nikCscott
Well-Known Member
1st outing for 3 or months since he refused to load to come home from an eventer training, ended up going over backwards and staying the night at the show centre! 
Last night went to a very local centre to compete in evening dressage. He loaded beautifully to go (he always does as we do lots of practising), travelled beautifully as always, tacked up and he was really chilled, got on and got in to the warm up and it would seem we forgot to pack our 'grown up big boys pants' . On his toes is an understatement- on the verge of exploding!
So spent the warm up time mostly in walk chilling him out with lots of bending, laterals and a few transitions. Got in to the indoor to do our test and the setting sun was shining through a gap between the wall and roof and creating shafts of light across the floor. The world's most unspooky horse spooked at EVERYTHING! I couldn't get him near the track, the judges box the door. He struck off on the wrong canter lead and the cantered like a giraffe, on the other leg he jumped a shaft of light and landed on the wrong leg- it was a car crash! I was quietly mortified I know he hasn't been out but we've been doing so well in lessons and really coming on and last time we did this test we got 68% I was hoping to break the 70% barrier, we got 60% (in my opinion generous!).
But he completely redeemed himself in the lorry park. Put the ramps down and he started backing up so I backed him up more and forward and back and forward and back.... until he walked straight through trailer I went straight through half a dozen times and then stuck the breast bar and ramp up- JOB DONE- 3 minutes tops!!!
Last night went to a very local centre to compete in evening dressage. He loaded beautifully to go (he always does as we do lots of practising), travelled beautifully as always, tacked up and he was really chilled, got on and got in to the warm up and it would seem we forgot to pack our 'grown up big boys pants' . On his toes is an understatement- on the verge of exploding!
So spent the warm up time mostly in walk chilling him out with lots of bending, laterals and a few transitions. Got in to the indoor to do our test and the setting sun was shining through a gap between the wall and roof and creating shafts of light across the floor. The world's most unspooky horse spooked at EVERYTHING! I couldn't get him near the track, the judges box the door. He struck off on the wrong canter lead and the cantered like a giraffe, on the other leg he jumped a shaft of light and landed on the wrong leg- it was a car crash!
I was quietly mortified I know he hasn't been out but we've been doing so well in lessons and really coming on and last time we did this test we got 68% I was hoping to break the 70% barrier, we got 60% (in my opinion generous!).But he completely redeemed himself in the lorry park. Put the ramps down and he started backing up so I backed him up more and forward and back and forward and back.... until he walked straight through trailer I went straight through half a dozen times and then stuck the breast bar and ramp up- JOB DONE- 3 minutes tops!!!
dont worry about the stressage... think of it as practice for next time. Loading is such a pain when they decide.... no thanks. had leave my partition behind and collect the next day before.... ergh.