Fear of Ditch and walls!!?? [Archive]

denny

Feb. 27, 2009, 01:08 PM

Maybe fear is a little too strong a word, but nervousness might be too weak!
At any rate, a couple of the riders at my farm were talking about how to get over the sense that it would be very easy to land in the middle of those wicked things!

I gave them all the platitudes about starting over very little ditches, then adding little walls behind those little ditches, blah, blah, blah.

But the inescapable fact remains that when you walk up to a yawning ditch, 4 feet wide, 3 feet deep, with a 3`6 wall behind it, it can be pretty daunting! The thing looks, top to bottom, to be 6`6, not the 3`6 it really is.

So is this type of jump your most awe inspiring? If not, what is?

And what coping strategies have you devised to deal with competition nerves?

NeverTime

Feb. 27, 2009, 01:18 PM

deltawave

Feb. 27, 2009, 01:20 PM

I'm not crazy about anything with a ditch. Not sure why, as I've never fallen in, on or around one. Just a mental bugaboo, I guess. On the other hand, even though I have a young horse who often LAUNCHES herself off banks, I love banks and drops and sunken roads. They're great fun.

In all honesty, the type of fence that scares me the most is a big, square table. They all tend to be maxed out, and they're SO unforgiving. My fear of them stems from the thinking of "what if I make a mistake and get my horse there wrong?".

There is a Weldon's wall at the KHP, used on the P/I courses (now gone, I think) that used to scare the h*ll out of me. I never actually had to jump it, and I'm glad. :)

I tend to rev myself up for jumps like these by very strictly keeping my eye on the proper spot (not down, not the face of the jump for a big table) and making sure that about 10-20 strides out I've got my mental checklist in good shape: good, forward canter, balanced, shoulders back, defensive seat at the ready, horse listening and seeing the fence, don't pick at them, etc.

I aspire to someday be a rider who can unconsciously ride a whole course with that feeling, but at least I want to make absolutely sure I'm as balanced and forward as is humanly and equinely possible, appropriate to the terrain, footing, question, etc. for the "big" or "scary" ones.

As to nerves in general, although I definitely have them and feel them, I try to acknowledge that they're perfectly normal and appropriate. I keep on riding, do my prep and warmup, and hopefully have someone in warmup (walking over to warmup is when my nerves are the WORST) to cheerfully keep me from festering over my nerves. My coach is great for this, and I honestly don't know how I competed all those years without one! :eek:

It does help if you have the bravest/smartest/cleverest horse in the world, which was what my ex-Prelim mare was. :) The youngster is neither terribly brave NOR experienced enough to "know all the answers", therefore I'd say my nerves are worse now going N/T with her than they EVER were doing Prelim with the old girl. Again, I just try to remind myself that the nerves are normal, and that I have to function in spite of them. I do that every day at work, where a lot worse things are likely to happen, so you'd think I'd be immune to nerves, but not at a horse show!! :lol:

Badger

Feb. 27, 2009, 01:24 PM

You don't look down into it, you look at what you and the horse will see at approach when your eyes are up and the horse has his hocks underneath him. And you tell yourself it's just another 3'6" vertical with a bonus gorgeous groundline. And maybe you gulp a bit but then you ride the top rail and get on with it.

The fence that bothers me the most is completely dependent on the horse.

Hilary

Feb. 27, 2009, 01:35 PM

I don't like those either, but none of my horses have ever cared!

I also don't like square tables, but I've jumped a lot more of them than weldon's walls so I am less nervous about them now.

Now that I think about it, I don't get nervous about particular fences through Training. Prelim? Tables and WWs bother me.

I do get nervous on course sometimes, but along the lines of "is she going to go past the spectator with the umbrella?"

Janet

Feb. 27, 2009, 01:37 PM

Depends on the horse.

Music (who no longer events) has, at least once, refused a jump on course with her front feet IN the ditch. It is very difficult to completely erase that memory. Especially when riding her, but even when riding a bolder horse.

With Belle, and other horses, I concentrate on keeping my eyes up. This is one case where I focus on something BEYOND the jump to avoid looking down. And just think of it as a rolled out groundline.

Practicing with a tarp instead of ditch in front of the fence helps too.

Personally, Trakehners are more daunting for me.

