milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
I don't tend to bother writing reports now because I'm always going to places on my own so no photos.
Reports without photos are no fun
But it's been absolute yonks since I posted a Kira report. Feeling a bit meh about things so figured a little look back would be a good tonic.
I think last report was Area Festival at Beacons last autumn! Been busy since then - she moved house a few times and had a spell on the injury couch when her temporary field mate duffed her up... great run up for BD Winter regionals :lol:
She was a little poppet at Summerhouse for Winters - we were very much making up the numbers but she didn't do anything *wrong*, she just wasn't educated enough to do any better. Finished 23rd out of .. um.. lots, just about middling.
pic
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...787.1073741846.100000045570367&type=3&theater
Then had to get our skates on to qualify for summers, as stupid me hadn't twigged how close she was getting to using up all of her points to remain in Novice Silver. THis coincided with her having the longest, most difficult season ever and being all but unrideable (again, lol) and the day her previous owner came to cheer her on at a show she launched us both skywards and I was expecting to be expelled from the warm up! It was kind of useful in that it reminded her why she'd given Kira away, but I could have done without the adrenalin rush. She did manage to put in some good work:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...570367.-2207520000.1470224310.&type=3&theater
Tried to distract her from her difficult hormones by going on a fun ride. Ooops, error on my part, resulting in her napping AWAY from the other horses and through an electric fence into the plough at one point - she really is an oddball. But she enjoyed the gallops (though nearly tipped me off multiple times spooking at the chase fences, *sigh*)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...570367.-2207520000.1470224427.&type=3&theater
Scrabbled our Summer qualification and then thoughts turned to ... what next? Novice Gold ?
or Elementary? She has to do Elem silver because of my rider group, so Adam said we should just push on and have a go - it would make Novice regionals seem easier even if we had a disaster.
Wasn't *quite* a disaster but she did find it difficult, mainly due to spookiness distracting her, but she managed a cautious 62% in E45. It's an area festival sheet though, right?
Next attempt a few weeks later was a little more positive for 64% and starting to get points for her Winters qual, though she's still a bit green and goes into la-la land rather easily.
Finally it was regionals time again, and we were off to Mount Ballan. Still more than a little disappointed that Millie is sitting everything out, as I was feeling quite excited about her before she injured herself again, but hey ho, it's cob dressage all the way now.
Kira was a bit overwhelmed to start with and shrunk back into herself so we did 2 warm ups. With 10 minutes to go, she was feeling absolutely ACE. I presented myself to the steward at my time but the judges were late back from lunch Hanging about is like kryptonite to Kira, so but the time the judges were back in situ she was just about asleep. Nevertheless, she did another clear round, but it was a bit of a shame that she had lost her sparkle by then. Even so, a solid 66% and 18th in a big class of 43, so she didn't disgrace herself and it felt like quite a big achievement in good company - my class was won by Katie Bailey and Charlotte was just heading off for a prize giving as I started my test 
Pics were rubbish but this was a cute shot of her trying to concentrate despite just wanting a haynet and a cuddle!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...996.1073741828.100000045570367&type=3&theater
Feeling a bit flat, I thought we better dust ourselves off and keep pressing on for Winters. Tried a new-to-her venue which is never a good idea! She found the indoor arena just a bit too frightening and we scrapped the first test - looking at the sheet I wish we'd kept going as it apparently didn't look as bad as it felt
but I couldn't seem to get her together at all. Which left me feeling pretty pessimistic about E59 as our second test - it's a blooming big ask for her at the best of times. But she really tried a lot harder and managed to keep a lid on her nerves, so while it wasn't an earth shattering result on 63%, it did feel like a lot of progress was made.
She's a funny one. It really brings home how much I can take Millie for granted - she's not a doddle but she's so much more confident. I really have to keep on top of Kira to keep give her good experiences and trying to broaden her comfort zone. Even just cantering round the stubble fields gives her the collywobbles!
No real point to this,other than to gather my thoughts. We're tentatively planning a couple of area festivals in the autumn at Elementary - she's now got one qualification so time to think about the next. Plus the Native pony champs at Solihull... but at the moment it feels a bit hard going! She's coming on leaps and bounds at home- we've got trot and canter half pass both ways now and Adam wants us to start changes before the year is out. Just have to bolster her confidence in the ring. I feel a lot of arena hire coming on!! Any other bright ideas? not overly keen on unaff or going HC because funds are limited and if we are going to scrape a qualifying score, I'll take the points thanks!
