Breitlingh's competition re-entry..... with a bang!

Four Seasons

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2011
Messages
501
Location
Tulips & windmill land
Visit site
There's never been a boring day with Breitlingh... including competitions.

Our last competition was kind of interesting... she reared up twice infront of the judge.... out of nowhere. We still managed to score quite well, surprisingly. That was 5 months ago...

So yesterday my aim was to have two relaxed and flowing tests. In the first test Breitlingh was thinking too much and wanted to do the test by herself. So between the first and second test I rode her long and low, just to calm her down a bit.
I started the second test and she felt amazing! So relaxed and really listening to me... Just squeezed a fraction too long when going into right canter, so she got a shock. After that.... up she went!!!! High!!!! No idea what spooked her, but it caught her eye and she didn't like it! I thought she would actually flip-over, the way her head went up. Luckily she didn't, but she was very tense afterwards and I rode very carefully, so she wouldn't freak-out anymore.

Still very pleased how she went though. We came first in both tests with 67.69% and 65%!

Video of the second test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NCpverMTBQ&feature=youtu.be

And pics of her amazing spanish riding school impression....
2dliy5l.jpg


1qod3l.jpg
 

TrakehnerFilly

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 March 2011
Messages
97
Visit site
Well sat. Wow she has a rear in her. I do love this mare she looks really quite special but IMO this is the most unhappy I have seen her through the vids and photos you have posted of her. It looks rushed and she looks paniced and is chomping quite a lot especially on the final centre line. She looks quite unhappy in the mouth and looks quite restricted. Her canter transitions look paniced and like she runs into canter.

It is obvious she trusts you and you have a great partnership as she is willing to buckle down again after being spooked. You rider her really sympathetically and she is obviously something special winning on a day that isn't her best.

Has anything brought the change on or is it just competition nerves?
 

Four Seasons

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2011
Messages
501
Location
Tulips & windmill land
Visit site
Quite suprised reading your reaction... This is the best she has ever went.

If I would restrict her, she would let me know by dumping me on the ground. She has loads of self carriage, which may look liked she is restricted, but I have the lightest contact with her mouth. The last part of the test was rushed, cause I was shaken the she reared to high and so sudden and really wanted to finish the test, haha!

The canter transitions have always been a problem. The whole time I have owned and ridden her, she has done this. These transitions are much better than they were. She can do much better then this, but me being nervous made me squeeze too much with my legs and thats a no-no for her. Last year when I tried a transition into canter, she would run off panicing and wouldn't stop. No idea why she did that, makes me think her previous owner didn't break her in properly or with force.

And the chomping is good, first she would even accept the bit and now she is really taking the contact and follows it perfectly. The last line is very obvious she is still spooked by something and she really wanted to run for her life, but bless her for listening to me!
 

YasandCrystal

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 April 2009
Messages
5,588
Location
Essex
Visit site
Gosh big rear - well sat and well recovered. I like the way your cameraman detected the tension just before the rear. She is looking great and no doubt her 'hot headedness' adds to the picture. To me she looked good, like a horse on a mission, you do need that spark. Does she suffer with her seasons? Could the blow ups be a hormonal thing and maybe controlled with a natural hormone stabiliser? It maybe worth trying her on pure chaste berry powder or one of the products like Hormonise that it's in.
 

Caol Ila

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 January 2012
Messages
7,518
Location
Glasgow
Visit site
I thought she looked really soft and relaxed in the bridle, at least until she stood on two legs. Then it looked like you both were trying to get the test over with as quickly as possible. I liked your cameraman's whispered comments. :)

What were the judge's remarks? "Levade is not in this test."
 

glamourpuss

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 January 2006
Messages
2,836
Visit site
I've watched this video 3 times now & I have to disagree with TrakehnerFilly I didn't see the tension before...in fact I thought she looked pretty soft.
The canter transitions look a little like mine at the moment :( a bit hurry & scurry but like you I know it happens & it's a work in progress.
Well done on the wins :)
 

TrakehnerFilly

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 March 2011
Messages
97
Visit site
I think my post came across wrong, I didn't mean you were restricting her at all just that she looked restricted like she was holding another blow up in, obviously understandable after she was upset and you rode her extremely well and sympathetically. I shouldn't have included that in the same sentence as the mouth comment as see where the mix up would come in.

It is nothing to do with your riding and hope you don't think I was criticising you at all as I really admire the two of you together and she did look impressive. Your at home videos are amazing progress but just for me she seemed tense thats why I asked whether it was comp nerves as thought maybe seasons or something else. Hope I haven't offended but having mares myself I definately go through this with mine.

She is still young at the end of the day and it was all going amazingly before she upset herself and I agree she was soft and flowing until then
 
Last edited:

Four Seasons

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2011
Messages
501
Location
Tulips & windmill land
Visit site
TrakhnerFilly: She was a bit tense, but thats because of me. I'm not offended, just quite suprised by your reaction. But that was all a mix-up.

Caol Ila: Ha, everyone surrounding me after the test told me that I didn't have to show my horses levade off to get extra points, lol. But the judges remarks was that she was going well and that I handled the scare moment well.