QHEventr

Feb. 27, 2009, 02:08 PM

I Have to admit that I once had a VERY big ditch and wall phobia. So much so, that at my first CCI*, on a very brave horse who would have jumped anything, I took the option at the rather large ditch and wall (that by the way, was ALSO on the ** course) The jump was flagged witht he white flag on the front of the ditch, and the red flag on the back of the wall. You could infact pop down into the ditch from the right side, and walk through the ditch along side the wall and come out the other side. I was in 2nd after dressage and my never started coming out of the box. Even with my detour, I came in 1 sec under OT.

I learned that for my peace of mind, I walk with my head and eyes UP and NEVER look into the ditch. Same horse and I ran around Red hills at Advanced the next year, and tackled that massive D&W right before the water. I saw a distance from about 15 strides out, commited to it and rode the H** out of it! I still really dislike them! But I've figured out how to turn my phobia into a form of "aggressive" or proactive riding.

This is the type of fence that I have to think "attack!"....I have to get my elbows flapping a la Ralph Hill, and kick on. Oh...and if you've ever seen me on XC....you can hear me talking to my ponies from quite a distace...I'm trying to convince them of the attack method for D&W's

Johanna

snoopy

Feb. 27, 2009, 02:09 PM

Note how it looks from six feet away -- like a 3'6" wall with a ground rail in front of it -- and then keep on walking. Don't bother going up and looking down into the ditch to get yourself all worried about how deep it is and how the vertical boards make the wall look so big and blah blah blah.
It's a semi-vertical fence with a nice, inviting groundline. Keep your eyes up, your leg on and jump it that way. It would be a much harder fence without that nice groundline, after all!

absolutely agree...it is a nice fence if you look at the mechanics of it. Ditches IMO are a problem for the horse when they are a problem for the rider. Not that there are exceptions of course but for the most part they do not seem to have the effect on the horse like the do the rider.

QHEventr

Feb. 27, 2009, 02:12 PM

Also thought I'd point out that I was long ago told that there are some types of fences that you just don't school. I do school the Idea of a D&W, and I school ditches with SJ rails behind them, but I've never schooled an advanced sized D & W. It's worked for me and my phobia. Not saying its right for everyone or every horse. (I might add that I have been graced with VERY brave horses.....My quirks were the only thing that would hold us back)

Jealoushe

Feb. 27, 2009, 02:31 PM

I used to hate those walls with ditches in front, now I'm not bothered.

I always just remind myself of how easy it is for the horses. If all those other horses can do it, so can mine.

Invested1

Feb. 27, 2009, 02:45 PM

And what coping strategies have you devised to deal with competition nerves?

I learned early on that my boy is uber-sensitive to what I'm thinking and if I have *any* hesitation about a fence, he knows it and will not go.
So, I've learned to fake him (and myself!) out. If I'm nervous about a jump, about 6 strides out, I start saying (out loud!) "We're going, we're going, we're going!" I know that makes my legs lock on and gives Ted the encouragement he needs.
Works every time... :D

GotSpots

Feb. 27, 2009, 03:07 PM

Ditch-and-walls can be badly designed: when the ditch is too wide in comparison to the height of the wall, and too shallow, the horse may read it as a bounce and try to jump into the ditch, but without enough room to get clear and over the brush/wall. In 2004, at Fair Hill, three horses did just that at the ditch and wall. Only two of them walked away; mine didn't make it. I've hated those fences ever since.

To be safe, I think a good ditch and wall needs to have proportion between the width of the ditch and the height of the fence, have a good strong ground rail at the edge of the ditch, and have the ditch be pretty deep. And it's a fence I would think is a really good candidate to be frangible - there have been some good models at Colorado Horse Park, I believe.

NeverTime

Feb. 27, 2009, 03:26 PM

Oh GotSpots. It makes me sad every time...:(

denny

Feb. 27, 2009, 03:36 PM

These are both brave kids, good riders, ages 18 and 19. They aren`t "scared", but they were honestly asking about a subject that has caused plenty of sleepless pre x-c nights for riders with lots more miles than they have!

I remember standing at Millbrook about 20 some years ago with Mike Plumb and Karen Stives, not on the stable side of the paved road, but across it, near the water.
Anyway, there was this ditch that looked like the `effin Grand Cayon, with a brush filled wall behind it that looked like a puissance wall.

Some poor guy comes running at the thing, the horse tries to quit, slides into the ditch, and the rider is hung up on top of the wall.

