What happens when you take Twig to a show when he's not in the mood?

Sparklie

Sparklie

Active Member
Jun 3, 2005
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Well I found out a couple of weeks ago when some of our yard went to a charity show at Bishopton.

Firstly let me set the scene...this was a disasterous day :rolleyes: You can skip this bit if you just want the exciting bits and photos!!

I turned up nice and early having been told that we were setting off at 9:30 to be at the show and ready to enter between 10 and half past (classes started at 10:30). One girl was late...by about an hour so we had to wait around before getting the ponies boxed up. We were taking 2 boxes (a 4 horse and a 2 horse) and a trailer. Twig went happily into the 4 horse as he always does and all of the others went in without too much fuss too so we were ready to go right?

Well no...2 horse lorry had a flat tyre :eek: So the lads set about trying to fix it...15 mins later they realised they were trying to inflate the wrong tyre (don't even ask how they made that mistake...I didn't :eek: ). The 2 horses in that box had to be taken out as the lorry had to be put up on a jack and it was finally fixed. Then one of the horses which had previously boxed fine didn't want to go back in...but relented after a bit of gentle talking around (her mummy shouted at her :p )

So we all set off...got as far as Thirsk Racecourse and umm...got lost :eek: Twice Felt very sorry for the lady towing the trailer as we all had to turn around but she managed well (I should know, I was sat in the back of her car watching out for hedges and gateposts that she might hit!). Oh and I nearly forgot another of the disasters...Another part of our convey had trouble too. One of the landrover's clutch went! :eek: Do you think we were really supposed to go to this show!?!

Anyway after all that we got there at 12 and unloaded the horses before disapearing to warm up. As we were late the clear round had already been and th 65cm was in progree but taking no more entries :( I don't like big fences so I knew this was bad news for me and Twig as he's not too keen on them either. Knowing that I was really asking for trouble I put my name down for the 75cm (why oh why do I think I can do these things...I must get a case of HC's teenager taking over my usually sensible brain).

People who skipped the boring stuff....this is the exciting bit now :p

My name was called and it was my turn to go and make a fool out of myself. The 2nd fence was a big red wall and I knew that Twig wouldn't jump it...he really doesn't like fillers and there was just no chance. However we had to get over the first fence first :rolleyes:

Bell rings...Helen gets Twig (who is now bored after spending too long in the lorry and probably hungry as he always is!) in canter, canters a circle and heads for the first fence. Canter, canter, canter, STOP. Ah problem...turn around, smack of the whip, canter, canter, canter, STOP sending Helen flying up Twig's neck and the poles all crashing down :eek: Man comes in to set the jump up again.
 
Right so it's not all bad, I stayed on and we have one last crack at the jump before we're eliminated. Somehow the determined part of me makes an appearance and gives me a kick up the backside, come on Helen, you can't get eliminated at the first fence!!

Result...
grangeshow1.jpg


But look how p***sed off Twig looks, you can just tell he wasn't enjoying himself.

Anyway suprise suprise he saw the wall (you can see it in the background of that photo) and we were eliminated, no chance of getting him over it. Still Someone did ask if I had super glue on my bum after all the dirty stops he was putting in :p

We weren't going to enter anything else as they just got bigger and bigger all day instead we pootled about the show ground letting Twig nibble some grass and popping over the practice jump a few times. When low and behold...there's a pairs class at the end. Jumps go down to 65cm and someone actually wants to be my partner (ok her mum probably bullied her into it but hey, I'm not complaining!). I mentioned that I probably wouldn't get round but was told to just try my best.

I was the first of our pair and determined not to make a fool out of myself again. Bell rings, Helen gets Twig (probably even more p***sed off now) into canter, circles and heads towards the first fence, canter, canter, canter, JUMP, yay!! :D and the second and the third and the fourth and my god even the double at number 5...
grangeshow2.jpg


We had a stop at number 6 (planks) and number 7 (filler with elephants!! Pink ones no less ;)) and then flew over number 8 to finish the course
grangeshow3.jpg


passed the whip on and collapsed into a heap on my horses neck...I'd had to ride like a mad woman to get him around. Can you tell how annoyed he is by the photos!?
 
number 5 was a double with 2 canter strides in the middle. the first part is the blue and white fence which there's a photo of us jumping and the second part was a spread fence.

Yes, he wasn't a happy boy at all!
 
Cant see the pics at the moment but that sounds like an ordeal! Well done for carrying on, I think I would have given up and sat in the horsebox drinking tea. I take it the journey home was a bit less eventful?
 
Haha what a marvelous story (The way it was written I mean), I wanted to read more about twig and Helen and thier day jumping big!

His ears are back, but everything else looks lovely!

Sorry to hear about having such a hard day, but at least you got him over the jumps in the pairs class!
 
Oh what a cheeky boy but then he had a bit of an ordeal trying to get there, poor boy.

Well done you for having a sticky bum and for even having a go - you are getting soooo brave missus.

Great photos!
 
KatieB...the journey home :rolleyes: I left before Twig did!! One of the horses that was supposed to be in the 4 box just didn't want to go in at all and we tried plenty of tactics to try and persuade him that he did (he's a pain in the backside to box sometimes...needs more practice). In the end I had to leave as the driver with the trailer was wanting to get back so I left poor Twig boxed up and waited for him back at the farm.

He arrived an hour later!! Apparently it took them ages to get problem horse back in the box and in the end he was chased in with a broom by the YO from the place where the show was :eek: Said pony has since loaded perfectly every other time out :rolleyes:

So yes...not a good day for poor Twig. He just didn't want to play with the jumping. I still can't believe we did the pairs!! You're right Dee, I am getting braver :eek:

Gracie...thank you :) I must admit that although he's sulking his jumping doesn't look that bad at all. Must work on my own position!
 
Sparklie.... your post made me do this :p :p :p You are so funny:D

I think you both looked great going over those jumps....Twig looks like he is saying " you silly blankedy blank woman..just wait until I get your sorry blanketty blank butt home " while he is going over the jumps..:D I think it's great that you can see the humour in it all and still had a good time. They sure are funny, aren't they?
 
:D What a grand day out... and thanks for the lovely photos...I really love your horse, he is just such a lovely colour..:D (sorry over use of the lovelies...:p ).
 
Julia...thank you, glad I made you chuckle :) And that is exactly what he was thinking...I could almost hear him muttering to himself.

To be honest if I hadn't looked on the funny side I think I'd have given up. Hopefully next time Twig will decide to play properly or I'll have to ride like a mad woman again. I was so out of breath after the pairs I could have collapsed!! I'm usually having to hold him back but I RODE into every single fence.

Rowdent...he's clipped at the moment so quite an odd colour, sort of a roan I suppose but with his buckskin head and legs. He looks like this in the summer
P1010228.jpg


ETA: gosh that photo came out big!! sorry
 
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