Prince33Sp4rkle
Well-Known Member
one of those days when you dont know whether to laugh, or bang your head on something sharp and pointy!!!
after an anxious 24hours on snow watch we trundled off to Elms Farm for 2 x adv mediums....NMT was wearing so many layers she could barely move and had i pushed her over i think she would have bounced stright back up, like a weeble!!!!
had looooooads of new tat to debut-some particularly bright Equipe stirrups in snazzy gold to match browband.....belt....stock....stockpin....jacket collar....etc!!!! and some sexy snakey brushing boots (yes patent snakeskin, really!) :lovetat:
warmed up in 2 quarter sheets as was bitterly cold up there and went really really sweetly, after a few ahem, less than subtle reminders about FORWARD, he did indeed get his butt in gear and felt very supple and relaxed. We have been working him a bit deeper at home as he can get a little bit *peacocky* in the ring and pop up and brace against me, so have being doing loads of work rounder, but really forward in to the hand.
plodded in to the ring as previous person was leaving, had a trot-felt great, asked for canter and got snort...sneeze..grunt...squeak...snake head...LEAP IN THE AIR LIKE A HELICOPTER.....superb.....trotted past NMT and whsipered that he felt full of bad ideas (bad bad, not good bad) but sucked it up and tried to force myself to keep leg on.
Trot work dried up on me a bit, HP and mediums were ok but the 10m circles and SI felt like i was carrying him, not the other way round!
Did a lovely variety of changes............sadly mostly in his medium canter, few 2's, and a couple of 1's, and i eventually walked to make a point of him waiting for me, then cantered on again. Did the HP ok but had to ride my other medium VERY carefully and then his first changed went with a bit of a buck/dive/fumble which annoyed me as they are one of his higlights :badpony:.
However, the good bits felt much better (HP more forward and bendy and flowing and walk more uphill and relaxed in neck) and indeed they must have been as we were 1st (out of 2 lol) with 65.58% but beat a very smart horse indeed and i was really pleased with that score, as the judge is renowned for not giving marks away and obviously we had made a few bodge ups along the way
short break and back in for AM98......made a dubious start by spooking and then slamming on the anchors with a neck like a crane-we were roughly in the region of X so saluted sharpish and then set off down centre line on an absolute mission, gave him a few sharp reminders about staying uphill and in front of me in the trot, which resulted in the first HP starting with some snake head and a bit of jiving but it felt loads better, so was happy regardless.
Decided that broncing would be a better option than changing on the serpentine, so that hammered the 1st change mark, serpentine/canter mark AND submission, little turd but at least did some really nice HP again and opted not to throw any tempis in the ext canter
(should add its a good job i watched the one before me, which i rarely do....as had totally forgotten the whole medium trot down centre line malarky until that moment!!!)
2nd out of same 2, with 62.10% which again, considering the ad libbing, i was pleased with.
So we now have all our none Q marks and are half qual for regionals, so will just do the Q class from now on.
Havent been there in about 10 years but staff were friendly and helpful as ever and really well organised.....only 2 shadows cast on the day were a very very poor, and very tucked up little horse being yanked round the warm up every time it put a whisker out of line, consequently wouldnt stand in its halts, so got *******ed and spurred-by the time it went in the ring it was lathered all over with white foam it was 0 degrees, it was sweating in fear and look terrified poor thing. Rider loudly complaining how naughty it was
the well known dressage faimly turned up with young daughter rather over horse on huge and over excited mount-quickly ushered in to indoor, only to reappear 30mins later in a double bridle and flash noseband!!!! I politely pointed out it shouldnt be, only to be told "oh i didnt know we couldnt warm up in it", which is total BS as they have been involved in BD longer than ive been alive! Debated complaining but didnt as they were going HC anyway, but perhaps i was a wimp and should have? Think it makes a mockery of rules and the flash was only removed just prior to entering ring, despite me pointing out its not allowed! very much *we will do what we want*. grrrrrrr.
anyhoo, got what i went for and am pleased with how way of going in general is coming along, wish i could look up and sit straighter/more classically correct, but back is what it is and i can only do so much to compensate for how crumbly and crap it is, so will keep plodding on in that respect.
winter champs are fast approaching and i am TERRIFIED!!!!
am pleased to announce that HCC International Insurance are going to be sponsoring me again in 2013- huge thanks to them for their support, the HHC pony is back in business!!!