Karen and I are appalled. Mike just grins, says "well, I guess that`s not the way to ride that thing."

The point being that ditches and walls combos have been scaring eventers for a long time!

subk

Feb. 27, 2009, 04:01 PM

Ditch and wall is the only type of fence design that consistently gives me the mental bugaboos--although I've never had a bad experience with one or even a ditch for that matter. I agree with your riders it's not like they "scare" me, more like they give me some anxiety. In general any fence that bothers me like that I make an overt effort to over come the anxiety by over riding a little--a little more balance, a little more engine than what the fence strictly needs. Being a bit loaded for bear, aggressive, attacking helps me a lot and also counteracts any of the negative vibes I might be sending to my horse.

For ditches and walls specifically, I too make a real effort not to dwell either visually or physically at the ditch on a walk. I really try to intellectualize when I do look at it and note that the ground line in nothing but a rail on the ground in front of the vertical that makes the fence easier for the horse. Intellectualizing the problem is very, very helpful for me--a little like a "manual overdrive." The other thing that helps a lot is to school a vertical cross country fence with a regular old show jumping rail placed out in front of it.

Oh yeah, on those sleepless nights you really have to control your negative thoughts. Visualizing a perfect ride over the stupid thing a few dozen times is good.

denny

Feb. 27, 2009, 04:08 PM

I was out really early one morning walking some xc track, and met a friend doing the same thing.

"How`s it going?" I asked her.

"Fine, for about the first 5 or 6 seconds after I woke up, until I remembered what day it was."

carrie_girl

Feb. 27, 2009, 04:18 PM

For some reason ditches with walls have never scared me. I am definitely more worried about trakheners and square tables. I have always thought of ditch and walls as a "rider" fence, and have ridden them confidently like a vertical with a long groundline my horses have jumped right over. However, there is a mini Weldon's Wall on the novice course at Galway. I took my current boy who is new to eventing after a lifetime as first a hunter, then a dressage horse and is still a bit timid XC, and honestly I didn't think twice about the fence even though we had never schooled one before (how many novice weldon's walls are really available for schooling?) well, he was cantering right up to it confidently, and then all the sudden he wasn't. My only explanation is that he saw the ditch and stopped to check it out. I circled around and he jumped right over like it was nothing, but it definitely surprised me. I guess sometimes the horse does see the ditch.

Ravencrest_Camp

Feb. 27, 2009, 04:33 PM

But the inescapable fact remains that when you walk up to a yawning ditch, 4 feet wide, 3 feet deep, with a 3`6 wall behind it, it can be pretty daunting! The thing looks, top to bottom, to be 6`6, not the 3`6 it really is.

Well I was fine with them until I read that! :cry::cry:

bornfreenowexpensive

Feb. 27, 2009, 05:17 PM

So is this type of jump your most awe inspiring? If not, what is?

And what coping strategies have you devised to deal with competition nerves?

I generally like ditches and walls. I just think of the ditch as a large ground pole. I put my eye on the top of the wall and they ride great...and make the best pictures! Now if I'd had trouble at one or one looked poorly designed...that would be different....I'm also not jumping Advanced ones.

For me what jump makes me nervous depends on the horse I'm on. I've had some deposit me in open ditches...and others who put me in the ditch under the trakhener (never know how to spell that). So on those horses I get nervous about those fences...I'm usually more worried about riding poorly to the fence than I'm nervous about the fence itself.

I get over my "fears" by practicing so my skills are where they need to be...and mentally picturing a good jump. Reminding myself what I need to do to ride well...that I can ride well and am prepared... and just doing it! I really try hard not to let my self get sucked into freaking out about a fence (and have good friends who will not let me freak out)....and when that doesn't look like it is working ... a shot of tequila helps!

I will always have some degree of nerves in the warm up before xc...my legs usually feel like jello and I wonder if I'm just going to get jumped right off my horse! I think that is normal and would be concerned if someone didn't have any nervousness.

The only time I REALLY get nervous ...is when I know I'm not as prepared as I would like to be. Usually because work has gotten in the way....or this time of year...weather on top of work! If I start to get really nervous...I try and determine if I'm nervous just because adrenaline (because I do understand the risks)...or nervous because I'm not prepared. If I really don't feel I'm prepared but horse is...I'll let my trainer compete my horse (or scratch after dressage...since I always need the dressage practice) until I kick my own booty into shape and do feel prepared. I'm usually on greener horses...so if I don't have my A game, it isn't worth competing and risking setting back the confidence of my horse.

