alwaysbroke
Well-Known Member
So Dark Knight and V were entered for their final BE90 at Oasby on Sat and daughter and her mare B were at Eland doing the 80cm Eventer Trial on Sunday, I was groom/ general dogs body for both!
DK had late times on Sat and daughter was looking after Mini DK for the day so the morning was quite leisurely, didn't have to leave the yard till 11.
V travelled well and stood nicely for me to plait him when we arrived, he is a big lad and my arms always ache when I have finished
DK had decided to take V for a bit of a hack before warming up for dressage so I was able to go and walk the course and watch some sj'ing. The ground was spot on and the course fair quite alot of skinnies and a corner in an open field.
Waiting for dressage test
DK was very happy with the way V went in the dressage it is hard to connect such a big horse in a 20 x 40 arena but we both felt that V did his best test of the season. At the end of the test the dressage judge got out of her car to speak to DK, (always worrying !) but it was to say that she thought V was a super horse and when connected a little more would be scoring much higher marks
Onto the sj'ing. Have had a few problems with poles coming down so this week have tried something new. V has always been a very difficult horse to bit, even the mildest snaffle can cause him to back off and throw his head, so time to try a hackamore. What a difference a horse who felt his size, going forward and not throwing his head, enabling him to concentrate on the jumps and making 1m20 look like 75 cms at home.
As DK started his round they announced his dressage score 33.5 so pleased with that. Jumped the first 3 nicely then DK just checked him before 4 as he felt he was running on too much (didn't look like it from the floor but I am sure it certainly felt like it on board!) and had it down. Cleared 5 then checked again before 6 and had that down. Jumped the rest beautifully. So alot learnt, just trust V and sit very still, which I think is much easier said than done!
Onto the xc, DK delighted with the way V went, trotted through the water, at the 2 skinny logs and into the corner, so clear with 4 time penalties a good finish to the season
First fence
Last fence
This season has taught DK alot about V and V alot about eventing. The plan for the winter is to try to find a dressage legal bit that V is as happy and as forward in as the hackamore, this could take some time! To go out and do some dressage tests and a bit of sj'ing and to carry on having fun
Love this pic so had to include it
Got home very late knowing it was going to be a long day on Sunday as well
Daughter no2 was very happy that she was having a day competing to herself. Her mare B is an ex racer she is now 16 very set in her ways, is a safe but not easy ride we often say 'B knows Best' which is not always the case!
The eventer trial was sj'ing on surface then onto the xc course no dressage which appealed to Dno2!
B tries to take charge when sj'ing and isn't known for her clear rounds, in fact the only clear round she has had previously was with Dno2, so we were delighted with another
Onto the xc had quite a wait in the warm up and B became a little unsettled so unusually I had to lead her to the start .They set off well and had a very confident clear round, admittedly too fast, but safe. B knows her way around Eland and covers the ground very well. Dno2 now knows how to judge their speed better now as the last time they went round they were much too slow! So again a very pleasing day with a happy horse and a very happy rider
Dark Knight and I would like to say a huge thank you to his very generous sponsor this season we really have enjoyed working with you
Thanks for reading coffee and homemade Rockey Road on offer
DK had late times on Sat and daughter was looking after Mini DK for the day so the morning was quite leisurely, didn't have to leave the yard till 11.
V travelled well and stood nicely for me to plait him when we arrived, he is a big lad and my arms always ache when I have finished
DK had decided to take V for a bit of a hack before warming up for dressage so I was able to go and walk the course and watch some sj'ing. The ground was spot on and the course fair quite alot of skinnies and a corner in an open field.
Waiting for dressage test
DK was very happy with the way V went in the dressage it is hard to connect such a big horse in a 20 x 40 arena but we both felt that V did his best test of the season. At the end of the test the dressage judge got out of her car to speak to DK, (always worrying !) but it was to say that she thought V was a super horse and when connected a little more would be scoring much higher marks
Onto the sj'ing. Have had a few problems with poles coming down so this week have tried something new. V has always been a very difficult horse to bit, even the mildest snaffle can cause him to back off and throw his head, so time to try a hackamore. What a difference a horse who felt his size, going forward and not throwing his head, enabling him to concentrate on the jumps and making 1m20 look like 75 cms at home.
As DK started his round they announced his dressage score 33.5 so pleased with that. Jumped the first 3 nicely then DK just checked him before 4 as he felt he was running on too much (didn't look like it from the floor but I am sure it certainly felt like it on board!) and had it down. Cleared 5 then checked again before 6 and had that down. Jumped the rest beautifully. So alot learnt, just trust V and sit very still, which I think is much easier said than done!
Onto the xc, DK delighted with the way V went, trotted through the water, at the 2 skinny logs and into the corner, so clear with 4 time penalties a good finish to the season
First fence
Last fence
This season has taught DK alot about V and V alot about eventing. The plan for the winter is to try to find a dressage legal bit that V is as happy and as forward in as the hackamore, this could take some time! To go out and do some dressage tests and a bit of sj'ing and to carry on having fun
Love this pic so had to include it
Got home very late knowing it was going to be a long day on Sunday as well
Daughter no2 was very happy that she was having a day competing to herself. Her mare B is an ex racer she is now 16 very set in her ways, is a safe but not easy ride we often say 'B knows Best' which is not always the case!
The eventer trial was sj'ing on surface then onto the xc course no dressage which appealed to Dno2!
B tries to take charge when sj'ing and isn't known for her clear rounds, in fact the only clear round she has had previously was with Dno2, so we were delighted with another
Onto the xc had quite a wait in the warm up and B became a little unsettled so unusually I had to lead her to the start .They set off well and had a very confident clear round, admittedly too fast, but safe. B knows her way around Eland and covers the ground very well. Dno2 now knows how to judge their speed better now as the last time they went round they were much too slow! So again a very pleasing day with a happy horse and a very happy rider
Dark Knight and I would like to say a huge thank you to his very generous sponsor this season we really have enjoyed working with you
Thanks for reading coffee and homemade Rockey Road on offer
.
Yes the lack of a dressage test was a real highlight
Interesting re the Micklem its something DK has mentioned trying but I will need to investigate to see if they do them in an XF. The hackamore was a bit of a jump in at the deep end we really didn't know how he would react to it, fortunately it was hugely positive, in any snaffle no matter how mild he always doesn't want to take a contact and go forward, he feels like riding a very light in front 16.2. In the hackamore he feels amazing and rides like his size, but I am relived its DK jumping him not me
