kerilli
Well-Known Member
A really excellent evening, well attended, lovely lovely horses - he rode 3, Oslo (7 yr old, won Le Lion last yr), new mare 10yrs called George, and Cool Mountain.
I took lots of notes like a proper little swot, the best bits are here if anyone wants a look!
Choosing an eventer: do you like him, is he an athlete, does he want to do the job, his conformation, and does he look comfortable - with good balance over all 4 legs.
"Really important to take a long time with youngsters."
He usually buys at 4.
"I have absolutely no interest in riding a 4 year old in any show or competition." he wants them taking a contact but not be 'on the bit' at that age.
he starts competing them at 5 (sometimes towards end of year. 5 years is the 'waiting year', let him grow up, introduce him to the sport.) 6 years is a big year, ask more, find out more, is s/he showing promise? he'll give them a busy year, do 12-15 events, not necessarily fast or competitively, on all types of ground - find out if they're sore after running on firm, or if they lose confidence running on soft/slippery - because at top level you don't really get a choice of what ground to run on, so it's good to know that about them.
he's not interested in speed xc on a young horse, he wants them to be "relaxed, in rhythm, straight, looking where he's going."
he rode a lovely 10 yr old mare by Voltaire (out of Italian t.b.), new ride for him. "she has a slightly roach back, they usually jump but often don't trot well."
If the tail comes out quite high (as it does on 1 he rode, Cool Mountain) then there's less slope to hindquarters, so they find it harder to come up in front, you have to do more for them if they're built like this.
Tam is not going to Badminton, he's "just doing World Cup". (no idea if that means he might be up for the Euros or not though!)
Working on the flat at home, it is important to have a beginning and end to every movement, to set up, do the movement, and finish, etc. Put a full stop at the end of the movement, then it becomes a habit.
He talks to them a lot. Never growls at them if they're naughty, but he said "No", "Oi" (if they had a naughty thought!) and "Good" a lot. He was very calm and quiet with them, lovely attitude. When one made a mistake (did a flying change when he was working on counter counter, for e.g., he just said "No", corrected it, carried on as if nothing had happened.) He stressed how important it is to ride The Same at competitions as at home.
Jumping - lots from trot, horse must learn to think for himself, work out where to put his feet. In canter it is more decided for the horse.
It's important that they enjoy their work, they're allowed to be a bit happy (e.g. arching neck and dropping it a little after a jump!) but not really naughty.
When viewing a horse, he'd rather a horse jumped a 1.10 fence without touching it 10 times from different approaches, than that it doesn't bother until it gets to 1.30 and then throws an amazing jump.
XC schooling he always goes with a lead at first with a youngster, so they are always brave, never get frightened by a ditch etc.
"Primitive Risings are quite retarded... certainly the ones I've had are, anyway." (they need a long time.) They can be a bit crackers and clingy, too. Cool Mountain is one, and the best he's had, but he'd like to be like that - can't be left alone on lorry etc.
At home, keep the fences small (2' ish) so neither horse nor rider worry about the striding.
Let the horse sort himself out at the first part of a combination or grid, don't do it for him or go "hup", he needs to learn to take in the line of fences and then bring his attention back to the first one.
Don't help young horses too much, it is better for them to have a pole and learn, even at events!
Don't pull off the fence if on the wrong stride, the horse must sort it out, just get on with it.
He came to a corner on 3 different approaches, straight, aiming to corner, aiming slightly away from corner.
Ideally, do preparation early, then in last 3 strides say 'there it is, go fwd to it" (but without advancing etc.) If you have to fiddle, still ride forward to it!
Someone asked a question about working a horse having a tantrum. He said you need to work out if he's "fresh or furious" and if the latter, WHY? No point trying to make a horse work hard if he's too wound up, get off, or go for a 15 min canter, or go for a hack, start again tomorrow.
Best advice he's ever been given, by his mother
"How do you expect that poor horse to control his nerves if you can't control yours." Horses live off vibes, so be careful what vibes you give off.
