2 XC pictures

Here is a link to two photos of Butch jumping the skinny on top of the lump and cantering away afterwards.

Butchly

Is this his calling?

Safe to say that at my first ODE in 9 years I was feeling like a fish out of water, luckily everyone was super lovely and sooooo friendly. It was actually a nice change from the fashionista, label bashing, imported horse, dramas, of the Jumpers. Though in saying that it was a smaller show with only 14 horses in my class. Dressage was much as I had expected from Butchly. He did some nice work- an 8 for my free walk, What a good boy, he loves the stretches- but he really didn't help in some ways. His early work was better, but after doing the left canter work when I switched to the right rein he cantered the first loop of my trot serpentine, and in his right canter circle he did a happy leap and head flail. So it was not as good as he is capable of, but it was much better than expected.I refused to look at the scores all day because I wanted to just ride and not being trying to "protect" a position on the leaderboard.

The showjumping was tiny, like only 90cm instead of 95cm and I thought to myself this is small enough that you could really make a hash of it. Not trying to sound arrogant of course but I often find it easier to get a distance to a bigger fence when you have to be more accurate. Still he cantered around like perfection and I made no major stuff ups. Result. It was quite nice for him to just cruise around, in just the french link snaffle with no stress.

The XC started nice and small. I had a flyer at number 4 but should have killed us both but I managed to sit up in time and Butch the scopey and careful managed to chip and twist and save us both. Stupid stupid blood to the head ride. Butch normally has no self awareness and his self preservation is about 1% so I was delighted cross country when he was super careful and aware of where his feet were. I'll take a horse that will stop on xc over a horse that will flip, though on Butch I have scope to burn, he can jump me out of most issues. Anyway after 4 it was two banks with one stride between them and Butch jumped up both like a pro, though the stride was short so I was careful to get a quiet ride to them. Butch tends to jump big into his combinations and have very little back off so quiet rides into combinations are always called for. I'm thinking I need to train bounces more to back him off a bit.

6, 7, 8 were all rolling fences along the top of the course (I meant to take pictures of them all! but I was so nervous I was subfuctional). Then we rolled back to a combination, walked as a short showjumping 3 strides, jumped in what I though was quietly took one stride, realised the three wasn't on, let him open the next stride and he comfortably did the two. It didn't feel unsafe at all and I am a big chicken. I showjump him with his stride so compressed to help him jump soft and round, I forget how naturally long his stride can be. Then up onto this steep little lump with a skinny brush fence on top with a steep downhill landing. Butch impressed me here as well because I thought he might take the longer distance, but he did the add, got right to the base and popped over so we didnt land too far down the hill. Sensible Butch, sensible! This sounds like I really had no input I'm sure but it didn't feel like that, we felt really in sync and he was so happy looking for the next fence.

Then down a hill, over a the lens of a "camera" and then we turned to the water. It was a small fence, one stride to a log drop into the water. I got a fantastic shot into the first element, landed sitting up and put my leg on. I was really worried about getting him into the water. He didn't do it in the one stride, he chipped in and popped down into the water, which I was happy with. He will get bolder into the water jumps I'm sure, and the one stride was quite long so again he proved he was looking after himself. We have to remember it was his very first proper XC run. Then over an easy corner, a brush fence, turned to a combination which was a rustic jump and a curving two strides to a skinny fence. Locked my eyes onto the second element as early as possible, he came around smoothly, locked on jumped great, rocked up to jump the skinny corner really well and rolled easily around the last 5 fences to cruise home. Never pushed his rhythm, just let him roll around, he locked onto his fences happily, it was such a fun ride, he was an absolute delight.

