Bootcamp for Cocaïne

orbvalley

Well-Known Member
Jan 15, 2008
2,010
1,577
113
54
France, South
By chance was chatting with my RI the other day about a young pony she has loaned to our old RS in order to bring on his education & maintain him until he gets through his adolescent stage. I'd seen some photos of him competing and said what a dream that would be for Cocaïne's education. And from there the ball snowballed and now she's off to "bootcamp" for a week at the end of June to the same RS.
She'll be ridden twice a day during the weeks training course by riders taking their Galop 5 & 6 exams which will include dressage, show jumping and cross. Not sure how those relate exactly to the English system but basically they go from Galop 1-7 (Galops 8 & 9 being specialising in a certain discipline)
The RS is only 15mins drive from me as opposed to 40mins drive to the livery so I'll be able to go and visit and hopefully watch some training too.
She's 5 and I've had her since backed at 3,5years , theres only me that rides her & I'd quite like her to experience other things that she would't perhaps do with me i.e. I'm a bit of a big girls blouse about jumping, I like it and she has improved loads very recently but I'm not as gung ho as I used to be! I haven't attempted any cross with her so far at all. Hacking out is improving and I've just last week managed to achieve trotting on the bit with some amazing impulsion. I've never brought on a youngster before so I've been slow to achieve certain goals if you like but then again I've never been in any rush and I don't anticipate competing at all.
So I'm hoping the experience will be good for her even if all doesn't go well (if you know what I mean - learning by default is a great accomplishment too IMO :) ) She'll be going in a van which will add to her experience (she has always gone in fine but we've never travelled) + I think it will be good for her to change herds for a short time in order to understand that she will always come back home to them.
Opinions welcome, positive or negative ;)
Ooh, PS, going to see the YO at RS this afternoon to agree things in finer detail :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
On paper it sounds like a good opportunity for her, to be ridden by different people and be exposed to some new situations. I certainly don't think it's a bad idea in principle. However based on my own experiences and observations I can't say I'd be happy sending my youngster to be ridden by a bunch of Galop 5 and 6 riders I'd never met. Most at that level are all hands and rigid arms, poor seat/natural balance and no feel or instinct - and many Galop 7s aren't much better, I've encountered so many people with their 7 who I wouldn't even ask to school my horse in walk o_O It used to be a good system and much more demanding / harder to pass the higher levels but these days it's a joke, pretty much everyone gets a pass first time and most of them are "examined" by their own Club instructors which is hardly an objective assessment. When I went for my Galop 7 assessments I sat and watched some Galop 6 riders at lunchtime as a client's daughter was in the group and I genuinely thought at least half of them would fall off if you took the reins away :rolleyes: Aside from the standard of riding I'd also be concerned about them riding her in draw reins or a gogue as that seems to be the fashion in Clubs these days due to their obsession with pulling horses' heads in. Sorry to be a Debbie downer, of course this is just my opinion! But for me personally it would be a pass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: orbvalley
It sounds like a great opportunity especially as you can keep an eye on things being so close. If its the type of place Joosie alludes to then being very specific about not allowing any tack change without your express permission and not putting the less sympathetic riders on her should hopefully ensure its a good experience :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: orbvalley
I hear what you're saying @joosie & do agree that standards have dropped re the gallop exams. Only yesterday was chatting to my RI who told me when she left the RS to run her own livery she said the exams main goal was to check the tick box that asked "is the rider smiling and having fun?" & "if not what can you do to make them smile":eek:
I'm planning on sending her along with my tack as a) it fits b) she's used to it.
Cocaïne is a very feisty mare with frank opinions and lots of them, she wouldn't even think to look after her rider at the best of times and if she's unhappy with anything she'll not think twice about chucking a paddy until you fall off!:oops: I'm quietly confident that she therefore won't take any bad riding, hard hands nor unsympathetic riding nonsense from anyone - she's absolutely stuffed full of character :oops:!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
Cocaïne is a very feisty mare with frank opinions and lots of them, she wouldn't even think to look after her rider at the best of times and if she's unhappy with anything she'll not think twice about chucking a paddy until you fall off!:oops: I'm quietly confident that she therefore won't take any bad riding, hard hands nor unsympathetic riding nonsense from anyone - she's absolutely stuffed full of character :oops:!

Haha! Oscar is like that. He will throw off an unbalanced rider as he just hates people wobbling around ion him. And he wont tolerate hard hands either. It makes life challenging for Katie at times but it does mean he is 'novice proof' which has some advantages!
 
  • Like
Reactions: orbvalley
I met with the YO yesterday and we are of the same mind about how Cocaïnes week will go. She'll be going in her own tack and will arrive 2-3days before the course begins in order for her to settle a bit first. There will only be 2 riders using her during the week as they are the only 2 suitably equipped to ride her. The cross country will be a "try and see what happens" in the first instance. If she takes to it she may go on a day trip bigger cross country course about an hours drive away, if this happens I would be going with them to watch :) If she doesn't take to cross she will be ridden only in dressage and show jumping. Personally I think she'll be fine as she's been brought up and lives outdoors 24/7 in hectares of pasture, woodland, streams and plenty of hoolying around them:rolleyes: Rural stuff doesn't bother her, things like houses and concrete do!
So I'm looking forward to it even though I'll miss riding her myself.

ETA: forgot to say the YO is looking forward to having "a quality horse" for her riders:eek:. She is quite aware that she's feisty, fizzy and hot blooded so I'm just hoping she doesn't chuck them all on the floor at once!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trewsers and Jessey
newrider.com