Eventing Euros Third Weekend of Sept Plans

SaddlePsych'D

SaddlePsych'D

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Who's tuning in on BBC iPlayer? I'm planning to get some snacks and drinks in and park myself on the sofa after my riding lesson in the morning. :)

Very horsey week for me this week! I had my first Sports Psych session where we developed a script for imagery to try out in my lesson on Wednesday. It definitely seemed to help and I'm feeling hopeful that with more sessions we'll crack a strategy to get my brain on side and keep it there.

Lesson Wednesday went really well. I'd been apprehensive after the previous one. Nothing had gone wrong but I pushed on through the nerves and instead of feeling like I'd smashed it, I felt worse. The imagery helped me come back and try again. I've also upped the intensity of my workouts between lessons now that we're trying to get more trot work in. Long Covid is a big part of the nerves and learning to trust my body again so if my once per week lesson is the most intense thing I do, that probably isn't helpful!

Then today... trick riding lesson! I'm writing this feeling pretty unwell tbh, but I am so pleased to have gone and given it a go. Plus I got to ride Toby the supercob again, who I met when I did the side saddle lesson. Pics incoming :)

I had to give up riding and my other hobby which involves hanging upside down off of things (even just doing a downward dog on my yoga mat was out for a good while!), so to get to a stage of recovery where I could combine the two is fairly amazing even if paying for it now.
 
@SaddlePsych'D That is amazing, well done. Look forward to the trick riding photos and more about that. I can't do imagery - never got it then discovered it is actually a thing not being able to do it and interestingly my brother can't either. Did so a sports pysch session years ago for something else and it was very good.

At an away show this weekend. Have bought lots of snacks!
 
humblepie said:
@SaddlePsych'D That is amazing, well done. Look forward to the trick riding photos and more about that. I can't do imagery - never got it then discovered it is actually a thing not being able to do it and interestingly my brother can't either. Did so a sports pysch session years ago for something else and it was very good.

At an away show this weekend. Have bought lots of snacks!
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Ooh enjoy your show! Yes I think that's called aphantasia and it seems to be not uncommon. I can just about do mental images and I can talk other people through imagery work but struggled to apply it for myself. We came up with a script in the session which I then recorded myself reading out, then just played it back loads of times.

Pics time!

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SaddlePsych'D said:
Who's tuning in on BBC iPlayer? I'm planning to get some snacks and drinks in and park myself on the sofa after my riding lesson in the morning. :)

Very horsey week for me this week! I had my first Sports Psych session where we developed a script for imagery to try out in my lesson on Wednesday. It definitely seemed to help and I'm feeling hopeful that with more sessions we'll crack a strategy to get my brain on side and keep it there.

Lesson Wednesday went really well. I'd been apprehensive after the previous one. Nothing had gone wrong but I pushed on through the nerves and instead of feeling like I'd smashed it, I felt worse. The imagery helped me come back and try again. I've also upped the intensity of my workouts between lessons now that we're trying to get more trot work in. Long Covid is a big part of the nerves and learning to trust my body again so if my once per week lesson is the most intense thing I do, that probably isn't helpful!

Then today... trick riding lesson! I'm writing this feeling pretty unwell tbh, but I am so pleased to have gone and given it a go. Plus I got to ride Toby the supercob again, who I met when I did the side saddle lesson. Pics incoming :)

I had to give up riding and my other hobby which involves hanging upside down off of things (even just doing a downward dog on my yoga mat was out for a good while!), so to get to a stage of recovery where I could combine the two is fairly amazing even if paying for it now.
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Definitely planning to be glued to iPlayer tomorrow, start list and course plan in hand! Out on Sunday (bad planning, I know) but will watch the jumping phase when I get back. I’m delighted it’s on iPlayer, but wonder whether this is just because it’s being staged on home soil? I would be perfectly happy to pay for a package or monthly subscription to CMH but not an annual fee.
 
I’ll be going for the cross country at Blenheim tomorrow (although slightly worried about traffic/getting there in time as I’ve heard it can get busy on the roads 😬), it’s my first time going so I’m looking forward to it! Unfortunately the earliest I can leave would put us on track to get there around 10:20 without traffic so not leaving much room before the XC starts... anyone have any experience of it in recent years? I can only find people talking about it straight after COVID so I hope it’s a bit less intense this time!

I’ll have an early morning ride on Sunday, probably just a quick flatwork schooling session.

Everyone else’s plans sound lovely!
 
I’m going to have to catch up on iplayer (praying that will be an option!) as I’ll be at yard doing jobs for most of time it’s on. Did wonder about trying to set it going on my phone whilst filling nets but either I’ll keep getting distracted or be annoyed that I can’t watch it properly. Also internet at yard isn’t great.
 
