Is Everyone Staying at Home

[Birker2020]

We won't be doing anything exciting. We never do, partner hates queues. I fancied the Royal Show but it ain't going to happen. To be honest we need to save our money for our holiday later next month.

I will be popping round Mums to make her french bread pizza. The rest of the time will be filled with gym and mucking out.
I so wish I had a horse I could ride

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Drove over to France for the weekend to hike around Alsace. We had a nice time, the weather was great, and some of towns are just beautiful. So horse enjoyed a 3 day field holiday.

Drove home today then hopped on for a ride in the outdoor we usually don't ride in (mainly used for lunging) but is a nice change from the other one because this one is in the shade. We schooled some canter half-pass stuff, and a wee bit of extended trot.

 

[Red-1]

We did our dressage competition today - baby horse's first Prelim! It was just a 'stressless' so no competition wear necessary.

He was uncharacteristically spooky in the collecting ring at some poles on the floor and a lawnmower behind the hedge. His spook is sort of slow motion though, and it did add a little energy.

In the actual test he became a bit shy and behind the leg. I am always a bit down after dressage and presume we have done worse than we have; I am a lot better when it is videoed and I can see that it always looks better than it feels.

Bad points: not enough forwards, he curled up a bit, canter strike offs were green, halt not straight at the end. Good points; he was on-side, he did everything asked of him, the actual canter was better than I expected (once we got it) and no spooking in the ring. He actually seems a lot softer and more thoughtful.

A photo from the video...

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Thought I'd just park my sj lesson here as it was this morning so too early to start new thread yet!
Some might recall that I had an arena surface interface a couple of weeks or so ago, haven't jumped much since as fun ridden, hacked, and stressage etc and there wasn't anything in my diary.
B Fuzzy was pretty sharp to start with and it took a little while to get her attention from gawping in this (new to us) arena. Started off pretty low to build confidence and then went up and brought in turns and coming off corners as we need to contain the energy. If B had her way, we would be speed jumping everything at hurdle race pace!
The last 3 sets were such an improvement, I was pretty pleased with our control, we now need to contain her a little longer, as B has a policy of 'if in doubt, take a stride out'. That isn't in itself disastrous, but I want to get more obedience in the tool box.
Would love to return a couple of times a week, but instead I'll have to budget or do more overtime.
Good end to the month tho ?

 

[Red-1]

Oh, we won! I knew he has improved, I guess that shows it.

 

[Bernster]

Ooh Red, fantastic scores and lovely comments. Brilliant !

 

[Red-1]

Ooh Red, fantastic scores and lovely comments. Brilliant !

Thank you. The judge actually cheered when we finished! Just a little one, but she also said how nice it was, seeing him from his first test, where he didn't even manage to trot right up the centre line (he found it all a bit confidence sapping and needed to walk and assess, especially as it looked like I was telling him to trot into a car!) and was against the bridle a lot of the time, then the second test where he was a lot better, but still inconsistent in the contact as he needed to raise his head whenever he was unsure. Both of those were intro walk/trot tests as canter was very unbalanced.

This was a prelim and he spent most of the time with his head in the game. Big difference.

 

[J&S]

Well, he has set a standard now, got to keep it up!! Great result from a baby horse.

 

[blodwyn1]

Third at the Suffolk show today in the in hand section c mares and geldings. Weather wasn't very good and. she wouldn't settle on the lorry so had to come straight home.

 

[blodwyn1]

Picture of the little monkey!

 

[blodwyn1]

My little monkey!View attachment 93544

 

[shortstuff99]

I had quite a busy weekend! First up on Saturday I took Potato to Keysoe to have a bash at the MCI Sevilla test. Potato hasn't been out to a dressage show for 2 years and I haven't been to Keysoe since it changed hands. I was also in the terrifying arena 3, after nearly 20 years competing at Keysoe I can count on one hand how many times I have not been in that arena ?. Since the changes the stables are now behind the hedge which she spotted near the start of the test and rather than the lovely work she gave me in the warm up I got moonwalk on meth, but I got her going forwards and had her finish even if it was terrible as she can be so very backwards it makes her worse if I finish on that.

Plus points to take are that she warmed up lovely, we used to have real issues in warm ups as she was once attacked by 2 lose stallions in the warm up at a show! The test up to this point was great too, onwards and upwards!

Here is a video of her looking nice in the warm up

https://youtube.com/shorts/PdanVkNrZ98?feature=share

And to show people that horses sometimes go wrong, the manic moon walking!

https://youtube.com/shorts/S0taXLCb_ik?feature=share

On the Sunday I went to Houghton international in Norfolk to watch the 4* XC. I love this event and this year the XC was pretty tough! I also splashed out and bought a picnic parking spot right by the water jump so I could relax, eat a picnic and watch lots of good sport.

A quick video of the influential water jump

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Ss99, that moonwalking! Well coped!

 

[shortstuff99]

Ss99, that moonwalking! Well coped!

Thank you! I know some would say to give her a good wallop, but that would be a sure fire way of a) her never being on your side again and b) dead.

Instead I have to do the whole, totally chill act and then ask again ?.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Thank you! I know some would say to give her a good wallop, but that would be a sure fire way of a) her never being on your side again and b) dead.

Instead I have to do the whole, totally chill act and then ask again ?.

I totally get that, B is/was v similar. If it ever happens now (v rare these days), we regroup, breath and try again.
Had similar in a lesson this morning, right at the start, out of nowhere. Coach just watched till we hit 2nd gear again and all was fine for rest of the session. He did ask why I didn't bop her one (out of interest) and my response was, it brings an overloaded reaction way above of what would be expected and that I never carry a bopper on her anyway, he seemed satisfied....

 

[mavandkaz]

Three days of riding club camp - have only just recovered!
A great, laid back, social weekend. They really are a friendly bunch, and I love the fact you get to see the same faces (and some newbies) and properly catch up and help each other progress.
I took coblet, as there is quite a lot of jumping and she copes well being stabled.
A nice range of activities - flat work, test riding, le trec, pole work, show jumping and arena cross country. She was awesome all weekend, absolutely flew over the jumps, building up to our biggest course yet, and aced the jump off practice with some amazing turns and tight lines.
Finished with an interesting flat work session with the SJ coach (David Thomas - really rate him for anyone down this way) who gave me a real light bulb moment with the lateral work. Have never thought of riding a half pass as a travers across the diaganol, but it really works. And also some great pointers on riding shoulder-in to half pass smoothly. Coblet was not so keen on being asked to do this, as she thinks she is jumping machine and poncing about is what her boyfriend does, not her. But she did well and ended up being the demonstration pony for the others in the group who were just starting out on lateral work.
So super pleased with her, and she's earned herself a couple of days off.

 

[j1ffy]

Red - well done, and I love the stickers!!
SS99 - naughty potato, well managed. Chilli is the same if he has a genuine spook (thankfully rare), pressuring him just results in going backwards faster! I can now push him through a nap but that used to have the same reaction.

We had a little jumping lesson on Monday. I think he was quite mentally tired from the hack on Sunday so he was a little wild, but was still very bold and very forward. After our canter demons on the flat it was good to do mostly canter in the jump lesson. I do need to get some new elastic on my brave pants though...he's definitely a lot bolder than I am!

 

[MummyEms]

That western dressage looks lovely.
I'm hacking with my children and jumping tomorrow in the nicest arena.