after an anxious 24hours on snow watch we trundled off to Elms Farm for 2 x adv mediums....NMT was wearing so many layers she could barely move and had i pushed her over i think she would have bounced stright back up, like a weeble!!!!
had looooooads of new tat to debut-some particularly bright Equipe stirrups in snazzy gold to match browband.....belt....stock....stockpin....jacket collar....etc!!!! and some sexy snakey brushing boots (yes patent snakeskin, really!) :lovetat:
warmed up in 2 quarter sheets as was bitterly cold up there and went really really sweetly, after a few ahem, less than subtle reminders about FORWARD, he did indeed get his butt in gear and felt very supple and relaxed. We have been working him a bit deeper at home as he can get a little bit *peacocky* in the ring and pop up and brace against me, so have being doing loads of work rounder, but really forward in to the hand.
plodded in to the ring as previous person was leaving, had a trot-felt great, asked for canter and got snort...sneeze..grunt...squeak...snake head...LEAP IN THE AIR LIKE A HELICOPTER.....superb.....trotted past NMT and whsipered that he felt full of bad ideas (bad bad, not good bad) but sucked it up and tried to force myself to keep leg on.
Trot work dried up on me a bit, HP and mediums were ok but the 10m circles and SI felt like i was carrying him, not the other way round!
Did a lovely variety of changes............sadly mostly in his medium canter, few 2's, and a couple of 1's, and i eventually walked to make a point of him waiting for me, then cantered on again. Did the HP ok but had to ride my other medium VERY carefully and then his first changed went with a bit of a buck/dive/fumble which annoyed me as they are one of his higlights :badpony:.
However, the good bits felt much better (HP more forward and bendy and flowing and walk more uphill and relaxed in neck) and indeed they must have been as we were 1st (out of 2 lol) with 65.58% but beat a very smart horse indeed and i was really pleased with that score, as the judge is renowned for not giving marks away and obviously we had made a few bodge ups along the way
short break and back in for AM98......made a dubious start by spooking and then slamming on the anchors with a neck like a crane-we were roughly in the region of X so saluted sharpish and then set off down centre line on an absolute mission, gave him a few sharp reminders about staying uphill and in front of me in the trot, which resulted in the first HP starting with some snake head and a bit of jiving but it felt loads better, so was happy regardless.
Decided that broncing would be a better option than changing on the serpentine, so that hammered the 1st change mark, serpentine/canter mark AND submission, little turd but at least did some really nice HP again and opted not to throw any tempis in the ext canter
(should add its a good job i watched the one before me, which i rarely do....as had totally forgotten the whole medium trot down centre line malarky until that moment!!!)
2nd out of same 2, with 62.10% which again, considering the ad libbing, i was pleased with.
So we now have all our none Q marks and are half qual for regionals, so will just do the Q class from now on.
Havent been there in about 10 years but staff were friendly and helpful as ever and really well organised.....only 2 shadows cast on the day were a very very poor, and very tucked up little horse being yanked round the warm up every time it put a whisker out of line, consequently wouldnt stand in its halts, so got *******ed and spurred-by the time it went in the ring it was lathered all over with white foam
it was 0 degrees, it was sweating in fear and look terrified poor thing. Rider loudly complaining how naughty it was the well known dressage faimly turned up with young daughter rather over horse on huge and over excited mount-quickly ushered in to indoor, only to reappear 30mins later in a double bridle and flash noseband!!!! I politely pointed out it shouldnt be, only to be told "oh i didnt know we couldnt warm up in it", which is total BS as they have been involved in BD longer than ive been alive! Debated complaining but didnt as they were going HC anyway, but perhaps i was a wimp and should have? Think it makes a mockery of rules and the flash was only removed just prior to entering ring, despite me pointing out its not allowed! very much *we will do what we want*. grrrrrrr.
anyhoo, got what i went for and am pleased with how way of going in general is coming along, wish i could look up and sit straighter/more classically correct, but back is what it is and i can only do so much to compensate for how crumbly and crap it is, so will keep plodding on in that respect.
winter champs are fast approaching and i am TERRIFIED!!!!
am pleased to announce that HCC International Insurance are going to be sponsoring me again in 2013- huge thanks to them for their support, the HHC pony is back in business!!!
