Which discipline and why?? Just a chatty thread :)

Show jumping, which for someone who used to be terrified of leaving the floor and still struggles with self-confidence is possibly not ideal! Still, I love it and it’s something I want to do well, although if I'm honest it the training I really enjoy. While competing gives me a real buzz and I love it I always come home making plans on what I need to do next or work on, training plans etc, I like the focus of having a discipline to compete in. That said when it goes right either at a show or training the feeling I get from jumping can’t be matched by anything I have done on the ground.
I do enjoy flat work and hacking, something I do lots of (more than leaving the floor really) there is not a chance that I will add to the handful of dressage test I’ve done in my life, hats off to all you dressage peeps as it scares the life out of me! Honestly I don’t know how you can face trotting down the centre line to start facing a judge, takes bigger balls than I possess that’s for sure!
Like xc and planned on doing a few hunter trials but never got round to it, did enjoy xc schooling and once mine had got the hang of it was actually pretty good and I can really see the attraction and buzz you could get from it. Still not sure I could do it properly as fixed fences makes me wobble but oddly I would feel better jumping bigger fences than the small stuff.
 
To watch: either SJ or eventing. Probably pure SJ actually, as I just love being there and seeing those incredible horses jumping things bigger than me! I enjoy watching eventing XC too, but I think the feeling of being in a big arena and watching, say, Tim Stockdale jump a 6ft6 fence is just unbeatable!

To ride: eventing. Always wanted to do it and now have a horse who loves it. Did some UA last year (having dabbled in it over the years with other horses) and did our first BE a couple of weeks ago. I enjoy flat schooling at home but get no joy at all from doing a DR test at a competition. SJ is my weakest phase and I dislike SJ shows because of all the waiting around, but it's fine eventing as at least I have a time to work to. XC I just love, and the horse is a complete machine. He adores it.

I do also love my hacking! There is no better feeling that being out with your horse on a lovely sunny day in the British countryside for hours :)
 
I appreciate dressage but I can't say I find it exciting. My 2 horses are jumpers & that's where my love is. I think it's also one of the more 'honest' disciplines. Everyone watching knows if you had a fence, stopped, crossed you path etc & will know your time & penalties. With dressage as with showing your result depends on how another person perceives your performance. I've heard so many people in showing say things like 'I won't be at ? show because ? is judging & she doesn't like my stamp of horse'. There will always be arguments over scores in Dressage & showing but in Show Jumping you know where you stand. ;)
 
Shysmum said:
Can I make a plea for hacking ? Very underrated - but involves all sorts of obstacles and traffic, water, the odd jump, gates, all sorts.

To watch, it's show jumping every time, just love it. Hubs has to shut me up, tbh.
Click to expand...


I remember watching the Hickstead Derby with my dad when I was about 17. This young girl came in and before she even started I said; "Her position is terrible, if that horse does the slightest thing wrong she won't last" Dad scoffed and said there was no way I, a hobby rider jumping fences half that size, could know that.... Fence 1 she got really badly left behind and socked the horse in the teeth. Fence two he cat leaped and landed on the back rail, she hung on by the skin of her teeth. Fence three he dinked out the side and she ended up on the floor. Dad was amazed!
 
When I was alot younger - XC.SJ and Showing.

From 25 onwards - long distance riding , Showing, Endurance, Western and general hacking .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top