The Fran Saga continued

In case you miss it buried in the,responses, I think Fran's latest comment deserves,a blog of its own. I apologise now that if you read my response on yesterday's blog, it contains,a very naughty word indeed!!!

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Did ya miss me?":

My discussion is with you Caroline, I will only respond to your posts.

It is all well and good to declare you do not desire a response; however posts like yours above and below cannot be ignored (especially when you seem to be rather missing the point at times). If it is such a regret that I will continue to read your blog, make it private –it’s quite simple and is a solution you have often suggested to others when they receive advice they are not in agreement with.

It has been mentioned before that I have seen you ride. Although why that would any difference to our discussion, I am not sure.

I think you are misinterpreting my OP – I am not suggesting you whip him into a white foam to get the response required, I was suggesting that you don’t let Ace decide what response is required. If at home he gets to walk/trot/canter whenever he wants (or indeed stand fully tacked in a field instead of working), why on earth should he listen to you at another or time?

If I am interpreting your paragraph ‘...what posts have you been reading to think that you need to tell me, of all people, horses need black and white boundaries? Talk about grandmothers sucking eggs!!!’ correctly (and forgive me if not, it is hard to detect over the internet); then you are insinuating my own horses do not have boundaries. You are at liberty to pursue that train of thought, but horses without boundaries do not consistently score high 60’s at PSG, they do not score over 80 at Novice and they do not score over 70 at Elem (and with their background and breeding, boundaries and sympathetic schooling are necessary). No eggs to be sucked here, thanks. Horses are happy and so are we. Were they not, their results and progress would surely not be as glowing?

Furthermore, our trainers and sponsors continue their support and are also pleased with all areas.

As an aside, I appreciate I am very competition orientated but there is truth in saying that a horses’ competition record is a reflection of the training in place. (Though there are extenuating circumstances of course such as young horses, inexperienced riders and even the atmosphere at ‘big’ shows can make the most established of horses lose confidence in themselves and the rider.)

Of course it is none of my business; it was only a suggestion from me to you and a public blog. At the end of the day, it is only a comment and you are perfectly capable of taking or leaving it.

I would press though, that you will indeed have to progress as a rider, in order for Ace to progress, that is how it works... As he becomes stronger and more established, you will need to be there to rider that stronger and more established horse.

I trust that all makes sense now and I feel I have clarified all I can. Please note my comments are intended to be completely neutral; it is no fun being frustrated with an activity you ought to be enjoying and it is a situation of which any horse rider would be sympathetic.

Good luck with Ace, we’ll compare progress in a few years maybe.

Regards, Fran.

Posted by Anonymous to diaryoface at 21 November 2013 13:20



I think I understand a bit more about what is happening here. The first thing is that having seen me ride such a lovely and obviously talented horse as Ace at a competition, Fran is assuming that I am as motivated to gain points as she is, and genuinely thinks she is helping me achieve that. Mistaken on both counts, I'm afraid.

The second is that she is reading things that I write one day and assuming that they still apply weeks or months later. It's many sessions now since I allowed Ace to choose when and at what speed we should move on the arena. But Fran thinks it is still happening. Likewise, she believes Jazz died still behaving like he did as a four year old.

Thirdly, like the grandmother sucking eggs comment, she simply does nit understand some of what I write.

And lastly, she does not listen when corrected, either by me or by blog commenters. For example, Ace did not achieve his objective by being left in a field. His objective was not to stop work, his objective was to get back to Radar. He did not achieve that objective, and I can't recollect any horse I have ever ridden achieving their objectives through bad behaviour. I've explained that and it's been ignored.

So, let's wrap this nonsense up now and put it to bed, shall we? (This is a rhetorical question).  Ace is finally a happy and healthy horse who I am going to really enjoy training. I hacked both today and the contrast was marked. I have some musings formulating for a post tomorrow about horses who simply do not enjoy hacking out.

C



ps Fran I am now fed up with advice and criticism from you that I do not want. If you post any more of it I will delete your comments as you have suggested I should do.