What to dooooo? Entered BE80 but can't jump.

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Patterdale

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Hola! <blows dust off username>
I'm in crisis. Entered a BE80. It's this Sunday.
Only problem is I've had a break whilst having children and I've forgotten how to ride.
Started again with a new horse earlier this year. He has a v consistent BE100 record and is fairly straightforward. I've done up to Novice but not for years. BE80 didn't exist when I was last eventing(!)
Due to a few circumstances I've hardly been able to ride over the last fortnight and have only jumped this horse 4/5 times. A few of those times we've had stops due to my crap riding.

I don't know what possessed me to enter. I just don't have the feel anymore.

What shall I do? Give it a go? Or withdraw and lose my entry fee? I feel completely inadequate not being able to get an experienced horse round an 80 :(
 
You could give it a go for fun but it sounds like its going to be stressful, not fun. I would take a loss on the entry fee personally.
 
Cold feet are fine - your mojo will come back when you are there.

Can you get a lesson from someone who will give you the proverbial kick before Sunday? I've just done the same for a friend of mine who had a dire day at a 90 last Sunday and is going to Berriewood on Saturday We hired a course today and started tiny and finished flying over the 100 chase fence!
You need someone to inspire you and maybe walk the course with you!

Which 80 are you doing?
 
I've just totally lost the ability to judge a stride, resulting in me trying to set the horse up and getting it wrong. He then loses confidence in me and stops.
I gave myself a talking to today after this happened, then just put a spread up to 90 and rode him forward to it, forgetting about the stride.
Jumped it nicely twice, then missed completely and came v close to coming off. He stopped next time.

I can't decide whether I'll get there and it'll all come flooding back, or whether I'll get there having never jumped a course on him, and quite rightly have a disaster.
 
Where are you? pm me if you would prefer. I'm at Berriewood this weekend. I would happily give you a hand, possibly jumping at home, depending on where you are, and I could definitely come and walk the course with you. I'm very good at mojo finding.!!

PS I teach too xx
 
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OMG!! Your me minus the fact I'm too scared to enter one :)
I thought it would be super easy, 80's nothing right? ..... yeah ff to now and I'm struggling (or was pre-horse injury!) with a cross pole.
Incredibly impressed at your enthusiasm, maybe that will get you through?
 
you and me both Patterdale. I am doing an 80 Sunday and not sure if I actually can ride any more. 6 months ago 80 was way too small, but I've had a series of crashing falls and now have no confidence at all.
My logic is that at 80 on a horse of reasonable dimensions I just need to not hook & let the horse move on.
You arent jumping 90 Sunday and dont need to be on a great stride so long as horse isnt running and you arent hooking you should be fine. Thats my plan anyway. That and to remember to ride like I mean it so horse is confident!!
 
You.will.be.fine.
It's only an 80, trot around the showjumping, and just kick on and hang on round the xc, the horse will sort the job out as long as you're positive.
It'll be fun....stressful, but fun.
I say this as a former showjumping (and occasional eventing) wizz, who also after many years of not jumping much found myself completely unable to see any kind of stride (how did it used to be so natural?!), who managed to slap brave pants on big enough to heave my moose of a youngster round a few showjumping competitions, with the added disadvantage that said moose is basically terrified of coloured poles.
I even have the least well deserved blue rosette ever from a 75cm round where we ground to a halt before all but two fences. But we didn't take a step back and there was only one other person clear :D
If the showjumping is a disaster then you can always withdraw and go home :)
 
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yep you don't need to worry about strides or anything for an 80s. just kick on and count into a rhythm and point!
 
Now c'mon it is 2'9" in old money - which I still think in for motivational purposes - go for it, it is very do-able!!!
 
Actually it's not even 2'9 - that would be nearly 84cm. You've got almost a whole 4cm less to worry about than an old money 2'9!
 
spacefaer said:
I'm at Berriewood this weekend. I would happily give you a hand, possibly jumping at home, depending on where you are, and I could definitely come and walk the course with you. I'm very good at mojo finding.!!

