It certainly was Stressage last night......

SecretSquirrell379

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Last Sunday we went to a show and she was a star, it took a long time to get her to listen to me but I did lots and lots of transitions and tried to get her attention away from her boyfriend who was in the warm up next door. She only called a few times but did have one eye on him most of the time. We ended up doing a lovely test for the most of it, we had issue in canter but we have those at home too.

Last night, however, was a whole different story. She arrived calm and I was hopefull that she was going to be good. Bad judgment!! She was an absolute cow-bag and she would not listen to me AT ALL. I do have an issue warming up on my own as well. I always feel like everyone is better than me and I get lost with what to do....and last night I got lost and tense and she got more and more nappy and more and more banana shaped. Canter was either disunited or counter-canter as I like to call it :rolleyes: We had to go in for our test and it was horrendous, we kept trying to spin going around the edge of the arena waiting to go in, she called and called during her test, was running, ignoring half halts, motorbiking and I wasn't getting any where near the track, it was either on the 1/4 line or struggling to keep her in the arena. As we came up the centre line she tried to spin again, so I kicked her on and tapped her with the stick, and I mean tapped.......she promtly stuck her fingers up and bucked me off!!! Luckily I landed on my feet, still holding the reins, I dragged her to X, made her stand and saluted!!!! I was so embarrased and so angry with myself that I didn't make her listen. I did have a bit of a cry when I got my test sheet (I'm 40 for gods sake!!) as I was gutted, totally gutted as we'd done so well on Sunday and we have come so far. It just felt that last night we went back 2 years. One of the comments from the judge was 'do you really need those spurs?' well actually yes I do, she is often lazy and does not listen to my leg. I don't want to tap her with the whip all of the time and the spurs only have balls on them not cowboy ones :( The judge did allow me to do the test again on HC as long as I took the spurs off, it was slightly better but not much. I've never, ever had such poor scores and I don't think i'll ever go back again as I'd be too embarrased!!

My friend is making me go back out again this weekend so we are going back to where she did a lovely test, on her own, no boyfriend in tow this time!! Fingers crossed she is good again, if not I think I'll give up this Stressage stuff as its far too stressfull!!

Thanks for reading xx
 
Poor you. I know how you feel. Lucy made dressage sooooooo stressful. On a good day she did realy well and sometimes even got placed but on a bad day it was awful. At our first and ONLY attempt at afil dressage we got to x and Lucy just stood there and refused to move. When i tried to make her she just threaterned to rear. The judge rang the bell to eliminate us and Lucy walked out the arena as quiet as a lamb. The judge had a go at me on the way out and said i should have some riding lessons. I just walked out the arena whent back to the lorry and burst into tears.
If you need a laugh to cheer you up here is the little darling doing dressage to music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qUHJoAdzFk
Good luck this weekend i hope it goes better for you this time.
 
he he he sorry that did make me smile, she was naughty, Crop would of given her a run for her money last night I reckon! The judge said I should of gotten after her more and really kicked her on, but, when I did that she just ran, half halts didn't work as everytime I released a little she just got even faster so I ended up hauling her, oh dear, it was not pretty at all.

Its awful though isn't it when you are reduced to tears :rolleyes: I felt like a kid back at school and told off by my teather!!
 
Thats ok it makes me laugh to especialy her comic timeing for the stop in the canter just when the song isn't she lovely starts. What the video doesn't show is we had to be led into the school and round the outside a few times by a nice steward as Lucy wouldn't go in.
I don't normaly let it bother me and i just laugh, after all what can i do when Lucy is 20 years old I can't beat her into submission. But when she refused to move at the afill show i felt like everyone was laughing at me on there posh warmbloods. Atleast i can get away with bursting into tears as Lucy is only 13.2hh and i look about 12.
Never mind as they say what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger.
 
thats very true, I normally do laugh but last night I lost my sense of humour, fingers crossed she behaves on Monday, if not its a tin can for her!!!!
 
Same has happened to me tonight!! We went out last Sat and won our class, tonight we go out as its all I can do to hold on to him!! We went to a venue where there is a 'spooky tower' at the side of the ring. I have told myself that this year we are going to get going at this venue and stop him spooking!! Yeah right!! We got there and he was fine to tack up. Went to get on and he wouldn't settle so in the end just had to jump on and hope for the best!! Got to collecting ring and about 90% of the horses warming up were pratting about so mine joined in!! Only did the one class tonight so thought to myself will spend ages warming up to knacker him out before meeting the spooking tower! Warmed up in trot and canter fior 45mins, with him spooking at everything and bouncing around, went in and spooked at the bloody spooky tower!! Some of his work was ok I think as we left before the results were out. So I know how you feel!! Now looking for a good calmer!! Good luck this weekend!!
 
You don't mean that. I'm shore she was as embarist as you where. I have everything crossed for you that she behaves.
Maybe she just hates that venue Lucy has places where she is always bad but others that she likes (normaly the ones with the good grass i let her eat if she's good)
 
Well I've bitten the bullet and entered another comp on Monday.....and the following Saturday! I've got a lesson tomorrow so hopefully I can get some advice on what on earth i'm doing wrong!!

Here's hoping :rolleyes:
 
Well done for taking her out again and not giving up. I hope she improves for you and you get some good advice in your lesson tomorrow. Let us know how you get on. Maybe you could give me some tips for Naughty Lucy if you find something that works ;) :p :D :D :D
 
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