Mid January Weekend Plans

[HufflyPuffly]

Welcome home Rynys Jadore ?




Travelled like a pro and settled in well.

 

[Jeni the dragon]

❤❤

 

[Bernster]

Your collecting greys now ? ?

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Your collecting greys now ? ?

? don’t! My requirements definitely said no greys!!!!

 

[Northern]

Safely returned from Germany a few days ago. Managed to catch up with my favourite mare over there, her owner/breeder kindly allows me to ride her while over there, I'm very lucky!

Picked up my pony yesterday. She's been with a trusted friend while I have been away for some schooling (as opposed to having the time off getting fat on our copious amounts of grass!). Rode her in a thunderstorm and she was brilliant as usual. Much rounder and more adjustable in the neck now, which is something I really need to be strict about and work on. I need to learn to relax my leg and work on a few other things in regards to my position but it should all come together eventually! Generally just very pleased that all three horses were happy and healthy while I was away

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I have hacked DP two days in a row and today rode with a lady who is new to the adjacent yard. We are of a similar age, have knackered backs and both had accidents last year which lost us our respective confidence. Well after an hour hacking out you wouldn’t have known it. We are planning all sorts for the summer ?

 

[Accidental Eventer]

We had a really super lesson, Coolie was great. I felt like things came flooding back to me and I was back into my pre becoming a mum groove. It was awesome. We were practicing tight turns for jump offs and coolie was 100% there for it. He thought it was great fun. We also practiced jumping skinnies and he remembered his eventing roots and didn’t blink at jumping a barrel off a turn. He’s so clever!

Henry and I had a good ride at home on the flat this morning, he feels energetic and happy right now which makes me happy!

 

[Bernster]

No pics as my usual helper (OH) was at the football yesterday. Went to sj course hire with Finn and Bertie, my friend riding Finn. Didn’t forget all my recent jumping instruction and did ok. managed to string a few fences together, got him back when he bowled on a bit, and wasn’t really nervous during any of it - all good progress.

I get very ‘busy’ in my head when I’m jumping and my bad habits are pretty ingrained so it’s going to take some time to improve those but I’ll keep cracking on. Will have another lesson to reinstall some stuff hopefully and progress to clear round and then some comps. Bertie knows his stuff, it’s more a case of us working out each other, and me not totally losing the plot when I jump.

Finn was super and my more competent friend got him going really well.

 

[milliepops]

It's done! Hera was super bold leaving the only home she's ever known, bit of attitude on the walk through the village but mainly kept a lid on it all. lots of snorty prancing on arrival at the field but as of now, it's all fairly quiet. going to pop back shortly and do some litter picking so i can keep an eye on them. but i think the worst bit is hopefully out of the way.

 

[nikkimariet]

VV High Profile on sat. Rooni was super and I was a muppet!!! We had a couple of big spooks in M75 but got just under 66% which I was pleased with. AM96 I made a royal pigs ear of and went wrong twice! Whoops. It knocked him and then it knocked me so we did some piaffe and accidental tempis. Still scraped 62% somehow! Not bad for the show and the level. It was a freezing cold but solid dry run for the regionals.



Today was a good hacking day and Rooni enjoyed a nice canter.

 

[J_sarahd]

I love my pony so much. Took him to the gallops again today as a support buddy for a friend whose horse hasn’t done much galloping or cross country at all. My boy was amazing. We jumped all the BE80 fences. Only had a problem at 2 fences. One was a BE90 corner that I just stopped riding at (like leg was so off that it was in a different county. So he just stopped in front of it) and the other was a skinny brush that didn’t have a flag on one side so he ran out that shoulder twice. Corners and skinnies are my nemesis anyway so actually quite happy. He did the ditch first time (they’re quite wide there and we used to have real problems with ditches).

I can’t wait to get a towing vehicle because I’m planning on joining BE, especially after today.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

We did dressage today! Pepsi wasn’t thrilled by the lack of jumps, but was still a good boy. Did intro and prelim, he finds dressage hard/stressful and this is only his 2nd dressage comp of his life!

