First BE ODE next month, any advice welcome!

[Rollingdinosaur]

I am finally taking the plunge, and having a go at a proper affiliated ODE next month, if I don't get balloted out. I am excited, and somewhat terrified. I have done several unaffiliated ones, and not made a complete tit of myself, so this seems like the logical next step.

I would be interested to hear any tips, or ideas of what to expect, from those in the know. Will the standard be a lot higher? Will I look a prat, as a lot of my gear is on the cheap side, and I will be turning up in 4WD and trailer, rather than a swanky lorry. I am also not sure on the hat standard required, it mentions PAS 015, and kitemark. Does that mean it needs both? My hat has the kite mark, but not the other bit. I suspect that means I need a new hat, but I don't want to fork out for one if I don't need to. Any tips will be gratefully accepted, thanks.

[tootsietoo]

Jon that's awful, what a complete nightmare. I hope he comes right after the rest.

We've had two good weekends out now, two double clears, however not quite good enough dressage, so two 6th places, but I am over the moon as our xc round last weekend felt fabulous!

Clinics are great Gin, I went on a weekend away with a group of friends in January to a trainer, it was such good fun. You do all encourage and push each other a bit when you do it in a group.

[Jonsnowsghost]

The vet came out to see Buzz on Monday (other post was after speaking on the phone) and its slightly better news, he's still on box rest but is allowed out during the day into a very small turn out area which he'll enjoy - he's not the type to run around so he should be ok - and they're going to review in a month he could either then have more box rest or more turn out. Feeling a bit better about It! Also turns out that my old pony, what I thought was a fat lump above his tail due to his EMS is actually an enormous melanoma! The vet was surprised and I was too as no one had ever picked up on it before! He's got one on his crest so it doesn't surprise me as he's elderly and grey but still a bit of a shock.

[rollingdinosaur]

Glad to see Buzz is allowed outside Jon. That will be so much nicer for him! Will the other one need treatment?

I'd be over the moon with 6th tootsie! Sounds like things are starting to come together!

I am starting to wonder whether I'm going to be able to event my new boy. After being amazing SJ last week, we went XC schooling this weekend and he was a nightmare. He's developed too much of an attachment to one of his field mates, who went with us. He spent the whole time worrying about where his friend was, and stressing. Then another horse came through a gap in a hedge near us, and he took off and bronked, about 100m back to the other horse. I can't say it did a lot for my confidence! I'm starting to wonder if he isn't going to cope with XC.

[frostyfingers]

I've done barely anything with dhorse - a couple of hacks and that's about it. I must get going soon! Well done on the progress tootsie, at least he's being consistent! Can you go XC schooling with a different horse or alone Rolling? Maybe he'd manage better with that. I must admit I'm very glad that I only have one horse at home (not counting the pony) so dhorse is never fixated on anyone else when we're out and about. We've just acquired our first whippet, a puppy, so we've been busy with that. We lost our lab a couple of weeks ago and her daughter has been pining ever since so we've taken the plunge - we've not bought a puppy for years so it's been a strange process but we're very happy so far. The lab however is not sure that it's a good idea at all....

[Jonsnowsghost]

No he won't be treated, he's elderly and they're very common in old grey horses (and I go and get another grey!), it's likely that he'll have many more inside too :-( he's had the tail one as long as I remember as I've always thought it was fat.

Sorry to hear the xc schooling didn't go too Well, could you take him on his own?

Ahhh a puppy!! I'd love a dog but I just can't fit it in. I have a cat instead who is very dog like and is currently asleep like this.

[tootsietoo]

Clingy horses and ponies drive me mental! Don't write yourselves off straight away Rolling, it will take a lot more work and outings and practice, and he will improve. Maybe just don't go schooling with his best friends to start off with? Take it steady, you don't have to do anything out of your comfort zone!

[WellErrr]

Can I join in please?

Entered first BE in ages, after children. Completely lost my nerve, but fuck it, I'm going for it!

[tootsietoo]

Hey, WellErr! Take a seat on this fold out chair and have a cup of tea from my flask and a bacon bap from the van. When is it?

[rollingdinosaur]

I think we need to see puppy photos frosty!

Well done Well, when is it? Good luck!

I haven't given up on XC yet, but I have to confess the latest bucking fit did not do much for my confidence. We must have travelled well over 100m across the field, bucking all the way. I have no idea how I stayed on.

I've got the saddle fitter coming yet again today, in case he's changed shape again and that contributed.

I guess I'll give him a go on his own and see how that goes. He jumps pretty well for a baby, he just needs to learn to be calm in between!

[frostyfingers]

As you wish! She' settling well and remarkably confident so far and we're all smitten. Still not much horse stuff going on, I really need to start on getting him fit - I was doing a fun ride on Sunday but my friend's horse is lame and I'm not going solo.

[Rollingdinosaur]

That is one very cute puppy!!

[Rosieposy4]

Can i join too
Back story, did a lot of eventing prior o dc, up to OI
Dc now old, have ben eveting on and off with dhorse, limited by time and money.
Dhorse then diagnosed with kissing spines, ( stopped xc at a be event and vet on the ball) major surgery for her, just back in ridden rehab then i had a catastrophic ( non horse) injury and couldn't ride for a year ( think wheelchair, double crutches etc)
So the pair of us are finally back in action, been rudib since start of march, she is looking fab now, much more muscular, but i am so paranoid about her soundness
We haev done one unaff dressage ( P1, she was seond) and have a bit more dressage in the pipeline.
It is really had to know when to start jumping again, I tentatively have richmond be in late aug as our return to be date.
Hoping to start with a bit of low level sj in the next couple of weeks.

