khalswitz
Well-Known Member
A very busy weekend to update you all on before Geoff has a few weeks' well-deserved holiday - rest, hacking, and cantering round the field, his favourite things!
So last Friday night we had a grid work session with our instructor. For the first time in AGES we didn't have a single refusal all night - Geoff seemed to really like having his strides set out for him, and felt like he was really keen and taking me forward. We did up to four hence fences in a arrow, then cross pole with one stride to an oxer. Final oxer height was noted at just over 90cm, which considering how we've struggled to jump 60cm in a ring some days I couldn't believe - he felt like he had tons of 'pop' to spare, and the oxer really had him picking his feet up and rounding his back!!
My instructor also decided that since he was feeling confident, I needed some 'let go of control' practice. So she had me practice coming in eyes closed, and concentrating on keeping my hand practically on his wither and not doing my usual chicken impression. We then graduated to NO REINS which, considering Geoff normally stops if I even try to crest release let alone drop my reins I was a bit stunned (think he was a bit shocked too as I felt him go 'WTF?', but he kept going clever boy!!). So a really positive jump lesson which we've needed for a while, and I've been back the the Jumping Exercises book Lolo got me for Secret Santa full of enthusiasm for grid work.
Saturday we nipped off for yet more dressage. We'd entered two affiliated Prelim classes, aiming to just get two more Area sheets and then make the move up to Novice. He seems to concentrate much better at Novice, and funnily enough the competition isn't quite as fierce compared to prelim, which is nice.
Warm up I've been concentrating on lots of canter work, with transitions into POWER TROT, and getting him thinking FORWARDS, as that seems to stop all the head nodding and tightness in the shoulders and neck we've been seeing. I've also started cantering him around the arena, with lots of transitions to trot, to halt, then back to canter through trot.
First test was P7, where he pulled out the NICEST prelim test we've done in.... a long time. We seemed to have CRACKED our entrances now, with our highest marks tending to be the entering centre line (where we channel 'fit event horse' type forwardness), and our stretchy work and free walk. He did a genuinely lovely test, very accurate and no bickering at all, really, really sweet. I came out grinning.
Now, the only disappointing thing about this test was the judge... she is a known harsh marker, with friends of mine who regularly score in low to mid 70's scoring 65-68 under her, so was slightly disappointed it was her judging, as that test would have pulled out a better score under someone else I think. We got a 64.5, with the main comment, as always at the moment, about lack of suppleness through the back and not really working through to a consistent contact. However it was the first time Geoff has been referred to as a 'very obedient horse' (previous judges have referred to him having 'a bit of an attitude problem' so this was great!). And test wise, I don't think either of us could have done any better on the day for our stage of training etc, so really pleased. We placed 4th out of 5, so not last, but equally not really competitive against the beautiful 4-6 yo warmbloods we were surrounded with. And a sheet for Area Festival, woo!! (Especially as most of the floaty warmblood types are all aiming for Prelim regionals, so hopefully we might not be quite as embarrassed as usual at pet plans if we do get there!!)
Second test (p13) was interesting. Felt VERY forward, like he just wanted to canter very time I put my leg on, and I was working very hard to contain him. I made the SAME mistake we made last week in the 'canter over x' movement, not riding him enough through the outside, to pick up a wrong canter lead (STUPID KHALSWITZ!!!), and then misjudged the free walk (usually our highest score!!!) and when I asked him to lengthen, he jogged instead. Judge's comments were interesting though, as she said he looked much more loose and supple, just 'shame about the errors'. He scored a 61.25% and 6th out of 7, which I was gutted about, as I really wanted another sheet for AFs, and if I had RIDDEN PROPERLY instead of going 'oh look, I'm riding a rocket, better not CHANGE ANYTHING', then we would have had it. So looks like we will be continuing attempting some Prelims until we get that elusive last sheet!
Also was a little disappointed to see our first score up on the BD website now - of course only the Prelim qualifiers go up, so our LOWEST score of the whole YEAR so far is forever the first score posted at BD. Sigh.
