# Boxing Day helmetcam hedge hopping !



## Hoof_Prints (27 December 2014)

Hope you all had a great Christmas! 
I was lucky enough to get a helmetcam from my parents for Christmas, and it was put to good use the following day at the Atherstone boxing day meet ! I wanted to plait in the morning so set my alarm for 5am, I couldn't sleep so woke up at 3:30 instead  got to the yard for 5:30 in the pitch black. My horses live out and the fields are far back from the stables so it was a long cold trek at that time! fortunately they all came galloping down so didn't have to walk far, but it was a bit unnerving to have a few horses galloping at you in the dark ! 

Got to the meet in plenty of time all nice and spotlessly clean, I was riding my superstar 15.2hh Finn  He hunted last season but I've been hunting my youngster this season so it was his first time out, but I know he's very well behaved and of course he was perfect. I was riding with my sister on the buckskin pony, just have to give her a mention as she has been through a lot, had a pacemaker put in at age 13, has severe ulcerative colitis and now has an ileostomy bag and weak bones. She also has a few other problems but she is doesn't let it hold her back, and jumped in at the deep end with her first attempt at hedge hopping and I couldn't be more proud of her! On top of all this, her pony is very strong and a devil for refusing and it takes a skilled rider to hunt her, and she has come on leaps and bounds since my sister has been riding her 

Ok on to the photos.. 
Standing in the square























Helmet cam videos! Watch in HD or else it looks a bit rubbish
In the square and trotting through

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204836737133879&set=vb.1102423533&type=2&theater

Out jumping rails and hedge hopping ! 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204837030501213&set=vb.1102423533&type=2&theater

Amazing day


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## Bernster (27 December 2014)

I love head cam footage ! Looks like you had an amazing day. And well done to your sis too. 

What bit combo do you have in? Am in need of more brakes for my horse !


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## Hoof_Prints (27 December 2014)

Bernster said:



			I love head cam footage ! Looks like you had an amazing day. And well done to your sis too. 

What bit combo do you have in? Am in need of more brakes for my horse !
		
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She never makes a fuss or tells anyone but I think she's amazing 

Just a straight bar pelham with roundings so not that strong, I had been showjumping and team chasing in a waterford dutch gag which gave me lots of brakes! But I didn't want to hunt in it as it would be a bit uncomfortable if I had to take a few pulls, hence the pelham and squishy sheepskin curb chain  luckily it worked well and I could stop fairly easily !


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## PorkChop (27 December 2014)

Really enjoyed watching the video, thank you for posting, you have a super horse


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## JenHunt (29 December 2014)

lovely vid!!  cracking ponies you've both got!


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## Rollin (29 December 2014)

Feedback from our French jockey who loved it all.  He was amazed at Daily Mail photos of tiny tots on horseback.  Thank you all.

I think he will be keen to hunt in the UK and we have found him a French companion rider based in UK.


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## Haniki (29 December 2014)

Great videos.
Looks like you have a super horse.
Well done to your sister for not letting her condition hold her back!


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## Dottie (29 December 2014)

Great vids and lovely horses! What hat cam are you using?


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## Happy Hunter (30 December 2014)

Gosh what an exciting day! Thats about three of my days out all together!  
Just a tinsey pointer - the camera angle is quite high - I like seeing the horses head a little more


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## Hoof_Prints (30 December 2014)

Didn't see the replies on here until just now! The headcam is a Garmin Virb or so it says on the camera, yes it is a bit high! I just had to guess where it was on the helmet and hope it looked ok  Will try and lower it next time. It was an amazing day out, the chap leading the field took us over the first two hedges then got all excited that there were so many jumpers out and just set off ! My horse really is super, the little mare loves hunting, she isn't a fan of jumping showjumps but seems to like hedges!


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## Rollin (31 December 2014)

Hoof Prints your footage was just great, we enjoyed it immensely, you now have a Fan Club in France.


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## LittleRooketRider (31 December 2014)

Very envious! Just sold my cracking homebred and current horse is yet to get a taste of the hunting field, the pony I hunt for someone else is good over rails, lright over hedges, but sort of lacks that oomph/finesse that lights me up.

Sorry I'll stop whinging...looks amazing, nice horse


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## Orangehorse (31 December 2014)

Gosh that was good.  Your horse certainly deserved his carrots that night!


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## Hoof_Prints (31 December 2014)

Haha that's great Rollin! glad you enjoyed watching it  I do know what you mean LRR, it's a special kind of horse that makes hunting really enjoyable- you need a forward, brave-verging-on-insane but safe and stoppable horse ! I'm very, very fortunate to have one! Bought this horse on a whim with the intention to sell on, I just couldn't part with him, even though he's taken a lot of work to get to this stage. He's a bit pampered and had an extra large scoop of warm speedibeet and a few gingernuts in his food that night


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## LittleRooketRider (31 December 2014)

Yeah..some horses jump and then there are those that sort of explode over a fence (be it a hedge or rails, but especially hedges) and its just breathtaking, you feel invincibe on that horse.

Looks like he deserved it.