JER

Feb. 27, 2009, 05:38 PM

If you really want to get over a phobia of jumping ditch-and-walls or ditch-and-whatever (emphasis on the whatever, whatever includes stuff like barbed wire), go on a foxhunting vacation to the Tipperary-Limerick areas of Ireland. Even in the kinder, gentler stone wall country, you'll find a nice selection of 4'+ stone walls with steep berms in front of them. :eek:

:D

snoopy

Feb. 27, 2009, 06:46 PM

Karen and I are appalled. Mike just grins, says "well, I guess that`s not the way to ride that thing."

Love this Denny. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love Karen....love her!! And it makes me laugh when you say you both were appalled. Karen was "appalled" quite often wasn't she??!!:lol::lol::lol:

Wee Dee Trrr

Feb. 27, 2009, 08:26 PM

At D&Ws I ALWAYS remind myself to "Sit up, look up, go forward!"
...I think people quite on these fences way before their horses do.

I<3Sleepy

Feb. 27, 2009, 10:24 PM

It's so funny that this is the first thread I saw on here...I was just having this VERY discussion with the owner of the barn I ride at. I was telling her how D&W's scare me and how I want to build one on the property so I can get over my issue with them. I've never actually done one, but my horse is ditchy and I can't even count how many times he's refused and/or I've fallen off at regular ditches, just the thought of smashing into the wall makes me shiver!

I think this all really started before I even had my current mount, walking the BN course at UNH when I first started eventing. The 2nd or 3rd jump on the Prelim course is (in my mind) a HUGE ditch & wall...I mean, ginormous! I haven't been back there in so long I don't know if I would still think it was so imposing, but that first impression stays with me.

I guess since I've never done one but know that when I finally go Prelim at PineTop I'll have to do one, I had better start building my own. I was thinking of building slats behind the ditch so I can add/subtract cedar poles to make the wall bigger or smaller as I see fit. I also LOVE the idea of putting a tarp in front of the jump, I would never have thought of that.
:)

eventrider

Feb. 27, 2009, 10:52 PM

I quite like ditch and walls, because you have a built in ground line to ride for, and just keep coming with your eyes up. What I HATE however, are banks coming out of water. There are just sooo many ways to hit it wrong, and it seems that the water sucks so much out of the horse to keep them packaged correctly for the bank out is difficult. I don't mind a jump out of water, but a bank makes me cringe.

Christan

faluut42

Feb. 27, 2009, 11:06 PM

Never had a big phobia of D&Ws, they make me sit up and ride the fence well but nvr had me shaking in my boots.

Banks on the otehr hand, used to scare the c*** out of me. But thankfully, at our areas annual meeting I was a demo rider. I guess the corrdinator did not tell the clinician that I was was Novice schooling training... Therefore had me doing a prelim down bank into water. I nearly peed my pants but thankfully after the first couple of times I realized that I am not going to keep falling into the deep abyss. (plus he made me do it 60 million times)! Now drops are one of my favs! (thank you David Adamo!).

Same thing happened with up banks. I was schooling out on xc with my trainer and we came to the Prelim up bank (this was about a year later and was about to make the big jump from training to prelim). Well guess what I spent half the day doing... I still dont like them but can do them without too much of a fuss.

So pretty much my advice is school them as much as possible. Also "sit up and kick!" :D

Hony

Feb. 27, 2009, 11:25 PM

JennieRose

Feb. 28, 2009, 08:39 AM

I don't mind anything with a ditch because it gives me an excuse to look beyond the jump so I feel less inclined to over analyze the approach. For me they are strait forward and there is a formula for jumping them (look up, leg on, increase pace slightly).
What I don't like are single square oxers with long approaches. Even worse is the log oxer. I know it's just rails but I hate them. Don't laugh....SJ is like my own personal hell! Fortunately my horse is really good at it.

My favorite jump is a drop with a jump on the take off like this:
http://jmatt.net/rolex/1997/XC/bankrailsx.jpg

I completely agree with this. I actually like D&W as well, and although giant maxed out tables make me a little nervous, they have nothing on SJ. I know they fall down--for some reason that makes me MORE nervous! (Maybe I don't like the idea of making a mess of poles or something?) :lol:

Hony

Feb. 28, 2009, 09:25 AM

Yes, it's the mess of poles. I can conjure up the scariest images of poles flying everywhere and getting caught in my horse's legs.