Came away with 62.4% in the intro B for 2nd which I was very pleased with! Prelim 2 he really tried, and his canter work was lovely and controlled which was the biggest win for us. Unfortunately just before we were due to go in, another horse in the warmup had a bit of a rodeo moment near us which unsettled him a bit, so was more tense than I would have liked. Still came away with 59% which was fair given the test he did.

Lovely comments on the sheets though, clearly judges think that with some work the scores will go up! All comments that he just needs to relax and work over his back more, which we know, it’s a work in progress. The other wins were that he loaded perfectly both ways, and stood calmly tied to the trailer (even when the horse at the trailer next door got away and went for a canter round the car park!)

 

[scats]

Early hack with my girl

 

[iknowmyvalue]

You can’t say he isn’t active behind ?

 

[rara007]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLe6xqBt/

Great day with the pony helped by Ester 2nd/5 in the mixed open single class which is very respectable!
Same again different place next weekend. It’s so good to do stuff just because it’s fun, not chasing scores, selection, qualification etc.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLe6xqBt/
View attachment 85984
Great day with the pony helped by Ester 2nd/5 in the mixed open single class which is very respectable!
Same again different place next weekend. It’s so good to do stuff just because it’s fun, not chasing scores, selection, qualification etc.

Love seeing your driving stuff. Agreed that it's so good to do stuff because it's fun!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

The clinic this weekend was hugely thought provoking (warning: lengthy text ahead ?).

Our clinic was with a rider/trainer from Spain who knows the PRE quite well and had some good success herself this year ar SICAB. It was so refreshing to ride with someone that knows the breed and to break away from the German style dressage and to stop trying to stuff ourselves into a German Warmblood shaped mould (I also think I rode some of the Spanish out of my horse, if that makes sense). I'm sure it'll make nearly everyone at the yard cringe ? I'm sort of at a crossroads with our training and deciding how I want to ride this horse. I know I should trust my feeling more too and become deaf to the railbirds.

She also rode my horse a bit to feel out and help us work out some issues with some of our collected canter work. The feedback was great and we have out work cut out for us. We'll also try some virtual/online lessons/feedback sessions too.

A lot of food for thought this weekend.

Horse was a good little traveler as always and I'm very thankful that we found a car to sub in for my broken towing vehicle.

I only have some grainy low resolution still shots from videos. So, apologies for the poor quality photos.

 

[Caol Ila]

Took Hermosa on a walk today. Due to weaning faff and barn layout, she's in a paddock with three older horses and won't be able to go into the field for a wee while. Not ideal, but it is what it is. She got a bit sparky on our walk today and was practicing courbette, but when I gave her a job -- halt-walk transitions and in-hand shoulder-ins, she settled right down.

Foinavon went down to the West Highland Way today, then up over the Khyber Pass. About one hour, forty-five minutes and 200m of ascent. The most bang for your buck route in terms of time v. descent/ascent. He was mostly foot-perfect. Got a wee bit worried by hearing mountain bikers crashing around in the woods, but not seeing them. He trotted on a bit, then settled. He's fine with bikes when he knows they're bikes, but it just sounded like shouty animals in the trees.

 

[Bernster]

CC that sounds like a great lesson!

 

[j1ffy]

The clinic this weekend was hugely thought provoking (warning: lengthy text ahead ?).

Our clinic was with a rider/trainer from Spain who knows the PRE quite well and had some good success herself this year ar SICAB. It was so refreshing to ride with someone that knows the breed and to break away from the German style dressage and to stop trying to stuff ourselves into a German Warmblood shaped mould (I also think I rode some of the Spanish out of my horse, if that makes sense). I'm sure it'll make nearly everyone at the yard cringe ? I'm sort of at a crossroads with our training and deciding how I want to ride this horse. I know I should trust my feeling more too and become deaf to the railbirds.

