Horseriding Zara

Gosh GILLY your poor DIL, how is she faring now ? Does she feel at all nervous round the horse ? Or has she put it down to a "One off"?

Deedaa My DIL was leading her own and a friends horse out of the field and back into the stable. She thinks her horse was jealous and basically they both reared up and trampled on her leg and face. She was "lucky" that she only ended up with a broken leg, cheek bone and a face like she had done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. She managed to curl into a ball which probably saved her from a much more serious injury. Girls and their horses eh???? I can understand your feelings about the bike, I would have felt the same.

When my daughter was small we bought a bike for her from Lord Falmouth's Estate Manager. Shortly afterwards his daughter, who had owned the bike, was killed turning her pony out into the field. It just kicked up its heels as she let it go and caught her on the head. I accidently reversed the car over the bike one afternoon and was quite pleased as I was never quite happy having it around after the accident. The moral is always keep a pony facing you and back it through the gate and move smartly out of range as soon as you let it loose.

My grandaughters (5 and 7) have been riding since they could sit up. To see them ( very confidently) jumping fences is enough to scare the living daylights out of me.

My DIL has only just recovered from a nasty accident she had when she was trampled when bringing two (rival) horses in from the field.

Just googled it and ,yes, Zara did have a fall at Barbury. Another girl died recently when her horse lifted it's head suddenly and hit her in the face as she was riding it. I know of someone that was killed whilst putting her horses back into the field when one kicked out at her. Years ago I asked my farrier if he would just nip into the field and get our old pony for me and he said there was no way he'd go into a field where there were horses he didn't know, and he'd worked with them for years. Was stood next to another friend who was stroking a horse and, with no warning she kicked forward at him and just missed . She then moved to another yard and broke someone's arm. Dangerous things, horses whether you're on their backs or stood next to them.

Apparently , when Anne was congratulated at Stornaway , on her daughter"s pregnancy , she looked puzzled , then replied "OH it was nothing to do with me .

Gracious as ever !!

Laura Collett had a terrible fall at Barbury; still in intensive care as far as I know .

Zara did come off her horse at the weekend at Barbury horse trials.or did someone already say this ? If so sorry I mentioned it but I think Bags said she would never fall off ( or should t hat be "thrown")

Oh it is all to do with betting in races but it still means that horses carrying lighter weights in other competitive sports have an advantage if it involves a speed trial of any kind [otherwise the handicapping system wouldn't work]. I mean some showjumping blokes are enormous .

Yes, Christopher Reeve. Horrible indeed. It doesn't take much to just fall awkwardly, at the wrong angle and do real damage. My daughter once fell badly at a x-cross country event and a member of the public (a nurse) wanted her to put her head between her knees! Another young rider who was walking the course had to intervene and told her to lie still untill the ambulance could get to her. Jockeys too are often injured. And of course horses sadly.
Tegan I think the system of handicapping race horses has a lot to do with the practice of betting on races and it tries to level the changes a bit more?

Christopher Reeve. That was horrible, wasn't it. I find the weight thing in showjumping very strange because there must be a difference in weight of several stones sometimes, and it must surely be easier for a horse to jump a fence with a lot less weight on it's back? But then you'd have to take into account the heaviest rider and the other horses would have masses of lead to carry. In racing one pound equates to one length [I think] when horses are being handicapped so a lighter rider in a cross country event would surely bring the time down [?]. We've got one rider currently paralysed from the neck down and another one in an induced coma but very much hope that it isn't as bad as that . So glad my daughter never wanted to ride in a competitive way or that my son wanted to be a jockey.

PS sorry I didn't read your post I obviously missed that one but it was a 3-grandchild day and I was probably distracted.

Ana my feelings were not hurt, in fact you made me LOL. I'm pretty robust emotionally (these days) and I knew it was was a joke
Perhaps I should have said 'gently mocked'. My adult children are always 'mocking' me but in an affectionate way, which makes me smile as it shows they know me well.

I did not 'mock' you, Aka!

It was a joke, albeit one which showed me up in a rather bad light as I was miffed that you had not read my post about J08 having a basket on her bike!

i really didn't intend your feelings to be hurt, and I'm sorry if they were...

J0

Grace pretty please will you stop attacking every thing I say. I'm sure Tegan could see the humour in my post and didn't take offence. Neither did I the offence when Ana mocked me, I deserved it!
I am speaking about x-country from a position of knowledge as a course builder and one who organised the North West Area Trials. Yes, the fences are horrendous, but anyone who attempts to simply jump them at speed is going to come a cropper. There are choices to be made on every course. Some jumps you have to take a speed others you need to count strides, slow up, steady the horse etc. this is the reason that the riders, like jockeys, walk the course first to work out lines of approach, pacing, strides, etc.
Tegan is also correct that men and women compete on equal terms. No, there is no weight restrictions in eventing or show jumping.
Riding is a dangerous sport. Look what happened to Superman (sorry I forget his name) and that was 'only' show jumping.

No brain needed round 'ere Aka.

Very good nanaej. But even I can see the down sides to some of those!

Much as I go racing a lot it freaks me out watching cross country. I know the fences are slightly smaller than steeplechase fences but when I see the width of some of them [and how solid they are; I mean, they jump cars sometimes ] it terrifies me. The girl that took over Kauto Star to train him for dressage had a terrible accident the other day doing cross country; we're hoping vey much that it isn't as bad as at first thought . You've still got to jump those fences at speed or you'd never get across them. Thinking about it, it's one of the few sports where men and women compete at the same level. I've often wondered if they all have to carry the same weight [I've wondered about that with show jumping as well]. Time for a quick google, methinks....

And some of us do, Aka - Tegan made a totally valid point which didn't merit your mocking dismissal.

Sorry was having a bad brain day Ana ...still am in fact.

And the dressage Tegan, I meant three day eventing is a mixture of events not just show jumping and x-country and you'd not get very far if you 'hurdled' your horse at these very solid fences. Many of them need to be taken in a balanced and careful way, even if they are travelling.
I know you're a racing enthusiast so I expect you know about this anyway, but others may not.

thehorsenutritionist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/thelwell.jpg

totcycle.com/blog/baby-on-bike-breakthroughs.html

I like a few illustrations ..I am a visual learner!

That was to jings.

Pish!

That was to Bags