Sunday we were down to do Team Quest, with us entered for the Novice (n24). Unfortunately one of our team mates ended up being really ill, so our team had to withdraw. I decided that since we'd paid the entry, we'd ping along just for a test practice.
Well, warmed up a bit 'meh' as it was VERY HOT in the indoor school. Test itself was a bit shambolic, as I realised on entering that I couldn't remember the test. I normally memorise them spot on, but because we'd done this one the week before I'd been a bit blasé about it, and I started having a coronary during the test. Geoff was very rideable, nice and forward, but I managed to lose us marks but trotting past our walk marker and then asking for a very unprepared and unfair downwards transition, and then asking for too much lengthen in the medium trot (he finds these hard) and he broke to canter. Judge also didn't think we'd done a proper medium canter, whereas I definitely felt him lengthen his strides out and gain a whole lot of PUSH with it, so either it was less visible than it felt or Geoff is a massive faker
. He got a 61.5, and last in the class (but all other three normally compete Novice Open, and the winner only had 3% on our score so I didn't feel it was too embarrassing really).
Lastly, we got the saddle fitter out on Monday. I had noticed last week when jumping that Geoff's jump saddle just felt a little lower in front than usual, and with him having dropped some weight I'd changed the padding under our dressage saddle which could do with checking for balance. Turns out the jump saddle had totally flat flock in front, and was restricting his shoulders - hence the recent increase in stops, I think. So that was reflocked, and the dressage saddle padding altered which felt MUCH more balanced. So I'm hoping some quiet work in the new saddle configurations should sort him out. The physio is due back up in around three weeks so we can loosen off any tension through the withers and back that may be what has been being picked up on in our dressage tests.
Any advice regarding how to increase suppleness through the back (it's not strictly tension as as I said he is GREAT in the stretchy work and the free walk), please comment. Saw the great article in BD mag about getting a horse more forward off the leg, which I think really applies to us, but any further tips really appreciated.
Have some pear or some clementines - having a fruit binge today as it's nice and sunny and makes me feel summery
So last Friday night we had a grid work session with our instructor. For the first time in AGES we didn't have a single refusal all night - Geoff seemed to really like having his strides set out for him, and felt like he was really keen and taking me forward. We did up to four hence fences in a arrow, then cross pole with one stride to an oxer. Final oxer height was noted at just over 90cm, which considering how we've struggled to jump 60cm in a ring some days I couldn't believe - he felt like he had tons of 'pop' to spare, and the oxer really had him picking his feet up and rounding his back!!
My instructor also decided that since he was feeling confident, I needed some 'let go of control' practice. So she had me practice coming in eyes closed, and concentrating on keeping my hand practically on his wither and not doing my usual chicken impression. We then graduated to NO REINS which, considering Geoff normally stops if I even try to crest release let alone drop my reins I was a bit stunned (think he was a bit shocked too as I felt him go 'WTF?', but he kept going clever boy!!). So a really positive jump lesson which we've needed for a while, and I've been back the the Jumping Exercises book Lolo got me for Secret Santa full of enthusiasm for grid work.
Saturday we nipped off for yet more dressage. We'd entered two affiliated Prelim classes, aiming to just get two more Area sheets and then make the move up to Novice. He seems to concentrate much better at Novice, and funnily enough the competition isn't quite as fierce compared to prelim, which is nice.
Warm up I've been concentrating on lots of canter work, with transitions into POWER TROT, and getting him thinking FORWARDS, as that seems to stop all the head nodding and tightness in the shoulders and neck we've been seeing. I've also started cantering him around the arena, with lots of transitions to trot, to halt, then back to canter through trot.
First test was P7, where he pulled out the NICEST prelim test we've done in.... a long time. We seemed to have CRACKED our entrances now, with our highest marks tending to be the entering centre line (where we channel 'fit event horse' type forwardness), and our stretchy work and free walk. He did a genuinely lovely test, very accurate and no bickering at all, really, really sweet. I came out grinning.