She also rode my horse a bit to feel out and help us work out some issues with some of our collected canter work. The feedback was great and we have out work cut out for us. We'll also try some virtual/online lessons/feedback sessions too.

A lot of food for thought this weekend.

Horse was a good little traveler as always and I'm very thankful that we found a car to sub in for my broken towing vehicle.

I only have some grainy low resolution still shots from videos. So, apologies for the poor quality photos.

View attachment 85985

Great photos and sounds like an interesting lesson. What were the main differences between the clinic suggestions and the usual German approach?

I did some in-hand work with Chilli on Saturday the hopped on in the school. He was mostly good, with just a couple of humpy “I want to canter” moments. Very good about some ponies fighting in the next field too! Then a chilled hack yesterday with a couple of friends.

Busy week of work ahead so I’m not sure how much riding I’ll fit in ?

 

[Chippers1]

Did a tiny bit of jumping with Buzz this weekend (only tiny as the field is a bit muddy so didn't want to do anything bigger!) but he loved it and was charging around with his ears pricked, glad to have him back to his happier self. we have an SJ clinic next weekend so hoping he'll bring the same enthusiasm!
I love my pivo but most of the videos I won't be sharing on here...it's great for highlighting all my bad habits (and seeing where i've worked on them!) I did like this still though, we don't look too bad

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Great photos and sounds like an interesting lesson. What were the main differences between the clinic suggestions and the usual German approach?

I did some in-hand work with Chilli on Saturday the hopped on in the school. He was mostly good, with just a couple of humpy “I want to canter” moments. Very good about some ponies fighting in the next field too! Then a chilled hack yesterday with a couple of friends.

Busy week of work ahead so I’m not sure how much riding I’ll fit in ?

Well, I wasn't told "neck down, neck down!" for one thing ? and she said don't worry if he comes high with his neck or even behind the vertical for a few seconds when doing this work (collected canter, pirouette's, beginning piaffe) and it'll sort out when the balance and strength is established. Get him using his hind end more and don't let him get soo long. Mainly the German trainers want him long, lower, and they feel he has to have his head so low to "open the back" and I'm fine with stretch work, mainly at the end of our ride. She said its better to warm these types up with a bit more collection.

That's also how I'll get the power, more expression, and better extensions; though the collected work. Not chasing him forward, tapping at the shoulder with the whip, all while keeping his neck down (someone had us do this in a clinic and I had to stop because it was just him running frantic at the trot). He physically can't sit and have a better hind leg with his head at or below his withers/so low. There is so much focus on this forwards downwards thing here. People ride it all the time, the whole ride. We also need the higher neck position and more engaged hind end at this level and higher. It's not all about the neck, but with some people it is! Even with judges at the lower levels.

He was not pleased about having to work that booty more, and having to give 100%. He will try to avoid this by doing a flying change, and she said then work him in collected counter canter, make it hard. Whereas others said, stop, regroup, and he learned this was a short break. ? so when that didn't work he'd then give a good kick (not quite a buck) out and lock his back, so I have to give forward with the inside ride and push right before this happens. Show him the way with the inside rein giving, and the leg on. She said he's well ridden on the outside rein, so he doesn't get lost, take off, get strung out, totally lose the connection/whatever when the inside rein isn't there, and to use it as an open door. It's hard on my crocked SI joint when he throws those shapes, and I was feeling discouraged, but she (and another trainer we've gotten on well with) said it's relatively normal to protest a bit with the demanding work, all horses have their thing, this is his thing, but he was able to be ridden through it quickly and she'd like a progress report later.

She was just more open and creative too. Not so much "this way, the one way" as many are around here. She was also good at explaining or saying why this helped and how it all worked. It was also OK if he got a bit stressed and to ride through it and sort it out. Not just say "he needs to relax, he must relax" which...yeah, duh. So many people here are all about "the horse must" but not about the how and why, or it taking time and putting together the different pieces to get there. Not all horses should be stuffed into the same mold nor are they machines. Sure, some basics are the same as well as end goals, but roads to Rome and all that.

