black_horse
Well-Known Member
Well, they say that you tell a gelding, ask a mare, discuss it with a stallion, but today, Delicia showed me that you can ask a mare, but she might not always comply 
.
Today we had our first BD affiliated competition together, as part of team Surrey (Team Valegro ) we competed at Bedgebury Equestrian centre at elementary level. We arrived in great time and Delicia was lovely and relaxed, had ages before i was due on so went to watch the other horses and catch up with old friends. There were some seriously stunning horses there today.
Time came and i tacked up, Delicia still very calm...which is very unlike her... and went to warm up....and then i realised why she was so calm, she wasnt calm, she was bloody minded. So i took Ms Hormones out to play today and my lovely mare was clearly still in the field
Bless her! She wasn't tense per se but she did question everything i asked of her, just making sure i really solidly meant it. Luckily i had opted to do teh individual test as well as the team, so off we trotted to do the individual.
And what can i say? She was lovely. I learnt the wrong test but luckily someone was on hand to call for me. She was lovely, soft and supple. Her babyish tendencess showed in the simple change but i was extremely proud of my mare. Still, against some of the horses there and at our first time at affiliated level together i didnt think we had a chance in hell. I have two hours till my team class so put her back in the box to munch on some hay.
My grandad came to watch the test so i went back to the secretaries hut with him to see how i had done. I WON! I couldnt believe it! I had some fab comments from the judge, she was spot on with everything i thought too so was thrilled by that and i got a lovely TopSpec rossett and a huge tub of top spec joint supplement as a prize.
I had to get all dressed up in my jacket again for the official photos from the BD photographer (eek!). I was so proud of my pony, i would have been happy to leave there then and there, but i still had my team test to do.
My poor team mate, she had the most awful time getting to the venue, the trailer floor gave way under her (luckily not from under the horse!) so had to hitch a ride with someone else, turned up late and flustered and her gelding decided dressage wasnt his thing today. I tack delicia back up, she was not impressed. draging her away from her hay net was not her idea of fun! I got back on board and the discussions began. First, the leave the lorry park at a walk and not a head long gallop *rolls eyes*, to enter the warm up (dee didnt think this was necessary) and then to actually warm up (the words 'DONT TOUCH ME I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING!' were clearly being shouted from her today.
Anyway entered the team test, Delicia was feeling very confident at this point :/. She did a lovely first half of the test, her trot rhythmical and uphill, and produced two lovely extended trots which scored her two 8's from a list 1 judge. Then came the canter.......started ok, became a little onward bound so i half halted her.....
only gently....
...bad mistake.
With a snort and a squeel she bronced with me, buck,buck,buck,buck. Her hind legs going so high she struck the metal supporting beam of the school :S. I was very concered that a) she would really hurt herself and b) as her legs came down (they were higher then the fence line) she would hurt herself on the fence. I actually said to her 'do you mind?' (oops) and she cut it out, but her canter was a little on the forehand and too speedy for my liking, she was very sensitive to my half halts (these mean halt dont you know?) and she wasnt really listening to me. Luckily the test was almost over and i managed to bring her back to a trot and did a reasonable centre line, the halt wasnt really established as she was fidgeting, but she got a pat none the less.
I was a little annoyed at her marish behaviour, but she is a mare, this is all new to her and she is very much still a baby (at 9 years old lol). I was overall very proud of her, shes very green and just needs ring time. I could have been worse. So the second test was fairly marked and we got utterly penilised for her bad behaviour and subsequaint tension and came joint last (oops). The team as a whole came 5th out of 11 so we did very well, and i had a fantastic time.
You win some, and you lose some. But after her bad behaviour Delicia settled and i had her trotting and cantering on the buckle. And that was a win worth being proud over. So what we threw a class? The bigger picture - Delicia had a good time, she grew in confidence and realised i wasnt going to beat her into submission but win her over, and subsequaintly, she gave me some of her best work yet.
I am so proud of my horse, she continues to excite me and i have never had as much fun as what me and Delicia are having at the moment. I have just sent off my BD horse registration forms and my rider registration. We are now affiliated and i cannot wait to start this new chapter in our lives.