JDufort

Feb. 28, 2009, 09:46 AM

<< What I don't like are single square oxers with long approaches. >>

Is the "hail mary" fence still on Rocking Horse? I think as an eventing mom, that was one of the most impressive things Jo and Diamond went over. That, and the enormous drop (to a hard left turn) on the CCI** course at Jersey Fresh

JennieRose

Feb. 28, 2009, 11:10 AM

Yes, it's the mess of poles. I can conjure up the scariest images of poles flying everywhere and getting caught in my horse's legs.
:eek:
Exactly! I'm not sure why, but it's comforting to know I'm not the only one with this particular phobia...

Ajierene

Feb. 28, 2009, 01:03 PM

My current scary jump is a Trakehner. Not any Trakehner - the Trakehner at Fair hill...for no good reason.

Like Invested1, my mare is very sensitive to my fears and will refuse the jump. Of course, also, with her - one or two refusals translates into 'and this is the jump we refuse'....

To get over fears - when I first started eventing, they were ALL scary. I would routinely go around stating "If I can get over X, I can get over this jump." When I had an issue with the Giant's Table at Fair Hill my first year, we got over it in a schooling. I spent the rest of the year, literally saying to myself at every event after that "If I can go the Giant's Table, I can do this one" for every scary fence, as I approached it. When working on the Trakehner in schooling - I was told to sit back and ride (I would get tense and 'perch', hoping my mare would save me) and pick a spot past the jump to focus on. We did jump the trakehner about 5 times in a row (after two refusals and a figurative beating from my trainer for my lack of riding skills, followed by stellar coaching).

I also adopted the - lets just not go near it - approach. I don't even go near jumps when I walk cross country anymore. I have the luxury right now that Novice is mostly single jumps in open fields, but since I am horrible at striding anyway, so even if I did have a combination, I would do the same thing I do at stadium - let my mare figure it out...she's smart!

So yeah, initially not looking at the jump would be good and possibly translating it into say an oxer that the student jumped at home might be good. A graduated oxer (not sure the eventing term - but one where the poles are set at a different height so the jump slants up) that is 3'6" at the highest point and 4' wide. Students fix on a spot past the jump and recite "This is just like that oxer at home...just like that oxer at home..." and jump it as if it were the oxer at home...

That, would be my approach, at least.

Rescue_Rider9

Feb. 28, 2009, 02:15 PM

I have never had to ride one, but they look rather fun! What really gets at me are ditches in general. I have never had to ride a true ditch and my biggest fear is that my horse wont see it and canter right into it! I don't know how I will ever get over that fear!

subk

Feb. 28, 2009, 02:17 PM

I have never had to ride a true ditch and my biggest fear is that my horse wont see it and canter right into it! I don't know how I will ever get over that fear!
Go watch you pony run around at night sometime! Miss seeing a ditch? Never.

yellowbritches

Feb. 28, 2009, 02:56 PM

In all honesty, I don't really have a "bogey" fence...maybe because I've never really had a horse with a "bogey" fence. Not to say that I don't walk a xc course and go :eek: at something here or there (the trakhner at Morven Park at the spring HTs always sticks out in my head as a fence that gave me nightmares...rode well). Usually what worries me more than anything is not riding something well and messing up. But I never walk a course going "Oh God...please don't let it have a ___________". If I'm worried about it having something that should be at that level, I better be rethinking riding at that level.

I know a lot of people aren't a fan of square tables or oxers, but I feel that they are a worthy part of the course, BUT they must be ridden properly. They aren't meant to blasted at, and need a bit of a set up, just like a square oxer in stadium would need. While I love a good gallopy, jump out of stride fence, I do think it is fair for a CD to put in the occasional fence or combo that says "OK. We know you can jump out of rhythm, but can you balance and still come forward?" Please note, I think there is a huge difference between this type of fence occasionally on a course, and the entire course causing you to yank your horse back to sj speed at every fence. THAT is not fair.

EventerAJ

Feb. 28, 2009, 06:56 PM

They used to scare me a little bit-- mostly because I hadn't schooled them, just jumped them in competition. And, d&w do have that visual "wow" factor until you learn to look past them.

