questions on x-c..

[heartsturnblack]

i have never jumped cross country before. but at the horse park of new jersey theyre having a "turkey trot" in november. its a 6 - 8 mile course of cross country jumps through fields, wooded trails, hills, dirt roads, and possibly 2 water crossings. it sounds like a lot of fun to do. and you ride in pairs. i believe that you can go around the jumps along the course if you want to. but do you think it would be too much for me? i have jumped up to 3' in lessons on a regular jumping course. also i dont think the horse that i ride, Blue, has ever done cross country either. but i have taken him through a small trail through the woods and he was very bored just walking around and didnt spook at all. i think i can do it and guide Blue through the course. opinions anyone?

[cvb]

haven't done anything exactly like that, but have done pleasure rides with optional jumps, which I did with my mum. (Makes me sound about 2 - we're both grown-ups, well I am anyway ! ;) )

Anyway - my chap was/is v.experienced x.c but her pony less so.

It can be very useful if your "pair" is experienced. You also want to know that you can opt out of fences any time. Then if your horse gets wound up, you just turn it into a normal ride and calm them down.

One other thing - if YOU haven't ridden x.c. at all, then you need a "mentor" who can advise you on how to ride each fence. Ideally you would walk it before hand but this may not be practical.

Riding x.c. is not the same as SJ - even though its still jumping, there are other things to plan and consider.

So inexperienced horse with inexperienced rider - without advise - could be a recipe for disaster.

As an example, someone I knew took their novice horse round a pair x.c. Pair horse was v.fast with no brakes. Novice horse had never done drops or steps. At the steps, rider fell off and fractured a vertebrae. Had to be pinned for a year and could not ride etc. If she had been older, they would have had to fuse the vertebrae rather than pinning. Not good.

[T-bred]

I think it would be fun and definately something to try.:) Also are you still looking at getting a horse or are you going to wait?

Anna

[heartsturnblack]

ohh. so that would not be good. hmm. i'm not sure but it may just be jumping logs. i hope. because i dont want to break anything!! i have to ask my friend about it. She went last year. but if it has drops and steps and stuff like that.. i probably wont go.. because Blue doesnt have very good breaks. although hes being MUCH better now with a full cheek bit. If i trot and then start to canter right as we are coming to the jump and then pull him back to a trot after the jump i dont think it would be a problem.

[heartsturnblack]

i THINK i have pretty much decided not to get a horse. my dad says that i we get a horse.. i am going to have to deal with kmart and walmart clothes.. no extra little things.. no movies on fridays.. less hangout time with friends.. maybe no money for a car next year? so.. its giving up too much. i think i will wait until i'm older and can afford one myself. this is the horse i would have gotten. i am going to states with my friend and that horse (China) this weekend to see if it would be worth it.. but i think i have made up my mind. but.. if Blue the horse i ride for lessons was ever for sale.. i would definately buy him. we have a really good bond.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v360/heartsturnblack/China/china.jpg

thats China. shes a cutie. 8yr old thoroughbred mare. ex-steeplechaser.

[TBEventer2002]

Originally posted by heartsturnblack
i THINK i have pretty much decided not to get a horse. my dad says that i we get a horse.. i am going to have to deal with kmart and walmart clothes..

A little OT, but I take great offense to that comment.

There is nothing wrong with Walmart & Kmart clothes. My family has NEVER had the money to just buy me expensive A&F/American Eagle/Aero clothes, and I am far happier knowing that I haven't spent a fortune on something I am going to grow out of or it's going to go out of style in a matter of months anyways. :mad: :mad: :mad: I'm much happier getting my cheap clothes dirty at the barn any day.

[*MiRi*]

awwww

well i am pleased that you looked at everything and have made a decision. its very good of you to do that.

xox

[*MiRi*]

ps!

