Bah...not a good outing

[Skhosu]

Got lad all plaited up (no problems really, bit stroppy this morning to rosebud them but otherwise fine) and out at the crack of dawn (8.00......) warmed up nicely, a little onwards bound but listening.
Went in, thought the first one was nice, relaxed, not tense, two wobbly transitions but otherwise good.
Novice was poor, I let him get hurried and tense and halted at g rather than x so not brill.
So disappointed to find I got 53% in the pre-nov, and 50 in the novice.
Only just (1 mark) beat sister who had two errors of course and last out of about 10 or so scores up.
Really depressing, ours scores are going down when they should be going up!

judge said he was lacking energy in the first test, and he's not connected properly through hand and leg.
Any tips on encouraging roundness and taking a contact, he tends to 'fuss' a bit in his outline.

 

[Fiona]

Snap!!!! I halted at G in the novice test as well. That'll teach us to learn them better.
Also got similar comments in the PN test about lacking energy and engagement, I wish I had seen one of the high scoring tests in that arena to see exactly what the judge was after. I certainly didn't feel Flora wasn't going forward.
J always say to me that if I fiddle with the contact, then my mare will fiddle back, so perhaps try keeping hands v still, and push up into the contact, lots of transitions etc. Not that I'm an expert by any means.

FIona

 

[wizzi901]

I am sure I will do worse than all of you on Friday when I do my first ever test on a hell bent ex p2pointer!! I have only just learnt where all the letters are and its only a walk and trot test.

Its early in the year, I am sure you will be fine very soon, sometimes we all have off days and horses probably not in the mood for it with rubbish weather we have been having.

I bet your circles are both better than mine lol!!!

 

[Dutch]

Hi

First things first, don't panic about this sweetie! Just shrug it off, it was a bad outing and everyone, I mean absolutely everyone has them.

I think there are several things that I would work on if I were you. Firstly, transitions, and a hell of a lot of them- say 200 in a session!!! Obviously your horse is likely to be pretty fit already but these will build up his strength and his body and also make him rounder.

Dutch was (and I mean was, sadly he passed away in November 2005 aged 22) quite above the bit when I first started riding him, I did a lot of transitions and circles with him, flexing him and counter-flexing him, I also worked on a 15 m circle, yielding out in trot and canter to a 20m one, doing lots of transitions, especially walk to canter, canter to walk etc. It made him off my leg, round, forward and gave him a lovely canter which he wasn't really blessed with due to the fact that before I got him no one had really muscled him up enough, worked on him enough and got him round etc!!

Never give up, lots of shoulder -in, leg yielding etc will also help you, try to keep your hands still but supple and always be doing something, be it a transition, give and re-take of the reins, flex him (exaggerate this with him always while riding him forward). Counter-flex him (again ride forward to prevent resistance) and see if he feels different in just a week or so.

Let me know how you get on!!

Dutch