The Midget Ginga had been getting quietly more confident with his jumping, Saarin having jumped him and found him very obliging, and said that he never questioned, and she never doubted him.
However, the following week he just seemed to be a little less confident, more spooky at the jumps, and jumping with a lot more 'suspicion' (concerning as these were jumps he was used to jumping).
Then the next week, he seemed a little worse, including stopping at the jumps, even in the middle of a grid (depositing me in the process)
I was starting to get worried, as I could not understand why he would be going backwards - nothing had happened to dent his confidence (to my knowledge), and he should have been improving. His resistances were also getting a little worse.
Then the clincher.....
Get on, long stirrups, long reins, chatting away.......BOOM!!
Real bucking bronco stuff, back arched , grunts on each post four legged landing, to repeat, no slowing down, no diminishing, indeed each buck bigger than the last.....I think I lasted about three or four consecutive bucks (which I guess is not too bad considering I was not AT ALL expecting that!)
Had no idea what the problem could be.
Hindsight!! - he had also been getting very grumpy to handle, would just about eat you if you brushed him, and just putting the saddle on was a death wish.
Thanks to Kelsey for getting on him....at which there were the couple of staggery strides....and some stops at jumps, with google eyes.....hmmmm STAGGERS!!
Looking back through the riding diary, after the time Saarin jumped him, I had been away competing with Sampson, and so he had been given free access to grass (having been inside and off grass, or yarded off grass)....and the weekend before the bucking bronco escapade, as Saarin had been home, he also had his tape moved each day....even more tummy length grass!!
So, it was back OFF the grass again, and onto dirt patch with twice daily feeds plus hay.11
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