Halloween Weekend Plans!

ownedbyaconnie said:
Finally a clear round to get 8th place out of 21! Feels like the best I have ridden and the best R has gone ever! Loving jumping at the moment.

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This is so fab, well done you and great to hear you're enjoying it. I always feel really inspired by your jumping progress/updates :) Makes me think maybe one day for me. Maybe.

I am feeling utterly spoiled after what initially looked like it was going to be a horse-less weekend and after a few weeks without share horse or RS lessons. First with TFF and the Fuzzies on Friday, and then today with THO and the gang! Today had a pootle in the school and a fabulous hack out with THO - I was thrilled to have a little canter out and about (with some encouragement!) and trotted over a dinky cross pole a couple of times (not bad considering my initial response to this was 'if I do that, I will definitely die', slightly dramatic!).

Thank you again TFF and THO for having me! :)
 
Ooh saddle psychd that sounds like a great weekend.
In fact sounds mostly successful weekends from folk here. AH, sounds like us this morning getting on, 3 laps of the block and a few grunts from supercob and his back was right up as I got on. These days I generally just growl at him to put his back down and behave - it often works as well ?
Lesson yesterday was great, some of the best quality canter work we've produced so far. Lots of lateral work and really getting his hind leg to step under.
Dressage today, N23 and N37a, both went ok, he wont win anything but certainly felt like a 60%+ test. We wont know til later tonight or tomorrow for scores. Hes never done 2 tests with a break before but came back off the trailer to do the second great so I'm pleased with that. And tbh, just glad we could ride indoors after all the rain recently- worth the entry just for that!
And we did indeed see Raf, they were walking to work in as we were loading. Hes ever such a smart dude and they look a fab pair together.
No pics cos my owner had to stop in the car with kids and no spectators.
 
I’ve had such a lovely time with Maddie this weekend. Lesson yesterday playing with her walk to canters, and today giving her a stretchy lunge in the wind and rain. All very chilled. I’m so very lucky.
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Xc schooling on a surface for us today. Had a fab time. First time I have done the jumping from start to finish for xc, usually OH does the hard work but he has hurt his shoulder, so I get the fun!

A super day out. Only issue was a keyhole type fence. Horse tripped going over it first time which was a bit scary, he whacked his neck off my hat/face. Tried again and just couldn’t get it right - he was jumping it like he thought he was going to hit his head, so moved on.

Attempt one & face plant:
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Third go. Still jumping like he was ducking, he was being super honest but just didn’t like it, so didn’t force it. Another local venue has something similar but much more inviting, we will go there to restore a bit of confidence.

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And some more pics of the fun stuff!


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Sheep said:
Thanks! I am a total wuss jumping, it scares me ? but this horse is just awesome. We are so lucky to have him.

Your new girl is beautiful. Bittersweet I am sure, but hopefully she will help heal your heart ?
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Thank you - yes, very bittersweet, but I can't change what has happened, so have to keep looking on the bright side. ? xx
 
Bernster said:
Smashing horse but yes I do hoear owl holes can cause them an issue they can’t seem to judge the height of the top bit.
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That def seemed to be it for us today - he’s a big horse too, so he is probably justified in being paranoid.

He can be a bit spooky so actually I am really pleased that he was willing to try again. ?
 
We had tough weekend. Saturday was warm and humid, so many flies! Dressage was calm but not sparkly so a very average score. I need to push for more. Show jumping was a horrible twisty course, but he jumped around clear and confident, he is getting very quick and clever over the coloured poles.
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XC Sunday morning, and it was cold and very wet. It didn't stop raining all day, the first rain we have had in weeks (and probably the last decent rain we will get until next year). The water was sitting on the surface because the ground was hard and dry, so it was a mess on the XC course!

Our course was short and easy which ended up being a relief given the conditions. Henry was so much better in the warm up, and we even stood in the start box! He was confident and sure footed over the course, jumping everything confidently until 13 which he spooked at coming in and nearly ran out tot he right. i was faster than him so we got over it, but he took the flag out with a back leg, oops!

We finished 11th on our dressage score which was very respectable in a big class again. I just need a sparklier dressage test now, I need to take a few more risks and not just settle for a calm horse.F39514A2-ACFE-4D2F-B9B2-9C0317084730.jpeg
 
Lesson yesterday on Millie, the last for a while I imagine. We were outdoors as the indoor had been painted, so we did get caught in a short downpour (god I hate rain, why anyone would want to ride in it I don’t know!). Millie was on one! It was good as my trainer got to see the other side of Millie, I’ve always said she’s like 2 horses in 1 and you never know which ones going to come out the stable! Positives were that my trainer was absolutely delighted to see what is in there and what big, expressive paces Millie can have. I don’t think she was quite expecting it! The downsides were that when Millie is like that, she is a bit too gung-ho and any small leg aid had her racing off, which made lateral work fun! Plus she was doing a lot of sight-seeing, which I’ve now realised I am too soft about. Basically I am all-round a bit too soft on Millie in general!
So we had to slow everything down a bit and re-establish leg yielding to the right in walk and trot as I completely dropped my knitting in the canter leg yield and Millie took full advantage of the situation and towed me off!

So I came away with a plan for the days Millie is ‘on one’, which is good, as I felt like I was developing tools for the days she was a bit backward thinking, but felt I needed a bit of guidance for the ‘other’ Millie.

Gutted we are back in lockdown as could have done with another lesson in a week or two, but I’ll just plug away at home for the next month.
 
It sounds like a lot of people have had very productive weekends! All the better for those of us affected by the new lockdown - at least we've managed a few outings between us.

Our test riding clinic yesterday was great. It was only 5 minutes away in the lorry so a quick there-and-back. Danny had refused to be caught (they've just moved to the big winter paddock and there's a lot of grass in there - he was the same last year for the first two weeks!) so I almost didn't make it but he deigned to come in an hour before the clinic ?

We began by running through the test (N23) after a short warm-up. I didn't have him fully on the aids but it was the first time away from home that he's stayed active and in front of the leg without a schooling whip, so I was very pleased with that. We then talked through the marks (I've not totted them up but there was only one mark below a 7) and comments worked on a few areas. Mostly his straightness on the right rein - he likes to banana to the right so we did a lot of work on squares in trot and canter to control the left shoulder. He then decided to swing his hips to the right during the halt so he could maintain his banana-ness so more homework there. We had a look at free walk and stretchy trot too, which are great at home but work to do away from home.

So some more good homework for us as we head into the new lockdown! Justine is coming on Wednesday to give us a lesson and I hope those can continue given the 'one person not from your household' rule. Danny's coming on leaps and bounds and I really don't want to stop at the moment!
 
Some fab reports. Jiffy - I think your clinic was organised by my instructor. Accidental Eventer, your horse looks so sweet and love the owlhole pictures on the other post. I kindly gave my horse a week off the week before last and he decided to extend that by a bit longer by just slightly moving a shoe. So we just did a couple of little sessions in the school to tick over. Had entered our first BD medium next weekend but that is obviously off the cards now.
 
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