Manawatu A&P

Manawatu A&P show up at Manfeild park on the 6th & 7th. Just Neo and Gem with me, as Xev still a bit off. Saturday was the ring class type stuff, and Sunday the jumping for me. Swifty came up on the Saturday and snapped a few pics.

Neo was well-behaved in his in-hand classes (he always is, I think I need to work out how to wake him up!). A ribbon in one of his classes, but only due to light entries. Still - it is really good for him to go out and not just always do jumping.

Then Gem had working hunters, she was super bouncy for the first class but by the open lightweight she had settled down quite nicely. She jumped great and never worried about the fences at all... however the gallop was a bit hairy (also very slippery! which made for some amusing moments while both ponies and hacks were trying to pull up at the other end). Gem picked up a 3rd, and I was really stoked with how she jumped.

Sunday Gem did showhunters, and was super in the 90cm first year registered class - but then I carried on and did the 1m and just did not give her enough of a forward ride and we had a stop at the last fence. That is so very out of character for Gem and I am very disappointed that I overfaced her and let her down like that. She is such a brave girl and really seems to enjoy the jumping. So she is currently having a couple of weeks with no real jumping, just trotting poles and a few crossbars to make sure her confidence doesn't get dented.

Neo was supposed to do the 1.10m class on Sunday, but after looking at the surface in the crusher dust arena I felt it was just too hard (a lot of horses jumped great on saturday and came out sunday not going very well in that ring, I suspect due to the ground). So I just had him in the 1m & 1.05m. I put the stronger bit on him for the small class, and he pulled a bit in the first round, but was ok... then the jumpoff he was not jumping as nicely so pulled a couple rails. I think that is due to being worried about the stronger bit. So for the 1.05 I came back with his mullen mouth leather bit, and couldn't even get him to listen to me at all over the practise fence. I didn't want to put him back in the stronger bit, so I just scratched him and went home.