I have only a few piccis but these are the best.
And a tired but very happy pony chilling in the field tonight
.Today we had our first BD affiliated competition together, as part of team Surrey (Team Valegro
) we competed at Bedgebury Equestrian centre at elementary level. We arrived in great time and Delicia was lovely and relaxed, had ages before i was due on so went to watch the other horses and catch up with old friends. There were some seriously stunning horses there today.Time came and i tacked up, Delicia still very calm...which is very unlike her... and went to warm up....and then i realised why she was so calm, she wasnt calm, she was bloody minded
. So i took Ms Hormones out to play today and my lovely mare was clearly still in the field Bless her! She wasn't tense per se but she did question everything i asked of her, just making sure i really solidly meant it. Luckily i had opted to do teh individual test as well as the team, so off we trotted to do the individual.
And what can i say? She was lovely. I learnt the wrong test but luckily someone was on hand to call for me. She was lovely, soft and supple. Her babyish tendencess showed in the simple change but i was extremely proud of my mare. Still, against some of the horses there and at our first time at affiliated level together i didnt think we had a chance in hell. I have two hours till my team class so put her back in the box to munch on some hay.
My grandad came to watch the test so i went back to the secretaries hut with him to see how i had done. I WON! I couldnt believe it! I had some fab comments from the judge, she was spot on with everything i thought too so was thrilled by that and i got a lovely TopSpec rossett and a huge tub of top spec joint supplement as a prize
.I had to get all dressed up in my jacket again for the official photos from the BD photographer (eek!). I was so proud of my pony, i would have been happy to leave there then and there, but i still had my team test to do.
My poor team mate, she had the most awful time getting to the venue, the trailer floor gave way under her (luckily not from under the horse!) so had to hitch a ride with someone else, turned up late and flustered and her gelding decided dressage wasnt his thing today. I tack delicia back up, she was not impressed. draging her away from her hay net was not her idea of fun! I got back on board and the discussions began. First, the leave the lorry park at a walk and not a head long gallop *rolls eyes*, to enter the warm up (dee didnt think this was necessary) and then to actually warm up (the words 'DONT TOUCH ME I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING!' were clearly being shouted from her today.
Anyway entered the team test, Delicia was feeling very confident at this point :/. She did a lovely first half of the test, her trot rhythmical and uphill, and produced two lovely extended trots which scored her two 8's from a list 1 judge. Then came the canter.......started ok, became a little onward bound so i half halted her.....
only gently....
...bad mistake.
With a snort and a squeel she bronced with me, buck,buck,buck,buck. Her hind legs going so high she struck the metal supporting beam of the school :S. I was very concered that a) she would really hurt herself and b) as her legs came down (they were higher then the fence line) she would hurt herself on the fence. I actually said to her 'do you mind?' (oops) and she cut it out, but her canter was a little on the forehand and too speedy for my liking, she was very sensitive to my half halts (these mean halt dont you know?) and she wasnt really listening to me. Luckily the test was almost over and i managed to bring her back to a trot and did a reasonable centre line, the halt wasnt really established as she was fidgeting, but she got a pat none the less.
I was a little annoyed at her marish behaviour, but she is a mare, this is all new to her and she is very much still a baby (at 9 years old lol). I was overall very proud of her, shes very green and just needs ring time. I could have been worse. So the second test was fairly marked and we got utterly penilised for her bad behaviour and subsequaint tension and came joint last (oops). The team as a whole came 5th out of 11 so we did very well, and i had a fantastic time.
You win some, and you lose some. But after her bad behaviour Delicia settled and i had her trotting and cantering on the buckle. And that was a win worth being proud over. So what we threw a class? The bigger picture - Delicia had a good time, she grew in confidence and realised i wasnt going to beat her into submission but win her over, and subsequaintly, she gave me some of her best work yet.
I am so proud of my horse, she continues to excite me and i have never had as much fun as what me and Delicia are having at the moment. I have just sent off my BD horse registration forms and my rider registration. We are now affiliated and i cannot wait to start this new chapter in our lives.
I have only a few piccis but these are the best.
And a tired but very happy pony chilling in the field tonight
