Camp report

Bright and early Wed morning we set off down to Three Maids Chasers near Winchester for a 2day residential camp.  Settled Monty into his stable and met our instructor for the 2days who fortunately was an eventer who has competed to Intermediate.

We started off by heading out onto the XC course - did a little bit of flat to warm them up - got told to put stirrups up a hole to help stabilise lower leg and then we went to play with some fences.  He started off pretty sticky which is quite normal for him but we got him going.  Then he tried to do a huge nap on the way to a scary haycart type fence and bogged off sideways back towards the group.  Full cheek snaffles not always the best for horses that do this as they just set against them.  Anyway, got back on with it and kicked on over the scary fence.  We played with the water and then did a skinny coming up a step out of the water then few strides then skinny which he did well.  Unfortunately couldn't play with jumping into water as too deep.  We then did big drop down to a roll top which he did very genuinely and stayed nice and straight.  Then gave everyone a lead over the ditch on the way home.

In the afternoon we went and did some SJing.  When the jumps were around 80cm he was super happy just popping them in a really steady canter and we got a great stride to every jump.  That canter doesn't have the power to jump the bigger fences though.  We worked on using a single barrel as a jump and he did run out the left when we took the guide poles away so just stuck with the guide poles for this session as a new exercise for him.  then we made it into a double of single blue barrels with guide poles and 2 strides in between which he jumped well.  We did an upright and then a choice of doglegs, left to planks or right to another upright and then made it all into a course.  Then for me he put them all up to 1m-1.05m and we popped round them but still in our little canter which meant we couldn't make the related distances and he knocked them all down.  So, then we had to make a bigger more forwards canter, see a bigger stride and open him up which then meant we could make the related distances and he jumped clear.

The next morning we went back out on the XC, this time with instructor riding as well so we could go round the whole UKChasers course.  First of all we strung together a little course of our own choice.  Avoided the napping back to the group but made the mistake of cantering through the water to the skinny and he ducked out the left so trotted back through and he jumped it fine.  If in doubt - trot!  Then we moved on round the course - started with a combination through some woods which is similar to the one at Munstead so v good practice.  Started by popping over rails then down a step, back up a step and over a skinny log - got told we did it far too steady and managed to fit 5 strides in a 3 stride distance from step to log and to go back and ride it!  So we did and got the 3 strides and told that's how to do it!  Then we did a bigger rails in, step down then really steep hill up, over log then back down and out over another log.  Really unbalancing all those hills but v good practice for Munstead.  Onwards to a ditch which Monty gave a good lead over and then we had a lovely canter up the hill and considering most of them overtook him he was very good.  Jumped the trakehner no probs then onto a bank complex with some little skinny chairs after.  Let 2 of them go ahead and we popped off the step, several strides then skinny then opened him up and flew the big PN height corner followed by PN height and width big box fence.  Back to the bank complex and did step up, step down and much closer skinny chair and he never felt like wavering so v pleased with that.  Finished with a big table and then a skinny arrowhead and big pats :)

Afternoon involved a dressage test which he was pooped for but it wasn't bad.  Bit lacking sparkle but he did everything where it should be and tried to give me a bit of decent medium trot.  Got 8 for 1st centre line and also for the canter-trot-canter trans on the 20m circle right rein.  Rest 6's and 7's.  Felt like he was swinging his quarters a lot and generally against the hand and again, couldn't get a nice still final halt.  We then worked on getting him straighter on the left rein by using outside flexion but he was kinda knackered by this point - so much so he was just ignoring me completely when I asked for trot.  Basically conclusion is I dont have control of his shoulders which is why the quarters are swinging and we are getting far too much neck bend on the left rein and losing the right shoulder.

Really pleased with how he coped with being away - he ate well and seemed really settled in his temporary stable compared to how he was at the RC Nationals which was obviously a huge atmosphere.  Good for him to go away and it be a lot more chilled.

Had a great time and learnt loads!