After popping over them enough in competition, they don't bother me at all anymore. I tend to ride them a bit more aggressively, fwd and up to the edge. After my mare completely saved my bacon at the Int ditch and brush at the Fork, I no longer worry about them at all. ;) She proved she can lightly skip over it from an ugly half-stride, with me praying, clutching, and wide-eyed staring up up up! and land happily going away like "no big deal, Mom, what was your problem??" Since then, they don't bother me at all... ridden out of stride, it's great fun!

If your heart doesn't beat a little faster at this one (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/aljohnd/MoBurghley92.jpg), though, I don't know what to say...!

TLA

Mar. 1, 2009, 05:03 PM

A big part of getting a D&W that rides well is getting the width of ditch to height of wall correct. This is especially important if you design courses where your entry is likely to be moving up to the level. Far too often, the ditch is too wide, the groung line is of small material, and the wall is too low. This creates a visual effect - low, wide triple bar look - that just invites a horse to put a foot down.
Last May, I took over as CD at Coconino, AZ. There was a beautiful D&W made out of huge logs. The problem with it was that the height was only about 3', and the ditch was relatively wide. We replaced the ground line with a log of about 24" diameter, thus narrowing the ditch, and we brushed the wall up as high as we legally could. This changed the look to more of an ascending vertical, which rides much better. I moved my own horse up to Prelim here, and I have to say it rode well. I have a picture on my desk of a student over it - don't know if I can post it here. I have to credit James Atkinson, the builder, who really got this one right.
As far as riding them, they used to really scare me until I turned them into triple bars. I also heed advice from a friend who said "run out of room".
Tom Angle
Galisteo, NM

Dawnd

Mar. 1, 2009, 08:18 PM

And what coping strategies have you devised to deal with competition nerves?

For me, it always goes back to Chevy Chase in Caddyshack...

"Be the ball."

I quietly comfort myself anytime pressure gets to me with that savvy advice. :lol:

Then as long as no one else mumble's Noonan, I'm all set. :eek:

snoopy

Mar. 1, 2009, 08:37 PM

For me, it always goes back to Chevy Chase in Caddyshack...

"Be the ball."

I quietly comfort myself anytime pressure gets to me with that savvy advice. :lol:

Then as long as no one else mumble's Noonan, I'm all set. :eek:

You know I totally get this....the quote and scenes from the film. It makes complete sense.

Gnep

Mar. 1, 2009, 10:33 PM

I got burried by my horse once in a ditch, was not the reveted type of today, but a natural as we had in the 70s, took a while to get the horse of me, for what ever reason I did not get hurt bad, just a broken arm.
It took a while to be realy able to have at it concerning ditches, what helped me, I learned to look bejond the ditch. I still do it today, mostly those real big ditches are in combinations, or have a wall. I look at the next jump or the wall, never at the ditch. When I walk, I look at the striding but never at the ditch. I have no problem with ditches nowadays, but it is a routine I developed 30 years ago, it has served me well and I am not going to change it.

A jump that has always worried me is a hanging log, when one is on course I by pase it on my walks, I always look at them from the distance, to much fantasy in this brain. Walking and riding a course are 2 differant animals for me. I can be scared, troubled, walking a course, but once I made the decision to ride into the box I am perfectly fine.
The day I can not make that transition in the box, I will walk my horse out of it.

Denny I strongly feel, that we have to teach our next generation, that fear is a very healthy thing, but that they have to learn to master the fear. If they go into the box they have to have mastered the fear. Nothing worse than riding towards the box and not understanding the seriousnes of the busines ahead and nothing worse to leave the box without having mastered the fear.

If I have a student with a certain jump problem, I do not want them to make a special effort at the jump, to overcome the problem. I try my very best to make them feel at ease, I prever them to have a refusal at the first try and than attack the jump on the second try. The first try is the pee my pants and the second try is to eliminate the shame of the refusal.
It has worked for me as a coach very well, the shame of refusal and the elation of geting it done are a very good weapon for a coach.

snoopy

Mar. 1, 2009, 11:28 PM

Weatherford

Mar. 2, 2009, 06:06 AM

I admit, I am a middle-aged chicken and no longer event. But, sometimes I do the Irish "Hunter Trials" which for all intents and purposes is Eventing without the Dressage and SJ! ;) And you can go out in pairs...

