catembi
Well-Known Member
The highs and lows of horses can be summed up in this one weekend! Luckily the low came first!
I have now had Cody for about 3 months, I am *still* having planning issues with getting an arena at home so we have been whizzing about doing clinics etc & started competing low level sj. So far, we have competed up to about 70 cm. This weekend was our first ever dressage comp, a local walk-trot test. We arrived (somewhere we've jumped a few times), it was tipping it down, himself was NOT impressed. We had a walk around, and the first time I asked for trot, he stuck his head down, shot sideways & it was all downhill from there really. He is normally super-chilled, so when the controls appear to have been randomly reprogrammed, I am at a loss. So every time I asked him to do something, he did something *else* - threatened to rear, turned in the wrong direction etc. I thought it would probably be better to get off & w/d, but instead went for a walk around the lorry park, then just took him straight in.
It was pretty much a disaster - spooking at the boards & flowers, trying to nap, randomly exploding, but we got round and there was the odd fleeting second of good work. Three positives from the whole thing: 1) I didn't fall off (despite being thoughtfully provided with plenty of opportunities) 2) I remembered the test and 3) my plaits looked good! There are photos but quite bad ones as eldery o/h is not that good on the iPhone.
I was quite despondent afterwards, wondering if my 5 yo was turning into an unrideable monster. I bought him as he's v laid back, and I really can't be doing with sharp horses. It is especially tricky without a school as I can't lunge etc. We also had a similar performance last time we jumped there. So when I saw a dr clinic near me today, I leapt at it!
Tipping it down again, & v luckily Cody behaved just the same as he did yesterday - spooking, threatening to rear, steering going haywire etc. Trainer wasn't phased, said to put him on a circle right in the middle, away from the 'spooky' edges - and within minutes, and without me doing anything, he relaxed, wound his neck in & was perfectly rideable. He did some really, really nice work & it's probably the best he's *ever* gone! I am so pleased with him!
I have also booked a lesson at the spooky venue for mid-week to see if we can crack that one as well. I am just having the best time imaginable trundling about in my little lorry doing all sorts of things!
I have now had Cody for about 3 months, I am *still* having planning issues with getting an arena at home so we have been whizzing about doing clinics etc & started competing low level sj. So far, we have competed up to about 70 cm. This weekend was our first ever dressage comp, a local walk-trot test. We arrived (somewhere we've jumped a few times), it was tipping it down, himself was NOT impressed. We had a walk around, and the first time I asked for trot, he stuck his head down, shot sideways & it was all downhill from there really. He is normally super-chilled, so when the controls appear to have been randomly reprogrammed, I am at a loss. So every time I asked him to do something, he did something *else* - threatened to rear, turned in the wrong direction etc. I thought it would probably be better to get off & w/d, but instead went for a walk around the lorry park, then just took him straight in.
It was pretty much a disaster - spooking at the boards & flowers, trying to nap, randomly exploding, but we got round and there was the odd fleeting second of good work. Three positives from the whole thing: 1) I didn't fall off (despite being thoughtfully provided with plenty of opportunities) 2) I remembered the test and 3) my plaits looked good! There are photos but quite bad ones as eldery o/h is not that good on the iPhone.
I was quite despondent afterwards, wondering if my 5 yo was turning into an unrideable monster. I bought him as he's v laid back, and I really can't be doing with sharp horses. It is especially tricky without a school as I can't lunge etc. We also had a similar performance last time we jumped there. So when I saw a dr clinic near me today, I leapt at it!
Tipping it down again, & v luckily Cody behaved just the same as he did yesterday - spooking, threatening to rear, steering going haywire etc. Trainer wasn't phased, said to put him on a circle right in the middle, away from the 'spooky' edges - and within minutes, and without me doing anything, he relaxed, wound his neck in & was perfectly rideable. He did some really, really nice work & it's probably the best he's *ever* gone! I am so pleased with him!
I have also booked a lesson at the spooky venue for mid-week to see if we can crack that one as well. I am just having the best time imaginable trundling about in my little lorry doing all sorts of things!
