IncaCola
Well-Known Member
Last Friday/Saturday saw me and Tayberry tackle his first advanced. Whilst he only upgraded to intermediate the end of last year, he was finding intermediate and 2 star tracks so easy with my problem being trying to keep some sort of control and at Barbury the lack of this did result in us crossing our tracks and picking up a very annoying 20 penalties. So the plan was bigger fences might help him back off more and i was also armed with a Hanoverian Pelham to try cross country.
Arrived in stifling heat for our least favourite phase, the dressage which i was rather dreading as Tay really messed about at Barbury getting very strong and overbent in the contact and refusing to walk at all! So coupled with the fact that not we arent totally established in the fancy stuff such as half passes, my aim was not to be last and Tay would atleast be a bit on my side. To my utter amazement he warmed up really well and the test went much better than expected with just a couple of Tay moments. Was slightly disappointed in our score of 40.7 but marks ranged from 3s when he messed about in our canter transition and a buck in the 1st flying change to several 7s and even one 8, yeah! Anyway we werent the worse score and whilst i have a bit of a way to go to get anyway near Pippa Funnel who led on 26!, i do feel we are making some progress. Video at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=633525256665256
Straight off afterwards to walk the cross country and whilst i have done Aston Advanced several years ago on another horse, it was quite a bit changed from then and i am sure several fences had grown and it was also quite technical with no alternatives. By the end i was slightly doubting my sanity to jump fences i couldnt even see over, but decided that it would look much easier the next day when i could watch horses going round
Next day and because Tay had just made his mouth slightly sore the day before i decided last minute to show jump in a hackamore which i use at home. The course looked relatively kind and Tay if anything warmed up slightly backwards, but as normal did light up on entering the ring and i made the fatal error of regretting the hackamore as i jumped the first and letting him run down to the second which he promptly had down! I then got my act together and he flew round the rest clear and i left the arena pleased with him but annoyed at myself, although i soon forgot about it as the impending cross country loomed!!! Just one photo show jumping
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...06634685.32423.111461918928324&type=1&theater
Generally the course was riding ok, but one combination at 12 was causing regular problems. I consisted of a big hedge and then 4 long or 5 short strides on a right turn to a double of very squre boxes on 2 long strides. When walking everyone seemed to have different views on how to ride it, but generally the pros were doing it on 4 and 2. After plucking up the courage to ask Lucy Weigersma in the warm up she confirmed this and suggested angling the first hedge to lessen the amount of turning needed and then kicking on landing so i decided to stick to that plan as long as we had had a good run up to that point.
Due to some holds the cross country was running late and by the time i eventually made the start box, butterflies had definitely set in; was i right to feel so sure that Tay was ready for this and could i do him justice? All worries disappeared as we started and he flew the first 4 including the Olympic Spider brush fence at 3 which he gave plenty of air. The first water followed with a rather big skinny log in, then up a ramp to a hanging log and 3 strides to another skinny where he was foot perfect and straight on to a big hedge and then post and rail upright which he ate up. Started really enjoying the course here as he bounded through the brush bounce complex and then flew the steeplechase fence.
Then had a long galloping section with just a corner under the tree and a double a tables but i did resist any temptation to go fast as i was keen to keep control. Soon fence 12 was soon approaching and i rode positively on the line Lucy suggested and he made if feel effortless; I was so pleased with that. Onto the fountain fence (it actually had two fountains coming out the top and did catch out a few) and the wall to into space and 3 strides to triple brush and then the coffin which all went very well.
So with just the water left which had a bounce in and as expected he did just hesitate at the second. I responded with a kick which is something Tay isnt that used to. He popped in fine but then surged forward and whilst i concentrated in keeping him straight to the skinny he took the initiative and decided to take a stride out! The resulting photos are quite impressive and my facial expressions something else entirely! Click here for a look (i have permission to post)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.499015140172998.1073741834.111461918928324&type=1
He actually made it quite easily and lost none of his enthusiasm bounding up the step combination to finish. Video of a lot of the course at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=633111023373346.
So totally over the moon with my fantastic little horse, he felt totally comfortable with the bigger fences and i really enjoyed it too. Funnily now i have ridden it, i realise it probably was an easier first timers advanced (it just didnt look it on first walking!), but still a big step up from intermediate/** and i now just cant wait to do more! We did get 30 odd time penalties (to finish 18th) which i expected as i didnt want to risk him running away from me and the Hanoverian Pelham definitely gave me more control and more turning ability. On the down side it did unfortunately cut his mouth a little, so may wrap some latex around the rollers next time and hope it doesnt stop it effectiveness. Next run Hartpury CCI** ....
