Oh well: might as well go anyway
I really needed to confirm to myself that our XC is not as bad as it would have seemed to any observers at Waerenga. Truly, anyone watching would have thought we should be doing pre TRAINING, let alone pre novice! - he was that bad!
Anyway, got the all clear from the physio/chiro lady, and funnily enough I noticed in his fitness work that for the first time in about 18 months he was maintaining a canter lead, rather than continually swapping and changing and cross cantering....which makes me think something has been slightly amiss for quite a while.
Dressage and XC day, - he 'seemed' ok.....although thanks to me giving him half a bale of haylage rather than hay to munch through in his yard last night, he was scouring quite badly.
He did spook quite badly going through any and all gateways, which wasnt a good sign, but he settled once at the arena and actually was his normal Willie self for the dressage, scoring only 4 marks off the lead for 6th spot in the class.
Onto the XC.I really liked the course, and thought it imminently jumpable, with nothing that sent the heebie jeebies up my spine. Although talking to some others after the fact, they all felt it was a difficult course??? It certainly caused more than its fair share of trouble though.
He was a bit silly over the practice jump, taking off a stride early and leaping it...but at least he was keen.
Over to the start box, and after some napping (good sign for him) he got to the box only to find out that the course was held up.....so, after being held up for about 10-15 minutes off we went. He was pretty spooky over the first couple, but a few little reminders and he seemed ok over the next few, albeit having a huge spook when he spotted car and people at the brow of the hill.
Then we had big spooks getting through a double (wide) gateway (another couple with the whip and away we went).....then to the first of our stops....he spooked at a log going into the trees, a little look and off we went....over the combination, over the big hedge, down the hill the roll top and white rails, then BLATTED over the next couple (simple big rails in the fence line)....and onto the 'critter', a rather big solid filled jump into the kahikatea trees....another spook and stop (again jumping into trees - dark).... a wee look and off we went again, a few jumps later coming to the water combination.
I had given the 'a' fence of the combination little thought, feeling that it was the 'b' element (a largish log drop into water, at right angles to the 'a') that I would really have to ride to. However, I dont know what he spotted, but he was googling and spooking strides out....then he did it another two times....there were spectators beyond the fence, one with an umbrella, but normally that wouldnt worry him. I have to admit also, to having put the whip away after the first part of the course, and being spooky, he really needed more 'encouragement' to focus on the job - especially at spooky (light to dark) fences, and where he spotted something else spookworthy. Oh well :)
I am thinking that haylage was not the right thing to give him the night before, and have had lots of feedback from others indicating that haylage can indeed cause the 'spooks' .
Pretty silly of me really to have allowed him to have, gulp, half a bale overnight!
Even walking back to the truck he was a mission to convince that it was safe to go through the gateways.
However: on a positive note he was much more Willie like for the dressage, and was also a thousand times more rideable over the pre novice jumps (despite having an attack of the spooks) than he had been to try and get around training jumps. He was also a lot happier in himself - the last two outings he has been very grumpy and snarly, even to the point of really snarling at me when I went to put his gear on.
I am also pleased with myself, firstly for starting, and secondly for being committed to the XC. Interestingly enough, had I got through the water, I would have been held up AGAIN at the very next jump while the rider was taken off in the ambulance. To be honest, I am not sure I would have bothered continuing unless he had been clear to that point.
Now to get my show jumping back on track in time for the Autumn Season. :)
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