Blue is a stunner! and that stable looks HUGE!

xox

[T-bred]

I understand, I don't buy really expensive clothes though I just shop at Kohls and Old Navy has some nice things, and I occasionally will go to American Eagle. I don't have to worry about paying for board though because we have our horses at home(although there is no indoor). As for going to movies and the extras my real dad( we live with my mom and my step dad) always pays for us to go to the movies a few times a month. My big problem is that I can't take as many lessons as I want and I have to save my money for horse things I want because alot of my spending money goes towards dance. My birthday is next month though and I have asked for a pair of breeches and a pair of half chaps.
Anna

[T-bred]

And as for the car, I would rather get a horse!!!!;) :D I got a chevy tracker last year and I was really excited but after two months of having my license I realized it wasn't that big of a deal and I would rather have horse stuff. My mom helps me pay for it though because she drives it as well because she is selling her SUV. You might want to get one though if you have no other means of transportation, we have 6 cars here though even though the truck for the horse trailer and my brothers new racing truck don't count.

[heartsturnblack]

i am really sorry. i didnt mean to offend anyone. i know that must have sounded really b*tchy. and i'm sorry if i came off that way. i know people who shop there too. a few of my friends do. i just have never shopped there. which then i shouldnt judge and i dont go out to expensive stores. i shop for clothes at the department stores and kohls. but i find it more difficult to shop at department stores and places like that because they rarely ever have my size. i'm little. once again i'm really sorry that i offended you. i didnt mean it. :(

i am thinking of getting a pair of half chaps. the thing about getting China is.. i want to do showing and stuff.. but that costs a lot of money.. and i probably wouldnt be able to own my own horse and then bring her to shows. so that kind of kills it. i dont know what i am going to do. we have 2 cars here. one for my mom and one for my dad. i could drive around in their cars.. but theyre HUGE. one is a chrysler lhs for my dad, and my mom has a chrysler concorde. theyre very long. and very big. i want a small car. i would want a suv but that is not going to happen. i think i will just continue taking lessons once a week with Blue. although once a week really isnt enough. but i know once i go to states and ride China around for a bit i will fall inlove with her again. :rolleyes:

*MiRi*.. that was a picture of China.. THIS is a picture of Bluey. :)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v360/heartsturnblack/Bluuue/awwblue.jpg

[T-bred]

I understand about the money thing. I also understand about driving big cars, my dad has a cadillac and it is really wide and my mom has a Tahoe and that is really big but I got used to it, it's also really hard driving them down the streets of Ann Arbor near the University of Michigan because the streets get really narrow!!! Maybe because your not getting a horse you could pick up one extra lesson a week.

Anna

[heartsturnblack]

i would like to take more lessons.. thats what i had previously planned if i couldnt get a horse. to take 3 lessons a week. but the stable where Blue is is 45 minutes away. and dont do lessons on sundays. so there isnt really a way to get up there during the week. my parents wouldnt drive me. the stable where China is boarded is about 25 minutes away. but all the lesson horses are older and dont do jumping so there really isnt a point for that. horses make things so complicated. <3 lol

[T-bred]

Is there any other barns that are closer that offer riding lessons? I would look in your phone book and get some numbers and if that dodn't work then do a google search and search for "horse boarding and riding lessons in New Jersey".

Anna

[cvb]

just to come back to the original x.c. thing - if the jumps are all optional you can just opt out of the ones that might be a problem.

Also the advantage of this kind of ride rather than "normal" x.c. is that you don't do the whole thing flat out, so brakes are a bit easier cos you can pull up, slow down and calm down inbetween jumps :)

Not trying to change your mind - just that it is about sensible risk management. Being aware of the risk, but also the opportunity. Stuff like this can be really good training - if its managed right.

[heartsturnblack]

i've tried everything. but there arent many places around here that give lessons. there was a place called crazy d ranch where i used to go for lessons when i was little.. but now i heard that the woman was allergic to hay and stopped feeding her horses? so they got taken away from her. What people seem to be doing around here is that if they have the land.. they just build their own stables. but they dont do lessons or boarding to public. theres like 5 of them i see around here. but no lessons, etc.

Cvb.. thanks for the advice. i'm not sure whether i'm going to do it or not. i'm going to ask my trainer to see if i could even bring Blue and if she thinks we could do it. Hes a lesson horse thats boarded there.. but not many people ride him (only about 2 or 3 people a week, including me). but they dont give lessons on sunday anyway, which is what november 21st falls on. so i have time to think about it and maybe some time to take him on some trails and start doing some x.c jumps. thanks! :)

[*MiRi*]

o right bluey is very pretty!lol who is the horse in the picture from china?

xox