black_horse
Well-Known Member
A day in the life of a dressage diva..
So despite a few people feeling Delicias work load stressed her out, I would like to thank them for their concern but the more work delicia is in, the more she is flourishing.
So here it is, our latest instalment of the Delicia Files, it is like the x-files but there is no element of mystery and the pay isnt all that. As a lot of eventers and sjers will say, bad day on paper but good day all around, I feel this is a just description of Delicia.
Due to work commitments I have been a tad tied up and felt a little unprepared coming into this show, so the powers that be suggested I did a warm up class ahead of my elementary and medium tests. Novice 39 (I think it was 39 anyway) it was. I will learn one day to read the tests before entering the classes ..
So Delicia warmed up beautifully, I didnt do much of a warm up as the test was to act as one. I had her stretching nicely, she is now actively seeking the contact which I feel is a very positive step forwards. However I had to borrow a bridle as delicia very thoughtful broke her Weymouth . Act of sabotage I think personally! She was nice and up over her back and really swinging from behind and her canter was the best it has ever been. Brilliant I thought as I made my way to the test arena, this will be my day
you reckon . Was delicias reply (have I told you how much I love mares?)
The trot work was fab, best ever .unfortunately the test involved a lot of canter-trot-canter transitions, a movement which Delicia still finds very very exciting So we bucked into canter and I promptly lost my stirrup of my gammy leg. Have you ever tried regaining a stirrup in canter on a leg you have no real control over in the saddle? It isnt the easiest of things. Unfortunately this meant the pony got away from me a little (she wasnt stressed, her ears were pricked the entire time as she whickered and served around the arena). I wished there was quicksand at X that could have swallowed both me and homeless pony up!
You know its a bad sign when the judge applauds you for halting at G ( I was aiming for x but didnt quite happen).
Oh dear is all I can say still, I hoped that she had got it all out of her system and would be better in the elementary. I warmed up again and went into the ele again, her trot work was fab and could not fault it (8s all down the sheet) and then canter came up, and this is where we decided (read delicia decided) that she didnt want to conform to the rules (teenager stange) instead she was going to freestyle it. You want me to canter? Okay, ill canter, but im going to do flying changes and squeal if you attempt to half halt me
The air was blue with my language I swear
. Having said this, the last canter was brilliant so she came back to me (albeit passaged down the CL at the end). The halts are getting there.
I was starting to question my sanity of entering the medium and decided to really get after her between the classes, she had so much energy that she needed riding, so I rode her. We did some fab canter halfpasses but she kept doing flying changes as soon as we reached the centre line, so when I brought her back to trot and up into canter again she protested and therefore we were tense in the next movements. I have come to the conclusion she is a little too sensitive to my injured leg now and I have to desensitise her a little again. Her lateral work is really coming on and in her medium and extended trots she is no longer diving onto her shoulders but coming more up and is more consistent. The tests were marked fairly, ranging from 8s to *cough* a couple of 1s (which were fair because technically I didnt do the movements, opting to train over winning.
However we walked away with a rosette (5th and 3rd), and met the lovely scheherazade and her beautiful palomino. I was a little disappointed as it is clearly something I am doing which is making her tence in the tests as she is so good in the warmups. Ho hum.
Heres a link to some pictures, there is always another show. 
Link to Album
So despite a few people feeling Delicias work load stressed her out, I would like to thank them for their concern but the more work delicia is in, the more she is flourishing.
So here it is, our latest instalment of the Delicia Files, it is like the x-files but there is no element of mystery and the pay isnt all that. As a lot of eventers and sjers will say, bad day on paper but good day all around, I feel this is a just description of Delicia.
Due to work commitments I have been a tad tied up and felt a little unprepared coming into this show, so the powers that be suggested I did a warm up class ahead of my elementary and medium tests. Novice 39 (I think it was 39 anyway) it was. I will learn one day to read the tests before entering the classes ..
So Delicia warmed up beautifully, I didnt do much of a warm up as the test was to act as one. I had her stretching nicely, she is now actively seeking the contact which I feel is a very positive step forwards. However I had to borrow a bridle as delicia very thoughtful broke her Weymouth . Act of sabotage I think personally! She was nice and up over her back and really swinging from behind and her canter was the best it has ever been. Brilliant I thought as I made my way to the test arena, this will be my day
you reckon . Was delicias reply (have I told you how much I love mares?)
The trot work was fab, best ever .unfortunately the test involved a lot of canter-trot-canter transitions, a movement which Delicia still finds very very exciting So we bucked into canter and I promptly lost my stirrup of my gammy leg. Have you ever tried regaining a stirrup in canter on a leg you have no real control over in the saddle? It isnt the easiest of things. Unfortunately this meant the pony got away from me a little (she wasnt stressed, her ears were pricked the entire time as she whickered and served around the arena). I wished there was quicksand at X that could have swallowed both me and homeless pony up!
You know its a bad sign when the judge applauds you for halting at G ( I was aiming for x but didnt quite happen).
Oh dear is all I can say still, I hoped that she had got it all out of her system and would be better in the elementary. I warmed up again and went into the ele again, her trot work was fab and could not fault it (8s all down the sheet) and then canter came up, and this is where we decided (read delicia decided) that she didnt want to conform to the rules (teenager stange) instead she was going to freestyle it. You want me to canter? Okay, ill canter, but im going to do flying changes and squeal if you attempt to half halt me
The air was blue with my language I swear
. Having said this, the last canter was brilliant so she came back to me (albeit passaged down the CL at the end). The halts are getting there. I was starting to question my sanity of entering the medium and decided to really get after her between the classes, she had so much energy that she needed riding, so I rode her. We did some fab canter halfpasses but she kept doing flying changes as soon as we reached the centre line, so when I brought her back to trot and up into canter again she protested and therefore we were tense in the next movements. I have come to the conclusion she is a little too sensitive to my injured leg now and I have to desensitise her a little again. Her lateral work is really coming on and in her medium and extended trots she is no longer diving onto her shoulders but coming more up and is more consistent. The tests were marked fairly, ranging from 8s to *cough* a couple of 1s (which were fair because technically I didnt do the movements, opting to train over winning.
However we walked away with a rosette (5th and 3rd), and met the lovely scheherazade and her beautiful palomino. I was a little disappointed as it is clearly something I am doing which is making her tence in the tests as she is so good in the warmups. Ho hum.
Heres a link to some pictures, there is always another show. 
Link to Album