Clinic, day 2: cross country
Wednesday dawned misty and grey—you could hardly see more than a few yards in any direction. It rained the night before, and I was more than a bit worried about footing, especially since my catch ride for the clinic, Matti, wasn't shod with shoes tapped for studs. My trainer advised me to ride conservatively.
Shortly after 8 am, my group of six BN horses and riders convened at the top of the cross country course. “Have a trot around,” Peter told us. He stood and watched quietly as we all warmed up our horses, then had us ride to the lower end of the field, and asked us what was the most important thing we needed going to a fence. “Uh, forwardness?” I said. He said that the most important thing was forwardness. He then asked what was the thing we needed coming out of the start box—again, it was forward, especially going to the first fence, riding away from other horses and event activity.
He then had us establish a fast canter/slow gallop for a short distance up the field, one at a time. Most of us managed that just fine, no runaways, but Peter did encourage a rider or two to kick on.
We spent the first part of the jumping portion warming up over log stacks, into and out of the woods. Since this was only the second time I'd ridden Matti, and certainly the first time I'd ever ridden her out in the open, I didn't know what to expect. When my turn came to go over the stack, I sat up, looked past the fence, and put my leg on her. We jumped! Again I broke out into a huge grin. Matti was game for this running and jumping stuff. In fact, Matti seemed to like this running and jumping stuff. I could feel her eagerness build, and I spent the time between fences keeping her quiet and watching the other rides.
After we were all warmed up, we started work over a nicely revetted Novice ditch. Peter had us ride over it one after the other, about 15 yards apart. Matti jumped it huge! We all cheered on the other side when we realized that we all had made it over. Peter had us ride over the ditch both ways several times, from the canter, and then from the trot to a canter 3 strides out. That was when several of us started to have problems—looking into the ditch and horses stopping. Even Matti nearly ran out the 4th time over—but I managed to keep my eyes up and pop her with the bat to get her over. Eventually, we all got over it again, and we moved on.
The next obstacle was a water wade through at the trot. Again, we all got through it, and I thought Matti was going to launch herself over the water, but I held her to the trot, and we were through it in two strides.
Next stop—the main water complex near the top of the field. Peter had all of us walk into it and wade around in a circle, then told us to trot. You should have seen us—we looked like some kind of horse water ballet, splashing around and grinning like fools. After a few minutes of that, Peter told us to trot around the complex, through the water by way of the sandy sides of the jump. And then we trotted in and cantered out.
Near the water complex was a small bank/drop, which Matti had never done, but I had ridden on my own horse. I knew enough to keep her moving forward underneath me—unfortunately, the second time up, I let Matti get too fast and flat. She chipped in, it felt like she slid on the wet grass, and wound up dragging her hinds up the log on the edge of the bank. I was thrown forward and the brim of my helmet pushed down when it struck her crest. Peter called me on it: “See what happens when you let her get too fast and flat!” Yeah, I sure did, and I hoped I hadn't damaged her legs or her confidence. Apparently, I was more shaken up then Matti, because I trotted her over the bank several more times with no incident.
We put the two elements togther—the water wading and the bank work, and started riding through the water, up and out over the bank side. For a horse that had never seen anything like it before, Matti was a champ. Even when it came time to trot down over the bank into the water, Matti did it with style—jumping nearly halfway into the water and cantering out effortlessly.
Matti didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects from our scramble up the bank, so I continued riding. Back down to midfield, where there was a tan coop and an orange bench set up as a two stride combination. This was where my personal demons really showed up. I have been having trouble with run outs to the left on my own mare, and wouldn't you know it, over the tan coop, I let Matti blow out to the left—but manage to get her back and over the bench. And again—a near run out to the left, and over the bench. Peter told me to take my time! so I trotted to the combination, and finally got Matti through the middle of the jumps a couple of times. Whew.
We slowly started walking up to the top of the field, when I felt Matti take an odd step and heard an all-too familiar “CHINGG!” Matti bobbled on the next step and I hopped off of her, and saw that she had sprung her shoe halfway off. What I didn't see was the fact that the side clip was now beginning to push into her sole, and as everyone else had disappeared up the field, I slowly led her up, keeping her on the softer grass. I would have done better to keep her still, and hold her foot up. Experience is the best teacher, right? I wound up missing the last couple of exersizes. But, I consider myself lucky to have ridden most of that session.
Fortunately, Peter had his farrier tools with him (yes, all that and he shoes horses, too!) and pulled the shoe, checked the damage—no blood, but the clip had clearly entered the sole. He straightened out the shoe, tacked it back on, put iodine on the wound, and even wrapped the foot up with duct tape so it would stay clean until I got her home to soak and pack the foot. Thank you Peter! You saved my butt, and Matti's foot.
