Last weekend of July plans

Cloball

Cloball

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I'm off to a wedding but filmed a dressage test yesterday. Happy with this one much straighter and fluid even if the bend wasn't perfect. It was only intro 2 but i was quite happy. Had to put a proper bridle on eurgh. D then had her annual MOT.
Edited to add, just got the scores and got 62.7 which probably isn't great for into but very fair comments about things we are working on so I'm happy.
 
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Jack had a successful outing today.

A new venue for him and a bit further afield but he was a superstar and did two solid tests for 1st OA/1st silver and 2nd OA/1st silver.

Very pleased that we managed to replicate our elementary score from the other week - it’s confirmed that we’re not just winging it and he *can* be competitive at this level with a bit more experience
 
Hacking small pony, he is doing SO well now and is a lovely pony to ride.

Going to ride giant ginger this afternoon, hopefully he can come home this week 🤞

Eventing tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to it but wish I had slightly earlier times as looks like I'll be home at 8.30-9pm with the horsebox and, once horse sorted, I then need to shower, pack and get to bed as leaving at 2am for an early flight to Dublin on Monday morning 😴
 
One of those days when I should have stayed in bed! I had a voucher due to expire at Bury Farm and was in need of a busy venue for a bit of exposure so off we trotted this morning.

Warm up was in a 20x40 and he didnt really relax - but I never do a massive warm up anyway.

Test was appalling. Judge was more generous in summing it up but honestly it was awful. He backed off my leg before we even went down the centre line and felt like he would have happily ground to a halt. Got a smack to get left canter at which he bucked, disunited, broke etc. It was awful!

We had a saddle tweak on Thurs so now I have no idea if thats an issue or just a bad outing.
 
Yesterday I went for a SJ lesson with a new RI. I’ve always had difficulties with keeping Mr H at a sensible regular canter without him whizzing off . In all other respects he is a dream in that he rarely refuses, he is very honest . I have tried several RIs to help with the speed issue with what seems like little progress.
New RI was very good, identified where I am tight which affects my canter seat and also identified I tend to inadvertently adopt a driving seat and when he whizzes off I lift my hands. When I managed to be soft / keep hands low , he was less whizzy. Pleased with the improvement and lots to practice. Lessons mean taking a day off work as it’s a bit of a drive but it’s worth it if it sorts out our (my) issues and I will be trying to go regularly over the next couple of months while the weather is decent.

Tomorrow we are off on a pleasure ride which we have done before, the first half is in fields with xc jumps and the 2nd half is up on the moors with great views. I’m meeting someone there to ride around with. I will be practicing not adopting a driving seat and keeping my hands low !
 
SEL said:
Test was appalling. Judge was more generous in summing it up but honestly it was awful. He backed off my leg before we even went down the centre line and felt like he would have happily ground to a halt. Got a smack to get left canter at which he bucked, disunited, broke etc. It was awful!

We had a saddle tweak on Thurs so now I have no idea if thats an issue or just a bad ououting.
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Hmmm I'll have a look today's videos when OH is back from golf but gut feeling is lazy oik rather than anything wrong with him or saddle. Not uploadable videos because he got a few sharp smacks but once we'd had the discussion about forward meaning GO he went well.

Bury farm have Quest next Sun so think we might need a return visit with no thought apart from GO. He's been a bit backward last 2 outings but it was hot and humid. Been 100% in clinics so I just need to make sure me giving him an allowance for the weather hasn't created a bad habit.

Just read @Ambers Echo post on the 3/4 yo thread about making sure they're with you and point taken!
 
I had a fabulous lesson yesterday! I'm still trying to work on 'pretend my legs aren't there unless using them' and I think carrying a short stick helped with this even though I don't ever use it, as then I can forget about my legs as not needing to use them so much.

We were doing 10m loops in walk and trot, plus some leg yielding. Super pleased with the leg yields and the trotting loops, aside from one slightly dodgy turn where I used too much rein and not enough leg/body to steer but positive that I knew straight away what I did wrong. He's a big horse so I feel like it's going pretty well because sometimes I feel like I am steering a tank ship! I was trying to pick him up a bit more as my previous lesson videos I thought my reins looked a bit long; I have soft hands and that's a good thing but often not much contact/connection and that's a feeling I'm trying to learn. It was nice to feel a bit more 'together'.