Hot choc and cookies if you got this far! Some real pearls of wisdom there I think/hope!
I took lots of notes like a proper little swot, the best bits are here if anyone wants a look!
Choosing an eventer: do you like him, is he an athlete, does he want to do the job, his conformation, and does he look comfortable - with good balance over all 4 legs.
"Really important to take a long time with youngsters."
He usually buys at 4.
"I have absolutely no interest in riding a 4 year old in any show or competition." he wants them taking a contact but not be 'on the bit' at that age.
he starts competing them at 5 (sometimes towards end of year. 5 years is the 'waiting year', let him grow up, introduce him to the sport.) 6 years is a big year, ask more, find out more, is s/he showing promise? he'll give them a busy year, do 12-15 events, not necessarily fast or competitively, on all types of ground - find out if they're sore after running on firm, or if they lose confidence running on soft/slippery - because at top level you don't really get a choice of what ground to run on, so it's good to know that about them.
he's not interested in speed xc on a young horse, he wants them to be "relaxed, in rhythm, straight, looking where he's going."
he rode a lovely 10 yr old mare by Voltaire (out of Italian t.b.), new ride for him. "she has a slightly roach back, they usually jump but often don't trot well."
If the tail comes out quite high (as it does on 1 he rode, Cool Mountain) then there's less slope to hindquarters, so they find it harder to come up in front, you have to do more for them if they're built like this.
Tam is not going to Badminton, he's "just doing World Cup". (no idea if that means he might be up for the Euros or not though!)
Working on the flat at home, it is important to have a beginning and end to every movement, to set up, do the movement, and finish, etc. Put a full stop at the end of the movement, then it becomes a habit.
He talks to them a lot. Never growls at them if they're naughty, but he said "No", "Oi" (if they had a naughty thought!) and "Good" a lot. He was very calm and quiet with them, lovely attitude. When one made a mistake (did a flying change when he was working on counter counter, for e.g., he just said "No", corrected it, carried on as if nothing had happened.) He stressed how important it is to ride The Same at competitions as at home.
Jumping - lots from trot, horse must learn to think for himself, work out where to put his feet. In canter it is more decided for the horse.
It's important that they enjoy their work, they're allowed to be a bit happy (e.g. arching neck and dropping it a little after a jump!) but not really naughty.
When viewing a horse, he'd rather a horse jumped a 1.10 fence without touching it 10 times from different approaches, than that it doesn't bother until it gets to 1.30 and then throws an amazing jump.
XC schooling he always goes with a lead at first with a youngster, so they are always brave, never get frightened by a ditch etc.
"Primitive Risings are quite retarded... certainly the ones I've had are, anyway." (they need a long time.) They can be a bit crackers and clingy, too. Cool Mountain is one, and the best he's had, but he'd like to be like that - can't be left alone on lorry etc.
At home, keep the fences small (2' ish) so neither horse nor rider worry about the striding.
Let the horse sort himself out at the first part of a combination or grid, don't do it for him or go "hup", he needs to learn to take in the line of fences and then bring his attention back to the first one.
Don't help young horses too much, it is better for them to have a pole and learn, even at events!
Don't pull off the fence if on the wrong stride, the horse must sort it out, just get on with it.
He came to a corner on 3 different approaches, straight, aiming to corner, aiming slightly away from corner.
Ideally, do preparation early, then in last 3 strides say 'there it is, go fwd to it" (but without advancing etc.) If you have to fiddle, still ride forward to it!
Someone asked a question about working a horse having a tantrum. He said you need to work out if he's "fresh or furious" and if the latter, WHY? No point trying to make a horse work hard if he's too wound up, get off, or go for a 15 min canter, or go for a hack, start again tomorrow.
Best advice he's ever been given, by his mother
"How do you expect that poor horse to control his nerves if you can't control yours." Horses live off vibes, so be careful what vibes you give off.
Hot choc and cookies if you got this far! Some real pearls of wisdom there I think/hope!