BTW, Matti's foot is doing well, it will only need a few more days of treatment. And Clover is recovering well from the kick injury—I was able to ride her at the walk and trot last night with no problems. I think we'll be ok for Kingsbury Hill on the 29th.
Shortly after 8 am, my group of six BN horses and riders convened at the top of the cross country course. “Have a trot around,” Peter told us. He stood and watched quietly as we all warmed up our horses, then had us ride to the lower end of the field, and asked us what was the most important thing we needed going to a fence. “Uh, forwardness?” I said. He said that the most important thing was forwardness. He then asked what was the thing we needed coming out of the start box—again, it was forward, especially going to the first fence, riding away from other horses and event activity.
He then had us establish a fast canter/slow gallop for a short distance up the field, one at a time. Most of us managed that just fine, no runaways, but Peter did encourage a rider or two to kick on.
We spent the first part of the jumping portion warming up over log stacks, into and out of the woods. Since this was only the second time I'd ridden Matti, and certainly the first time I'd ever ridden her out in the open, I didn't know what to expect. When my turn came to go over the stack, I sat up, looked past the fence, and put my leg on her. We jumped! Again I broke out into a huge grin. Matti was game for this running and jumping stuff. In fact, Matti seemed to like this running and jumping stuff. I could feel her eagerness build, and I spent the time between fences keeping her quiet and watching the other rides.
After we were all warmed up, we started work over a nicely revetted Novice ditch. Peter had us ride over it one after the other, about 15 yards apart. Matti jumped it huge! We all cheered on the other side when we realized that we all had made it over. Peter had us ride over the ditch both ways several times, from the canter, and then from the trot to a canter 3 strides out. That was when several of us started to have problems—looking into the ditch and horses stopping. Even Matti nearly ran out the 4th time over—but I managed to keep my eyes up and pop her with the bat to get her over. Eventually, we all got over it again, and we moved on.
The next obstacle was a water wade through at the trot. Again, we all got through it, and I thought Matti was going to launch herself over the water, but I held her to the trot, and we were through it in two strides.
Next stop—the main water complex near the top of the field. Peter had all of us walk into it and wade around in a circle, then told us to trot. You should have seen us—we looked like some kind of horse water ballet, splashing around and grinning like fools. After a few minutes of that, Peter told us to trot around the complex, through the water by way of the sandy sides of the jump. And then we trotted in and cantered out.
Near the water complex was a small bank/drop, which Matti had never done, but I had ridden on my own horse. I knew enough to keep her moving forward underneath me—unfortunately, the second time up, I let Matti get too fast and flat. She chipped in, it felt like she slid on the wet grass, and wound up dragging her hinds up the log on the edge of the bank. I was thrown forward and the brim of my helmet pushed down when it struck her crest. Peter called me on it: “See what happens when you let her get too fast and flat!” Yeah, I sure did, and I hoped I hadn't damaged her legs or her confidence. Apparently, I was more shaken up then Matti, because I trotted her over the bank several more times with no incident.
We put the two elements togther—the water wading and the bank work, and started riding through the water, up and out over the bank side. For a horse that had never seen anything like it before, Matti was a champ. Even when it came time to trot down over the bank into the water, Matti did it with style—jumping nearly halfway into the water and cantering out effortlessly.
Matti didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects from our scramble up the bank, so I continued riding. Back down to midfield, where there was a tan coop and an orange bench set up as a two stride combination. This was where my personal demons really showed up. I have been having trouble with run outs to the left on my own mare, and wouldn't you know it, over the tan coop, I let Matti blow out to the left—but manage to get her back and over the bench. And again—a near run out to the left, and over the bench. Peter told me to take my time! so I trotted to the combination, and finally got Matti through the middle of the jumps a couple of times. Whew.
We slowly started walking up to the top of the field, when I felt Matti take an odd step and heard an all-too familiar “CHINGG!” Matti bobbled on the next step and I hopped off of her, and saw that she had sprung her shoe halfway off. What I didn't see was the fact that the side clip was now beginning to push into her sole, and as everyone else had disappeared up the field, I slowly led her up, keeping her on the softer grass. I would have done better to keep her still, and hold her foot up. Experience is the best teacher, right? I wound up missing the last couple of exersizes. But, I consider myself lucky to have ridden most of that session.
Fortunately, Peter had his farrier tools with him (yes, all that and he shoes horses, too!) and pulled the shoe, checked the damage—no blood, but the clip had clearly entered the sole. He straightened out the shoe, tacked it back on, put iodine on the wound, and even wrapped the foot up with duct tape so it would stay clean until I got her home to soak and pack the foot. Thank you Peter! You saved my butt, and Matti's foot.
BTW, Matti's foot is doing well, it will only need a few more days of treatment. And Clover is recovering well from the kick injury—I was able to ride her at the walk and trot last night with no problems. I think we'll be ok for Kingsbury Hill on the 29th.
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