Advice Please

[fimacg]

Rac I guess this one is for you, I recieved my score sheet from the Trec competition and there are a couple of comments I am not sure I understand.

leading over the bridge - holding too tight, is that me holding the reins too close to Braves head? would I be better to use a lead rope?

Mounting (was from a mounting block - comment was walked off. Now I don't remember him walking off whilst trying to mount, I though he stood fine, what have I missed?

Thanks

[racaille]

Well over here the answers would be that if you were marked 'holding too tight' it does indeed mean you were too close to Brave. In an ideal world the judges are looking for a horse that follows willingly near the end of the reins, not totally, but longish. P is about perfect at this (but not much else!!!LOL) , he follows at about arm's length. R is awful, he crowds. I think the thinking behind this is that the horse needs to learn to follow behind you, rather than beside you, so you can negotiate those narrow things like wooden bridges or mountain paths!

I think 'walked off' means that Brave moved when you were mounting - even a tiny bit counts. He has to stand absolutely immobile until you tell him to move off (not when you bum hits the seat!) We do a lot of 'wrong side' mounting in the PTV here and you'd be surprised at the number of normally quiet horses who move away because they get a kick in the ribs from some clumsy clod (like me!) on a side they are not used to - and we have to mount from the ground.

Are you going to have another shot soon?

[fimacg]

there is another winter COP/PTV in January, I think BB will also be there