Boulty said:
I’m going to have to catch up on iplayer (praying that will be an option!) as I’ll be at yard doing jobs for most of time it’s on. Did wonder about trying to set it going on my phone whilst filling nets but either I’ll keep getting distracted or be annoyed that I can’t watch it properly. Also internet at yard isn’t great.
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I think its on iPlayer live and then available for 30 days on there for catch up :)
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
Ooh enjoy your show! Yes I think that's called aphantasia and it seems to be not uncommon. I can just about do mental images and I can talk other people through imagery work but struggled to apply it for myself. We came up with a script in the session which I then recorded myself reading out, then just played it back loads of times.

Pics time!

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Wow, wow, wow, wow, they are fabulous! If you can trot hanging upside down on a strange horse there is no stopping you!

I did a hunt ride today. H was fabulous; we did the canter and jump ride of the hound exercise and he was ace. I guess there were 50 odd people mounted and he just went about his business politely and with enthusiasm. Non horse tomorrow then a jumping clinic on Sunday.

I will hopefully have pics/videos but am changing phones so currently, nothing works!
 
Red-1 said:
Wow, wow, wow, wow, they are fabulous! If you can trot hanging upside down on a strange horse there is no stopping you!

I did a hunt ride today. H was fabulous; we did the canter and jump ride of the hound exercise and he was ace. I guess there were 50 odd people mounted and he just went about his business politely and with enthusiasm. Non horse tomorrow then a jumping clinic on Sunday.

I will hopefully have pics/videos but am changing phones so currently, nothing works!
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It was an eccentric choice for someone who cries because they get 'the fear' when they think the horse they've been riding for the last 18-months in a riding school setting is trotting too fast. Yet again I'm concluding that brains are weird 😂

ETA - during the warm up we did around the world at halt and in walk and then trot. I got stuck for a moment facing backward in trot and just sat there and went 'sh*t'. I did manage to get back around and things improved from there. 🫣

Sounds like a wonderful ride out with H. Enjoy your jump clinic! :)
 
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millitiger said:
Currently in a hotel 3 miles from Heathrow, ready for an 8am flight to Heathrow tomorrow to head to Wyoming for a week at a ranch and following that, a week driving around Yellowstone.
Poorly planned by me as missing the Euros on telly!
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That sounds incredible. What an adventure! Now those are pics we're definitely going to need! Have you done anything like that before?
 
As to what highly boring things I’ve been up to with the actual pony this week.

We have stood at the horsebox with a net with the lead rope threaded thru the tie ring and me holding the end of it without having a toddler tantrum about it. (As previously stated box lived on its own next door to where the isolation bit is and no other horses currently venture to this bit of yard)

We have also today been tied properly to the box (still with net) and had a brush and our feet picked out & tried a rug on (after briefly pretending he didn’t know what one was, which as I’ve seen photos of him wearing one is a blatant lie on his part… did resort to the proper BHS method of putting a rug on rather than the usual “chuck & hope”)

Unfortunately he also had his 2nd strangles test done (think it’s a new thing as first time I’ve heard of doing it twice… although tbf my previous testing experiences have been with horses I’d already owned for several years) and it’s annoyingly positive so now we have to scope / flush the guttural pouch.

I hope he has “easier” anatomy than the Welsh D (who also tested positive but we were pretty sure it was “false” as indeed it proved to be as I’d owned the horse for about 5 years at that point with no symptoms / no other horse he was in contact with developing symptoms) as it was a right PITA to get the scope in position. Also now need to remove the ridiculous thought from my head that either the sedation or the ABs they used “just in case” even though they could see no evidence of anything are probably what tipped him into showing clinical signs of liver disease as he was a 15 yr old not fully healthy horse with PPID and this is a fit & well 3 yr old.

And yes I know I need to do “something” with the mane before we venture out in public! It all being on the same side of his neck would be a start!

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SaddlePsych'D said:
Ooh enjoy your show! Yes I think that's called aphantasia and it seems to be not uncommon. I can just about do mental images and I can talk other people through imagery work but struggled to apply it for myself. We came up with a script in the session which I then recorded myself reading out, then just played it back loads of times.

Pics time!

View attachment 166779View attachment 166780
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That’s seriously impressive.
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
Ooh enjoy your show! Yes I think that's called aphantasia and it seems to be not uncommon. I can just about do mental images and I can talk other people through imagery work but struggled to apply it for myself. We came up with a script in the session which I then recorded myself reading out, then just played it back loads of times.

Pics time!

View attachment 166779View attachment 166780
Click to expand...
This is incedible!!!! I wasn't expecting VERY FANCY STUFF for a first lesson!!! Upside down!! 😍😍😍 I am so so impressed, huge well done 💕
 
My weekend already off to a good start. Sadie popped herself into the lead on our little yard hack last night on the way out which is very new and special! One of the girls said from behind "hey Sadie is in front!" And I had to reply "nobody freak out, I'm trying to be cool and normal about this!!" 😂 that's how bad she normally is lol not bad, just cowardly. Big brave girl!!

