catembi
Well-Known Member
The day started better than last time we went dressaging. O/h got up in reasonable time to help with tail washing (grey with tail that *should* be white) while I plaited. I managed to plait without getting a plaiting needle embedded in my hand, so that was an improvement on our last set of plaits. And we actually left more or less on time.
It was wet & howling a gale when we got there, but that was okay as the warmup's inside. We were a bit onward bound as we did a jumping lesson yest, & at one point I couldn't stop in trot & had to run him into the wall.
Maybe not a good idea to rev up the old engine the day before dressage...
After that he settled & was doing some really nice work, relaxed, working from behind, giving me a good amount of bend etc. But then we had to venture outside to do our test.
V windy, driving rain, plus the College has got a nice new set of boards which look a bit like sj planks, so someone instantly switched to sj mode. To make matters worse, my aunt who was coming to watch had also invited some of her friends, so I had a load of witnesses to see me having a disaster...
Off we went up the centre line, very interested in these spooky white boards & not that interested in doing the test. Also not all that keen on the rain in his face & the gusting wind. Just about managed to hold the canter together on one rein, but on the other rein, Adrian did a v unexpected nap towards the nice dry indoor school & we ended up over the boards!!
So he DID manage to get his wish of doing a jump cos we had to jump back in!!
After that, it was all about damage limitation, trying to ride an accurate test while keeping a synchronised swimmer smile glued on... But what else can you do when all of a sudden none of your controls are working??? What a rubbish test. He was so obedient & on the aids indoors, but in the outdoor school with the weather and those inviting white planky trotting pole things that were just begging to be jumped, it went totally to pot.
Never mind. At least I remembered my test, didn't fall off and my aunt's friends' experience of horses is limited to pony trekking, so they didn't realise that nothing had happened in the test that was supposed to happen!!
We were 8th with 55% & I was really excited that we'd actually beaten 3 people who were on equal 9th...until I noticed that that was cos they hadn't actually turned up & had therefore scored 0!!
So the lessons to be learnt are 1) DON'T jump the day before a dressage comp and 2) Adrian needs more practise dressaging at the College as he's only bsja'd there so far, so no wonder he's confused. So we're going to do a test or 2 unaff next week & see if we can get through them WITHOUT doing any jumping!!!!
Was hoping to see Timefaulter & o/h there, but they were in the dizzy heights of medium, so that was later on.
It was wet & howling a gale when we got there, but that was okay as the warmup's inside. We were a bit onward bound as we did a jumping lesson yest, & at one point I couldn't stop in trot & had to run him into the wall.
After that he settled & was doing some really nice work, relaxed, working from behind, giving me a good amount of bend etc. But then we had to venture outside to do our test.
V windy, driving rain, plus the College has got a nice new set of boards which look a bit like sj planks, so someone instantly switched to sj mode. To make matters worse, my aunt who was coming to watch had also invited some of her friends, so I had a load of witnesses to see me having a disaster...
Off we went up the centre line, very interested in these spooky white boards & not that interested in doing the test. Also not all that keen on the rain in his face & the gusting wind. Just about managed to hold the canter together on one rein, but on the other rein, Adrian did a v unexpected nap towards the nice dry indoor school & we ended up over the boards!!
After that, it was all about damage limitation, trying to ride an accurate test while keeping a synchronised swimmer smile glued on... But what else can you do when all of a sudden none of your controls are working??? What a rubbish test. He was so obedient & on the aids indoors, but in the outdoor school with the weather and those inviting white planky trotting pole things that were just begging to be jumped, it went totally to pot.
Never mind. At least I remembered my test, didn't fall off and my aunt's friends' experience of horses is limited to pony trekking, so they didn't realise that nothing had happened in the test that was supposed to happen!!
We were 8th with 55% & I was really excited that we'd actually beaten 3 people who were on equal 9th...until I noticed that that was cos they hadn't actually turned up & had therefore scored 0!!
So the lessons to be learnt are 1) DON'T jump the day before a dressage comp and 2) Adrian needs more practise dressaging at the College as he's only bsja'd there so far, so no wonder he's confused. So we're going to do a test or 2 unaff next week & see if we can get through them WITHOUT doing any jumping!!!!
Was hoping to see Timefaulter & o/h there, but they were in the dizzy heights of medium, so that was later on.