So, when I am walking a course and see a nasty ditch and wall (or a real Irish bank narrow with huge functional ditches on either side) I gulp a few times, look for my sight lines and go find the pony riders. Yup, watching them jump around Novice (or should I say climb?) (Novice here is 3'7" that is, Prelim) at high speeds helps me realize that my 16.3 ISH can do this; it's in his blood... And those kids are NUTS!!! :lol:

Seriously, I follow the kids and am fine!

By the way, Denny, I think all kids should come over here and event a bit - much more like it was for us in the 60's and 70's. Great fun. ;)

piaffeprincess98

Mar. 2, 2009, 07:29 AM

I always have a second thought about ditch's and walls when I see them, but my ex-advanced guy that I do training/prelim with now doesn't even blink when we do them, so he's given me a lot of confidence. As we're jumping it, I'm thinking "Ah, we made it!", and I'm sure he doesn't even notice the ditch.

joliemom, again

Mar. 2, 2009, 10:00 AM

Currently the things I find scary most eventers would sock me in arm and tell me to suck it up. However my fantastico trainer, Jeannette, has learned this does not work with me, so instead she has me count the canter/gallop strides out loud and if the rhythm slows to add more leg and go to the bat if needed. Oh and look at the top of the jump. Head up and all that.

This little, teeny tiny exercise makes me ride the horse "in the moment" rather than projecting what could happen in my imagination.

So if you hear a beginner novice, middle aged rider counting on course, that would be me.

NeverTime

Mar. 2, 2009, 10:24 AM

There is a poster on this board who, I am told, would use singing as a way to relax and find her rhythm, thus people would hear "Old MacDonald" going 'round the course -- sometimes getting a little quick and squeaky if the fence in front of her looked particularly daunting. :lol: Love it!

asterix

Mar. 2, 2009, 10:27 AM

Count me in as a confirmed ditch and wall phobe. Being at FHI the year GotSpots lost her horse did not help.
:(
I've only jumped one in competition, not on the first try -- horse is not any braver than I am, which is not very (on the bright side, this does teach you that clutching and praying is not sufficient!).
Couple in schooling -- and learned the hard way that 5 strides out is NOT the time to let your horse down. I was really terrified, and he started to creep, and creep, and creep...and then proceeded to CRAWL over the prelim ditch and wall. Literally.

He was fine, much to our amazement, but I was very sobered indeed. I have no right to ask him to jump that stuff if I can't be there, hollering all the way, totally committed.
I have managed that with trakheners, which I also hate. Have yet to encounter the dreaded d-and-w again since horse is now rehabbing, but dammit, if I can do it with trakhs...

I do use Gnep's approach (though I wish I had his balls!:lol:) about any ditchy things that freak me out. Do. Not. Look. At. The. Ditch. Ever.

Works like a charm if you can really, really do it. I once walked a coffin literally with my hand in front of my eyes so I couldn't see the actual ditch. Striding, yes. Line out, yes. Ditch, no.
The other people walking with me thought I was nuts, but I didn't plan on looking at it when I rode it, so why should I now? Rode much better that way!

grzywinskia

Mar. 2, 2009, 10:36 AM

I never really had an inherriant fear of ditch walls, honestly I would rather jump one of those than a really little skinny :)

That being said, at my second Intermediate this winter at Ocala II, they had their D & W on the course with an option. That is almost worse to me than not having one, as it gives me the resourses to chicken out.

Then while walking the course, my very good ( and very brave) friend commented on the "really big scary" D & W.... now I am freaking out...

So the boss man Mike says, under no circumstances am I to take the option (he could tell I was trying to wuss out) and he told me to put my big girl pants on and get it done...

So on the day, my mare is being a rockstar, I round the corner saying to myself (and anyone else in earshot) "big girl panties, big girl panties, big girl panties" and kicking... she jumped it like a cross rail which left me absolutely OVERJOYED!!!!

What a mare.

There is also one at Greenwood...

Time to cowgirl up :)

tx3dayeventer

Mar. 2, 2009, 11:03 AM

Count me as one of the weird ones that enjoys a well built Weldon's Wall. They are a breather fence for me.

