What would you do?

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tinkerbell88

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I just need reassurance or a kick up the backside or something from you guys!
I'm entered for Isleham this weekend in the BE100 Open as a prep run for novice at Poplar the week after. Due to the weather no xc courses have been open to school Remy round and are unlikely to be before Saturday, which is too late as I'm meant to be competing on Saturday.

The next issue is that madam has managed to bang her hock over the weekend and so Saturday she had off, Sunday just walking and today walk and trot. She is perfectly sound, but there is still a bit of swelling on her hock.

Would you.....
a) withdraw from Isleham and go xc schooling instead and be brave and go straight in at novice next week; or
b) try hard to get to Isleham if it is possible and go without seeing xc fences since September?

In my heart of hearts I probably know I should withdraw, her preperation has been interupted by the hock, and I don't want to create a problem just because she hasn't been xc schooling. But, I've spent all winter preparing to go eventing again, her flatwork has come on so much, and being a uni student a £56 entry fee is quite alot of money for me to then not go.

So all experienced people out there what would you do if you were in my shoes?
 
If we get anymore rain Isleham is likely to be cancelled or be pretty wet and deep, if they cancel then you will obviously get a refund (eventually!). Poplar IMO is a lovely Novice, my son did it as his first event of the season last year and they flew round (it looks a bit scary in places but actually rides really well) although the dressage is a bit potholey
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ETS: If you have a bad round at Isleham you will understandbly be fed up, however if you xc school and it doesn't go well you know what you have to work on!
 
I would prob go and do the dressage and SJ on the sat, if not too far away to get out on grass again and then go xc schooling on the sunday if somewhere is open.

Horses always seem to spoil our plans!
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Ooh sare_bear that's an idea! I didn't think about doing that but it's only 1 hour and a half from me and I will have late times so that is a possibility. Thanks!
 
ditto what sare_bear said. Would consider running xc too depending what the ground/course is like, although depends how established your horse is. Think a lot of people will be in the sam boat fwiw.

Assuming she was reasonably fit by last weekend I wouldn't call a couple of light days a real interruption in preparation myself
 
Isleham has never cancelled so I dont think that will give you a reprieve ,even if it did it would have to be so atrocious that no centre will be available to school.So if your worried use that as a schooling round if you feel you would be ready to do a novice the week after, going straght in cold at PN should not be a problem to you .I would be more concerned about the hock as if the going is deep they will take more strain than normal.
 
Can you get up to Little Downham? it's only a few miles further on. AFAIK the course was open this weekend, try giving Tina a ring on 01353 698952 to check before travelling though!
 
ditto sare_bear or depending on how established your horse is, i would go xc too!

i used to take Pilfer straight out at PN at the beginning of the season but he was never rusty or spooky.
 
This will be her 3rd season eventing and never had a problem in competition but she is a madam and always has a few ideas on how she likes to do things so really the schooling would just be to iron out those things. She went from intro to novice in 5 events in her first year and had 4 clear xc runs out of 5 last year so I'm probably thinking about it too much!

Megabeast-the interuption isn't a worry over fitness, she is very fit for what she will be asked to do, but it's keeping her level headed as she is very sharp so the break over the weekend will mean she might not be on side. Difficult doesn't even come close to describing her!

Thanks for the advice everyone, I am going to play it by ear. See how the hock is tomorrow and if all is well I'll go and see what the ground is like on Saturday and decide then if I turn it into a dressage comp or an event.
 
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