First go at xc today, and......

[Ginger Thing]

I fell off :o :rolleyes: (and off 17hh!)

But I did get back on and continued jumping! Last year I would probably have burst into tears and refused to get back on!

It was the tyres that did it - we'd jumped a couple of other fences fine, then went to the tyres and we had a bit of a last minute swerve and out through the side door! OH very gallantly offered to get him over them for me, then when I'd seen him do it 3 times, I got back on and jumped them.

Then we did the tyres and the next 2 jumps several times - Carlow got extremely strong and fast, but I managed to circle him, bring him back to trot and regain control. I am not used to such a strong/fast horse (mine was just dawdling along with OH, instructor said he needed to go faster!) and there was 4 of us so he was quite nappy, but I did it, so even though I fell off I had a fantastic time!

Last time I had a lesson with this instructor was Feb, and I was petrified of a small x-pole! What a difference in 2 months! She didn't have to remind me to breathe at all today ;)

The Ginger Thing was very good for his Dad, too, considering he has never ever seen a xc fence - he soon learned they don't fall down and jumped really nicely.

So all in all a great day was had by all!

[Ross]

Well done - sounds like you all had (mostly!) a great time :)

Unfortunately, if you insist on getting on horses, sooner or later you will fall off! Sounds like you haven't done any great damage though (I hope!). Well done for getting back on. I bet you'll know all about it tomorrow :(

Ross

[*toHorse&Away*]

Sounds brilliant - I don't think I would try that with a 17hh! Never be able to get back on again!!! LOL!!!:D

[greeneyes13]

Well done for getting back on!
XC is 'proper' riding in my book in that it gives you great experience handling horses in an excitable environment. Im pretty novicey at it as well but I love it all the same. Had an absolute cracker of a first fall out at XC couple of months ago where the horse managed to fall half on me:D
We were both fine :)

[palmerlover52]

ouchy! but well done. i tend to confuddle my poor mother by giggling on the floor after i fall off lol
mind you, best thing is to fall off a shetland. They have practically no shoulders so you just go straight over, last time i was small enough to ride a shetland, i *fell* off stroppy beastie at a jump....was more like stepping off! i think biggest i've fallen off of was a 16hh cobby type, and got smacked in the face with flying stirrup as i went down (i don't know HOW i managed that!)

[katieB]

Ouch, 17hh is a long way down! :o Well done for getting back on.

[drookitsheep]

Well done! Sounds like your confidence is growing - you must be really pleased! Sorry to hear you fell off, but glad that you were unhurt - well done you for getting back on and carrying on! The higher you fall from, the more time it gives you to do artistic somersaults etc before you bounce :p

[Ginger Thing]

greeneyes - horse I was on (OH's) did exactly the same to him once - got his front feet stuck on a fence and fell sideways onto OH :eek:

drookitsheep - I did sort of land on my feet, but as it's such a long way down, promptly fell over :o :D

[Blue Fish]

Great news on the confidence and good for getting back on and jumping the tyres.

Any more practice planned for you and Carlow before the ODE in June?

Looking forward to May 13th and watching Thom with your OH

Keep up the good work

[Ginger Thing]

Any more practice planned for you and Carlow before the ODE in June?


Not sure if we can fit it in, but we have got a scary black pipe to put in the indoor and practice over! Need to do some fillers, and hopefully YO will put jumps out in the field before then - I have told her I need to practice! At least if the tyres are the first jump at my ode, once we're over those I can relax a bit! And I know now if I approach in trot, if he's going to stop he will stay in trot, but if he goes into canter about 3 strides out, then we're going over! So I have an early warning system ;) Going sj on grass on Sunday, so at least some show practice.

[No_Angel]

ive seen a nice looking xc course close by, im thinking of taking maddie to it.
heres the link www.rudgeriding.co.uk

[Ginger Thing]

OMG no way Tasha, that's far too big :eek:

Looks a lovely course, but not just yet. Going sj at ESRC show at Rudge on Sunday though!

[No_Angel]

lol:D ive only got my eyes on the logs and steps:D other jumps look far too scary:D

[Dummer&Drummer]

excellent well done for getting back on and doing the jump again, not nice those side doors sometimes :)

[Wings]

Well done GingerThing. It sounds exciting and scary. We have a XC course at our yard but I'm too chicken to try...

How come you and your OH swapped horses? Is he the more experienced rider and showing your horse how to do XC? Or the other way around? Either way, riding must be sich a nice thing to share with your OH. I wish my OH was horsey!

[Ginger Thing]

How come you and your OH swapped horses? Is he the more experienced rider and showing your horse how to do XC? Or the other way around? Either way, riding must be sich a nice thing to share with your OH. I wish my OH was horsey!

Yes, OH and his horse have done lots of sj and xc, I was a novice when I got my green horse, so learned to jump on OH's horse and he has been teaching mine to jump (:confused: yet? :D )

When we arrived they all said 'oh, you've swapped horses!' to which I replied at least one half of each partnership had actually done some xc before, which helps! If it had been me on my horse, I would probably have fallen off more than once :rolleyes:

Ironic thing is the instructor asked me to give OH a lead over the tyres as Thom had never jumped them before - yeah, follow me, this is how we jump tyres...splat!

Seriously though it's great having a horsey OH and the choice of 2 horses to ride. Would thoroughly recommend it

[Steph351]

Well done 4 gettin back on, Ive done a few XC jumps but nothing 2 amazing wud love to do sum of the jumps on that course it luks amazin