I'm riding bill in the mini grand national

[Jump The Moon]

Ok, I am sooooo excited! :p
Billy is fast.
I may have issues though with so many others galloping, but hey it's great fun :):)

There's a mini grand national at the christmas show at my local riding club.
I'm gonna enter Billy hopefully :D
So basically, any tips on how to get him quick off the mark literally?
any tips on beating people lol?
I'm not competitive much, but I've always wanted to do this so :p

Billy is gonna love it me thinks anything for a good charge :D

[JackieB]

Just be careful and have fun!

[Kara]

teach him to take off faster I guess lol

[Jump The Moon]

Lol, I'm gonna work on walk to canter lots :)
and then maybe halt to canter.
It's for fun, buut I am so excited. I always wanted to let him race :)
I shall be wearing my eventing body protector (it's made by race safe - originally for racing lol) and a helmet :)

[dame_wolf]

Sounds like you'll have fun! Good luck!

[Jump The Moon]

thank you everyone :)

[PoniesRock101]

Good luck Rach! you'll do amazing!:D

[Jump The Moon]

Good luck Rach! you'll do amazing!:D

I really hope Billy and I enjoy it together :) That's my only wish.

[allie0]

gooooooood luck =D

[lacyloo]

is it english or western? lol Have fun ! And be safe.

[Remali]

Oh wow that sounds like a riot! When is it? I remember seeing the Grand National on TV once a long time ago.....what a wild race, it looks like a blast! The mini version should be really fun for you and Billy.

[dustys_girlly]

one thing to remember when doing really fast starts is a breast collar!!! i have had my saddle slide back so many times when dusty takes off. but she does jumping take offs. on thing that might help get faster takeoff is rollbacks. getting them really working off their hindend to give them that big push.

[RayLa]

omg good luck!!!
I know you two will have an amazingly fantabulous timee!!!

[JackieB]

This isn't anything like the Grand National at Aintree, is it? I've got enough trouble worrying about you and all of our other treasured forumers already. :)

[Gypsy Rose]

Sounds like lots of fun! Looking forward to hearing about it!

[Jump The Moon]

Thanks everyone, it's english ;)

Lol aww Jackie, no. It's a mini version - so the fences wont be anything near that height lol.
They can't be anything too big, because they haven't specified on the schedule any heights lol.
And I don't think Helen wants to kill everyone (she owns the RC- we're freinds) :p

Yep, I figured a good start would be useful ;) I have a lesson today and I'm going to ask if we can work on walk/halt to canter transitions etc. :D:D

[shewasmyshadow]

The breast collar sounds like a good idea. Also maybe practice doing a western gaming pattern that we call Pole Weaving. I would think it might simulate how you would weave through other riders on the course. It would be good for Billy.

Oh and the most important thing of all... WE WANT PICTURES OR BETTER YET A VIDEO!!!!! :D:D:D

[shewasmyshadow]

Oh and one more thing... If people are wondering what the Grand National is then rent a movie called National Velvet. That is a classic!! I used to watch it every night when I was a little girl. ;)

[GrungeEquestrian]

Good luck and have fun. I'm so jealous, I've always wanted to do something like that with Trouble...she has all QH racing blood in her and it shows :rolleyes:. I think you've got the idea, work on halt to canter...start off easier at a slower jog, than walk, half halt, then halt.

[Jump The Moon]

UPDATE:
Ok, so today was day one of training lol
I had a lesson so before we started jumping we did some walk to canter.
My teacher thought we might need to go to a big field and let rip a few times for him to get the hang, but oh no, Billy was literally leaping into it by the second attempt lol and continued to be lit up for the rest of the ride xD Considering how much more fizzy he is out places, I don't think we'll be having any trouble gettin' all gee'd up for it lol :p Yup! Pole bending sounds like a really good idea. I think I'm gonna practise some :D:D

Thank you all so much! :)

[MyMia]

That sounds like fun! Good luck, and be safe!

[WashingtonBay]

It does sound like fun, I hope there will be pictures!

[Gliderider]

That sounds like a really fun time..Best of luck and be safe. Like WB I hope there will be some pictures.:)

[KittySawrus]

OMG MINI GNs!!! My riding instructors keep telling us we're gonna have one on the XC course with all the wee ponies xD would be a HOOT!
Basically I'm gonna imitate your instructor:
OK, to help getting him used to quick-off-the-markness, practise direct transitions in the school. The key to these is not to rely too heavily on your brakes, or the horse will get confused and unhappy (rearing, broncing - been there done that :p). You can read more about them online or in any good schooling exercises book.
Take him out on some hacks with good-footing, practice your direct upwards transitions here (particularly halt-canter, walk-gallop) where there's more room to play if he gets ahead of himself.

[Jump The Moon]

OMG MINI GNs!!! My riding instructors keep telling us we're gonna have one on the XC course with all the wee ponies xD would be a HOOT!
Basically I'm gonna imitate your instructor:
OK, to help getting him used to quick-off-the-markness, practise direct transitions in the school. The key to these is not to rely too heavily on your brakes, or the horse will get confused and unhappy (rearing, broncing - been there done that :p). You can read more about them online or in any good schooling exercises book.
Take him out on some hacks with good-footing, practice your direct upwards transitions here (particularly halt-canter, walk-gallop) where there's more room to play if he gets ahead of himself.

Thanks, yeah that's pretty much what my teacher said :)
He clicked practically straight away! :D:D

[Jump The Moon]

and to everybody, thank you all for your good luck and safe wishes :)
I will be wearing my helmet and racesafe body protector and I'll try and ride the best I can :)