Reports without photos are no fun
But it's been absolute yonks since I posted a Kira report. Feeling a bit meh about things so figured a little look back would be a good tonic.I think last report was Area Festival at Beacons last autumn! Been busy since then - she moved house a few times and had a spell on the injury couch when her temporary field mate duffed her up... great run up for BD Winter regionals :lol:
She was a little poppet at Summerhouse for Winters - we were very much making up the numbers but she didn't do anything *wrong*, she just wasn't educated enough to do any better. Finished 23rd out of .. um.. lots, just about middling.
pic
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...787.1073741846.100000045570367&type=3&theater
Then had to get our skates on to qualify for summers, as stupid me hadn't twigged how close she was getting to using up all of her points to remain in Novice Silver. THis coincided with her having the longest, most difficult season ever and being all but unrideable (again, lol) and the day her previous owner came to cheer her on at a show she launched us both skywards and I was expecting to be expelled from the warm up! It was kind of useful in that it reminded her why she'd given Kira away, but I could have done without the adrenalin rush. She did manage to put in some good work:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...570367.-2207520000.1470224310.&type=3&theater
Tried to distract her from her difficult hormones by going on a fun ride. Ooops, error on my part, resulting in her napping AWAY from the other horses and through an electric fence into the plough at one point - she really is an oddball. But she enjoyed the gallops (though nearly tipped me off multiple times spooking at the chase fences, *sigh*)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...570367.-2207520000.1470224427.&type=3&theater
Scrabbled our Summer qualification and then thoughts turned to ... what next? Novice Gold ?
or Elementary? She has to do Elem silver because of my rider group, so Adam said we should just push on and have a go - it would make Novice regionals seem easier even if we had a disaster.Wasn't *quite* a disaster but she did find it difficult, mainly due to spookiness distracting her, but she managed a cautious 62% in E45. It's an area festival sheet though, right?
Next attempt a few weeks later was a little more positive for 64% and starting to get points for her Winters qual, though she's still a bit green and goes into la-la land rather easily.
Finally it was regionals time again, and we were off to Mount Ballan. Still more than a little disappointed that Millie is sitting everything out, as I was feeling quite excited about her before she injured herself again, but hey ho, it's cob dressage all the way now.
Kira was a bit overwhelmed to start with and shrunk back into herself so we did 2 warm ups. With 10 minutes to go, she was feeling absolutely ACE. I presented myself to the steward at my time but the judges were late back from lunch
Hanging about is like kryptonite to Kira, so but the time the judges were back in situ she was just about asleep. Nevertheless, she did another clear round, but it was a bit of a shame that she had lost her sparkle by then. Even so, a solid 66% and 18th in a big class of 43, so she didn't disgrace herself and it felt like quite a big achievement in good company - my class was won by Katie Bailey and Charlotte was just heading off for a prize giving as I started my test Pics were rubbish but this was a cute shot of her trying to concentrate despite just wanting a haynet and a cuddle!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...996.1073741828.100000045570367&type=3&theater
Feeling a bit flat, I thought we better dust ourselves off and keep pressing on for Winters. Tried a new-to-her venue which is never a good idea! She found the indoor arena just a bit too frightening and we scrapped the first test - looking at the sheet I wish we'd kept going as it apparently didn't look as bad as it felt
but I couldn't seem to get her together at all. Which left me feeling pretty pessimistic about E59 as our second test - it's a blooming big ask for her at the best of times. But she really tried a lot harder and managed to keep a lid on her nerves, so while it wasn't an earth shattering result on 63%, it did feel like a lot of progress was made.She's a funny one. It really brings home how much I can take Millie for granted - she's not a doddle but she's so much more confident. I really have to keep on top of Kira to keep give her good experiences and trying to broaden her comfort zone. Even just cantering round the stubble fields gives her the collywobbles!
No real point to this,other than to gather my thoughts. We're tentatively planning a couple of area festivals in the autumn at Elementary - she's now got one qualification so time to think about the next. Plus the Native pony champs at Solihull... but at the moment it feels a bit hard going! She's coming on leaps and bounds at home- we've got trot and canter half pass both ways now and Adam wants us to start changes before the year is out. Just have to bolster her confidence in the ring. I feel a lot of arena hire coming on!! Any other bright ideas? not overly keen on unaff or going HC because funds are limited and if we are going to scrape a qualifying score, I'll take the points thanks!