So because there were only two clear rounds XC, Butch being one of them, he came second and the catch ride ended up fourth after a runout XC at the skinny at the top of the hill. So In over a year of SJing Butch I have gotten one ribbon, in 1 attempt at XC I have gotten one ribbon. I wonder whih one is more his calling. I had been so frustrated with his lack of improvement and his inconsistency SJing but maybe this is what he is meant to be doing. He just loved it and I really enjoyed myself so I have already entered a proper horse trial for this coming Sunday. The field is a lot bigger and the dressage test a lot more complicated but all the canter work is after the trot work so maybe he will stay settled longer. I have three days to practice anyway! I wonder if I train my canter early in my schooling sessions and then go back and do a lot of trotting, instead of doing my canter work last, he might anticipate the canter less. I'm only doing it for fun anyway, I'm still so green at this. Still I would love another XC country like the last one, it was so much fun.  

Change of Code

Well last Tuesday I moved home and I have time now to figure out what to do next. I honestly have no idea what direction I want to go in next, but I'm definitely pretty burnt out on showjumping for now. I can already hear the hunting horn calling me but that wont start until the end of next month. It's hard because I just cant get consistently good rounds on Butch I find that really frustrating. Its hard also because I have lost some life confidence and it has flowed over into my riding.

Anyway, this weekend for the first time in 9 yrs I'm going to go eventing. It's a pony club event and I'm only running in the training height which is 95cm which should be a doddle on my good 1.20m Showjumper right. OMG I am freaking out. There is a water jump and ditches and actually thats all that really worries me. I have always enjoyed banks. I used to be a really gangster eventer even qualifying a horse for 1* before I ruined him by putting him through a showjump. ( years is a long time though.

I have done three XC practice days on the great giant goatface and he loves it, though I suspct I will have trouble with the water which can back him off and make him fire left. At the last practice day I managed to be first out on the course and after warming up I went around like it as an event though at the first two fences I jumped the smaller option and then cantered back an jumped the training option. I ran into trouble at a bullfinch fence which is a fence with brush out the top and it was blotched in grey white and black blotches. Most horses seem to back off of these and Butch had two run outs before I was like "Bex you are eventing, stop being so feeble!" And he actually jumped it ok though took another couple of fences to settle. He was fantastic to the trakhner and then had a bobble at the water but jumped in really confidently after he had done it once. He has no actual eventing miles only training day miles, but it seemed ridiculous to do the 80cm height class on him. 

The other major issue I have found is going to be in the dressage in that I haven't done it for ages. Of course I like my horses to be well schooled but I tend to focus on the canter because I'm riding jumpers and use the trot for lateral work and softness. I also tend to go ok he is soft now so I will ask for a transition rather than asking for transitions at points in the arena. I have no idea if his trot is a working trot and it lacks cadence, and his walk is barely existant because he keeps wanting to trot again. Though he does a good stretchy circle so that's something. Cross training is important, I have gotten way to one minded, so at least this is showing up some holes in my training.

And if that isn't enough I'm also entered in the training on the horse above which is Ike and I have jumped him once at the practice day above. But he s very cool, providing you keep your leg on and keep him hustling. Very scopey and will jump from any distance though a touch spooky. Good times. I'm a mad woman.

We suck as breeders

Of the four times we have had mares scanned in foal, only one of those foals has made it to beyond 10 years and that was Connie. I got the really sad news today that Bill has had some form of OCD/bone cyst type drama, (I didn't really get the full jist) where a ligament or cartilage that was meant to harden into bone hasn't in her stifle/pelvis and she needs to be put down. After 9 sound years, and a full seasons hunting, she was only being hacked through the summer when it fractured. She can't carry the weight of a foal and so that's all. Massive condolences to her owner who just loved her to pieces and gave her the most fantastic home. She has had a fantastic life ts just been far far to short.

No more breeding a 25% attrition rate isn't good.

What now?

This year has been something of a bust really. Big ambitions, not very much follow through on my part. I fear I will never have the courage to be a good showjumper or even jump the heights I want to. I'm just not really really brave. I should be jumping 1.25m/1.30m tracks, but I'm still 1.15m/1.20m tracks. We did a day trip to a show the other day and Butch was fantastic in the 1.20m class and jumped our first clear round without time faults, and then in the amateur (which is smaller) had 2 stops at a combination, got him through the combination and retired him.

