Worried1
Well-Known Member
OK so after a week off on half-term I had planned to end an intensive week of riding with affiliated Dressage on Friday and Sunday.
So armed with several gallons of Rescue Remedy, an ever supportive OH we set off in plenty of time for my test.
Arrived and had a wander round checked out the arenas met fellow forum user (thank you LadyMagoo) and was feeling fine!
Tacked up, got on all on my own and began warming up! She was lovely soft, supple, listening and attentive. She even trusted me past the scary farmyard corner with geese, chickens etc
So just before my test we set of for the arena and with OH's advice ringing in my ears, enter the arena and make sure she has been round on reins before bell rings.
So I make sure we have ventured into all four corner and do a couple of demi pirouettes to get her really engaged.
Bell rings and off we go, set off down the centre line, she light, soft and listening, turn right and she is balanced and engaged begin my half 20m circle, still soft and bending and active. Half 15m circle and she is feeling fab. At this point I'm thinking this is great, I'm really enjoying myself which is when it all falls apart!
As I come round past A a table cloth flies of one of the outside cafe tables! Slight spook but nothing major, as I come up the long side a pheasant begins running around sqauking, sounding like it is being murdered! This in turn sets off two shetlands in the field behind the judges box who run around having a S**t Fit!, This coupled with a headless pheasant leaves Diva terrified of the top end! I do my best to steer her but she is utterly traumatised and now completely unsettled.
We do our best and the work at the bottom end of the school is actually really lovely... and then a fight breaks out with some dogs who begin sounding like extras from 101 Dalmations. By the time I come up the centre line I am sobbing. The judge was fantastic and let me stay in till she settled and worked in the top arena.
But devastated is not the word and was exactly the last thing I needed.
However Diva didn't actually do anything nasty except tell me she was really scared and didn't want to go near the scary bird and little ponies! She didn't buck rear or spin or bolt so actually what I have realise in all of this is that she is very kind and not nasty.
We watched the video last night and I will upload it for you all to see because it is hysterical - in the words of my OH it resembles something like Carry On Riding!
Somehow manged to get 55.4% which is a miracle but what is gutting is that up until the bird incident I had an 8 for my centre line, then two 7s and another 8!
Oh well you and you learn
So armed with several gallons of Rescue Remedy, an ever supportive OH we set off in plenty of time for my test.
Arrived and had a wander round checked out the arenas met fellow forum user (thank you LadyMagoo) and was feeling fine!
Tacked up, got on all on my own and began warming up! She was lovely soft, supple, listening and attentive. She even trusted me past the scary farmyard corner with geese, chickens etc
So just before my test we set of for the arena and with OH's advice ringing in my ears, enter the arena and make sure she has been round on reins before bell rings.
So I make sure we have ventured into all four corner and do a couple of demi pirouettes to get her really engaged.
Bell rings and off we go, set off down the centre line, she light, soft and listening, turn right and she is balanced and engaged begin my half 20m circle, still soft and bending and active. Half 15m circle and she is feeling fab. At this point I'm thinking this is great, I'm really enjoying myself which is when it all falls apart!
As I come round past A a table cloth flies of one of the outside cafe tables! Slight spook but nothing major, as I come up the long side a pheasant begins running around sqauking, sounding like it is being murdered! This in turn sets off two shetlands in the field behind the judges box who run around having a S**t Fit!, This coupled with a headless pheasant leaves Diva terrified of the top end! I do my best to steer her but she is utterly traumatised and now completely unsettled.
We do our best and the work at the bottom end of the school is actually really lovely... and then a fight breaks out with some dogs who begin sounding like extras from 101 Dalmations. By the time I come up the centre line I am sobbing. The judge was fantastic and let me stay in till she settled and worked in the top arena.
But devastated is not the word and was exactly the last thing I needed.
However Diva didn't actually do anything nasty except tell me she was really scared and didn't want to go near the scary bird and little ponies! She didn't buck rear or spin or bolt so actually what I have realise in all of this is that she is very kind and not nasty.
We watched the video last night and I will upload it for you all to see because it is hysterical - in the words of my OH it resembles something like Carry On Riding!
Somehow manged to get 55.4% which is a miracle but what is gutting is that up until the bird incident I had an 8 for my centre line, then two 7s and another 8!
Oh well you and you learn
