Post by racaille on Apr 20, 2014 15:41:46 GMT
I made the classic, dumb, beginner mistake ....
It was a blustery day and by the time we got to Aubignan (about an hour and a half from here) there was a howling Mistral. Paco felt like a UXB but when we warmed up he was fine and I was lulled into a false sense of security, which serves me right as my coach was surprised I only did a short warm-up canter.
He was fine over the first couple of tiny jumps and I was in my comfort zone. Not for long though
Took him over a small log and at the reception he put his head down and just bronced. It was no problem but I'd made the mistake of putting his Dr Cook's on and I couldn't get his head up so I just sat it out.
But from then on I was riding defensively which is a problem over XC as I was reluctant to go forward with him into what we call a 'sportif' seat for fear that if he bronced again I'd be off. So I was much too upright and not going with him at all, just slipping the reins which gave me no control whatsoever.
Inevitably it all went wrong at a small plank upright. Not quite sure how it all come about but I think he might have needed a bit more ooomph in his canter because at the last minute he chipped in a short stride just as I thought we were taking off on a long one. I went before him (aaaaargh, beginner mistake), he did a sheep leap, I ended up on his neck and then the little beggar put his head down.
I held on for a long as I could but then let go and remember thinking: bugger, I am going @rse over tit, literally, my bum is stuck in the air. But no harm down apart from a fat knuckle and a sore shoulder. Thank goodness I had forgotten my (lobster type) back protector and had borrowed a decent one. Note to self: buy decent one for next time.
Well my pride was certainly dented (and there were spectators too
) but I carried on the rest of the day although I bottled out of some of the things lilke jumping in and out of shadow and I just wasn't up to the parcours at the end, I couldn't even remember it and was very concious that I had to drive the horses home afterwwards.
But I did finish on a high: made Paco canter through the lake. Boy, he hated it.
It was a blustery day and by the time we got to Aubignan (about an hour and a half from here) there was a howling Mistral. Paco felt like a UXB but when we warmed up he was fine and I was lulled into a false sense of security, which serves me right as my coach was surprised I only did a short warm-up canter.
He was fine over the first couple of tiny jumps and I was in my comfort zone. Not for long though
Took him over a small log and at the reception he put his head down and just bronced. It was no problem but I'd made the mistake of putting his Dr Cook's on and I couldn't get his head up so I just sat it out.But from then on I was riding defensively which is a problem over XC as I was reluctant to go forward with him into what we call a 'sportif' seat for fear that if he bronced again I'd be off. So I was much too upright and not going with him at all, just slipping the reins which gave me no control whatsoever.
Inevitably it all went wrong at a small plank upright. Not quite sure how it all come about but I think he might have needed a bit more ooomph in his canter because at the last minute he chipped in a short stride just as I thought we were taking off on a long one. I went before him (aaaaargh, beginner mistake), he did a sheep leap, I ended up on his neck and then the little beggar put his head down.
I held on for a long as I could but then let go and remember thinking: bugger, I am going @rse over tit, literally, my bum is stuck in the air. But no harm down apart from a fat knuckle and a sore shoulder. Thank goodness I had forgotten my (lobster type) back protector and had borrowed a decent one. Note to self: buy decent one for next time.
Well my pride was certainly dented (and there were spectators too
) but I carried on the rest of the day although I bottled out of some of the things lilke jumping in and out of shadow and I just wasn't up to the parcours at the end, I couldn't even remember it and was very concious that I had to drive the horses home afterwwards.But I did finish on a high: made Paco canter through the lake. Boy, he hated it.
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
