SoldierBlue
Well-Known Member
Hi Guys, it's been a while seen I last posted so a few updates for you.
Been planning our Elementary debut for some time now but we needed to get our Novice points for Summer Regionals first and things went against us for a little while. Chew managed to get herself cast in her stable and gave her hock a good bash resulting in a very sore pony and a capped hock. Cue lots of rushing round cold hosing and in hand walking with my 3 year old daughter in tow!!! Thank goodness we have a walker at the yard for the horse not the toddler (though tempted at times!). My little one became a great veterinary nurse helping me and giving Chew a get better kiss every time we cold hosed her. A few days of bute and TLC things were looking more positive but we had to withdraw from Hunters where I hoping to get our last few Novice points.
Fast forward to the middle of May and we were back up and running. So off I trundled to Cotswold RDA in the hope of those last Novice points with the husband in tow rather than my mum who usually comes. Shipped daughter off to the mother in laws for a weekend of being spoilt rather than stressaging, also one less thing for the non-horsey husband to moan about. Warm up was interesting to start with as yet again there were scary monsters in the hedges! She's been to the RDA loads but still scary monsters in the warm up! First test went sweet enough and felt good enough for a qualifying score. I wasn't so sure about the second, felt I over rode it and she went too round. I didn't need to worry we won both classes with over 68% in the first and just under 70% in the second!!! We'd done it!!! Main comment was higher marks can't be given as a little tight and short in her neck at times. This is an issue we're working on and have to accept for the time being. The way she is built means she can easily get tight in the neck and go behind the vertical but the stronger she gets and stronger I get in the core the less of an issue its becoming.
So onto yesterday, our Elementary debut we'd been waiting for. Choose the Cotswold RDA as I am comfortable with this venue and have got some really good results from there. The two Elementaries rode like hard Novices so nothing too new other simple changes so good ones to start with. Warm up went really well (apart from the monsters in the hedge for the first 5 mins!), she felt forward and on my aids and the nerves didn't feel too bad. Into the first test, remembered to halt at X down the centre line! Little wobbles here and there, medium trot needed more power from behind (a work in progress still), halt at the end was square but a little abrupt which made me smile but all in all felt it was good first attempt at Elementary. We all felt should be around 62% or 63% mark with a bit of luck. Short wait for the second test, hiding from the downpour so only a 5 min warm up which all she needed really! Into the second test, now this test had more questions to be answered like medium canter to a 10m circle! We managed it all though but as I was getting a little tired she took over a bit in the canter work so more mistakes crept in. Simple changes could have been better but its the first time I've asked this question away from home in a test situation. It was an ok test but knowing who was judging felt it will get lower mark than the first one probably below 60%.
Went to get the scores and was a little disappointed with the first test, 2nd and 61.88% (0.22% off a Pet Plan sheet) but very surprised with 63.93% and 4th in the second test (a Pet Plan sheet)!!! The judge we had has judged us at Regionals and Pet Plans for the past two years and has always marked 5-7% lower than the other judges so actually quite pleased with the scores in the end!! So we've gone from a wobbly Prelim combo to gaining our first Elementary points in two years, not bad for an amateur homebred
Here are the videos, lots to work on due to nerves but all the tools are in the box just need to get out there and settle at the new level!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPw8emsbIAw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aPZmcxXlD8
Thanks for reading!
Been planning our Elementary debut for some time now but we needed to get our Novice points for Summer Regionals first and things went against us for a little while. Chew managed to get herself cast in her stable and gave her hock a good bash resulting in a very sore pony and a capped hock. Cue lots of rushing round cold hosing and in hand walking with my 3 year old daughter in tow!!! Thank goodness we have a walker at the yard for the horse not the toddler (though tempted at times!). My little one became a great veterinary nurse helping me and giving Chew a get better kiss every time we cold hosed her. A few days of bute and TLC things were looking more positive but we had to withdraw from Hunters where I hoping to get our last few Novice points.
Fast forward to the middle of May and we were back up and running. So off I trundled to Cotswold RDA in the hope of those last Novice points with the husband in tow rather than my mum who usually comes. Shipped daughter off to the mother in laws for a weekend of being spoilt rather than stressaging, also one less thing for the non-horsey husband to moan about. Warm up was interesting to start with as yet again there were scary monsters in the hedges! She's been to the RDA loads but still scary monsters in the warm up! First test went sweet enough and felt good enough for a qualifying score. I wasn't so sure about the second, felt I over rode it and she went too round. I didn't need to worry we won both classes with over 68% in the first and just under 70% in the second!!! We'd done it!!! Main comment was higher marks can't be given as a little tight and short in her neck at times. This is an issue we're working on and have to accept for the time being. The way she is built means she can easily get tight in the neck and go behind the vertical but the stronger she gets and stronger I get in the core the less of an issue its becoming.
So onto yesterday, our Elementary debut we'd been waiting for. Choose the Cotswold RDA as I am comfortable with this venue and have got some really good results from there. The two Elementaries rode like hard Novices so nothing too new other simple changes so good ones to start with. Warm up went really well (apart from the monsters in the hedge for the first 5 mins!), she felt forward and on my aids and the nerves didn't feel too bad. Into the first test, remembered to halt at X down the centre line! Little wobbles here and there, medium trot needed more power from behind (a work in progress still), halt at the end was square but a little abrupt which made me smile but all in all felt it was good first attempt at Elementary. We all felt should be around 62% or 63% mark with a bit of luck. Short wait for the second test, hiding from the downpour so only a 5 min warm up which all she needed really! Into the second test, now this test had more questions to be answered like medium canter to a 10m circle! We managed it all though but as I was getting a little tired she took over a bit in the canter work so more mistakes crept in. Simple changes could have been better but its the first time I've asked this question away from home in a test situation. It was an ok test but knowing who was judging felt it will get lower mark than the first one probably below 60%.
Went to get the scores and was a little disappointed with the first test, 2nd and 61.88% (0.22% off a Pet Plan sheet) but very surprised with 63.93% and 4th in the second test (a Pet Plan sheet)!!! The judge we had has judged us at Regionals and Pet Plans for the past two years and has always marked 5-7% lower than the other judges so actually quite pleased with the scores in the end!! So we've gone from a wobbly Prelim combo to gaining our first Elementary points in two years, not bad for an amateur homebred
Here are the videos, lots to work on due to nerves but all the tools are in the box just need to get out there and settle at the new level!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPw8emsbIAw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aPZmcxXlD8
Thanks for reading!
