XC Training - Ditch and action shots rearing

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cappelli

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I went on a 3 day camp with Zalena with the lady who backed her Janine Lamy. I had the most amazing time and her SJ has come on a treat after owning her for 18 months. There have been real dramas along the way with napping and rearing/leaping but she is better now she is on regumate. I still getting on top of her really but i keep plugging away, which was hard as she reared and fell on me on the road 2 months ago and got up and ran home leaving me laying there!.

I wanted to share some pictures of the weekend away we just had - before this i was only jumping 2ft3 max as we had some confidence knock earlier in the year.

Zalena has only even been xc once before and wasnt having any of the ditch and water last time. There was 20 mins of rearing, leaping neack and head locking and just real drama. She really didnt understand what it was all about or what she had to do bless her little heart.

Zalena having a look and auntie janine trying to coax her to the edge....

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then there was much of this... no ta mum you go in it.....

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if you wont come off ill turn

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then we tried doing a twisty thing

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there there were more.....

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a lead didnt work so her new boyfriend and the other were sent off into the distance so she though she was being left behind

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it didnt work and zalena then went into shut down and just glazed over and planted.

She would let anyone else lead her having tried so i knew there was only one thing for it.... i was going to have to get off and take her over. Bingo she did it inhand and we kept doing that for a few mins

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then back on board and after a long time of trying BINGO!

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She didnt do the water and will only go with mummy and i wasnt going in water in my ariats and gaiters so we are off schooling again very soon with wellies so we can then do it underssaddle after having a paddle.

a few others from camp

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Goodness, well done you for stickability and perseverance. Big rears, not nice at all. Looks beautiful when all four legs are on the ground!
 
Great pics, but CHRIST those rearing pics :eek:

She is gorge and looks to have a lovely movement on her! Love the thumbs up pic!!
 
Blimey why on earth do you risk your neck riding something that rears like that ?? If I had looked at your other photos first I would say what a fab horse you have, but those rears look nasty she really looks like she will do anything to get you off
 
Thanks for sharing my six year old very similar wouldn't do water at camp but loves jumping, gives me hope!
 
Well she has a temper on her! Well done with dealing with it so well, she looks lovely in the other pictures.
I like how when she is rearing your position doesn't change at all! ;) :)
 
Wow , well sat! :) love how your instructor is so relaxed in the photo whilst you sit those :D

As others have said, when behaving she looks lovely :)
 
Scary!!! But well sat, well ridden, amazing positive thinking from you!

I recognise that xc course ;) I have seen many horses rear at that tiny ditch - never quite understand what scares them so much, esp as this one is so shallow my gelding stepped in and stepped out the first time I did it because I think he thought it was like a road gutter.
 
Blimy she looks a bit saucy! Well done for persevering she looks a nice sort when she is going forwards. Perhaps get her on a lunge rope and lunge her over all those things as its a great way to get them confident and less chance of her landing on you or whoever leads her over them.
 
well done for persevering! :) when she rears can you try and turn her before she gets so vertical? could hopefully try and stop her getting so high. she is lovely though and great riding for sticking on (do you have glue on your bum? :p)
my 6 year old is a wimp at times and if he has said no to something the only way to get him to do something is to hop off and lead him and he'll follow me straight away. its how i got him to do water and all sorts of things- once he's done it once he's happy to do it again- he just lacks in confidence. from the sounds of it your mare isn't being naughty she is just confused and her way of showing confusion is to throw a tantrum... stick with it, she's lovely :D
 
Blimey - she reminds me EXACTLY of twiggy the tb I used to own. Used similar party tricks too which was such as shame as she was so capable. Injury finished her ridden career and shes a brood mare now (and apparently a completely different horse for it)

well done for persevering though you can see on the pics that she is worth sticking with!
 
She is lovely, and her approach is very like one of mine's. Once they get it and trust you though, theyre fine :)
 
Sorry if I've missed it - how old is she? Shes certainly a looker.. lovely other pics!

