Radar was grand today. I clipped him this morning, plaited up, and off we set to a meet that was 15 minutes drive from home. He behaved very much like he did last week and I was able to hold him fairly easily. We had some really long runs, which are the biggest challenge because he gets stronger the longer we run for, but he was fine. We did a run of really nice hedges, nothing over four foot six, but great fun to roll on over. Lots of timber, and he is getting better and better at jumping timber, which he used to just crash into all the time. We had a timber jump into a river, which is a first for the pair of us but he did not hesitate.
We were so lucky with the weather. It was raining before we went, but stopped. It was raining when we put him on the lorry. During the meet it was raining to the south of us and raining to the north of us, but it missed us completely. It's howling a gale outside now, but the boys are all tucked up in the barn safe and warm. Aaaaah.
I think I'll go and tuck myself up safe and warm in bed now.
C
Sounds like a grand time. And it seems Radar is getting more and more rideable for you. That "mythical" selling price is beginning to sound far too low....Lucky about that rain.
ReplyDeleteOh, and a 4'6" hedge does not sound so little to me. Nor does jumping into the river. Quite a challenging hunt as far as I'm concerned. (From "She who no longer jumps")
I have reached an understanding with him that if I do not sit down and give him something to pull against, he will restrict his pulling to a periodic (but fairly frequent) yank downwards on the right rein. I counter it by putting my leg on (counter-intuitive when you are already in a gallop!) and pulling my right hand upwards. He seems to have a lot of difficulty overcoming that, which suits me fine :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to jump 4ft 6 when the horse you are on has fixed his heart on going over it Jean. It's not even a question of sitting there and not stopping him from doing it, it is actually difficult to get him off the line once he is committed. Thankfully he is also very clever. If someone in front of us has trouble, he will stop in an instant. Other keen horses will just jump blind and get in trouble landing on the horse and/or rider on the floor on the landing side :-(
That's what makes him such a class hunter, I guess.
C
Ahem - just a jump over timber into water and nothing over 4' 6" - think I will stay with my feet firmly on the ground.
ReplyDeleteIt's so great when you have a good horse. I still remember taking my best horse hunting - he was far from being a good hunter as he was too impatient - but I remember jumping half way down a bank and taking off out and over a timber fence a the bottom of the slope and then a line of huge hedges as the air got colder and the ground harder as the frost came.
Just as if it was yesterday.
I can still "jump" courses that I did ten years ago and more eventing Judith, it stays with you, doesn't it. I will never forget jumping Radar over the big hedges that he does so happily even when I am long past being able to ride a horse over them any more.
ReplyDeleteC