PS I teach too xx
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That is VERY kind, thank you! I'm quite far from Berriewood but if I DO go, and if you're there, some mojo-finding on the day would be lovely...!

poiuytrewq said:
OMG!! Your me minus the fact I'm too scared to enter one :)
I thought it would be super easy, 80's nothing right? ..... yeah ff to now and I'm struggling (or was pre-horse injury!) with a cross pole.
Incredibly impressed at your enthusiasm, maybe that will get you through?
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One can but hope! :D

siennamum said:
you and me both Patterdale. I am doing an 80 Sunday and not sure if I actually can ride any more.
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Perhaps it's a prerequisite of an 80 then? :D good luck in yours!!

DabDab said:
You.will.be.fine.
It's only an 80, trot around the showjumping, and just kick on and hang on round the xc, the horse will sort the job out as long as you're positive.
It'll be fun....stressful, but fun.
.....If the showjumping is a disaster then you can always withdraw and go home :)
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THANK YOU. I needed to hear this!

JFTD said:
Oh my days, Patters... Is it really you?!
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Yes!!!! Is it really you?? How's things??

Lévrier;13566911 said:
Now c'mon it is 2'9" in old money - which I still think in for motivational purposes - go for it, it is very do-able!!!
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Also needed to hear this - I hadn't realised! 2'9 is NOWT.

Cheers team xx
 
Patterdale said:
Has anyone done Berriewood? Is it nice?
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It is nice. It is flat with mainly straightforward island fences, a friendly water. Showjumping isn't normally up to height either.

(this is my local event - I live about 12 mins away!)

ETA Thanks Levrier!

PS still can't find the accent on your e!
 
Just think that you can always trot round if you want, even round the XC! If you want to canter, great! If you don't then don't. I've trotted 95cm SJ and used to trot into 90cm XC if they were skinnies (horse was a bit of a monkey). I find it much easier to see the stride if you trot and then canter a few strides out, but you don't have to have to canter at all, horses can jump much bigger out of trot than you might think :p if your horse is experienced, I doubt he will need an awful lot of setting up, just remember to keep him going straight and forwards, and try not to interfere too much (hard I know!) Good luck, try and enjoy it!
 
spacefaer said:
It is nice. It is flat with mainly straightforward island fences, a friendly water. Showjumping isn't normally up to height either.

(this is my local event - I live about 12 mins away!)

ETA Thanks Levrier!

PS still can't find the accent on your e!
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Me neither I am ashamed to admit :p
 
iknowmyvalue said:
Just think that you can always trot round if you want, even round the XC! If you want to canter, great! If you don't then don't. I've trotted 95cm SJ and used to trot into 90cm XC if they were skinnies (horse was a bit of a monkey). I find it much easier to see the stride if you trot and then canter a few strides out, but you don't have to have to canter at all, horses can jump much bigger out of trot than you might think :p if your horse is experienced, I doubt he will need an awful lot of setting up, just remember to keep him going straight and forwards, and try not to interfere too much (hard I know!) Good luck, try and enjoy it!
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This totally :) I will say that it might not be the fluid, professional round that you (or rather I!) dream of, but you will have a lot of fun and enjoyment and you will learn loads :)
 
Patterdale said:
Yes!!!! Is it really you?? How's things??
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Yes - and JFTD was very excited to see your username! Much the same here - I still have midgety highlands and an inappropriate love of men in jodhs. How are things with you - and miniPatters?!

On topic, you'll have no bother at 80. I was going to be doing one myself this year, but I have horse issues. If I can even consider it, you'll breeze round!
 
Honestly you don't need to be able to see a stride at 80. I can't and so we regularly take less than ideal spots not to mention my mare is a b*gger in the sj and spooks horrendously and so we normally end up jumping half of them from a standstill anyway, quite successfully I might add. And really my plan xc is if I go fast enough a stride will present itself which it a.ways does not to mention she really benefits from positive riding. I promise it won't be as bad as you think I did a 90 once and honestly the sj must have been barely 80.
 
Its late to withdraw, as you said you will loose your money.

Why dont you go, aim for a good dressage test.
Walk the cross country and show jumping them warm up, jump a ew in the warm up and see how you feel?
You can always withdraw then.
Or give it ago.
Its meant to be fun.
 
Although I'm a bold rider but I struggle with jumping confidence simply because I don't do it very often. My horse however is a very good jumper and I've found I get the most fun when I just let her get on with it and basically stop riding and go into passenger mode; I think she prefers it too - get the "quit jiggling woman, I'm the expert here" vibe from her.
 
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