I have a 5 year old warmblood that blows up a bit like that but he's getting there.. I took him on a camp last year and it did him the world of good - our xc wasn't far off yours going on your account. Well done :)
 
She's a really nice looking mare, and it's nice to see Bedgebury again!

Perservere with the ditch training - as many as you can find as often as you can. To be honest a slightly bigger ditch may well be easier - she will understand that it's harmless. Sometimes when they are too small and narrow they are deeply suspicious of them.
 
Cor blimey that looks a bit scary! Well done, you are very brave!

I hope she's worth it for you, she looks like she will be :) x
 
I shouldn't be scared to get the lunge rope out if I were you. I was quite surprised to find out recently that a 4* eventer starts all his horses XC schooling over ditches and water on the lunge. Then he gets on them when they've 'got' it. He reckons it's less stressful for them and he doesn't have to risk an injury if, for example ;), they rear and drop him.
 
Gamebird said:
I shouldn't be scared to get the lunge rope out if I were you. I was quite surprised to find out recently that a 4* eventer starts all his horses XC schooling over ditches and water on the lunge. Then he gets on them when they've 'got' it. He reckons it's less stressful for them and he doesn't have to risk an injury if, for example ;), they rear and drop him.
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I'm going to give this a go over ditches with my lad! Thanks for sharing. :)
 
Really well done, good to see your not letting her tantrums stop you doing the things you enjoy. I also live in hope that they are a faze :)

Really want to go to a camp now!

Best of luck with her I hope you don't hurt yourself
 
Well sat from me too!!

Have found lunging over these things very useful, as well as some of the Monty Roberts "spookbusting" stuff - gives you some good strategies for dealing with scary things (and nipping tantrums in the bud).

Really gorgeous horse, flatwork pic is to die for.
 
Thanks for all the replies and information.

The point about small ditches is a very good one. I had packed a lunge line but we were out on course in a 4 group lesson so there wasnt the time to get it really. I have booked us in for more training this weekend and we are going in a headcollar and lunge line into the water in wellies for a paddle before we tack up so she understands what im asking.

She reallt didnt get what i wanted of her but unfortunatly she does rear like this esp if she she throws a wobbler or naps.

Will let you know how i get on this weekend and i will keep plugging away becuase she is def worth it and movement and jumps is a pleasure to ride and watch.

They say the good ones have that edge and i think she def does.
 
Gamebird said:
I shouldn't be scared to get the lunge rope out if I were you. I was quite surprised to find out recently that a 4* eventer starts all his horses XC schooling over ditches and water on the lunge. Then he gets on them when they've 'got' it. He reckons it's less stressful for them and he doesn't have to risk an injury if, for example ;), they rear and drop him.
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second this!

In fact, I've been known to go round my local XC course riding one (schoolmaster) horse and leading another (green horse) from that horse ... obviously you need to teach them to do this "ponying" in advance, but I've just found it so mega helpful to show the green horse the ropes + give them the confidence of both you and an older horse being there + not worry if the green horse takes a total flyer at something, as it doesn't matter so much when you're not sitting on them!!! I really don't understand why more people don't use this ponying/ ride & lead.....
 
Afraid I'd have been off and got the woman that backed her to get on!! Lol!! I'm a wimp though! You've got an amazing position and I can just tell you are determined to get through this and when you do you'll have one hell of a horse!!
 
What Gamebird says ^^^ and also a wider, shallower ditch is better for starting horses ditch jumping, especially mares who are very wary of where they are putting their feet (which is a good thing) and what might be lurking in dark holes :eek:.

My "baby" ditch is little more than a 3' wide indentation, with a fixed wooden edging. It is obvious to the horse that it is different, but totally safe if they put a foot (or several) in it. I find once they are skipping happily over that, they are far more confident with progressing to deeper, scarier ditches :)
 
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