a good five minutes, just kept walking him round. Got the all clear to go again straight onto the biggest fence on the course - the log pile that came to top of my leg.
He actually jumped it really nicely. We trotted through the whole wooded section though as it was really windy, ground not great and he was being really spooky. He popped down the step into the shallow ditch no probs, spooked at the smallest log on the course but jumped it fine then popped over the log pile, across the lane and out into the field and there I could let him canter again. Flew over the rails and caught up the rider in front at the manky water as her horse was refusing to go in it. She got out the way and I just brought him back to trot a few strides before, leg on and he hopped straight in. Up and out of that and up the step then onto the weird wedge shaped fence. Aimed at the middle over the lowest height bit, bit spooky but over we went. Ground to a halt when he clocked some horses in the field next door, spooked his way through a gap in the hedge, got a smack on the shoulder to remind him who was in charge!
Then onto the Irish bank - never done anything like that before, a bit spooky but over that and over the log then blast across the field and line up for the haycart. Nice and straight and then he spotted what he was headed at - cue major panic attack! First he tried going rapidly sideways to the left. That didn't work, so he tried going to the right. Still didnt work, so he just ground to a halt in front of it. Turned him away, quick smack on the neck to remind him of his job, came at it again and he did a humongous jump over it, nearly jumped me out the saddle but we were away! Popped down the drop no probs then up the Wellington/Hickstead bank! trotted over the log on top and then over the rail with drop the other side no probs. Let someone go past me which conveniently gave me a nice lead through the timed section. Jumped the timed section nicely from a canter, over the barrels, backed off a bit at the tyres but jumped it, flew the rails with ditch in front, spooked a bit at the alternative to the trakehner but over we went. Then just neatly hopped the straw bales and the log pile to finish!
We were 20 odd seconds over the optimum time for the tiny timed section which only covered 4 jumps! God only knows how many mins over we'd have been if the whole course had been timed, but we weren't there to make the time. I'm pleased with him, but hunting has given me a false idea of his bravery. He is sooooo not brave on his own! Me thinks lots more XC on his own needed. No more group clinics, either schooling or lessons on his own. He must learn to be brave by himself.
Big pats for the boy though - not bad for his first ever HT.