Also got a few more snippets of nice sitting trot, just like half a long side at most but still. Big horse, big trot! Cantering on this horse (or any horse) felt impossible not that many months ago and now occasionally I'm thinking 'hmm...maybe we could just pop in a few strides and see' 🤔

Also, I was a bit nervous, but mainly it was fun and I'm enjoying the privilege of riding this beautiful big horse :)
 
ihatework said:
6yo did her first BE at Dauntsey and was a very good girl. A little firecracker in the dressage 😂 jumped her nicest sj round yet and had an unlucky tap behind, then nice xc round. Good girl princess!
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Clever girl! Hopefully we will catch up at your next event and see her in action
 
SEL said:
Hmmm I'll have a look today's videos when OH is back from golf but gut feeling is lazy oik rather than anything wrong with him or saddle. Not uploadable videos because he got a few sharp smacks but once we'd had the discussion about forward meaning GO he went well.

Bury farm have Quest next Sun so think we might need a return visit with no thought apart from GO. He's been a bit backward last 2 outings but it was hot and humid. Been 100% in clinics so I just need to make sure me giving him an allowance for the weather hasn't created a bad habit.

Just read @Ambers Echo post on the 3/4 yo thread about making sure they're with you and point taken!
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It's so hard to decide if there's a problem such as saddle fit or pain, or a lack of motivation on the horse's part! I had similar last week - Sammy was hard work and I couldn't get any semblance of self-carriage or forward feeling at all. He'd had a few days just hacking, then a few days off, his vaccination, a lost shoe, and a more novice dressage rider on him in the preceding two weeks. I couldn't work out if he was stiff, sore from the lost shoe or unmotivated so had a lesson on Friday. RI spotted he wasn't using his core and back properly and seemed to be enjoying life in a more novice outline, so we did plenty of work in canter (easier to get him working correctly), in particular using counter canter with flexions to encourage him to release, then transitions and bingo...the old Sammy was back!

I had been riding a bit backwards due to my concerns that there was a niggle, instead of working through the basics. I'd like to say 'lesson learned' but I know I'll end up doing the same next time...self-doubt is a tough thing to shift!
 
I took my dressage cob to do a 70cm hunter trial. I held my breath the whole time and sounded like an aged smoker for the rest of the day, but he thoroughly enjoyed himself. we had a bunch of time faults because I trotted down every hill 😂 I also did a circle in front of the brush because I took the most atrocious line to it and it was the first part of a combination I was worried about, so thought I'm best off re-presenting. Still we were 9th overall.
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lar said:
Oh @DressageCob I was FJ and I commented to my fellow judge as you came round what a super sort he is, the type that will do everything and you can have enormous fun with 🥰
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Thank you! I rode like an absolute imbecile but he still looked after me, like he always does. He's such a cool dude. One day he's working on his canter pirouettes and passage and the next day he's carrying me round that 😂 He's a saint
 
DressageCob said:
Thank you! I rode like an absolute imbecile but he still looked after me, like he always does. He's such a cool dude. One day he's working on his canter pirouettes and passage and the next day he's carrying me round that 😂 He's a saint
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My cob can be an idiot at times but I love being able to do a fun ride, a dressage test and a RC jumping clinic all in the same week!

j1ffy said:
It's so hard to decide if there's a problem such as saddle fit or pain, or a lack of motivation on the horse's part! I had similar last week - Sammy was hard work and I couldn't get any semblance of self-carriage or forward feeling at all. He'd had a few days just hacking, then a few days off, his vaccination, a lost shoe, and a more novice dressage rider on him in the preceding two weeks. I couldn't work out if he was stiff, sore from the lost shoe or unmotivated so had a lesson on Friday. RI spotted he wasn't using his core and back properly and seemed to be enjoying life in a more novice outline, so we did plenty of work in canter (easier to get him working correctly), in particular using counter canter with flexions to encourage him to release, then transitions and bingo...the old Sammy was back!

