HufflyPuffly
Well-Known Member
So we had a busy Easter weekend! The count down for Nationals has begun so we're getting a plan together!
First up a lesson with my instructor. Started off with no hand faffing from me!
I have to trust when she's 'on the bit' as it were I don't need to keep moving her head and neck around, I can just leave her be. So we did some on and back work in the trot, slow it down and then ask her to push off again with those hind legs! I still need to really focus to not pull my left hand back on the left rein, a work in progress but at least I'm aware of it and so can work on it. Then onto some sitting trot work, so we half-halted into the corner sat and accelerated round the corner working on bigger steps. I think I'm really starting to be able to sit to her and not have to work at it quite so much now, but my tummy muscles still cry at the thought, need to start doing some sit-ups maybe 
. Onto the canter and really trying to keep my hands level and not to rely on that left hand! A couple of canter-walk-canter transitions and getting a bigger canter, which felt odd as we've been working on making the canter smaller and more collected for ages! Then to finish some very simple canter-trot-canter transitions, but asking for a big trot straight out of canter so the transition isn't as choppy. Simple but Topaz does struggle with keeping the softness through the transitions so this is our homework for the next week.
Lots of videos on our facebook blog but here's a short canter one:
[video]https://youtu.be/gzff4b_el4Q[/video]
Then onto Sunday and well we did work on getting a bigger canter in my lesson, but I'm not sure that our activity fitted in with my instructors plan of action for us before the Winter Champs... We went out for a local hunter trail
.
Had the best day with two fab friends! My partner in crime romped the individual novice (70-80cm) for second place but I still cannot believe anyone could have beat her time! Topaz went amazingly considering our extended break from XC. I was fully expecting her to either have a full on melt down about it all or to really enjoy it, as our only recent practice has been a trip to Somerford's farm ride the other weekend and some arena eventing around Christmas time... However it got moved from out in the fields to the arena and gallops, as we've had so much rain, so I thought it would probably suit us better.
We were a little sticky at a couple with Topaz having a good look at them and had rather a 'moment' in the middle of the course where she locked onto the wrong fence so as I tried to haul-ass round the corner saying nooo this fence, she stopped and then thought yep I can do that so pinged it from halt ! The resulting ping in the air and then the next fence, with only one stirrup and my knitting in a knot, were slightly hairy but we survived, though it did rather hurt our time so no prizes for us! The commentator made me laugh telling me to get my stirrup back before jumping another fence and when I did saying "look how much easier it is" .
Then the pairs!!! OMG terrifying being behind the flying blonde bombshell's that is my friend and her horse, Topaz was in full hunt chase mode and in a snaffle, a snaffle! What was I thinking!!!! But it was still the most fun we've had in ages and we managed third!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And even more amazingly have qualified for the Eland Lodge champs in October, hahaha pretend eventer, to most unlikely dressage diva and back again!!! It should tie in well as we should be having a break from dressage comps at that time of year so bring it on!
On the gallops part and trying not to let her spook off course away from the spectators so please excuse my dodgy hands, but look at her happy face 
.
First part of the novice, expertly filmed so it cut off just before the dodgy middle section:
[video]https://youtu.be/Huzs2CjyFVk[/video]
Pairs:
[video]https://youtu.be/lHiGWu6iOZo[/video]
Happy pony and me, just before she rolled:
Hope everyone had a lovely Easter and we are focussing on the upcoming Petplan Winter champs now I promise.
x x
First up a lesson with my instructor. Started off with no hand faffing from me!
I have to trust when she's 'on the bit' as it were I don't need to keep moving her head and neck around, I can just leave her be. So we did some on and back work in the trot, slow it down and then ask her to push off again with those hind legs! I still need to really focus to not pull my left hand back on the left rein, a work in progress but at least I'm aware of it and so can work on it. Then onto some sitting trot work, so we half-halted into the corner sat and accelerated round the corner working on bigger steps. I think I'm really starting to be able to sit to her and not have to work at it quite so much now, but my tummy muscles still cry at the thought, need to start doing some sit-ups maybe . Onto the canter and really trying to keep my hands level and not to rely on that left hand! A couple of canter-walk-canter transitions and getting a bigger canter, which felt odd as we've been working on making the canter smaller and more collected for ages! Then to finish some very simple canter-trot-canter transitions, but asking for a big trot straight out of canter so the transition isn't as choppy. Simple but Topaz does struggle with keeping the softness through the transitions so this is our homework for the next week.Lots of videos on our facebook blog but here's a short canter one:
[video]https://youtu.be/gzff4b_el4Q[/video]
Then onto Sunday and well we did work on getting a bigger canter in my lesson, but I'm not sure that our activity fitted in with my instructors plan of action for us before the Winter Champs... We went out for a local hunter trail
. Had the best day with two fab friends! My partner in crime
romped the individual novice (70-80cm) for second place but I still cannot believe anyone could have beat her time! Topaz went amazingly considering our extended break from XC. I was fully expecting her to either have a full on melt down about it all or to really enjoy it, as our only recent practice has been a trip to Somerford's farm ride the other weekend and some arena eventing around Christmas time... However it got moved from out in the fields to the arena and gallops, as we've had so much rain, so I thought it would probably suit us better.We were a little sticky at a couple with Topaz having a good look at them and had rather a 'moment' in the middle of the course where she locked onto the wrong fence so as I tried to haul-ass round the corner saying nooo this fence
, she stopped and then thought yep I can do that so pinged it from halt ! The resulting ping in the air and then the next fence, with only one stirrup and my knitting in a knot, were slightly hairy but we survived, though it did rather hurt our time so no prizes for us! The commentator made me laugh telling me to get my stirrup back before jumping another fence and when I did saying "look how much easier it is" .Then the pairs!!! OMG terrifying being behind the flying blonde bombshell's that is my friend and her horse, Topaz was in full hunt chase mode and in a snaffle, a snaffle! What was I thinking!!!! But it was still the most fun we've had in ages and we managed third!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And even more amazingly have qualified for the Eland Lodge champs in October, hahaha pretend eventer, to most unlikely dressage diva and back again!!! It should tie in well as we should be having a break from dressage comps at that time of year so bring it on!
On the gallops part and trying not to let her spook off course away from the spectators
so please excuse my dodgy hands, but look at her happy face .
First part of the novice, expertly filmed so it cut off just before the dodgy middle section:
[video]https://youtu.be/Huzs2CjyFVk[/video]
Pairs:
[video]https://youtu.be/lHiGWu6iOZo[/video]
Happy pony and me, just before she rolled:
Hope everyone had a lovely Easter and we are focussing on the upcoming Petplan Winter champs now I promise
.x x
