milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
Right, operation liven up C&T continues... so here's a little report of our outing today.
Kira's last show was insanely hot, a scorching trip to a venue we hadn't been before where the warm up was in a very dark small indoor which felt like riding on the floor of an electric oven cranked up to 'incinerate'. She didn't enjoy that a lot, so I had promised that we wouldn't have a day like that again... well at least we were outdoors today but we both still feel barbecued!
she'll be putting in a complaint to the union.
last few weeks schooling have all been about throughness - lesson before last we identified a bit of a problem with this creeping in which was just making things more difficult than they should be. I feel like she's made great strides and is generally a lot more rideable....plus the trot has got easy to sit to again. but of course some of the other work has gone a bit rusty in the meantime. Realised I hadn't actually ridden any sideways for about 2 weeks yesterday ...oops with a more established horse it wouldn't be an issue but Kira really does have the memory of a goldfish! 
So rocked up to Allens Hill for the medium qualifier and AM92. Toooooo hot. too, too hot. Even with my new waistcoat, still too bleddy hot! As we arrived, an adder slithered across the drive in front of me, I love snakes so that was a treat, he must have been enjoying the sun 
Warmed up sweetly for M73, we were told the judge was running 10 mins late so I got on later than originally planned... only to discover they had caught up, so went into the test a little underprepared, could really have done with another 5 mins just to get a better reaction in the half passes but that's life, in different circumstances it wouldn't have mattered.
Up the centre line and flop to a halt, scrabble back into trot and off we went Typical first test from Kira, she just gets her little welsh brain in a tangle and then she goes behind my leg. But she delivered everything with just about enough enthusiasm for 63%, adequate, all things considered - I thought I was about to faint in the heat so just glad she kept putting one foot in front of the other.
Gasped our way back to the lorry park and gave her a slosh down. We had an hour between tests so I gave her a drink and put her back on the box - so nice to have a horse that will drink at a show, and stand nicely
She promptly fell asleep, I tried to return to a normal temperature and remember the next test.
AM92 is the FEI junior team test, it's not the easiest to remember and it's REALLY busy, actually in terms of floorplan I prefer AM98 (was an option at a different venue this weekend) but I thought that would be pushing it with K at this stage (only her 2nd AM). Managed to get the test to stick in my mind and off we set for another warm up. Tried to keep it short and focussed so as not to use up all her petrol.. some changes, some pirouette canter to medium canter transitions, some canter-halt transitions and a bit of rein back.
Set off to the test arena like we really meant it - got a couple of neat changes before the bell went and set off up the centre line with determination! Predictably collapsed in a heap in the halt as she fell over her feet ONE DAY she'll crack that! the first half of the test felt really rideable and forward, if a little green - then we had a little communication error in the trot trans after the walk piris and it shook her confidence a bit so I had to work for the canter stuff 
that said, 4 out of 4 clean changes :thumbup: which I wasn't expecting after she went a bit backward, so super super chuffed. The right to left she is inclined to get ahead of me but she waited and let me determine the timing.
Felt like a legit effort at the level and more to come as we start to work through her confidence wobbles. 61% with a few little mistakes, happy with that from Lady Inchcape , means she's now got her AF qualification in the bag and we will head to Beacons in mid August for that :cool3:
Next outing for her will be the Welsh Champs at Mount Ballan next weekend, we are tagging on another crack at the medium AF even though she's qualified already, quite frankly the more ring experience she gets the better!
sorry no ridden pics as I was on my tod as usual, but here's her best "gimme polos" face to lighten the post
Kira's last show was insanely hot, a scorching trip to a venue we hadn't been before where the warm up was in a very dark small indoor which felt like riding on the floor of an electric oven cranked up to 'incinerate'. She didn't enjoy that a lot, so I had promised that we wouldn't have a day like that again... well at least we were outdoors today but we both still feel barbecued!
she'll be putting in a complaint to the union.last few weeks schooling have all been about throughness - lesson before last we identified a bit of a problem with this creeping in which was just making things more difficult than they should be. I feel like she's made great strides and is generally a lot more rideable....plus the trot has got easy to sit to again. but of course some of the other work has gone a bit rusty in the meantime. Realised I hadn't actually ridden any sideways for about 2 weeks yesterday ...oops
with a more established horse it wouldn't be an issue but Kira really does have the memory of a goldfish! So rocked up to Allens Hill for the medium qualifier and AM92. Toooooo hot. too, too hot.
Even with my new waistcoat, still too bleddy hot! As we arrived, an adder slithered across the drive in front of me, I love snakes so that was a treat, he must have been enjoying the sun Warmed up sweetly for M73, we were told the judge was running 10 mins late so I got on later than originally planned... only to discover they had caught up, so went into the test a little underprepared, could really have done with another 5 mins just to get a better reaction in the half passes but that's life, in different circumstances it wouldn't have mattered.
Up the centre line and flop to a halt, scrabble back into trot and off we went
Typical first test from Kira, she just gets her little welsh brain in a tangle and then she goes behind my leg. But she delivered everything with just about enough enthusiasm for 63%, adequate, all things considered - I thought I was about to faint in the heat so just glad she kept putting one foot in front of the other.Gasped our way back to the lorry park and gave her a slosh down. We had an hour between tests so I gave her a drink and put her back on the box - so nice to have a horse that will drink at a show, and stand nicely
She promptly fell asleep, I tried to return to a normal temperature and remember the next test.
AM92 is the FEI junior team test, it's not the easiest to remember and it's REALLY busy, actually in terms of floorplan I prefer AM98 (was an option at a different venue this weekend) but I thought that would be pushing it with K at this stage (only her 2nd AM). Managed to get the test to stick in my mind and off we set for another warm up. Tried to keep it short and focussed so as not to use up all her petrol.. some changes, some pirouette canter to medium canter transitions, some canter-halt transitions and a bit of rein back.
Set off to the test arena like we really meant it - got a couple of neat changes before the bell went and set off up the centre line with determination! Predictably collapsed in a heap in the halt as she fell over her feet
ONE DAY she'll crack that! the first half of the test felt really rideable and forward, if a little green - then we had a little communication error in the trot trans after the walk piris and it shook her confidence a bit so I had to work for the canter stuff that said, 4 out of 4 clean changes :thumbup: which I wasn't expecting after she went a bit backward, so super super chuffed. The right to left she is inclined to get ahead of me but she waited and let me determine the timing.Felt like a legit effort at the level and more to come as we start to work through her confidence wobbles. 61% with a few little mistakes, happy with that from Lady Inchcape
, means she's now got her AF qualification in the bag and we will head to Beacons in mid August for that :cool3:Next outing for her will be the Welsh Champs at Mount Ballan next weekend, we are tagging on another crack at the medium AF even though she's qualified already, quite frankly the more ring experience she gets the better!
sorry no ridden pics as I was on my tod as usual, but here's her best "gimme polos" face to lighten the post