[tootsietoo]

Hi Rosieposy. Sounds like quite a big thing to come back after such major injuries/surgery. Good luck. What's the ground like at Richmond? I am starting to get paranoid about the ground, it's really hard now, and it's usually rock hard in August. Good luck with the SJ.

May I just do latest event report as I need to spill as I am so disgusted with myself! Back home already after an 8.30 start this morning because I managed to get myself eliminated in the SJ for not jumping the last fence. So so dozy. I hadn't even walked it. However, it hadn't gone well up to then anyway - horse had spooked at the third fence and my line to it was terrible so I couldn't catch him early enough to get my legs on and get him over. I think the problem was that I left myself the bare minimum time to warm up and then they were running early, so I didn't stand and watch a round or two as I usually do, so I didn't pick up my course walking mistake. The worst of it is we had our best ever dressage - 20.8. Oh my. And this is after two 6th places in our last two outings! Will I ever get it all together properly all on the same day? It is so hard!

[Jonsnowsghost]

Oh no tootsie! I have a friend who missed the last fence in her working Hunter class the other day, so you're not the only one!

Buzz's leg is looking slightly less floppy so I'm feeling more optimistic about it. Vet is due back in around 3 weeks. Can't wait to get back riding but it's going to be a while! I'll have to start again with the jumping

[Rosieposy4]

Tootsie, how very annoying. That's the rub with eventing isn't it, getting all three right on the same day, so hard.

[tootsietoo]

PS Frosty that puppy is beeyoootiful!

[Rollingdinosaur]

Welcome Rosie, it sounds like you've had a rough time of it. Fingers crossed it is onward and upwards for you now!

Aargh Tootsie, how annoying! It is so easy done though. One day soon it will all come together I'm sure.

I had a go at my first ODE today, it was only a 60cm, unaffiliated. The dressage was interesting to say the least. Dhorse was so wound up that he was completely unable to canter a circle, just leaped about like a prat. We got through it though, and there were some good bits. We ended up on what I thought was a very generous score of 40.

He was a completely different horse showjumping, and did a lovely sensible clear round. I'm ashamed to admit, that after last weekends performance XC schooling, and given how wound up he'd been in the dressage, I wimped out of the XC. It was still good experience for him I think, just warming up in a field and doing dressage on grass was all new to him, and the atmosphere was a lot busier than anything he's been to before.

[frostyfingers]

I wrote a long message yesterday and have only just noticed it never posted.... Anyhow, well done Rolling, commiserations Tootsie and welcome Rosie! You are all doing much more than me at the moment, just a bit of hacking although I had hoped to do a fun ride yesterday but unfortunately my mate's horse is lame and it's no fun on your own.

Rolling, I always think it s a good idea to finish on a good note, so stopping after a decent SJ round sounds sensible - there's no rush after all!

Puppy is very self assured and has claimed the sofa from the cat (and me at times), I can't believe how confident she is at only 9 weeks. Her teeth are extremely sharp and she's speedy - look out rabbits!

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

Rolling were you at Bovi at the weekend? I was there in the morning with a great mate who is doing wobbleberries and her first ever ode.

Tootsie don't beat yourself up over that last jump. One day soon it will all come together. What an amazing dressage score though! If it makes you feel any better my boss was once in the lead In a cic3* so xc was last to go. He was clear and under time and managed to jump the wrong last xc fence. The owner was not very happy! So it happens to the best too!

[Rollingdinosaur]

Yes I was! How did your friend get on?

[IsItTimeForGinYet]

She did brilliantly. She lost concentration in the last part of the test but the first 2/3rds was seriously smart. Show jumping ("bigger than badminton") had a wobble with a related distance so had a stop and time faults but she put on her brave pants and went clear xc with time faults. Amazing as she looks very competent but is seriously nervous underneath.

Where are you off to next? Moreton?

[Rollingdinosaur]

Brilliant, glad to hear she did well! No, I think it'll be a while before we do another ODE, given that dhorse couldn't even manage to canter a circle in the dressage because it was in an open field. I'm going to concentrate on flat work, and showjumping for a bit, which he is confident with, and hopefully come back to the XC when he's a bit more relaxed about working in big open spaces.

[tootsietoo]

Oh yes, I have seen the pros do it wrong - Michael Owen missed out a fence xc when I was at Somerford a few weeks ago! How appalling though to get yourself eliminated whilst in the lead AND when you're being paid to do it!! You've got to be pretty tough to deal with that!

Rolling, you are getting out there and doing stuff, which is the main thing. It can all build up slowly from there.

[Jonsnowsghost]

Timeforgin your friend sounds amazing, when Buzz is sound again I hope to be able to get round a ode!
Seriously missing riding, and surprisingly missing jumping, took old pony for a plod then had a little canter around the jumping paddock and popped the tiniest little jump (it was literally a pole in the floor ) it was very un-graceful but he loved it bless him. It was his official 24th birthday the other day too. Here's a photo of then both (before Misty decided to bite Buzz, he still has to remind him that he came along first )

[rollingdinosaur]

Job, your two are gorgeous! How is Buzz doing now?

What's everyone else up to? Anyone competed this weekend?

I did a SJ clinic this weekend. For the first half dhorse felt like he wanted to explode, distracted by everything, going sideways in trot at jumps, jumping 4' over 2' fences and threatening to buck constantly.

I'd just come to the conclusion that he's a lunatic, and I'd made a terrible mistake buying him when we got to the end of the clinic and all had a jump round the whole course. He jumped two beautiful, relaxed clear rounds in canter without putting a foot wrong.