The one that scares the tar out of me is the stupid Advanced "bench" at Rocking Horse. Its after the water complex, its red, looks like a futon (kinda). I always felt like my horsey was going to hang her toes and flip over the damn thing. I rode that fence far more aggressively than I did the coffin/sunken road/water/bounce bank (pick one).

I will try and find a picture of the scary jump.

NeverTime

Mar. 2, 2009, 11:09 AM

tx3dayeventer

Mar. 2, 2009, 11:12 AM

TX: I think your scary bench has gotten a paint job?
Is this green thing (http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=00FD00DW0J0015&po=15) the jump you are talking about? (I think it's friendly -- a ground line, not too vertical...)

Yup that is it! I hate that thing!!!!!! They did repaint it. But last time I jumped it was 2003 :D It is so deceptive to me.

This is what I fear. Look how close his toes are to the jump :eek::eek:: http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=00FD00DW0Y0028&po=28 Link doesn't take you straight to the pic but look at Acapulco Jazz photo #38

ETA: not saying anything bad about Jazz!!!! Just proving my fear of toes VERY close. Only pic I could find that they were that close. I did look through all of the Adv. pics.

Gnep

Mar. 2, 2009, 02:33 PM

Ui, that mother would be ideal for a colapsable design of mine

NeverTime

Mar. 2, 2009, 02:47 PM

This is what I fear. Look how close his toes are to the jump :eek::eek::

Gee, thanks. That particular problem had never even occurred to me -- now I've got a whole new thing to mess with my head. :rolleyes:

RiverBendPol

Mar. 2, 2009, 04:20 PM

Denny, remember when GMHA had the 2 ditch/walls off set, about 4 strides between them on the Int. course? Over in the corner below the road after coming down the mountain and past the water? At my 1st Int. with my old red one of Lolly's, I was terrified of those 2 horse-swallowers. The ditches were not only yawning wide, they had running water in them and the hedges were as tall as me! As I got onto the flat of the field, heading for them, I started whacking my poor little horse! (before the 3-whack rule). I gave him a whack per stride all the way across the field! He kept looking back at me with a total WTF face. He TOLD me to relax and sailed through the combo like the star that he was. :winkgrin: After that, I have never had any more fear of the things.

DRTY.2

Mar. 2, 2009, 05:05 PM

Ditch/walls which we call pallisades aren't too scary for me yet as I've only done a training level one while schooling. The one's that scare the crap outta me are trakehners! Well so do hanging logs so that's just a given lol. Though I'm determined to get over my fear, so got to find some cross country courses around here with bit bigger than little ones (I find little ones fine actually). I have a cross country lesson tomorrow but don't think the course I'm going to has any :s

Blugal

Mar. 2, 2009, 05:20 PM

RiverbendPol, I had a similar experience - a giant double of Weldon's Walls 4 strides apart. Coach told me to give my horse a whack 50 strides out, 10 strides out and 8 strides out, then clamp my legs and hold on (after telling me I wasn't allowed to chicken out and do the option). it worked out just as you described, he went WTF when I whacked him, jumped the first and did a "holy crap" hike up the landing gear when he realized it wasn't just a vertical... but made it through like a champ. (This course designer subscribed to Gnep's school of 'scare the crap out of the rider' and his courses usually rode quite well.)

Now I subscribe to the walk it once, then don't come within 10 strides of it again theory.

My realistic fear is banks out of water - don't like that possibility of missing the "out", especially to a bounce fence. (My unnecessary fear is the Vicarage Vee at Badminton :lol:)

fanfayre

Mar. 2, 2009, 05:37 PM

Blugal- I always wanted to do that double Weldon's wall, but I've never had the chance- Fanny was either too green or unsound:(. Maybe in about 5 years when my (now 4) youngster's ready they will still be there, only about 6" lower than they are now:lol: I LOVE that course, only ever got to ride it once, though, and only at training...
My most incredible ditch 'n' jump was a Prelim trakhener with above mare at an autumn event on the lower mainland in BC- last event I did with her, as it turns out... Anyway, I had dropped my crop (hangs head in shame) two jumps back, and was pooping my pants about this jump anyway. The last time she'd been near it was 2 years previously when I had given her for the summer to one of our olympic riders, and she'd had a stop with her. I came up to it totally backseat with legs on(what little I have), preparing for the look and deke, but it must have been where I needed to be, since she sailed over it without a glance. I was so proud of her- she made me look like I actually kind of knew what I was doing!