Ok, I know that was long ?

 

[j1ffy]

Well, I wasn't told "neck down, neck down!" for one thing ? and she said don't worry if he comes high with his neck or even behind the vertical for a few seconds when doing this work (collected canter, pirouette's, beginning piaffe) and it'll sort out when the balance and strength is established. Get him using his hind end more and don't let him get soo long. Mainly the German trainers want him long, lower, and they feel he has to have his head so low to "open the back" and I'm fine with stretch work, mainly at the end of our ride. She said its better to warm these types up with a bit more collection.

That's also how I'll get the power, more expression, and better extensions; though the collected work. Not chasing him forward, tapping at the shoulder with the whip, all while keeping his neck down (someone had us do this in a clinic and I had to stop because it was just him running frantic at the trot). He physically can't sit and have a better hind leg with his head at or below his withers/so low. There is so much focus on this forwards downwards thing here. People ride it all the time, the whole ride. We also need the higher neck position and more engaged hind end at this level and higher. It's not all about the neck, but with some people it is! Even with judges at the lower levels.

He was not pleased about having to work that booty more, and having to give 100%. He will try to avoid this by doing a flying change, and she said then work him in collected counter canter, make it hard. Whereas others said, stop, regroup, and he learned this was a short break. ? so when that didn't work he'd then give a good kick (not quite a buck) out and lock his back, so I have to give forward with the inside ride and push right before this happens. Show him the way with the inside rein giving, and the leg on. She said he's well ridden on the outside rein, so he doesn't get lost, take off, get strung out, totally lose the connection/whatever when the inside rein isn't there, and to use it as an open door. It's hard on my crocked SI joint when he throws those shapes, and I was feeling discouraged, but she (and another trainer we've gotten on well with) said it's relatively normal to protest a bit with the demanding work, all horses have their thing, this is his thing, but he was able to be ridden through it quickly and she'd like a progress report later.

She was just more open and creative too. Not so much "this way, the one way" as many are around here. She was also good at explaining or saying why this helped and how it all worked. It was also OK if he got a bit stressed and to ride through it and sort it out. Not just say "he needs to relax, he must relax" which...yeah, duh. So many people here are all about "the horse must" but not about the how and why, or it taking time and putting together the different pieces to get there. Not all horses should be stuffed into the same mold nor are they machines. Sure, some basics are the same as well as end goals, but roads to Rome and all that.

Ok, I know that was long ?

Not that long, and very interesting! It sounds like your usual trainers are a lot more rigid than the trainers I've met here - maybe because we have a wider 'type' of horse doing dressage. It's great that this trainer is willing and (hopefully) able to help you remotely too ?

 

[RachelFerd]

My boys were super, as per usual, in their SJ lessons. Here's Simon jumping a really technical round at the end -

Dog-leg between 1 and 2;
Switchback to 3;
Long related distance 4 strides to the double;
Short curving related distance 4 strides to the upright;
Short turn and approach to the 3-stride related distance across the diagonal;
Then a curving 4 strides and 4 strides related distance to finish...

Not much time to breathe during that!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Not that long, and very interesting! It sounds like your usual trainers are a lot more rigid than the trainers I've met here - maybe because we have a wider 'type' of horse doing dressage. It's great that this trainer is willing and (hopefully) able to help you remotely too ?

They are quite rigid for the most part, and many are successful at competitions so who's to question them ?‍ I will say I am sometimes amazed at the dressage scores on here that come from BD, with various mistakes/errors. They're quite high and the scoring is a bit more "harsh" here, for lack of a better term. Not saying that's a good or bad thing, and I do wish we had more diversity here. I'm trying to learn as much as I can and I think there's always something to take away from each lesson/clinic, even if it's a "I'll never do that again" type deal. It's been a big thing learning what approach is best for us, physically and mentally, as well as determining what "success" is to me. I also have a huge amount of imposter syndrome when it comes to dressage, so I'm always fighting that.