Slightly Psycho
Kelsall Hill Intro
The thing about horses is that they are great levellers. Just when you think that you have got it cracked, they go and do something that blows it all out of the water.
It was our first event last weekend and pre-competition nerves were high, but all was going well. That in itself should have made me suspicious. Jad stood like an angel to be plaited, he loaded OK, travelled fine and was happy to be left with a haynet while we walked the course.
It was only then he started acting up. He broke the tie-ring on the horsebox by sticking his head under the rope. He then mucked about while Nick attempted to remove his rug and stamped it into the mud. (It’s wool. It doesn’t wash well).
All this was minor in comparison to his behaviour once he had a rider on board. He walked to the (hilly) dressage warm-up eventually. But only after nearly squishing several small children with the obligatory Jack Russells, that always seem to be bumbling around aimlessly at these events. He then wanted to head straight back to the wagon. He made this clear by refusing to move forward when faced away from the direction of the lorry park, and bucking before galloping off when faced towards the lorry park.
If I got off and allowed him to eat grass, he behaved like a lamb. The moment I got back on and asked him to work he freaked out again.
Discretion being the better part of valour I withdrew on the grounds of ‘my horse wants to kill me’, much to the amusement of the steward.
Still, you can’t win ‘em all. Better luck next time.