Post by fleabitten on Jun 3, 2014 21:33:25 GMT
Have been meaning to post this for a few days! Last thursday evening i went for a xc lesson with riding club. Had started him on a small scoop of horse and pony mix on the monday and it seems to have made a bit of a difference, he just looks brighter in general and leading better etc.
Anyway, owner reckoned it would be a good idea to put studs in so im pleased to say that i managed to do this all by myself for the first time! Turned out it probably would have been ok without any as the ground was quite good and a lot of fences had all weather take off and landing.
Anyway, it was with an instructor i hadnt had before but she was lovely and i felt confident enough in riding him that i wasnt too nervous about this. We started off warming up in a sloping field and he was quite good, he did get a little strong in canter but i suppose that was my fault cantering back towards where most people were! Did a nice log to start with and then went up and down some steps etc and linked the log and steps together etc to warm up. M was standing quite calmly and being a good boy and being nice and forward which was good.
Then we went back and forward over a wee log leading into the next field and a ditch with a log hanging over it. M just ploughed on but it was a bit scary coming back over it as the next field was just a steep hill so you had to ride down hill and then the ditch was in a bit of a dip as well so it wasnt too comfortable!
Did a tyre jump and then went down the side of the hill where there was a bank into the next field. you had to jump up onto it and then over a small log and then down off it. he had me through this before i could say jack robinson didnt even have time to think about it!
Can hardly remember the rest but he was starting to get a little restless waiting by this stage and a bit strong to pull up after the jumps! we did a bit of water next, it was basically just a slope down into a river and then along a ditch and run up the other side which was fun. M likes this as he lives in the ditch at the bottom of his field trying to hoover up all the best grass down there! So no problem for us!
did some more small steps and drops and log/branch type jumps into the next fields etc. did a wee house but went over it wonky and then the steering went a bit out the window lol!
he started to get a bit jiggy and there was couple of jumps in a line we were doing and i was shaking i was that nervous i could feel my legs trembling but i turned him round and he just went like the clappers but it was so exciting in a way too i let a 'woohoo'! out of me!
also by this stage he was starting to tank in between jumps and i just about got him pulled up on the other side!
there were moments where i just had no control at all, i ended up with a blister through my glove and i was kind of thinking 'aggh!' im my head but saying that it wasnt too scary because i knew he would jump it and jump it smoothly! and that he wasnt going to mess about. i even felt confident enough to try the bigger jumps and some were about 80 at least, so rather proud!
Owner reckons that the feed wouldnt have settled in him after only having been on it a few days and that likely hes feeling fit and enjoying himself! (he didnt even break a sweat!) Good thing i didnt get him competition mix though haha! I think if im going to do another xc competition i will maybe get a different bit!
We shall see how he goes this week now as im doing dressage and i think there will be a spectacular transformation back to lazy pony!!
Anyway, owner reckoned it would be a good idea to put studs in so im pleased to say that i managed to do this all by myself for the first time! Turned out it probably would have been ok without any as the ground was quite good and a lot of fences had all weather take off and landing.
Anyway, it was with an instructor i hadnt had before but she was lovely and i felt confident enough in riding him that i wasnt too nervous about this. We started off warming up in a sloping field and he was quite good, he did get a little strong in canter but i suppose that was my fault cantering back towards where most people were! Did a nice log to start with and then went up and down some steps etc and linked the log and steps together etc to warm up. M was standing quite calmly and being a good boy and being nice and forward which was good.
Then we went back and forward over a wee log leading into the next field and a ditch with a log hanging over it. M just ploughed on but it was a bit scary coming back over it as the next field was just a steep hill so you had to ride down hill and then the ditch was in a bit of a dip as well so it wasnt too comfortable!
Did a tyre jump and then went down the side of the hill where there was a bank into the next field. you had to jump up onto it and then over a small log and then down off it. he had me through this before i could say jack robinson didnt even have time to think about it!
Can hardly remember the rest but he was starting to get a little restless waiting by this stage and a bit strong to pull up after the jumps! we did a bit of water next, it was basically just a slope down into a river and then along a ditch and run up the other side which was fun. M likes this as he lives in the ditch at the bottom of his field trying to hoover up all the best grass down there! So no problem for us!
did some more small steps and drops and log/branch type jumps into the next fields etc. did a wee house but went over it wonky and then the steering went a bit out the window lol!
he started to get a bit jiggy and there was couple of jumps in a line we were doing and i was shaking i was that nervous i could feel my legs trembling but i turned him round and he just went like the clappers but it was so exciting in a way too i let a 'woohoo'! out of me!
also by this stage he was starting to tank in between jumps and i just about got him pulled up on the other side!
there were moments where i just had no control at all, i ended up with a blister through my glove and i was kind of thinking 'aggh!' im my head but saying that it wasnt too scary because i knew he would jump it and jump it smoothly! and that he wasnt going to mess about. i even felt confident enough to try the bigger jumps and some were about 80 at least, so rather proud!
Owner reckons that the feed wouldnt have settled in him after only having been on it a few days and that likely hes feeling fit and enjoying himself! (he didnt even break a sweat!) Good thing i didnt get him competition mix though haha! I think if im going to do another xc competition i will maybe get a different bit!
We shall see how he goes this week now as im doing dressage and i think there will be a spectacular transformation back to lazy pony!!
