Talk to me about Rocking Horse

[Eventcrazy]

I am looking at the schedule and trying to figure out where to go. We have spent the fall at home working on our dressage and a little stadium! Which the dressage is not our best part. Also doing a few Welsh pony shows (Fun). Now it is time to get back to what we LOVE EVENTING!!!

So now to my question! Would love to head down to Florida and taught been to Ocala what about Rocking Horse???

My horse is ready to do his second Training outting. My concerns are he is not the boldest jumping out of water. Which we are working on getting him bolder.

Also my trainer is taking her Pony and thinking about moving him up to novice.

So I am asking about the facility, XC course, and over all view of the horse trials. Would love any photos!!!

Thanks in advance!!!

[AUeventer]

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/ThumbPage.aspx?e=3184650&g=08JQ010A0C

Those are some xc pictures (training level) from rocking horse last october. I went and I loved it. The staff there were very accommodating and went out of their way to make us comfortable. The xc course was very flat. I was slightly disappointed because I had been working on banks before the event and there weren't any! On the training course I rode there wasn't a jump out of water, but instead there was a large rolltop, about one stride then through water, about two strides and then another jump after the water. I remember a lot of square table type jumps. There was also a mound that we galloped up with a small jump at the top and then gallop down. It looked pretty innocent but a lot of people had problems there. Dressage and stadium is all on grass, but with the sandy florida footing we didn't have any problems at all. I would definitely go again (but it's quite a haul for me!).

[TBKate]

Lovely facility, friendly staff, good stabling. It is flat, but then again, *most* of Florida is ;). Every horse I've taken there to school has eaten up the course and gained a lot of confidence. Also, they put on really nice schooling shows for us po' folk who can't afford to be doing recognized. :lol:

[CBudFrggy]

I found this video on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBNJcH3GyR8

I posted the link before I watched the video. The water sequence is in the video. It looked like a nice course. I've only gone BN there, and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

[maxxtrot]

you will love rocking horse(we do!) great event, great staff, and the farm is wonderful. always a good time, and everyone is there. the c.c. is really nice, they are always doing stuff to better it. new jumps ect... it is a great training level outing i think. it will get a little tougher towards the end of the winter season. they start a little eaiser and get tougher. but nothing bad. i too remember the last time at training, it was a rolltop, one stride thru the water, then a stride or two and another fence, not too hard, but does always catch a few :)

[pwynnnorman]

I would think Rocking Horse would be ideal for your purposes. Efficient, friendly, experienced all 'round; lots of variety on the courses, multi-faceted water complex (so you can do even baby stuff in a couple of different ways) AND a lot of schooling shows and other stuff to keep you busy. The only two weaknesses that I'd ID would be out-of-the-way location and I do wish they (and Ocala, too) had more ditches and baby banks--Oh, oh. And on my wish list would be a little version of a ditch-and-rail, too. But, hey, no place is perfect except heaven.

[Jazzy Lady]

I love rocking horse. Very user-friendly!!!

[AppJumpr08]

LOFF LOFF LOFF Rocking Horse! Both as a competitor and a groom, it is a fantastic venue. Very well run and great courses.

[Eventcrazy]

THANKS!!! It looks perfect! I hope my work schedule does not change!

[Eventcrazy]

So my schedule changed and I am now going to Rocking horse spring ht in March. So my other question is about facility/bathrooms/showers? It looks like I'm going to camp it out. So how is the facility for that?

[CBudFrggy]

By camping, do you mean sleeping in your trailer or a tent near your horse trailer and the temporary stabling? To camp in or near your horse trailer by the barn, it is free and a lot of competitors do that. I usually unload my tackroom, and roll out my sleeping bag in my trailer. There are port-o-lets nearby so you don't have to go way over to the other building (can't remember what they call that "other" building on the south side of the main barn). If you are used to horse-camping without amenities, it's not a problem.

They also have full hookups, but I think you have to reserve them. There's a building near the hookups, south of the main barn, with bathrooms with sinks, mirrors and a rudimentary shower with hot water. Call or e-mail Alice--she's very nice.

[mkmallory]

can anyone tell me about their intermediate course?

[RnR]

RH is my stomping grounds since I live in FL, haha. VERY friendly, inviting place. As someone said, it obviously does get more difficult towards the end of the season, but nothing outrageous at all. Great barns, people, facility. They just redid their stadium ring and it's a lot nicer too.

Only thing I have seen some people have trouble with is their dressage and stadium ring are along the fence of a busier road with semis, motorcycles, and the occasional moron that blares their horn. I've seen a couple greenies bolt from that before, but I have personally never had a problem.

As people have said it is flat, but hey, give us a break! We are Florida, the pancake state, lol. For training level I haven't seen difficult questions for the water complex. Only like others have noted. A jump 2 strides away, then a jump as soon as you get out, most likely an inviting rolltop.

I'll be there!! Probably freezing my butt off because I may try to camp to save money, but I don't have a trailer to do it in, so I'll see how that ends up.

[JWB]

Love Rocking Horse - It's a great place to move up the levels because they have a very "user friendly" cross country course. I hear they just built a new bank on the novice course- I wasn't there this weekend but I heard about it.

There are no close hotels so lots of people camp. If you want one of the few hotels, call WELL in advance or you'll be 20 minutes away in Eustis.

The barns are lovely and the staff is fantastic.

[WalkerEvntr]

can anyone tell me about their intermediate course?

I ran my second intermediate there with no problems. A lot of good gallopy fences and nothing terribly technical.