LiffWee93
Well-Known Member
the last time i updated, we had just moved to our lovely new yard!! we are absolutely loving it and i feel like we are making some progress 
we have really struggled with seperation anxiety with her, but are now making progress again
We have done quite a bit since being there, mostly flatwork and hacking as ive been trying to focus on our qualifications a few days after we moved, i hacked her to our VERY local BD venue, as our first proper hack and to time how long it takes she was off her rocker initially, but nailed some good work
that weekend we then boxed out to the same venue -- just to travel her from the new place! was all a bit of a drama, with her field mate going out for a lesson to, and her lift getting stuck in the ditch by the entrance to the yard! que mad panic from everyone, and enlisting all the lovely neighbours to help push it out! thank goodness!
lola was angsty as anything after seeing her friend go past her box towards his, so we took the long drive there to settle her, came out the other end quiet as anything and went on to do her best test BD to date, with 67.097 and complete our qualification to area festivals!!
video here: https://www.facebook.com/leanne.greatorex/videos/10156985537515066/
then we did some jumping, she was awesome!! surprised that out 20x30 didnt feel small at all even making up a little course
then we did lots of exploring on our new rides -- we met up with a friend, whose pony used to be lolas nanny as a baby, lola was so excited to see "auntie punch" again, punch wasnt so much so!
we then went to long arena hire again to practice music once more, she was awesome and did some brilliant work ... minus one blip with a vertical rear at our final halt -- her seperation anxiety has re awoken her ability to rear, and she had a couple of days this week where when she didnt want to, she reared - the last time she was like this, she tied up a few days after, so we went on high alert and thankfully nothing came of it, but it wouldnt surprise me if she was in the beginnings of, she was VERY tight.
Anyway, she was awesome mostly
we have had a few lessons too -- mostly working on sharpness!
shes come on loads and im trying hard to be a better rider for her
which brings us on to yesterday -- our music! after repeated floorplan changes, music adjustments and a long time making our costume -- we competed in our first riding club venture - the Pas Seul (costume) class at BCA for the london and south east qualifiers lola was AWESOME the whole day, she let me spray paint her forelock (and mane ad tail) with little fuss, travelled beautifully and waited fairly patiently for nearly two hours as we rather overestimated how long it would take us to get there, in case of us getting lost, or traffic, plus having our passport checked, hat tagged etc, i didnt want to get there late!
got up and on and she was on FIRE! ive never known her so hot at a show, in a really good way control was somewhat lacking but she felt incredible and bold and forward, whilst still being attentive to my aids - all the work we have been doing on sharpening her up must have started settling in!
into the test and while she was a bit quick, i didnt want to get behind the music, so i left her to it, going for a settled but a little too forward and in time with the music, than an unsettled and might get behind the music if she stuffs up in protest...
she wa just amazing, i could have half halted in some places yes, the free walk she wanted to have a nose about (new venue) and the final centre line i just lost a bit of control and she popped into canter instead of medium, oh well!
it was genuinely the MOST fun ive ever had riding a test, everything felt easy for her
so i was SUPER chuffed with 67.22 and 2nd in our class, qualifying for L+SE champs
ready to go... (soo pleased with how slimline she is looking!)
video here
https://www.facebook.com/leanne.greatorex/videos/10157079209365066/
and our picture i hae permission to share it
special points for anyone that knows who we are (not peter pan!)
we now have a quiet couple of months of training, the new forest show and probably a couple of jumping outings for a change, in preparation for the 3 championships we have qualified for in the autumn! (L + SE, Area Festivals and BD Native Championships)
we have really struggled with seperation anxiety with her, but are now making progress again We have done quite a bit since being there, mostly flatwork and hacking as ive been trying to focus on our qualifications
a few days after we moved, i hacked her to our VERY local BD venue, as our first proper hack and to time how long it takes she was off her rocker initially, but nailed some good work
that weekend we then boxed out to the same venue -- just to travel her from the new place! was all a bit of a drama, with her field mate going out for a lesson to, and her lift getting stuck in the ditch by the entrance to the yard! que mad panic from everyone, and enlisting all the lovely neighbours to help push it out! thank goodness!
lola was angsty as anything after seeing her friend go past her box towards his, so we took the long drive there to settle her, came out the other end quiet as anything and went on to do her best test BD to date, with 67.097 and complete our qualification to area festivals!!
video here: https://www.facebook.com/leanne.greatorex/videos/10156985537515066/
then we did some jumping, she was awesome!! surprised that out 20x30 didnt feel small at all even making up a little course
then we did lots of exploring on our new rides -- we met up with a friend, whose pony used to be lolas nanny as a baby, lola was so excited to see "auntie punch" again, punch wasnt so much so!
we then went to long arena hire again to practice music once more, she was awesome and did some brilliant work ... minus one blip with a vertical rear at our final halt -- her seperation anxiety has re awoken her ability to rear, and she had a couple of days this week where when she didnt want to, she reared - the last time she was like this, she tied up a few days after, so we went on high alert and thankfully nothing came of it, but it wouldnt surprise me if she was in the beginnings of, she was VERY tight.
Anyway, she was awesome mostly
we have had a few lessons too -- mostly working on sharpness!
shes come on loads and im trying hard to be a better rider for her
which brings us on to yesterday -- our music! after repeated floorplan changes, music adjustments and a long time making our costume -- we competed in our first riding club venture - the Pas Seul (costume) class at BCA for the london and south east qualifiers
lola was AWESOME the whole day, she let me spray paint her forelock (and mane ad tail) with little fuss, travelled beautifully and waited fairly patiently for nearly two hours as we rather overestimated how long it would take us to get there, in case of us getting lost, or traffic, plus having our passport checked, hat tagged etc, i didnt want to get there late!got up and on and she was on FIRE! ive never known her so hot at a show, in a really good way
control was somewhat lacking but she felt incredible and bold and forward, whilst still being attentive to my aids - all the work we have been doing on sharpening her up must have started settling in! into the test and while she was a bit quick, i didnt want to get behind the music, so i left her to it, going for a settled but a little too forward and in time with the music, than an unsettled and might get behind the music if she stuffs up in protest...
she wa just amazing, i could have half halted in some places yes, the free walk she wanted to have a nose about (new venue) and the final centre line i just lost a bit of control and she popped into canter instead of medium, oh well!
it was genuinely the MOST fun ive ever had riding a test, everything felt easy for her
so i was SUPER chuffed with 67.22 and 2nd in our class, qualifying for L+SE champs
ready to go... (soo pleased with how slimline she is looking!)
video here
https://www.facebook.com/leanne.greatorex/videos/10157079209365066/
and our picture
i hae permission to share it
special points for anyone that knows who we are
(not peter pan!) we now have a quiet couple of months of training, the new forest show and probably a couple of jumping outings for a change, in preparation for the 3 championships we have qualified for in the autumn! (L + SE, Area Festivals and BD Native Championships)
