Skip to main content

August 2017 - on reflection....

Sometimes you have to push yourself too hard to find your limits.  Sometimes that means a step backwards in development or confidence.  I learned these lessons at the BRC Showjumping qualifier, along with some pretty key lessons in how to ride my horse.

 Regular readers will know that Beau loves to jump.  In fact he lives to jump!  He cannot get enough - he once finished an arena eventing round on his own even though he parted company with his rider at fence 3!  His ears stayed forward for the rest of the day.  He loves it so much, that when pointed in the general direction of anything like an obstacle he transforms into an Exocet missile, and that is my problem.  

 I have no issue with going over jumps - happy to a metre and above if there's enough power and willingness under me, but i do like to feel in control in between the fences.

 Don't get me wrong - i have not been the bravest lately.  I had gone from being a complete wimp who was petrified at the thought of riding at all, to doing all sorts with Beau - he has been my therapy.  Read what HappyHooves had to say about us here: https://happyhoovesblog.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/horse-and-rider-of-the-month-tamasin-thompson-and-beau-beaubayou-confidence-crisis-the-end-of-a-love-affair/


 My first foray into jumping saw me lose my bottle so much that I made Beau walk the entire course and jump 75cm fences from walk, in a combined training qualifier.  We got 31.5 penalties in the dressage - and the same in jumping for time.

 Confidence is a very fragile thing, and knew I would have to work hard to regain mine when it comes to jumping.  I took sage advice from Mary Stephens and Alison Kenward, and started off with poles on the ground.  I built up after a few days to poles followed by a teensy cross pole, then gradually up to a lone fence.  Alison even took to standing in front of said fence to make me look up (imagining Jamie Fraser was at the top of the tree in front of me ;) ), and to indicate when it's Beau's turn to take over.

 This year I was determined to allow him to canter between fences, so worked on that too with several mini-meltdowns on the way.  This we managed at the combined training qualifier, though we still had some time faults because I was worried, making us the dropped score.  The team qualified for FoTH so off we went!  We did the best dressage we've ever done there (judge disagreed) and managed 4 faults (dropped my knitting) and NO TIME FAULTS!  This i consider a victory - I let him canter all the way including the first fence.  We came 15th

 So, I thought, progress made and surely we can have a go at the showjumping qualifier this year.  I foolishly entered the style jumping too (to make up a team) and thought i'd have a go as  'warm-up.  Because Beau is an Exocet, i ride him in a Myler combination bit.  He goes superbly on the snaffle rein but hates the bottom rein so it's emergency brakes only and remains knotted until i need it.  Because style jumping is kind of dressage with jumps in the way, i thought i'd better use both reins.  Error.  He got cross with me straight away, and I retired from the round after he started doing canter piaffe in front of the jumps.  Nerve blown.

 Into the first round proper in the 80cm and he was perfect.  Sadly i wasn't and we clocked up a few time faults and had a fence down because i'd assumed the fetal position over his withers.  We had an hour to the second round and i hoped i'd be able to calm down enough to jump, but on the way back to the lorry i just burst into tears and started shaking.  Pathetic.  I had to let the team down and withdraw from the second round because i just felt as though it was like asking myself to put my head into a mincer - it just wasn't going to happen.

  
The team qualified for championships, and initially i thought i could go and be useful, but on reflection have withdrawn from the team - better for somebody to go who will be able to go into the second round without tears and snot and an attack of the wobbles.

 I need to go training more and learn, amongst other things, to sit up between fences so Beau can actually jump.  I need to learn to trust him to not cart me (he has never ever done that), and i need to learn to allow him forwards.  A tough ask but, you know, progress has been made so provided i don't go daft again, try too much and put myself off, we will get there.

 Much love and stay determined, Tam and Beau

 Footnote - it's clearly not just me, I see the motivational meme I made (of me almost taking a tumble off Beau in working hunter class last year) is doing the rounds :D






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

February 2017 - the fun begins!

Tam and Beau's  Haynet Blog February 2017 – You’ve got to have a dream… Hello Haynet community!  To start, I’d like to introduce me and my little horse Beau.  I am average, at everything.  If you take one thing from following this blog please let it be that averageness shouldn’t stop you trying new things and giving it a go – it doesn’t stop me!  Beau is not average, he is an opinionated grumpy old thing, and a total legend.  I have thrown so much at him in the 18 months we’ve been a team, and he has gone along with it all In 2016 we played at dressage training, Team Quest, quadrille training and competition, sidesaddle, gymkhana games, a spot of jumping, Riding Club camps, Your Horse Live and lots of relaxed hacking.  Horses are my spiritual home, and always have been even though I’ve struggled with confidence and motivation quite a lot over the last few years.  Beau is my therapy There is not much to share on our activities this mo...
Post a Comment
Read more

February to April 2017 - Haynetblog

  Tam Thompson I  started riding at age 3 or 4, having worn my non-horsey parents down since starting to talk, and I am afraid that once horses are in your blood it’s for life!  I worked with horses for a few years, on a polo yard, but have generally had ‘proper’ jobs to pay for my increasingly expensive equestrian habit.  As a child and teenager I could not have been less interested in dressage – that being the thing you had to do so they’d let you ride cross-country - however, I had 15 years out of the saddle, and on coming back to horses discovered that dressage is actually really rewarding, even at the lower levels.  Me and Beau have been a team for almost 2 years now and have played at dressage, showing, jumping, sidesaddle, camps, RC training and quadrille and we love it all.   The main thing for me, these days and in my youth, is to have fun.  Try everything.  Do your best and appreciate the small things.  I hope I can help rea...
Post a Comment
Read more

Comfort Gut Standard, Pro and Ultimate. Miracle panacea?

Of our 4 horses 3 of them needed a boost of some kind or another.  Beau had ulcers in his youth, Parker is a stress-head and Stella is a busybody who loses confidence in stress situations I read that once a horse has had ulcers, they either always have them or always have the risk of recurrence.  Beau has always shown irritation when being girthed up.  I always do it gradually and only as tight as it needs to be which is really important, especially if the girth has elastic inserts.  It's hard to tell whether that's just his grumpiness (he likes his own space best) or discomfort, but I decided not to take a chance and started him on Comfort Gut  Parker is a big stressy juggernaut. Most days he is fine and relaxed and settled.  However some days he worries if Beau is not in eye-shot, or if he is in eye-shot.  He worries if someone else is being exercised, or if nobody is being exercised!  His droppings have a tendency to a pat-like consistency,...
Post a Comment
Read more