Only Lottie would...

Lissie

Well-Known Member
Jan 18, 2016
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Exit the arena at canter! Had a lesson last night, first ever grid work on Lottie, first time round she came off the last jump and kept going for the arena fence it was only a few strides so didn't have a lot of room. I managed to turn her off it which lead to a swift exit out the arena onto the yard. (our arena doesn't have a gate) Instructor shocked shouting "Are you alright, I've never had that happen before" everyone came out expecting to find a loose horse and wondering what the clatter of hooves was.

No fault to Lottie she's been jumping wooden post and rails all winter and she was going down a grid to her it was the next jump. I needed to sit up and think about turning her way earlier but she's so much with a horse with a huge stride and fast it's hard. Like my instructor said she was out the arena in one and a half strides, but she was totally straight down the grid and she did listen when I turned her off what was the next jump to her. She's not easy but you can't fault her enthusiasm. She also jumped all the fillers she's not seen before, not batting an eyelid. Not bad for a horse that had never seen show jumps in her life before I bought her and had only been in a school 3 times. One things for sure life is never boring with the notorious I.B.P!
 
Oops :p been there and done that on my old share, he was pretty similar to how you describe Lottie, similar type too :)

She is never right! She's crazy but once you know her it's not in a mad dangerous way she's just crazy for life! It would end messily if she ended up with the wrong person but I trust her to keep me safe and she always does.
 
She is never right! She's crazy but once you know her it's not in a mad dangerous way she's just crazy for life! It would end messily if she ended up with the wrong person but I trust her to keep me safe and she always does.
Envoy was a haffie x cob and his nick name was 'The Tank', because there wasn't much you could put in that horses way that would stop him and I had him on loan when he was almost 30! He was strong as an ox but as safe as houses, I put novice OH on once, he tanked across the fields with him and then stopped and waited at the road while OH was still catching his breath and gathering his reins :p
 
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Oops! At least you're OK. My friend's 17.3 young Shire out of nowhere jumped her arena fence on Monday from a standstill, plus a bank and then an electric fence..... just because he could! She stayed on until the 3rd leap...and is now in hospital with broken ribs, stitches in her lip and awaiting an op to reset her broken right wrist.
 
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@Jessey he sounds just like my sort of horse! We have no idea what breeding is in Lottie, some cob in there and possibly some ID. She moves with a huge hind leg action and quite high knees. There's some hot blood in there too as she's got a really sporty little body and a huge jump. Would be interesting to know who her mum and dad are but don't think I'll ever find out. I couldn't put a novice on her, I don't know what she'd do. I was told when I bought her to not let anyone else on her, with a warning look.
 
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@domane oh gosh that's awful, hope she has a speedy recovery.

She'd never just jump from standstill for the sake of it, it's just when we're heading towards something she thinks I want her to jump, one of the reasons she's amazing to hunt is she jumps anything I point her at so when we were jumping and cantering towards the arena fence she just thought ok next jump. Same with gates out hacking I never trot up to a gate as she'd think I want her to pop it, I'll walk up to it with on her side then she's fine for me to open it with me on her or get off. She's actually really safe, people think I'm mad when I say that but once you know her she's very predicable, she never does anything silly or unexpected. You just need to be able to ride her and be confident. She wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea!
 
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Never had this issue with mine, she just use to take the school gate off the hinges.
I couldn't believe she did that in trot either, I assumed she would stop because I knew she wouldn't jump it, she just pushed on.
I tend to leave it open now.
 
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In the early days of having Jack me and OH went into a field for a canter and Jack took off, heading straight for a 5 bar gate. He'd allegedly been hunting in Ireland before we got him and I think he just had a flashback :p Luckily OH managed to turn him but it was a bit touch and go.

Bless Lottie, she is a star :)
 
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