Post by racaille on Dec 2, 2012 17:24:23 GMT
And that is: that Paco is a bit of a sh!t 
After my first SJ comp in ... in fact, I can't remember the last one .... my coach said to me today: 'Well, he didn't help you, did he? You were the only one out there doing any work!'
Well, I was nearly paralysed by nerves but the run up to Manosque was very beautiful, with the sun bouncing off the snow on the Alps, although it was perishingly cold.
I had entered the 60cm preparatoire class in the belief that I'd have an easy parcours and only nine jumps. Wrong on both counts and isn't it funny how 60cm looks tiddly on a ruler, but flaming huge from the ground when all you want to do is just throw up
My coach had warned me about the last jump which was an 'invisible' upright, painted dark colours and hidden in the shadows of trees just when you come out of the sunshine.
But right from the start Paco was spooky and trying hard to stop or run out at everything - a different horse from last week, well, a different rider anyway. It was a ghastly round, really not pretty, and I could not keep him in a regular canter, he kept putting on the brakes. But I managed to get him over everything except the last: I did as my coach told me, raising my hands to make him look up and see that there was a jump but he just took that for an excuse to brake hard and he knocked the bar down.
Unbelievably, we were the best of a dismal bunch
and came first! Couldn't believe it when we went into the buvette to get coffee and they were calling my name 
So I learned that I am not using my legs enough (they were jelly
) and I let the boy get away with far too much. The teenager just tells him who is boss but he picks up on my nerves and plays them 
Work to be done there and I'm actually delighted to have finally learned that Paco needs a firmer hand.
And I did have a good day out. My coach is fantastic and really gave me a shot of confidence. I'm not saying I'll do another SJ but I might give some baby dressage a go ......
After my first SJ comp in ... in fact, I can't remember the last one .... my coach said to me today: 'Well, he didn't help you, did he? You were the only one out there doing any work!'
Well, I was nearly paralysed by nerves but the run up to Manosque was very beautiful, with the sun bouncing off the snow on the Alps, although it was perishingly cold.
I had entered the 60cm preparatoire class in the belief that I'd have an easy parcours and only nine jumps. Wrong on both counts and isn't it funny how 60cm looks tiddly on a ruler, but flaming huge from the ground when all you want to do is just throw up
My coach had warned me about the last jump which was an 'invisible' upright, painted dark colours and hidden in the shadows of trees just when you come out of the sunshine.
But right from the start Paco was spooky and trying hard to stop or run out at everything - a different horse from last week, well, a different rider anyway. It was a ghastly round, really not pretty, and I could not keep him in a regular canter, he kept putting on the brakes. But I managed to get him over everything except the last: I did as my coach told me, raising my hands to make him look up and see that there was a jump but he just took that for an excuse to brake hard and he knocked the bar down.
Unbelievably, we were the best of a dismal bunch
and came first! Couldn't believe it when we went into the buvette to get coffee and they were calling my name 
So I learned that I am not using my legs enough (they were jelly
) and I let the boy get away with far too much. The teenager just tells him who is boss but he picks up on my nerves and plays them 
Work to be done there and I'm actually delighted to have finally learned that Paco needs a firmer hand.And I did have a good day out. My coach is fantastic and really gave me a shot of confidence. I'm not saying I'll do another SJ but I might give some baby dressage a go ......
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