YasandCrystal: At the moment she gets a calmer, which seems to do the trick for her. She only has 2 or 3 mare-ish moment when riding, which isn't alot for her standards. She is getter better and better every day! I used to think it was hormonal issues, but now even when she is in season, she doesn't really act different or rear more.

Thanks everyone! 13th of October we will be competing at a higher level for the first time.......!! Exciting!
 

micramadam

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 June 2010
Messages
1,054
Location
Rockanje, South Holland
Visit site
forgot you were in Holland, totally confused me hearing your caller speaking Dutch. Thought i'd lost the ability to hear someone calling a dressage test!

Lovely test until the spook.

Hahaha, did you hear my dad commentating in the background? "the tension is high for Breitlingh" just before she rears and then afterwards "the tension was just too much for Breitlingh" Such a nerd, haha!

Oooh ooooops, on my mums account haha!
 

Lilly79

Member
Joined
5 July 2012
Messages
29
Location
Aberdeen
Visit site
Wat een geweldig leuk paardje! :)
But let's not be rude and continue in english so everyone understands!

Great test until the spook, but very well handled! :) really like your riding, very friendly and positive!

Off topic...
Where about in the Netherlands are you?
I just moved from Eindhoven to Aberdeen last year.
 

Booboos

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 January 2008
Messages
12,776
Location
South of France
Visit site
You ride her really well, very sympathetically! She is a lovely horse with a great desire to move forwards and lovely paces. The first canter transition is very interesting - what do you think happened there? I can't see any reason for that reaction, your position was lovely, you were very still, you asked nicely, you were not wearing spurs - I couldn't quite understand why she reacted that way. The rear looks less of a rear (I don't mean it wasn't a big one, it certainly was and well done you for dealing with it!), but more of a reaction to not being allowed to spook away from the corner. This little 'episode' looks more justified though, it looks like something caught her eye in the corner, she decided to take over and move away, when you said 'no' she reared and then gave up and continued nicely. The second canter transition looks like nerves from the spooking episode.
 

micramadam

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 June 2010
Messages
1,054
Location
Rockanje, South Holland
Visit site
She's a great horse but she has her moments! The rears come out of nowhere and mostly there is no apparent reason. Thing is she is absolutely perfect in every other way. If she isn't happy with the work she's doing or the way she is being ridden, or something upsets her, she protests. I have seen some scary tantrums from her. My heart is always in my mouth when my daughter is riding her as she can be unpredictable but then she is our project horse! Luckily my daughter is a great rider and has a fantastic classical instructor who understands Breitlingh. We think something happened when she was being broken in but obviously we will never find out what. Spent a fortune on dentists, saddlers, osteopaths, cranio sacraal therapy, boot camp and lessons but this mare is destined for greatness. She has sooooo much talent. Time, patience and trust are the things that are working best.
Here's hoping that the 2 youngsters won't be as difficult when they are broken in next year. Especially as the new mare (when she arrives) will be my new ride and I don't bounce any more when I fall off.
 

Four Seasons

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2011
Messages
501
Location
Tulips & windmill land
Visit site
You ride her really well, very sympathetically! She is a lovely horse with a great desire to move forwards and lovely paces. The first canter transition is very interesting - what do you think happened there? I can't see any reason for that reaction, your position was lovely, you were very still, you asked nicely, you were not wearing spurs - I couldn't quite understand why she reacted that way. The rear looks less of a rear (I don't mean it wasn't a big one, it certainly was and well done you for dealing with it!), but more of a reaction to not being allowed to spook away from the corner. This little 'episode' looks more justified though, it looks like something caught her eye in the corner, she decided to take over and move away, when you said 'no' she reared and then gave up and continued nicely. The second canter transition looks like nerves from the spooking episode.

It all went so fast when she spook, that I got a shock and just sat there, so when she wanted to run off, she came against my hands a little too fast. And with me being in shock, I was a brick for a moment.

The first canter transition was because of my nerves. I squeezed just a second too long and that made her go up. She has done worse though. Second transition, I was a bit scopey about that one... I could feel her tensing and in flight-mode, so tried to do the best I could, but she was just too tense.

Thanks :)
 

Four Seasons

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2011
Messages
501
Location
Tulips & windmill land
Visit site
Wat een geweldig leuk paardje! :)
But let's not be rude and continue in english so everyone understands!

Great test until the spook, but very well handled! :) really like your riding, very friendly and positive!

Off topic...
Where about in the Netherlands are you?
I just moved from Eindhoven to Aberdeen last year.


Dankjewel! :)

We live in Rockanje, in Zuid-Holland, near Rotterdam.
 

Booboos

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 January 2008
Messages
12,776
Location
South of France
Visit site
It all went so fast when she spook, that I got a shock and just sat there, so when she wanted to run off, she came against my hands a little too fast. And with me being in shock, I was a brick for a moment.

The first canter transition was because of my nerves. I squeezed just a second too long and that made her go up. She has done worse though. Second transition, I was a bit scopey about that one... I could feel her tensing and in flight-mode, so tried to do the best I could, but she was just too tense.

Thanks :)

She sounds like a very sensitive soul which can't be easy for you but on the bright side once you figure her out you can use this sensitivity to your advantage.
 
Top