XC schooling and Bob

Did I tell you guys that I had a horse in for schooling? His name is bob and he's nine and a real old school hunter type. I think he's quite gorgeous really though a little plain headed. So two days after the Hickstead day they had a XC schooling day over the same course and so I took both bob and China. China went out first and jumped most of the Pretraining (80cm/2'9") fences and did the drops into the water and he proved far braver than I rode him. I was too protective and so we had some ugly jumps when I should have ridden on a bit more. Still I was super pleased with him and he was really brave, though still green but had an awesome run home on him picking up fences as we went and even jumped a few training ones (95cm/ 3'1").

Bob had on first arrival not shown a great deal of talent over fences 

So the idea was to go jump solid fences and he'd learn to jump or not as it were. He actually proved to be very brave and though a little nappy for his first ever outing ( seemed like a million people charging around by the time I went out on him) but he was actually super. We totally clobbered the first roll top I jumped maybe five times before he got both his front end and his back end organised but  once he had it he was so good

As a strategy it worked super because now he's jumping like this 

Picture so you can see the old school hunter type of bob. Lots and lots of bone but lovely and forward for such a big horse

Hickstead day

So the local pony club ran a hickstead day (about two weeks ago, I was waiting for the photos but then he looked so awful and when he looked good my eyes were closed or I was laughing) which consists of a dressage test and then a xc course with some showjumpsmixed in. Seriously, China man is a seriously seriously green pony. He's only been off the track since November and I've only had him a couple of months so I really just wanted to get a feel for how he'd go at an outing like this, and make it around the xc regardless of how much he looked at things.

He warmed up for dressage like an absolute burger brain. I honestly thought we were going to end up bolting along behind the arenas in full race mode. And then he goes into the arena and relaxed and bopped around nicely. Like plenty of green moments and loss of attention, and his frame wasn't consistent but it was much better than I expected for such a green horse and he gave me some lovely moments. He ended up scoring around 34% in the intro class ( so set around 65cm or 2'3".)

Probably about one of my riding highlights happened as we walked back after walking the xc and the judge stopped me to tell me how lovely my horse is. She said you could tell he was green but that he was a lovely

Mover and had lots of potential and that it was nice to see a horse going forward. So that was an incredible buzz especially because China man is looking pretty rough with a Mousey winter coat and he still lacks some condition. I have since given him a week off and he has really picked up. 

He was an idiot to warm up again (sensing a theme here??? He gets really set on where the float was parked and he keeps falling in and out towards it and a few little bolts and the like. Super brave to the warm up fences though.

So we started off and he was so spooky to the first fence and napping to the float and we were almost past the bloody thing but I stayed committed and even though we were sideways and basically at a stand still he popped over and he was away. Still a bit nappy and inconsistent as he went out but he kind of clicked on and cruised along in a nice rhythm and didn't pull and was very bravely jumping out of stride. I don't think he'll stay a snaffle horse for xc though somehow.

Approaching the water I was like yea I don't know how he will be with this but apparently he loves water because he trotted through as bold as brass. Can me all take a moment to appreciate the trot on this Mousey little tb??!!

He had another couple of bobbles at te bank where he was like whoa how do I do this? And then wobbled and hesitated and scrambled up and then did the same

On the drop side but then rolled down beautiful to the final roll top and finished so well. I couldn't have been happier with him. As soon as he's got a job to do he gets right into it and he tries so hard. I'm so pleased with him. Oh and he ended up third which was really impressive. 

Chinaman

Chinaman continues to exceed expectations. He's a clever cookie. Though I did have my first fall off him too. Out hunting of course in front of everyone. He's doing everything I ask of him really well and his canter is getting stronger and stronger. His trot work is already very very nice. Starting to give me a nice feeling every so often over a fence though when they go up a little he rattled them all. He is a bit lazy, it's hard to believe that he was a racehorse that they couldn't hold. He still isn't really blooming like I would like but he seems to be putting on condition again. He eats everything in sight so it's hard to believe he would have a rib showing but there you are. He has a big weekend coming up and hopefully there will be some pictures. I don't know if I'll get round the xc but we will give it a whirl. 

Pictures!

My little sister is competing Kate at the same event in the same class so it's heaps of fun having her getting back into it. Though she was eating kale at the hunt instead of drinking port which is weird right. 

So he actually coped really well and was totally fascinated by everything and a little bit jiggy. Which is to be expected. Had a bit of a canter and jumped three Spars really well. And then he got a bit bored standing around. There were so many hares the pack kept splitting and no one knew what to follow, so we stood a lot. Then he was a bit sticky to the next soar and then just out and out refused the next one. 

I'm rolypolying off to the right 

He's got an excellent left hand swerve. I didn't end up jumping this spar ( that's a lie because Id already jumped it technically, he didn't jump it) and was like omg I have ruined him forever but lookin back he was being quite naughty which he hasn't done with me at all. He was bored and probably a bit tired and not used to hills. We went in a bit earlier and caught the tiniest start out spar on te way home and he stopped three times! Then I switched my whip to Te left hand and have him a tong up and he jumped it huge, twisted behind and then bolted on landing. Good times. Took three goes but he finally jumped it nice and relaxed and we went home. Mad pony. Love him 

Going for that lowkey first outing

Or not as it were. He certainly is a level headed chap but I couldn't help thinking at work this morning that maybe I was asking a lot. It wasn't a schooling show, or a pony club day or even just a practice day. No I take an OTTB to the Glistening Waters Championship and National Series final Show for his first outing. Atmosphere, horses, loud speakers, he may not have coped at all but little Chinaman he just does his job. Yes he was a little hot and he wanted to go back to the truck and he was a little confused by what sort of a race it was going to be but when he went into the ring to jump the 80cm training class he absolutely did the job, especially when you factor that it had showered in the morning and I hadn't jumped him on grass.

