bounce
Well-Known Member
I have to say I'm just about keeping my head above water with training and trying to compete two horses this winter whilst working full time and trying to keep them both fit. My original plan when buying a second horse was to be able to ride and lead during the week when I hack out to save time, but that was before I decided to buy a very green youngster!
Saturday after hacking out the youngster in strong winds which required a few moments where I was very happy to have a neck strap to hand, I gave Ru a quick bath (the joys of having a grey!) and set off to a combined training competition. With the wind blowing my lorry about on the road it wasn't the nicest of journeys but we arrived in one piece and was just grateful that it wasn't raining.
Apart from a few dressage competitions, Ru hasn't been to a competition with a set of jumps involved since April last year and as he can be very spooky I wasn't expecting too much. Luckily the venue was allowing you to go around the course as a clear round at the various heights as well as the class that you had entered so we had a quick spin round at a lower height and I was amazed when he didn't look at anything. Warming up for your dressage test by whizzing around a jumping course was possibly not the best of warm ups for an excitable pony but it didn't seem to cause too much harm and we gained a very respectable 65%. With only 5 minutes before my jumping section finished I quickly put on his martingale and jacked up my stirrups to go to jump, thinking that I would be fine in the snaffle rather than his bevel. He once again jumped a wonderful round but started to quicken a little too much at the end and we sadly took the last as I just couldn't hold him enough. But still, good enough for a 6th place and I was very pleased.
So Sunday morning dawned and it was the turn of the youngster to go out to a competition. It was Poppet's second outing to a dressage competition and I was only going for her to gain experience at a competition environment. She withdraws into herself at strange places and it is like riding with the handbrake stuck on at the moment. But she is very well behaved and I'd rather her that way than being excitable and too forward.
We did what I thought was a reasonable walk and trot test and was absolutely amazed when I found out that we won it on 71%. I was so amazed in fact, that I was still thinking about our score when we were half way through our prelim test and I got beeped by the judge for forgetting a circle! I really must learn to concentrate better rather than let my mind stray, especially in the middle of a test! I really thought we would struggle to get our canter in the prelim test as it was a very small indoor school but after a lot of encouragement we managed to get both our canters in roughly the right place. Our halt was however all over the place and something that needs a lot more work.
I was first to go in the prelim and was extremely happy with a score of 65% but was certain I wouldn't get anywhere in a class of 25 so left and went home so I could hack Ru before it got dark. A text message to a friend later to find out how I got on and I nearly cried! We had only won that class as well!
A very happy weekend of competing with both my lovely ponies.
Saturday after hacking out the youngster in strong winds which required a few moments where I was very happy to have a neck strap to hand, I gave Ru a quick bath (the joys of having a grey!) and set off to a combined training competition. With the wind blowing my lorry about on the road it wasn't the nicest of journeys but we arrived in one piece and was just grateful that it wasn't raining.
Apart from a few dressage competitions, Ru hasn't been to a competition with a set of jumps involved since April last year and as he can be very spooky I wasn't expecting too much. Luckily the venue was allowing you to go around the course as a clear round at the various heights as well as the class that you had entered so we had a quick spin round at a lower height and I was amazed when he didn't look at anything. Warming up for your dressage test by whizzing around a jumping course was possibly not the best of warm ups for an excitable pony but it didn't seem to cause too much harm and we gained a very respectable 65%. With only 5 minutes before my jumping section finished I quickly put on his martingale and jacked up my stirrups to go to jump, thinking that I would be fine in the snaffle rather than his bevel. He once again jumped a wonderful round but started to quicken a little too much at the end and we sadly took the last as I just couldn't hold him enough. But still, good enough for a 6th place and I was very pleased.
So Sunday morning dawned and it was the turn of the youngster to go out to a competition. It was Poppet's second outing to a dressage competition and I was only going for her to gain experience at a competition environment. She withdraws into herself at strange places and it is like riding with the handbrake stuck on at the moment. But she is very well behaved and I'd rather her that way than being excitable and too forward.
We did what I thought was a reasonable walk and trot test and was absolutely amazed when I found out that we won it on 71%. I was so amazed in fact, that I was still thinking about our score when we were half way through our prelim test and I got beeped by the judge for forgetting a circle! I really must learn to concentrate better rather than let my mind stray, especially in the middle of a test! I really thought we would struggle to get our canter in the prelim test as it was a very small indoor school but after a lot of encouragement we managed to get both our canters in roughly the right place. Our halt was however all over the place and something that needs a lot more work.
I was first to go in the prelim and was extremely happy with a score of 65% but was certain I wouldn't get anywhere in a class of 25 so left and went home so I could hack Ru before it got dark. A text message to a friend later to find out how I got on and I nearly cried! We had only won that class as well!
A very happy weekend of competing with both my lovely ponies.