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## Hoof_Prints (31 December 2014)

LittleRoodolphRider said:



			Yeah..some horses jump and then there are those that sort of explode over a fence (be it a hedge or rails, but especially hedges) and its just breathtaking, you feel invincibe on that horse.

Looks like he deserved it.
		
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To be honest I'd take a horse that is calmer on the hunt field over one that is the opposite end of the spectrum! I have a very relaxing young connemara at the minute who I cantered in the middle of a hunt field , with no reins while on the phone  Yours sounds honest and willing  took my little mare a few times to get the idea in her head, she heard the hunting horn while out jumping one saturday and grew 2 hands then seemed to look for the nearest hedge! she was disinterested at first and couldn't be bothered to jump the fences haha.


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## LittleRooketRider (31 December 2014)

Oh I don't mean explode as in go crazy, I mean the way they just ping over it, you sort of feel the perfectly time "release" of a spring and it feels like flying.


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## Starbucks (8 January 2015)

Looks like you had an fab day!!  Lovely ponies too, and your sis sounds like a star!


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## Bernster (8 January 2015)

Hoof_Prints said:



			Haha that's great Rollin! glad you enjoyed watching it  I do know what you mean LRR, it's a special kind of horse that makes hunting really enjoyable- you need a forward, brave-verging-on-insane but safe and stoppable horse ! I'm very, very fortunate to have one! Bought this horse on a whim with the intention to sell on, I just couldn't part with him, even though he's taken a lot of work to get to this stage. He's a bit pampered and had an extra large scoop of warm speedibeet and a few gingernuts in his food that night 

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Hmm if I can sort out the stoppable bit of that I'll be happy as mine def has the rest. Was too strong out last time, not entirely sure why. Am working on it and have a Tom thumb on order before we next head out !!  Which is why I was asking about your bit &#128513;


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## JenHunt (9 January 2015)

I'mt he same Bernster, Ron is awesome to hunt, apart from it's like stopping a run away oil tanker at times! Double bridle is the only thing that works for us (mostly!), that and plenty of hunting so that he settles down. He's 21 this year though, so not sure he'll ever grow out of it now!


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## Bernster (9 January 2015)

Blimey two bits two reins ? I think I'd get caught up in knots! It'll be trial and hopefully not too many errors but Tom thumb next then poss a Pelham or Waterford gag. I shouldn't complain your boy is a bigger beast I really should be able to contain mine!!



JenHunt said:



			I'mt he same Bernster, Ron is awesome to hunt, apart from it's like stopping a run away oil tanker at times! Double bridle is the only thing that works for us (mostly!), that and plenty of hunting so that he settles down. He's 21 this year though, so not sure he'll ever grow out of it now! 

Click to expand...


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## Hoof_Prints (9 January 2015)

Bernster, the buckskin pony is an absolute tank of a mare and it just took a few times out to calm her down and also work in the school on transitions over and over again until almost just sitting back got her to stop. She was very difficult last season and just tanked, but is better on her second season. Out hunting hauling on the reins now stops her  it's still not pretty, but at least she stops. We tried all sorts on her and the tom thumb was actually pretty good, worth a try! The waterford dutch gag gives my horse good brakes when needed, might try a grackle on him as he does cross his jaw and they look a bit comfier than a flash. It's also worth looking in to combination bits and the possibility of putting a hackamore on as well as a bit, or something like a kineton noseband to add more brakes! My friend has a cob that hunts in a dr bristol with a german hackamore on too and I think it's linked up somehow to use just one rein. Just food for thought, I've tried most things on the mare when she was in her unstoppable phase!


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## JenHunt (9 January 2015)

Bernster said:



			Blimey two bits two reins ? I think I'd get caught up in knots! It'll be trial and hopefully not too many errors but Tom thumb next then poss a Pelham or Waterford gag. I shouldn't complain your boy is a bigger beast I really should be able to contain mine!!
		
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yup - it does take a bit of practice, but I hardly notice now! He is a big lad though, at 650kg  that said, the double gives me the option of being nice to him and riding on the bradoon rein when he's being nice to me. He'll swing along in a trot on the buckle end when we're on a road/track, but get him into a gallop in a field and I've got less brakes, put a jump in front of us and I've not got a hope in anywhere hot and fiery... 

we tried, though not in this order...: a 4 ring gag (made him go up and cut his mouth), a myler combination (worked for a while then he learnt to yank his head down and forwards to get out of it and unseat me), a pelham (better, but would go up very easily still), a tom thumb (just wasn't happy in it).... 

in the end my instructor thought a double might be best, and we haven't looked back. The next stage was to try a hackamore and or a waterford. He's so responsive at home it makes it really difficult to test things! As soon as i lighten my seat he's off, and as soon as i sit up he slows down, and he'll wait all day for a jump if there's nobody else to get there first!


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## Bernster (9 January 2015)

Sorry for hi-jacking OP but am v grateful for the info from you and JenHunt.  Mine's never shown a tendency to go up so am hoping we don't find that as a new evasion but I realise it's a risk with a stronger bit.  Am also in the same position JenH, this only happened on the hunt field - xc, sp rides, gallops, schooling etc., good as gold (fast but stoppable).  There are some possible reasons though so am trying to rule those out in combination with trying different bits.  Fingers crossed!


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