jules89
Well-Known Member
Ok so had a disasterous week back and going back to having 0 confidence after flying through the air 3 times and falling on my bottom twice...
Went to Mattingley with an actually rather good frame of mind, as a good friend told me "bad practice means a good competition"...and she was right.
Under trainer's orders I warmed up for dr longer than I normally do - usual is about 20 mins, quick stretch, few transitions and in. Today I did 20 mins stretch, 5 mins breather, canter/trot legyield/halfpass on a circle and then in !
He did, by far, the best test I have ridden him in. He was uphill, obedient, flashy, and rideable. He really seemed to show off and enjoy himself. I came out smiling and to be honest, it felt like a sub 30 test by far. In the end, it was a 30 but still well placed after this phase and I can't really sniff at that, the mediums were apparantly "modest" but in all honesty, the canter ones could have earned a 7 and not a 6...
ho hum, still very very pleased
Onto SJ...
As we all know, I am suffering a lot from SJ nerves, I feel physically sick, panic, hook, and screw up my lovely pone. Today was, however slightly different. I was confident, (!!!!) and the course was lovely, not trappy at all and had a nice treble at the end that I tried to think was just a grid and not a treble..!
Luckily I managed to walk it just before I went in. I surprisingly only did about 3 warm up fences, not even going over a vertical, as I just wanted to jump out of a rhythm and not screw up, or push it
Ended up with a lovely clear, but my goodness do I have a brilliant pone...! Coming up to the treble it all went a bit Terry Wogan coming in, he jumped very big and I knew he wasn't going to make the distance so sat behind him (ready for a stop) and let him shuffle in two strides over the last two elements. I didn't care as we were clear, safe, and even though I nearly did throw up, alive!
Muchos improvement bar the last? Slight voal encouragement over the 4th
So going onto XC (which was a very very very technical and big course, more like a small int) I was probably in a good position.
He fired out of the start box, jumped one fine, and then coming up to two, he took his eye off the ball, looked at people scuttling out of the way of the fence (there were LOADS, no joke
) and ran straight past it...he simply just careered on past it, I couldn't hold him! Anyway this is totally out of character, it was a simple brush! So pulled round, jumped it, and then had to literally anchor him into 3...
Yes I was going fast, but he could have taken off?
oh and spot the fitty lol
Coming up to 4, a simple chair, he decided to put his dressage toes on and half pass spook at a bog standard water trough
and then balloon the jump! Gave him a sharp kick and the next fence was 2 houses on an angled line of 2 strides, simple enough. Saw a good shot into it, positive active canter, and he shuffled in a totally unnecessary third stride...
probably my fault from earlier SJing.
Anyway as the course was big, and he just wasn't on the ball and I have had a recent confidence knock, I decided to call it a day. Call me mad but I wasn't going to place, I wasn't going to sniff a point, the ground was hard, and it just wasn't meant to be.
Im not upset, as he was mega, but the last thing I want to do is shuffle into a fence, smack it, and rotate
it just doesn't bear thinking about. He is an awesome horse, and we got 2 out of 3 right today, can't have it all
Anyway, I will stop rambling
Lovely to meet Saf and co, and to have generally a lovely day out
i love my pone
Any bitting ideas?
Went to Mattingley with an actually rather good frame of mind, as a good friend told me "bad practice means a good competition"...and she was right.
Under trainer's orders I warmed up for dr longer than I normally do - usual is about 20 mins, quick stretch, few transitions and in. Today I did 20 mins stretch, 5 mins breather, canter/trot legyield/halfpass on a circle and then in !
He did, by far, the best test I have ridden him in. He was uphill, obedient, flashy, and rideable. He really seemed to show off and enjoy himself. I came out smiling and to be honest, it felt like a sub 30 test by far. In the end, it was a 30 but still well placed after this phase and I can't really sniff at that, the mediums were apparantly "modest" but in all honesty, the canter ones could have earned a 7 and not a 6...
Onto SJ...
As we all know, I am suffering a lot from SJ nerves, I feel physically sick, panic, hook, and screw up my lovely pone. Today was, however slightly different. I was confident, (!!!!) and the course was lovely, not trappy at all and had a nice treble at the end that I tried to think was just a grid and not a treble..!
Luckily I managed to walk it just before I went in. I surprisingly only did about 3 warm up fences, not even going over a vertical, as I just wanted to jump out of a rhythm and not screw up, or push it
Ended up with a lovely clear, but my goodness do I have a brilliant pone...! Coming up to the treble it all went a bit Terry Wogan coming in, he jumped very big and I knew he wasn't going to make the distance so sat behind him (ready for a stop) and let him shuffle in two strides over the last two elements. I didn't care as we were clear, safe, and even though I nearly did throw up, alive!
Muchos improvement bar the last? Slight voal encouragement over the 4th
So going onto XC (which was a very very very technical and big course, more like a small int) I was probably in a good position.
He fired out of the start box, jumped one fine, and then coming up to two, he took his eye off the ball, looked at people scuttling out of the way of the fence (there were LOADS, no joke
Yes I was going fast, but he could have taken off?
oh and spot the fitty lol
Coming up to 4, a simple chair, he decided to put his dressage toes on and half pass spook at a bog standard water trough
Anyway as the course was big, and he just wasn't on the ball and I have had a recent confidence knock, I decided to call it a day. Call me mad but I wasn't going to place, I wasn't going to sniff a point, the ground was hard, and it just wasn't meant to be.
Im not upset, as he was mega, but the last thing I want to do is shuffle into a fence, smack it, and rotate
Anyway, I will stop rambling
Lovely to meet Saf and co, and to have generally a lovely day out
i love my pone
