HufflyPuffly
Well-Known Member
It's been a quiet time for the past few months with Skylla taking 3 weeks to pop an abscess, and my ex vets ballsing up quite spectacularly with Topaz which meant for 6 weeks off before I could get her booked in with the veterinary hospital.
However all have now been given to go ahead to start work again, so we had a couple of quiet weeks, hacking, lunging and doing pole work. Last weekend we took them up to the gallops for some fitness work.
Skylla is figuring her legs out about how to go fast :lol:, but still has the stamina of a sloth
. However she is, as ever, so lovely to take out 
. Topaz enjoyed herself but is so not fast though she is deceptively fit! I then went fence judging at the British Riding club ODE at Somerford on the Sunday, had a top day and saw lots of seriously classy horses!
Onto this weekend and first up we took Doodle and Topaz for a hack, the oldie does like to get out every now and again and has taken to screaming the place down when left behind (with the rest of the herd mind), so I think she doesn't want to be totally retired just yet
.
I then decided now was the time to really do some proper jump training with little Skylla, :eek3:, now she's popped the odd log but nothing too structured. Made a little line of canter poles to a small cross and she had a whale of a time :lol:! Left it there but think it will be definitely incorporated into our weekly schedule from now on.
[video]https://www.facebook.com/LeapofFaithDressage/videos/665202780332252/[/video]
(hope the link works I may have broken my phone so cannot upload it to youtube sorry!)
Onto yesterday and I've had to do many a rethink this year with my dressage plans for Topaz! I think we're back on track now with Medium regionals (she qualified surprisingly easily :eek3, and we'll see if we can squeeze another Adv Med sheet out for AF's but our only option is AM98 :eek3:!
So we already had the Q for regionals, vet said bring back into work and crack on, so I entered Somerford :eek3:. Thinking I should probably try and get her out as it has been 2 months from our last comp and only three weeks back in work we headed over to Cockshot for a bash at M61 and the regional test M75.
First up M61 and we both decided it was just too hot!!! So a little rusty, wobbly and just a touch flail'y in places. An unsurprising and fair 61% for fourth place.
However this gave me the kick up the bum to actually ride in the second test and stop wilting about, like a wilty melty thing. Topaz was not a fan of this new found energy and definitely felt sleeping was more favorable :rolleyes3:! However bless the little fatty hippo, she pulled her socks up with grace and gave it a good shot :thumbup:. The canter-halt was pretty well controlled, first SI was good, 10m circle nice, travers I had to give her a bit of a kick to say go on . Half-passes felt nice, just need a bit more of the pizzazz I know she has. We go a bit head tilty in the second SI and I didn't position the second travers well enough. Mediums definitely didn't really happen, but then it is her weakest part. Walk we scored 7 for collected but an 8 for extended :lol: (we love the heat ), our right pirouette is always sticky but we are getting better and managed a decent 6.5 (left got a 7 woo). Canter I thought went well, but judge not quite as much of a fan with mostly 6.5's, but again her weaker pace so I just need to really get her supple and in self-carriage. First simple change we collapsed in a heap a little so a deserved 5 , but second was much more balanced for a 7! Final halt managed a 7.5 too, (we are good a standing still :lol.
Managed 66% for second place, which for the regional test I'm really pleased with her. Everything felt good we just need to sharpen it all up, neaten up the lateral work with positioning and get that relaxed, engaged, self-carriage that's really easy to achieve right. Bring on regionals, go go fatty hippo :lol:!
Plus I think she has lost a bit of weight?
I have salted caramel cookies for anyone who gets to the end of all that waffle :lol:!
However all have now been given to go ahead to start work again, so we had a couple of quiet weeks, hacking, lunging and doing pole work. Last weekend we took them up to the gallops for some fitness work.
Skylla is figuring her legs out about how to go fast :lol:, but still has the stamina of a sloth
. However she is, as ever, so lovely to take out . Topaz enjoyed herself but is so not fast though she is deceptively fit! I then went fence judging at the British Riding club ODE at Somerford on the Sunday, had a top day and saw lots of seriously classy horses!Onto this weekend and first up we took Doodle and Topaz for a hack, the oldie does like to get out every now and again and has taken to screaming the place down when left behind (with the rest of the herd mind), so I think she doesn't want to be totally retired just yet
.
I then decided now was the time to really do some proper jump training with little Skylla, :eek3:, now she's popped the odd log but nothing too structured. Made a little line of canter poles to a small cross and she had a whale of a time :lol:! Left it there but think it will be definitely incorporated into our weekly schedule from now on
.[video]https://www.facebook.com/LeapofFaithDressage/videos/665202780332252/[/video]
(hope the link works I may have broken my phone
so cannot upload it to youtube sorry!)Onto yesterday and I've had to do many a rethink this year with my dressage plans for Topaz! I think we're back on track now with Medium regionals (she qualified surprisingly easily :eek3
, and we'll see if we can squeeze another Adv Med sheet out for AF's but our only option is AM98 :eek3:!So we already had the Q for regionals, vet said bring back into work and crack on, so I entered Somerford :eek3:. Thinking I should probably try and get her out as it has been 2 months from our last comp and only three weeks back in work we headed over to Cockshot for a bash at M61 and the regional test M75.
First up M61 and we both decided it was just too hot!!! So a little rusty, wobbly and just a touch flail'y in places
. An unsurprising and fair 61% for fourth place.However this gave me the kick up the bum to actually ride in the second test and stop wilting about, like a wilty melty thing
. Topaz was not a fan of this new found energy and definitely felt sleeping was more favorable :rolleyes3:! However bless the little fatty hippo, she pulled her socks up with grace and gave it a good shot :thumbup:. The canter-halt was pretty well controlled, first SI was good, 10m circle nice, travers I had to give her a bit of a kick to say go on . Half-passes felt nice, just need a bit more of the pizzazz I know she has. We go a bit head tilty in the second SI and I didn't position the second travers well enough. Mediums definitely didn't really happen, but then it is her weakest part. Walk we scored 7 for collected but an 8 for extended :lol: (we love the heat ), our right pirouette is always sticky but we are getting better and managed a decent 6.5 (left got a 7 woo). Canter I thought went well, but judge not quite as much of a fan with mostly 6.5's, but again her weaker pace so I just need to really get her supple and in self-carriage. First simple change we collapsed in a heap a little so a deserved 5 , but second was much more balanced for a 7! Final halt managed a 7.5 too, (we are good a standing still :lol. Managed 66% for second place, which for the regional test I'm really pleased with her. Everything felt good we just need to sharpen it all up, neaten up the lateral work with positioning and get that relaxed, engaged, self-carriage that's really easy to achieve right
. Bring on regionals, go go fatty hippo :lol:!Plus I think she has lost a bit of weight?
I have salted caramel cookies for anyone who gets to the end of all that waffle :lol:!
. Glad they are back into work for a nice summer of fun.