He was really tired after some hillwork earlier in the week, so he has some excuse but it's just so frustrating. Especially having sold Connie who is Miss consistency. I wish I had been able to keep her and sell him but she was worth twice him and as far as jumpers go he is the superior animal. I just miss Connie so badly, worse than I thought. He is lovely though, I need to just step up and suit him.

Only four shows left to go in the season and then it's all over rover until next September. I don't know, I'm tired, I'm sick of being sweaty, poor and I'm sick of horses. It's all very well doing what you love, but you certainly turn what you love into work. It's actually quite nice as a hobby. That being said with no time off schedule I end up working day after day and I am certainly burnt out. Once the season is over I'm going to go to my parents place with my pony and spend a week just hill riding. There isn't much cellphone signal out there so in my head it seems very serene.

I don't know what comes next though. No idea what I want to do or if I should retrain. I will definitely be going back to riding as more of a hobby. I think. I have loved it! I might take on a schooler. It's hard. I ran into trouble with my relationship and it blew my confidence out of the water in all aspects of my life and I started struggling in the ring again.

Sometimes with Butch I feel like I click in and its so easy but if that doesn't happen, it really doesn't happen. I just wish I was a better braver rider. I just want to jump a grand prix so bad but it seems so far away. Lucky mine is a sport you can keep doing until you are ancient. Meanwhile this winter I will hunt the big guy and may even do a horse trial or two. I just don't know where I will end up yet. After Horse of the Year my future is a very blank page.

Gone

So only two people rode her and the first to ride her brought her. I have been away for 10 days showing and in that time the money cleared and she shipped to the South Island before I got back. In a way it was nice to not have to do the emotional watch her load onto the transporter and drive away. Apparently the transporter loved her cruisy nature and so far they have no complaints about her. They shouldn't she is a good pony. She has gone to a lovely girl who wants to do some lower level eventing up to pre-novice and showjumping up to 1.10m. I'm so worried she will disgrace herself but she is a horse she can occasionally be naughty and I'm sure they realise it. The girl was a nice effective rider and she already loves her.

The other woman was slightly mad and said she had a clicky fetlock and that her lateral cartilages are such that in the next 2 to 10 years she will break down. To be fair she had 32 x-rays in her vet check and in a sport horse that has competed to her level and has a slightly clubby foot her joints were magnificent. I have always looked after her though and not thrashed her when she wasn't fit. 

It's not the same with her missing and I'm really questioning my goals and things now. That being said not being in a hand to mouth existence is such a relief. The financial vice was starting to really tell on me. What the future holds who knows, but it wont be boring. 

When do you sell??

I have been a very lucky girl with regards to my riding. I have been extremely lucky to have some amazing horse. I always thought I would have Connie horse forever seeing as we bred her and she is the first horse I have done all the training on. And she is a lovely horse, she is all heart and she tries her guts out for me. She isn't super scopey, She really is happiest at 1.20m and she is competitive at that height though possibly she could move up. Sometimes she struggles and sometimes she is fine over the 1.25m. It probably has more to do with how I ride.

Here is the kicker. I'm flat broke. I have debt up to me ears and she is actually pretty valuable at this point in time though soon age will start reducing her value. I love this horse with all my heart I really do and it kills me to even consider it, but I want to showjump and move up the heights and she isn't scopey enough to take me there. That and my farrier will be much happier if I pay my bill.

It feels like an absolute betrayal, though Connie wont mind as long as she is fed and it's hardly like I'm the only person whom can look after a horse. I have never sold a horse I cared about this much though. Normally I sell them because I have had a guts full of the naughty ones. Still one horse will be easier when I don't know where my future lies after March. Because she is a good sound trained horse the chances are that she will always have a good home, while the likes of Butch whom is so fragile quickly falls through the cracks. It's hard, my heart is breaking but I have no other option I feel she is my greatest asset. She will only go to the best of homes of course and it's a proper adult decision as hard as it is. I will miss her so much. Butch has some big (little) shoes to fill now!