lottiepony
Well-Known Member
I've only ever posted one 'report' and that was when my horse was 2 years old and we did the Futurity! Roll on another 4 years and on Sunday we did our first ridden competition at a venue, good things come to those who wait right?!?
So back ground is my boy was backed end of last year and I took over the reins November time. I can safely say he's the trickiest horse I've ever ridden but potentially the most talented. We had a few rough moments and he actually had the whole of lockdown off but I think we've made some real progress in our partnership. I always joke that it's a good thing he's good looking as otherwise I may have given up lol. I will also point out that I'm no pro but that doesn't matter, it's our journey after all.
We have done a few online dressage competitions as i think they are a really good way to help us measure our progress and I've been doing lots of training/clinics which are organised by the riding club I'm on the committee for so felt we'd done some good preparation in terms of riding in arenas with others and having done in hand showing as a youngster he's pretty good with show environments.
Quite simply the boy was wonderful and looking back I think we have been doing lots of the right things in terms of prep. He can be a really tense thing which is often picked up on by anyone who teaches us and in some comments on our previous dressage test sheets. So to have the judge comment about how relaxed he was really was the icing on the cake. Ironically I let myself by allowing myself to get flustered by silly things - forgot my whip and my 2 of my plaits came unbunched and had no spare bands - I can look back and totally laugh about this now! I mean horse is spot on and i'm fussing over a plait lol! I then also went wrong in my test which is so silly and I was so cross with myself! But we did it and to be fair did it pretty well getting 65%
Feel really encouraged to go out again and see if we can keep up the good work and actually it's more me that has to improve!! Photo of course of the pretty one.
So back ground is my boy was backed end of last year and I took over the reins November time. I can safely say he's the trickiest horse I've ever ridden but potentially the most talented. We had a few rough moments and he actually had the whole of lockdown off but I think we've made some real progress in our partnership. I always joke that it's a good thing he's good looking as otherwise I may have given up lol. I will also point out that I'm no pro but that doesn't matter, it's our journey after all.
We have done a few online dressage competitions as i think they are a really good way to help us measure our progress and I've been doing lots of training/clinics which are organised by the riding club I'm on the committee for so felt we'd done some good preparation in terms of riding in arenas with others and having done in hand showing as a youngster he's pretty good with show environments.
Quite simply the boy was wonderful and looking back I think we have been doing lots of the right things in terms of prep. He can be a really tense thing which is often picked up on by anyone who teaches us and in some comments on our previous dressage test sheets. So to have the judge comment about how relaxed he was really was the icing on the cake. Ironically I let myself by allowing myself to get flustered by silly things - forgot my whip and my 2 of my plaits came unbunched and had no spare bands - I can look back and totally laugh about this now! I mean horse is spot on and i'm fussing over a plait lol! I then also went wrong in my test which is so silly and I was so cross with myself! But we did it and to be fair did it pretty well getting 65%
Feel really encouraged to go out again and see if we can keep up the good work and actually it's more me that has to improve!! Photo of course of the pretty one.