Now, the only disappointing thing about this test was the judge... she is a known harsh marker, with friends of mine who regularly score in low to mid 70's scoring 65-68 under her, so was slightly disappointed it was her judging, as that test would have pulled out a better score under someone else I think. We got a 64.5, with the main comment, as always at the moment, about lack of suppleness through the back and not really working through to a consistent contact. However it was the first time Geoff has been referred to as a 'very obedient horse' (previous judges have referred to him having 'a bit of an attitude problem' so this was great!). And test wise, I don't think either of us could have done any better on the day for our stage of training etc, so really pleased. We placed 4th out of 5, so not last, but equally not really competitive against the beautiful 4-6 yo warmbloods we were surrounded with. And a sheet for Area Festival, woo!! (Especially as most of the floaty warmblood types are all aiming for Prelim regionals, so hopefully we might not be quite as embarrassed as usual at pet plans if we do get there!!)
Second test (p13) was interesting. Felt VERY forward, like he just wanted to canter very time I put my leg on, and I was working very hard to contain him. I made the SAME mistake we made last week in the 'canter over x' movement, not riding him enough through the outside, to pick up a wrong canter lead (STUPID KHALSWITZ!!!), and then misjudged the free walk (usually our highest score!!!) and when I asked him to lengthen, he jogged instead. Judge's comments were interesting though, as she said he looked much more loose and supple, just 'shame about the errors'. He scored a 61.25% and 6th out of 7, which I was gutted about, as I really wanted another sheet for AFs, and if I had RIDDEN PROPERLY instead of going 'oh look, I'm riding a rocket, better not CHANGE ANYTHING', then we would have had it. So looks like we will be continuing attempting some Prelims until we get that elusive last sheet!
Also was a little disappointed to see our first score up on the BD website now - of course only the Prelim qualifiers go up, so our LOWEST score of the whole YEAR so far is forever the first score posted at BD. Sigh.
Sunday we were down to do Team Quest, with us entered for the Novice (n24). Unfortunately one of our team mates ended up being really ill, so our team had to withdraw. I decided that since we'd paid the entry, we'd ping along just for a test practice.
Well, warmed up a bit 'meh' as it was VERY HOT in the indoor school. Test itself was a bit shambolic, as I realised on entering that I couldn't remember the test. I normally memorise them spot on, but because we'd done this one the week before I'd been a bit blasé about it, and I started having a coronary during the test. Geoff was very rideable, nice and forward, but I managed to lose us marks but trotting past our walk marker and then asking for a very unprepared and unfair downwards transition, and then asking for too much lengthen in the medium trot (he finds these hard) and he broke to canter. Judge also didn't think we'd done a proper medium canter, whereas I definitely felt him lengthen his strides out and gain a whole lot of PUSH with it, so either it was less visible than it felt or Geoff is a massive faker
. He got a 61.5, and last in the class (but all other three normally compete Novice Open, and the winner only had 3% on our score so I didn't feel it was too embarrassing really).Lastly, we got the saddle fitter out on Monday. I had noticed last week when jumping that Geoff's jump saddle just felt a little lower in front than usual, and with him having dropped some weight I'd changed the padding under our dressage saddle which could do with checking for balance. Turns out the jump saddle had totally flat flock in front, and was restricting his shoulders - hence the recent increase in stops, I think. So that was reflocked, and the dressage saddle padding altered which felt MUCH more balanced. So I'm hoping some quiet work in the new saddle configurations should sort him out. The physio is due back up in around three weeks so we can loosen off any tension through the withers and back that may be what has been being picked up on in our dressage tests.
Any advice regarding how to increase suppleness through the back (it's not strictly tension as as I said he is GREAT in the stretchy work and the free walk), please comment. Saw the great article in BD mag about getting a horse more forward off the leg, which I think really applies to us, but any further tips really appreciated.
Have some pear or some clementines - having a fruit binge today as it's nice and sunny and makes me feel summery
