Billdozering across the country side.
Jun. 1st, 2019 09:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jpgsawyerWell that was a day for Special Billing! It was the inaugural voyage of the Good Ship BillDozer! Raced out of work forgetting to get my lunch DO'h. The I packed the van and got it ready to receive. When Helen Sinar​ was ready we booted Bill and got him ready to load and on the third attempt this time he went in and we got him all buttoned up. Phew!
Drove up to Leyland Court and were bang on time for our date with the Cross Country Course! :D Thankfully Sophie Seymour​ was waiting for us and helped us tack up while I got signed in and got my riding gear on and then it was off to the course.
I am pretty sure Bill remembered the place as he looked at everything and was spooking in all the places where he used to be etc.
First it was off to the practice field and a few logs and then a log, ditch and then a log combo which was okay the second time but I really need to watch my reins and straightness which will be the theme for the day. After jumping through the fence (yes there is a jump there) we went to the top water and after an initial reticence Bill went in and surprised me. We did a few drops in which he will do but I need to work on getting it faster. Then Sophie said just ride him at the big bank and jump him out. I was sure he would refuse but bless his little furry socks he just levitated out of the water. Wee! Honestly I was the most surprised one there I think.
Then it was down the long hill and he surprised me again by spooking the whole way down. I don't know what happened to him there but he has never really liked going down it and he spooked a couple of times and one really massive one but I am really pleased with myself because I just took it in my stride and kept him going down then we blasted back up the hill. WEEEE!
Next it was more water, and this time there was a small jump in to the water for him. Again took me twice to get my head round it but then we got it! We did some more dropping off into the water and out again as can been seen in one of the videos. At this point there was when the one sketchy moment happened... he went to jump down a bank into the water and saw some algae. I mean I wouldn't want to jump in there either but I was pretty stern and he went in eventually but it was a big leap and he shot sideways and I had moment where I nearly came out the side but I kept on and didn't end up in the nasty Algae!
After a few more jumps including a few ditches (video shown of a trakehner over a ditch) we tried his old nemesis the bridge and he noticed it but went over easily enough then we did a sunken road (a drop then a bank) and then some drops and jumps leading to a ditch and he was great! He is a legend really.
After a lovely play in the training park including some banks and a skinny I decided that enough today. We where both covered in sweat and knackered!
Then we loaded him on, with one refusal which was understandable as we had forgotten to open the front ramp, and then got him home. Apart from the usual BMW idiots passing at silly places and meeting a car in the middle of the road on a sharp narrow bend which was annoying but we got him back safely and he backed off really well. We wanted to give him a shower straight away but he thought we where trying to reload him so he had to wait until we closed it up and then he got his much deserved wash.
So big lessons and things I need to work on from today. I need to be more careful about keeping my reins short, staying straight on approach to the jump and not letting Bill get away from the centre of jumps etc.
I am pleased with the lovely videos from Sophie and can't want to go again.
You can find them on the following links.
https://www.facebook.com/jpgsawyer/videos/10157437368009306/
https://www.facebook.com/jpgsawyer/videos/10157437368194306/
https://www.facebook.com/jpgsawyer/videos/10157437368569306/
https://www.facebook.com/jpgsawyer/videos/10157437368899306/
Drove up to Leyland Court and were bang on time for our date with the Cross Country Course! :D Thankfully Sophie Seymour​ was waiting for us and helped us tack up while I got signed in and got my riding gear on and then it was off to the course.
I am pretty sure Bill remembered the place as he looked at everything and was spooking in all the places where he used to be etc.
First it was off to the practice field and a few logs and then a log, ditch and then a log combo which was okay the second time but I really need to watch my reins and straightness which will be the theme for the day. After jumping through the fence (yes there is a jump there) we went to the top water and after an initial reticence Bill went in and surprised me. We did a few drops in which he will do but I need to work on getting it faster. Then Sophie said just ride him at the big bank and jump him out. I was sure he would refuse but bless his little furry socks he just levitated out of the water. Wee! Honestly I was the most surprised one there I think.
Then it was down the long hill and he surprised me again by spooking the whole way down. I don't know what happened to him there but he has never really liked going down it and he spooked a couple of times and one really massive one but I am really pleased with myself because I just took it in my stride and kept him going down then we blasted back up the hill. WEEEE!
Next it was more water, and this time there was a small jump in to the water for him. Again took me twice to get my head round it but then we got it! We did some more dropping off into the water and out again as can been seen in one of the videos. At this point there was when the one sketchy moment happened... he went to jump down a bank into the water and saw some algae. I mean I wouldn't want to jump in there either but I was pretty stern and he went in eventually but it was a big leap and he shot sideways and I had moment where I nearly came out the side but I kept on and didn't end up in the nasty Algae!
After a few more jumps including a few ditches (video shown of a trakehner over a ditch) we tried his old nemesis the bridge and he noticed it but went over easily enough then we did a sunken road (a drop then a bank) and then some drops and jumps leading to a ditch and he was great! He is a legend really.
After a lovely play in the training park including some banks and a skinny I decided that enough today. We where both covered in sweat and knackered!
Then we loaded him on, with one refusal which was understandable as we had forgotten to open the front ramp, and then got him home. Apart from the usual BMW idiots passing at silly places and meeting a car in the middle of the road on a sharp narrow bend which was annoying but we got him back safely and he backed off really well. We wanted to give him a shower straight away but he thought we where trying to reload him so he had to wait until we closed it up and then he got his much deserved wash.
So big lessons and things I need to work on from today. I need to be more careful about keeping my reins short, staying straight on approach to the jump and not letting Bill get away from the centre of jumps etc.
I am pleased with the lovely videos from Sophie and can't want to go again.
You can find them on the following links.
https://www.facebook.com/jpgsawyer/videos/10157437368009306/
https://www.facebook.com/jpgsawyer/videos/10157437368194306/
https://www.facebook.com/jpgsawyer/videos/10157437368569306/
https://www.facebook.com/jpgsawyer/videos/10157437368899306/