I had been riding a bit backwards due to my concerns that there was a niggle, instead of working through the basics. I'd like to say 'lesson learned' but I know I'll end up doing the same next time...self-doubt is a tough thing to shift!
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Yup! I sent the video my OH took yesterday over to my saddler (who is also an experienced BHS coach and dressage rider in her own right) who basically said it was nice to see him engaged and striding out properly. He was bit of a lazy oik during our saddle fitting as well and I think I'd taken being careful with the ground into allowing him to toddle round doing the equine equivalent of a teenage slouch. He can be backwards thinking when I'm schooling so I need to make sure I'm on top of that.

I rarely school the microcob because of her wonky legs (& she's an amazing hack) but my neighbours were doing something that involved large lorries blocking the road so she got 30 minutes schooling. Totally different attitude - she's so fun and buzzy but also listens to her rider. If I ever had to give her a pony club kick to say oi, listen I think she'd cart me to the next county!
 
j1ffy said:
It's so hard to decide if there's a problem such as saddle fit or pain, or a lack of motivation on the horse's part! I had similar last week - Sammy was hard work and I couldn't get any semblance of self-carriage or forward feeling at all. He'd had a few days just hacking, then a few days off, his vaccination, a lost shoe, and a more novice dressage rider on him in the preceding two weeks. I couldn't work out if he was stiff, sore from the lost shoe or unmotivated so had a lesson on Friday. RI spotted he wasn't using his core and back properly and seemed to be enjoying life in a more novice outline, so we did plenty of work in canter (easier to get him working correctly), in particular using counter canter with flexions to encourage him to release, then transitions and bingo...the old Sammy was back!

I had been riding a bit backwards due to my concerns that there was a niggle, instead of working through the basics. I'd like to say 'lesson learned' but I know I'll end up doing the same next time...self-doubt is a tough thing to shift!
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I've just been through the same thing and been allowing the horse to pootle and not work properly and now working on getting him re-engaged. You think you'd notice and realise what you're doing but it's surprisingly easy to get sucked in for various reasons. Unfortunately my RI is away at the moment otherwise I think they would have spotted it.
 
So I've sort of Moved D onto working livery as it has been stressing me out trying to get her fitter around my new job which probably sounds a bit mad but YO does get D. Yard is technically (licensed and insured) a riding school but YO is mostly retired and only has a couple of ponies and teaches maybe 2 days a week max for locals and their kids. Anyhoo as it's the school holidays D had a couple of rides earlier in the week by 2 lovely older teens who are cracking riders and YO sent me a pic of the most relaxed looking D being an absolute angel. I'm very proud of her considering 2 years ago she wouldn't stand still and I was considering my sanity. It's amazing how proud you can be of someone else riding your pony 😂. I have some lovely pics but can't share for obvious reasons.
 
After weeks standing on dry land with a bad knee... this happened last night!

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It has been such a (literal) pain! Around 6 weeks and it is still uncomfortable to go up or down stairs, still can't bend it much and it is still quite numb.

I tried a little sit on, on Wednesday, but it was simply too tight. Last night it was OK. Not fully comfortable, but OK.

Poor Rigs has been off for around 8 weeks, simply due to no rider. He was astonished and pleased to be sat upon twice in a week! He will be even happier to go out on the road today.

Such a small step!

If this week goes OK, I will fetch H back next weekend. He is bigger and wider, so I think a week of Rigs will be best to stretch my knee's capacity.
 
I'm not sure if we had a weekend thread for this week so will add to this one.

Fatigue has been kicking my butt again this week, it's not been this bad for a few months at least and I ended up not working since my supervisor told me to log off when we had our online meeting on Monday. I asked to do a ground work lesson instead of riding because I was thinking even just to get to the RS would be an achievement!

It's hard not to feel disappointed (or frustrated maybe?) in a way because recent ridden lessons have been going so well but I decided to try to put that aside and focus on the positives/accept the situation as it is. So I went with a mindset to just enjoy the horse time and see what I could learn.

I ended up having my first go at long lining which I was so excited to try; it's been on my goals list for aaaaages! I really enjoyed it and found it a great balance of challenging and fun. So pleased to tick off another 2025 goal and hope to do some more and get more skilled with it as it's definitely something I'd want to do with a horse of my own.
 
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