blood_magik
Well-Known Member
After several false starts, Blue and I finally made it off the yard and to a show. 
The plan was to take my two big lads so when our trailer arrived a few days ago, we spent the morning setting up and making sure all of the horses loaded.
They didn't.
Beau refused to go any further than putting his front feet on the ramp and practicing hasn't made much of a difference yet, so we decided it would be best to leave him at home and take Timberland in his place. Truth be told, he technically doesn't *have* to go in the trailer as it's only a temporary means of getting Blue out and about until our new box is ready but it would be pretty helpful to know that he would if it was ever necessary.
The main thing is that Blue's happy, which I think he is.
He travelled like a pro and came off the trailer looking super relaxed, which was nice since I was a bundle of nerves.
We were nice and early so I went to walk the course while my dad and super groom started getting Blue ready. He was more interested in stealing Timberland's hay than what was going on around him and once inside, he stood at the mounting block beautifully.
He was more forwards than the last time I'd ridden him and I spent the first 10-15 minutes working on getting him in front of my leg, as my dressage trainer had said to do (she's been helping me school him as he's quite babyish on the flat and I'm determined not to make the same mistake than I did with Beau). Eventually, he started to soften and come round so I figured we were forwards enough to start jumping as he generally doesn't come round until he's really moving and working properly from behind (or at least, he hasn't when I've been having lessons).
He saved my bacon once or twice warming up as I let the canter lose power through the turn into the fence but bless him, he still went for it. I did get a decent stride into the oxer, which helped settle my nerves slightly and before I knew it, it was our turn.
My plan was to canter all the way around the arena before coming to the first fence but it didn't quite have the effect I'd hoped as Blue decided it was an opportune moment to poo. Long story short, I rode like a muppet and we ended up having a couple of fences down as I let B's back end trail away out behind him instead of holding him together. Part of it is not yet having the confidence that we're going to make the distances. I put my leg on instead of sitting still and containing the energy, and then we end up too close or taking a pole down with the back legs.
Yes, we got round in one piece although I'm a little disappointed that my riding took a pretty big step backwards. Still, there's lot of positives that we can take from today:
Travelled well - check.
Stood still at mounting block - check
Moved forwards off my leg - check
Stood still whilst mounted - check
Jumped everything put in front of him (even when his idiot owner tried to interfere instead of leaving him to it) - check.
Video here:
[video=youtube;a_UIKoFXSqQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_UIKoFXSqQ[/video]
I also jumped Timberland around the 80cm. The last time we jumped, he decked me so the goal for today was to stay on. It almost didn't happen - the cheeky sod stopped dead at number 5 and I ended up sitting in front of the saddle (breastplate clips freaking hurt to land on
).
I did manage to stay on but we raked up a load of time faults in the time it took to sort myself out and represent. Still, he jumped everything else nicely so I'm guessing it was my fault for trying to push him to take a long one instead of asking him to wait. He's obviously decided that he prefers being more collected so I'll need to remember that for the next time (assuming my dad lets me jump him again after today's disaster
).
I'm cringing slightly watching this back but since I've always posted the bad along with the good:
[video=youtube;76deqy_31lQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76deqy_31lQ[/video]
And finally, my dressage trainer has been helping me with Blue as I've been struggling with getting him in front of my leg. We've been having a lesson every Wednesday but had a few extras this week to try to get this forwardness thing properly embedded in his head. We've been trying to get him to associate clicking with the signal to move on (so click, kick and then pat when he reacts) and he's been willing to go a little more forwards every time.
I think he looks stronger already in the second session (0830 onwards) but I'm possibly a little biased.
[video=youtube;CrH829slrC4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrH829slrC4[/video]
So, not the result I'd hoped for today but there were still plenty of positive mini steps forwards so I can't really complain too much.
Thanks for reading.
The plan was to take my two big lads so when our trailer arrived a few days ago, we spent the morning setting up and making sure all of the horses loaded.
They didn't.
Beau refused to go any further than putting his front feet on the ramp and practicing hasn't made much of a difference yet, so we decided it would be best to leave him at home and take Timberland in his place. Truth be told, he technically doesn't *have* to go in the trailer as it's only a temporary means of getting Blue out and about until our new box is ready but it would be pretty helpful to know that he would if it was ever necessary.
The main thing is that Blue's happy, which I think he is.
He travelled like a pro and came off the trailer looking super relaxed, which was nice since I was a bundle of nerves.
We were nice and early so I went to walk the course while my dad and super groom started getting Blue ready. He was more interested in stealing Timberland's hay than what was going on around him and once inside, he stood at the mounting block beautifully. He was more forwards than the last time I'd ridden him and I spent the first 10-15 minutes working on getting him in front of my leg, as my dressage trainer had said to do (she's been helping me school him as he's quite babyish on the flat and I'm determined not to make the same mistake than I did with Beau). Eventually, he started to soften and come round so I figured we were forwards enough to start jumping as he generally doesn't come round until he's really moving and working properly from behind (or at least, he hasn't when I've been having lessons).
He saved my bacon once or twice warming up as I let the canter lose power through the turn into the fence but bless him, he still went for it.
I did get a decent stride into the oxer, which helped settle my nerves slightly and before I knew it, it was our turn. My plan was to canter all the way around the arena before coming to the first fence but it didn't quite have the effect I'd hoped as Blue decided it was an opportune moment to poo. Long story short, I rode like a muppet and we ended up having a couple of fences down as I let B's back end trail away out behind him instead of holding him together. Part of it is not yet having the confidence that we're going to make the distances. I put my leg on instead of sitting still and containing the energy, and then we end up too close or taking a pole down with the back legs.
Yes, we got round in one piece although I'm a little disappointed that my riding took a pretty big step backwards. Still, there's lot of positives that we can take from today:
Travelled well - check.
Stood still at mounting block - check
Moved forwards off my leg - check
Stood still whilst mounted - check
Jumped everything put in front of him (even when his idiot owner tried to interfere instead of leaving him to it) - check.
Video here:
[video=youtube;a_UIKoFXSqQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_UIKoFXSqQ[/video]
I also jumped Timberland around the 80cm. The last time we jumped, he decked me so the goal for today was to stay on. It almost didn't happen - the cheeky sod stopped dead at number 5 and I ended up sitting in front of the saddle (breastplate clips freaking hurt to land on
). I did manage to stay on but we raked up a load of time faults in the time it took to sort myself out and represent. Still, he jumped everything else nicely so I'm guessing it was my fault for trying to push him to take a long one instead of asking him to wait. He's obviously decided that he prefers being more collected so I'll need to remember that for the next time (assuming my dad lets me jump him again after today's disaster
).I'm cringing slightly watching this back but since I've always posted the bad along with the good:
[video=youtube;76deqy_31lQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76deqy_31lQ[/video]
And finally, my dressage trainer has been helping me with Blue as I've been struggling with getting him in front of my leg. We've been having a lesson every Wednesday but had a few extras this week to try to get this forwardness thing properly embedded in his head. We've been trying to get him to associate clicking with the signal to move on (so click, kick and then pat when he reacts) and he's been willing to go a little more forwards every time.
I think he looks stronger already in the second session (0830 onwards) but I'm possibly a little biased.
[video=youtube;CrH829slrC4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrH829slrC4[/video]
So, not the result I'd hoped for today but there were still plenty of positive mini steps forwards so I can't really complain too much.
Thanks for reading.