I couldn't be happier with the little guy and he really is all ticker. And stomach, he was pretty upset when he ate all his hay. This is one of the most laidback and straightforward horses I have ever ridden. Next weekend we are going to go hunting and just cruise around the back and see how he goes and then the week after that its a little Hickstead day which is dressage test and a combined XC and SJ course. Should be hella fun and eye opening for the little guy. And then they are opening the course up for XC schooling on the Monday so lets do it! Loving his trot too, hes got swag this little brown horse. Video!

Going forward

I've mentally started this post a number of times but haven't been able to commit to a theme. Obviously I still feel like I failed Tsar some but I have done the best by him that I can and I know I made a difficult but right decision. 

I thought that I probably wouldn't ride horses anymore but I've had China in for about six weeks and I'm blown away by his work ethic and his try. He's weak behind the saddle and has no collect in his canter but when I ask he tries and everytime he is giving me more. He loves hacking and going out and is incredibly bold and adventuring while seeming like a solid soul. He learns so quickly I need to be careful I don't push him too hard. Lots of out of the arena work. I want to make him such an all round citizen and that means exposing him to everything I can think of.

He's a nice mover and he jumps pretty goodso far. Certainly he is very brave nothing seems to scare him. He's not very huge maybe 16hh and solid with lots of bone. He doesn't have the raw power and scope that Tsar had. And certainly he is no where near as handsome but for the first time in a long time I'm excited to be riding. I'm also boarding him in exchange for riding and work so I have access to better hacking and jumps and it's great being able to collaborate again.

We had a great jump school today where we cantered nearly everything and he even started to give me a little wait to the fences when I asked which is huge. His stride is quite long and he moves me past my spot a little so he is going to end up sharp in front or learn to collect. I have a client horse coming in for a sale on behalf tomorrow and might catch a round at the jumper show so safe to say it doesn't look like illbe quitting riding anytime soon 

Those posts you don't want to write

Tsar went to the vet on the 22nd of feb. blocked sound in the back of the foot and had really really clean X-rays. A little side bone but nothing unexpected in a horse that raced until he was six. Certainly nothing that lept out and screamed I'm the problem. This points towards the soft tissue inside the foot which I can't see without a $3000 MRI and I think we can safely rule that out. I have always had some doubts regarding the soundness of the right fore, from a few shorter steps here and there but he missed being worked last summer much because I was too poor to do much with my horse and lost all interest really after putting butch down. 

So basically the harder ground of summer brought the issue to the fore and he became unrideable though he had always been prone to stumbling on that foot, obviously that got worse with the harder ground to the point of being dangerous. On discussion with his prior owner I found out that the tightness in his neck and shoulder had been a problem from the time he came off the track and this problem occurs as a result of him moving oddly over his sore foot.

He had a cortisone injection into the coffin joint and showed some improvement for a while but the next treatment is a $700 injection and I don't feel the response to the steroid was enough to justify spending that. Especially when you consider the offness is 5 and a half years old. 

There is a slim possibility that with box rest and rejab on a perfect surface and then the improvement with the sting gone from the summer ground. The sort of surface he needs basically doesn't exist in my area to rehab on. Also his foot balance was really good so not much improvement could be made there. So basically I have made the call to not to pursue treatment.  

We all fall down

So I managed to have two falls in a week after having not fallen for about two years. Both of them were both bail outs on horses that kept bucking so that was better at least I landed on my feet or knees. As opposed to face or back which tend to be my personal favourites particularly if there is a jump to sprawl over. Only once was off of my horse and despite the neat on the feet after a rotation landing it was a somewhat terrifying prospect. He's been off most of the summer being nqr in the right front and I have been getting the money together to get him properly vetted which is harder than you think this time of the year. I'm not sure whether I get the physio and keep working him or the vet and get to the bottom of it. He needs his shoes reset and then I'll see how he is looking. He always stumbles over the right front and he's getting quite dangerous. Once he very nearly went down and other times he will stumble and fling himself into a fit of bucking- hence the unplanned exit. And we were getting some height and he wasn't planning on stopping. The problem with athletic horses is that they are always athletic whether they are being bad or good.

The farrier is talking about pulling his break over back so it will be interesting to see if that helps with his stumbling.

On other news I do at least have a new project pony and it's one I even rode on my brief stint as a track rider and he seems like a total dude very brave, quite smart and sassy, and one of the nicest movers around. He does windsuck and is a total piglet but so far I really like his brain. He is totally blown away by my friends grey horse though which makes me laugh. He's staying there for a week because she has an arena and I have a huge open paddock and that doesn't seem like the best option for an ottb starting out. He's only five and the owner is in no rush to sell so I'm a bit excited to get going again. Life is pretty good but my head is pretty bad like all the bad stuff I haven't dealt with, I'm processing now with time to think about it now things have slowed down. And my polo ponies were sold 😕 I didn't realise I was so attached!! So quite a lot going on horse wise and some big decisions to make regarding a $10 horse.