nikkimariet
Well-Known Member
So, having qual for the PSG regionals with relative ease, Pea has now stepped up to Inter 1.
We pencilled in Keysoe for our debut - its a lovely venue with super surfaces and they didnt let us down. Fantastic organisation as usual
Having never ridden this test at a show before, and knowing how different it always is compared to at home, I was expecting it to be more of a schooling outing and true to form, I made some fairly large lemon-like errors! Unusually for him he went very buzzy in the ring and more or less totally ran off with me in the ext canter lol and then the next time off that corner tried to do the same Shame we should have been collecting for a piri! I then over whoad and over half halted and we ground to a stop so had to circle but did manage to do 2 sweet enough piris once we had got our act together!
I then got rather carried away in the 2s and did 9 instead of 7, doh so threw marks away for no good reason (albeit nice to know we can do 9 lol!). With 2 very tough judges the resulting 55% was fair enough and I couldnt wait to get out and have another go!
So off we trundled to Abbey Dressage on Sat for a take 2 ..
He warmed up really well, much more uphill and connected than at Keysoe. Despite an apocalyptic hail storm just before we went in (it has been a weekend of totally barmy weather!).
Perhaps pay back for my total muddle at Keysoe, but he really threw the towel in and ruined what could have been a very nice test - the positives outweigh the negatives but still, I could throttle the little git quite cheerfully.
Postives:
Stayed in front of the leg 90% of the time
Never thought about rearing in the piris
Didnt bog off in the ex canter
I can count to 7 (yay!)
Got better marks for his ext trot than normal so hard work paying off there
Got a 7 for his harder trot HP, finally!
Negatives:
Decided I needed a refresher course in Velcro pant useage and for absolutely no damn reason that I can see, humped at my leg in the 8m circle and then exploded in the trot HP right (the easy way, argh).
Decided after that that right HP was a no go and thus had to circle twice before the zig zag, kicking and swearing as he humped along doing snake head and threatening to drop me on my head.
I put my hand up at the end but even giving myself a 6 in place of the 0/1/2s I would have got 65.something%. I could have screamed (internally I was!)....
I literally do not know what the hell got in to him. Clearly he decided that my left leg was not acceptable, but is it just him being a sod or pain? Having done a course of gastroguard with no improvement, worked my way through 4/5 diff ulcer supps with also no real improvement except the Egusin, moved on to Equishure and now started on gastro plus with no improvement. I feel like Im banging my head on a brick wall.
He is managed as an ulcer horse and clearly his stomach is/was sensitive but at what point do we tick this off the list? He trots up sound as a pound after flexion, is level on a tiny circle and at home and in the warm up finds the HP right easier!
He is being VERY aggressive in the stable atm, rug changing is like dressing a shark and hes taken a swing for me and NMT over the door a few times too. Clearly *something* is up - but what? He is quite colty generally year round, and spring is in the air, could it be that simple? He looks really well in himself, is keen to come in and work and his work at home is lovely, barely any antics.
Infuriating creature, my head hurts from thinking about him! Although in reality - why am I surprised? We seem to go through this every time we go up a level, everyone is convinced hes in agonizing pain and mental torture, and then one day he just shrugs it off and settles?
A good friend and GP rider is coming to have a sit on him on wed, shes confident she can help sort him out thank god! And then we might go out for another try, depending on her diagnosis. And then the winters, where hopefully the safety zone of the PSG will lull him in to keeping all 4 feet on the ground
We pencilled in Keysoe for our debut - its a lovely venue with super surfaces and they didnt let us down. Fantastic organisation as usual
Having never ridden this test at a show before, and knowing how different it always is compared to at home, I was expecting it to be more of a schooling outing and true to form, I made some fairly large lemon-like errors! Unusually for him he went very buzzy in the ring and more or less totally ran off with me in the ext canter lol and then the next time off that corner tried to do the same Shame we should have been collecting for a piri! I then over whoad and over half halted and we ground to a stop so had to circle but did manage to do 2 sweet enough piris once we had got our act together!
I then got rather carried away in the 2s and did 9 instead of 7, doh so threw marks away for no good reason (albeit nice to know we can do 9 lol!). With 2 very tough judges the resulting 55% was fair enough and I couldnt wait to get out and have another go!
So off we trundled to Abbey Dressage on Sat for a take 2 ..
He warmed up really well, much more uphill and connected than at Keysoe. Despite an apocalyptic hail storm just before we went in (it has been a weekend of totally barmy weather!).
Perhaps pay back for my total muddle at Keysoe, but he really threw the towel in and ruined what could have been a very nice test - the positives outweigh the negatives but still, I could throttle the little git quite cheerfully.
Postives:
Stayed in front of the leg 90% of the time
Never thought about rearing in the piris
Didnt bog off in the ex canter
I can count to 7 (yay!)
Got better marks for his ext trot than normal so hard work paying off there
Got a 7 for his harder trot HP, finally!
Negatives:
Decided I needed a refresher course in Velcro pant useage and for absolutely no damn reason that I can see, humped at my leg in the 8m circle and then exploded in the trot HP right (the easy way, argh).
Decided after that that right HP was a no go and thus had to circle twice before the zig zag, kicking and swearing as he humped along doing snake head and threatening to drop me on my head.
I put my hand up at the end but even giving myself a 6 in place of the 0/1/2s I would have got 65.something%. I could have screamed (internally I was!)....
I literally do not know what the hell got in to him. Clearly he decided that my left leg was not acceptable, but is it just him being a sod or pain? Having done a course of gastroguard with no improvement, worked my way through 4/5 diff ulcer supps with also no real improvement except the Egusin, moved on to Equishure and now started on gastro plus with no improvement. I feel like Im banging my head on a brick wall.
He is managed as an ulcer horse and clearly his stomach is/was sensitive but at what point do we tick this off the list? He trots up sound as a pound after flexion, is level on a tiny circle and at home and in the warm up finds the HP right easier!
He is being VERY aggressive in the stable atm, rug changing is like dressing a shark and hes taken a swing for me and NMT over the door a few times too. Clearly *something* is up - but what? He is quite colty generally year round, and spring is in the air, could it be that simple? He looks really well in himself, is keen to come in and work and his work at home is lovely, barely any antics.
Infuriating creature, my head hurts from thinking about him! Although in reality - why am I surprised? We seem to go through this every time we go up a level, everyone is convinced hes in agonizing pain and mental torture, and then one day he just shrugs it off and settles?
A good friend and GP rider is coming to have a sit on him on wed, shes confident she can help sort him out thank god! And then we might go out for another try, depending on her diagnosis. And then the winters, where hopefully the safety zone of the PSG will lull him in to keeping all 4 feet on the ground
Back to the working piris, but making them tighter this time. 2 steps of piri and 2 steps forward, 2 steps of piri and 2 steps forward. Outside hand brings the shoulder round, inside leg keeps him stepping under and over.
Like you said, he has a little wobble going up a level then settles, perhaps that's all it is? I feel your pain - we have finally gotten on top of Pip's tension under saddle, and with impeccable timing, he's decided he WILL NOT travel any more, and started flinging himself about even when we're only doing 4mph. Neurotic animals. If it's any comfort he looks absolutely fantastic in the photos! I was watching the vids of him on facebook the other day and gawping. You really have done such an amazing job! 