Planning longer solo hack today if the weather is kind. Maybe she will have used up all her brave points and I will walk half of it but that will also be fine! Will have to be soon enough as going out later to celebrate the OH submitting his big fancy funding application after 3 months of working on it. Dinner and cinema!
 
My weekend sort of started Thurs pm when the hooligan went over to a long lining clinic as a demo horse. The other 3 horses are owned by the host so know their stuff and the plan was to take one that didn't! He did basic driving on the long reins as a baby and progressed to harness and tyre (his sire is driven) but this was run by a Portuguese trained classical dressage lady so very different. He behaved impeccably and both the host & students were getting some lateral steps by the end which was cool.

Then to a new place for some jumping. Having cracked our "new venue = broncs" earlier in the year by doing 101 Intro tests wherever I could get to i have a slightly different problem with jumping in that he shuts down. So my winter plan is 50cm courses here, there & everywhere. Today was a coached session in that you jump a round, get feedback & go over tricky ones then do the round again. Predictably he dropped behind my leg & threw stops in at even cross poles then got a lot better as he relaxed. I'm so rusty I'm not sure I'm helping tbh.

Got my flex stirrup well & truly wedged on my foot at one point and was thinking pleeeeaase do not catapult me off - i may have been doing @SaddlePsych'D upside down stuff for real 😀
 
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Came in after a wet days poo picking & net filling. (The poo coloured pony has lodged his complaints about the sky water & the reappearance of the puddles… no training of any kind has taken place today!)

Made a cuppa. Dog installed on knee. Cat installed in basket (you might not be able to see him cos he blends in) Found the eventing and pressed watch from start.

Afternoon = sorted 🙂
 
smolmaus said:
This is incedible!!!! I wasn't expecting VERY FANCY STUFF for a first lesson!!! Upside down!! 😍😍😍 I am so so impressed, huge well done 💕
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Neither was I. I thought there would be a barrel or something to learn the moves before getting on the horse. There was no barrel 😂
smolmaus said:
My weekend already off to a good start. Sadie popped herself into the lead on our little yard hack last night on the way out which is very new and special! One of the girls said from behind "hey Sadie is in front!" And I had to reply "nobody freak out, I'm trying to be cool and normal about this!!" 😂 that's how bad she normally is lol not bad, just cowardly. Big brave girl!!

Planning longer solo hack today if the weather is kind. Maybe she will have used up all her brave points and I will walk half of it but that will also be fine! Will have to be soon enough as going out later to celebrate the OH submitting his big fancy funding application after 3 months of working on it. Dinner and cinema!
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Well done Sadie and your OH!
Boulty said:
View attachment 166802

Came in after a wet days poo picking & net filling. (The poo coloured pony has lodged his complaints about the sky water & the reappearance of the puddles… no training of any kind has taken place today!)

Made a cuppa. Dog installed on knee. Cat installed in basket (you might not be able to see him cos he blends in) Found the eventing and pressed watch from start.

Afternoon = sorted 🙂
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Perfect! I missed the first 90 mins so just about to go back to the beginning. :)

Had my lesson this morning. Not too bad but really feeling it from yesterday so not my best either. Found that the bungi exercises before setting off from home helped me with turning through my body. Left bend was nice, got some good trot - the nerves definitely better as I'm fairly sure my instructor wouldn't be saying I had good trot if I didn't! Right side is super tight so that was tricky. A rest and stretch day for me tomorrow to try to recover. Feeling a bit grim just now.
 
SEL said:
My weekend sort of started Thurs pm when the hooligan went over to a long lining clinic as a demo horse. The other 3 horses are owned by the host so know their stuff and the plan was to take one that didn't! He did basic driving on the long reins as a baby and progressed to harness and tyre (his sire is driven) but this was run by a Portuguese trained classical dressage lady so very different. He behaved impeccably and both the host & students were getting some lateral steps by the end which was cool.
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Where was this / who ran it? Sounds like the sort of thing I've been trying to get involved in.
 
I didn't hack as there was a very threatening cloud and I was running very late, but we did our first canter transitions in a VERY long time and they were as crisp as she has ever done 🎉 I have been scared to ask for canter because of her dodgy stifles but she felt relaxed and enthusiastic and balanced. Will have to send a very nice message to the osteopath! 💕

Very well earned break for you tomorrow @SaddlePsych'D !!!
 
stangs said:
Where was this / who ran it? Sounds like the sort of thing I've been trying to get involved in.
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Marcia Wakeman (find her business page on FB) although we're also near Turville here and they offer residential weekends if you want to bring a horse and have a really intensive session.
 
blodwyn1 said:
Fun club yesterday! Bramble has developed more moves for the entertainment of the audience! The latest is to stop before the finish cones and not go through them! Most people's times where about 60s mine was 238!
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If you're going to have a mistake it might as well be funny!! 😬

Just missed the rain perfectly this morning for a lovely sunny, breezy dander, early enough to say hello to all the local dog walkers for once! We are not normally early birds! 😂
 
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