Arrived in stifling heat for our least favourite phase, the dressage which i was rather dreading as Tay really messed about at Barbury getting very strong and overbent in the contact and refusing to walk at all! So coupled with the fact that not we arent totally established in the fancy stuff such as half passes, my aim was not to be last and Tay would atleast be a bit on my side. To my utter amazement he warmed up really well and the test went much better than expected with just a couple of Tay moments. Was slightly disappointed in our score of 40.7 but marks ranged from 3s when he messed about in our canter transition and a buck in the 1st flying change to several 7s and even one 8, yeah! Anyway we werent the worse score and whilst i have a bit of a way to go to get anyway near Pippa Funnel who led on 26!, i do feel we are making some progress. Video at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=633525256665256
Straight off afterwards to walk the cross country and whilst i have done Aston Advanced several years ago on another horse, it was quite a bit changed from then and i am sure several fences had grown and it was also quite technical with no alternatives. By the end i was slightly doubting my sanity to jump fences i couldnt even see over, but decided that it would look much easier the next day when i could watch horses going round
Next day and because Tay had just made his mouth slightly sore the day before i decided last minute to show jump in a hackamore which i use at home. The course looked relatively kind and Tay if anything warmed up slightly backwards, but as normal did light up on entering the ring and i made the fatal error of regretting the hackamore as i jumped the first and letting him run down to the second which he promptly had down! I then got my act together and he flew round the rest clear and i left the arena pleased with him but annoyed at myself, although i soon forgot about it as the impending cross country loomed!!! Just one photo show jumping
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...06634685.32423.111461918928324&type=1&theater
Generally the course was riding ok, but one combination at 12 was causing regular problems. I consisted of a big hedge and then 4 long or 5 short strides on a right turn to a double of very squre boxes on 2 long strides. When walking everyone seemed to have different views on how to ride it, but generally the pros were doing it on 4 and 2. After plucking up the courage to ask Lucy Weigersma in the warm up she confirmed this and suggested angling the first hedge to lessen the amount of turning needed and then kicking on landing so i decided to stick to that plan as long as we had had a good run up to that point.
Due to some holds the cross country was running late and by the time i eventually made the start box, butterflies had definitely set in; was i right to feel so sure that Tay was ready for this and could i do him justice? All worries disappeared as we started and he flew the first 4 including the Olympic Spider brush fence at 3 which he gave plenty of air. The first water followed with a rather big skinny log in, then up a ramp to a hanging log and 3 strides to another skinny where he was foot perfect and straight on to a big hedge and then post and rail upright which he ate up. Started really enjoying the course here as he bounded through the brush bounce complex and then flew the steeplechase fence.
Then had a long galloping section with just a corner under the tree and a double a tables but i did resist any temptation to go fast as i was keen to keep control. Soon fence 12 was soon approaching and i rode positively on the line Lucy suggested and he made if feel effortless; I was so pleased with that. Onto the fountain fence (it actually had two fountains coming out the top and did catch out a few) and the wall to into space and 3 strides to triple brush and then the coffin which all went very well.
So with just the water left which had a bounce in and as expected he did just hesitate at the second. I responded with a kick which is something Tay isnt that used to. He popped in fine but then surged forward and whilst i concentrated in keeping him straight to the skinny he took the initiative and decided to take a stride out! The resulting photos are quite impressive and my facial expressions something else entirely! Click here for a look (i have permission to post)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.499015140172998.1073741834.111461918928324&type=1
He actually made it quite easily and lost none of his enthusiasm bounding up the step combination to finish. Video of a lot of the course at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=633111023373346.
So totally over the moon with my fantastic little horse, he felt totally comfortable with the bigger fences and i really enjoyed it too. Funnily now i have ridden it, i realise it probably was an easier first timers advanced (it just didnt look it on first walking!), but still a big step up from intermediate/** and i now just cant wait to do more! We did get 30 odd time penalties (to finish 18th) which i expected as i didnt want to risk him running away from me and the Hanoverian Pelham definitely gave me more control and more turning ability. On the down side it did unfortunately cut his mouth a little, so may wrap some latex around the rollers next time and hope it doesnt stop it effectiveness. Next run Hartpury CCI** ....
