October :( weekend plans

[Bernster]

Got soggy on Saturdays hack but the weather was lovely for Sunday‘s sponsored ride (south ox). Ground was perfect, we had sun and blues skies. Really well organised and friendly. Finnegan is brilliant to take to these rides, forward but safe, goes first or last, good brakes, point and shoot at whatever fences I fancy (i only like the smaller inviting ones) and generally a poppet. He didn’t much like the huge pigs we passed in one field! I need to get him fitter though as he was puffing like a train after one long canter up the hill. Will make the most of the softer ground whilst I can.

 

[Chippers1]

The last of the crop fields were cut last week so managed to get in them for a quick blast, including squealing and snorting from a delighted Buzz. It's so rare I can fully let him go (and he's willing, he normally just canters along at a steady speed!) so it was great fun. No riding the rest of the weekend as was down in London supporting my friend running the marathon, she did a great job!

 

[Curly_Feather]

Oh my gosh Smiggy that is a pretty horse!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Me: we're here
Horse: really? You've dragged me to another one of these competitions?



It was windy and rainy. A bit of spooky horse stuff today, but rideable with good moments. However, I think dressage competitions are not my passion. We're also not super competitive in a class full of big moving Warmbloods and with judges who have openly expressed their (negative) feelings toward Baroque horses ?‍ I used to enjoy jumping competitions though. So I think we'll focus on clinics and lessons with our time and money. While competitions are good for his experience, he typically handles himself quite well anyway. It's also not very satisfying to get a score sheet back with basically no comments. Literally like two ambiguous comments. One thing I used to like about dressage was the score sheets and possibility of feedback (negative or positive!). My experience riding in other countries has been better than here, tbh.

So while outings are enjoyable with him, I think we gain more from clinics, traveling to new hacking places, and some variety - like a trail course we're entered in. I'd like to dabble in some working equitation and cow work. Training wise, no real complaints at the moment, some polishing on a few things.

 

[j1ffy]

Me: we're here
Horse: really? You've dragged me to another one of these competitions?

View attachment 80487

It was windy and rainy. A bit of spooky horse stuff today, but rideable with good moments. However, I think dressage competitions are not my passion. We're also not super competitive in a class full of big moving Warmbloods and with judges who have openly expressed their (negative) feelings toward Baroque horses ?‍ I used to enjoy jumping competitions though. So I think we'll focus on clinics and lessons with our time and money. While competitions are good for his experience, he typically handles himself quite well anyway. It's also not very satisfying to get a score sheet back with basically no comments. Literally like two ambiguous comments. One thing I used to like about dressage was the score sheets and possibility of feedback (negative or positive!). My experience riding in other countries has been better than here, tbh.

So while outings are enjoyable with him, I think we gain more from clinics, traveling to new hacking places, and some variety - like a trail course we're entered in. I'd like to dabble in some working equitation and cow work. Training wise, no real complaints at the moment, some polishing on a few things.

That's a shame about the dressage. I find the judges here are generally a lot fairer towards PREs these days - the feedback is usually constructive and detailed. Mind you, I've not been out on my Baroque youngster yet so let's see! WE looks like fun, I also hope to give it a go next year.

We've had a pleasant weekend of hacking and a few minutes in the school yesterday to reinforce the 'acceptance of outside leg' homework from our lesson. There's a long way to go but it feels like there's a clear way through, and in the moments when it comes together it feels fab.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

That's a shame about the dressage. I find the judges here are generally a lot fairer towards PREs these days - the feedback is usually constructive and detailed. Mind you, I've not been out on my Baroque youngster yet so let's see! WE looks like fun, I also hope to give it a go next year.

We've had a pleasant weekend of hacking and a few minutes in the school yesterday to reinforce the 'acceptance of outside leg' homework from our lesson. There's a long way to go but it feels like there's a clear way through, and in the moments when it comes together it feels fab.

I think BD/dressage in certain areas over there has more diversity. I mean, we can have a class of 30 or so here and all are Warmbloods except for my PRE and a Haflinger.

I also have watched BD tests, and then seen the score and been shocked that they're scored so high sometimes. So maybe it is also a bit more strict here. He hasn't done terrible, and he's quite easy to travel with, I'm just not sure it's so rewarding. I mostly did it to test his education/training in new and more busy environments. So I can check that off. We did once get a low score, but nothing crazy happened, nothing inaccurate, and a few people thought it odd too. I was interested in getting the score sheet for some feedback. There was hardly any, and one comment didn't make sense to me, so I had a more experienced friend watch the test with me, and she couldn't exactly make sense of it either. So, I don't understand dressage sometimes. I love learning, and am fine with learning from mistakes, but I don't get much out of competing other than proving we can do it. I really enjoy clinics, and we've always had a good time at those, and the trainers have all been great. Even some big name's had nice things to say about him so, I don't think we're total f-ups

Anyway, that's my rant for today.

 

[Caol Ila]

Out of curiosity, what was the comment?

I groomed for my friend at a dressage show yesterday. She's riding her Connemara at Elementary, and came second in one of her classes. A fluffy Gypsy cob came first. A pile of warmbloods came in after them. We were both surprised!

 

[DressageCob]

Out of curiosity, what was the comment?

I groomed for my friend at a dressage show yesterday. She's riding her Connemara at Elementary, and came second in one of her classes. A fluffy Gypsy cob came first. A pile of warmbloods came in after them. We were both surprised!

That's great!

I was disheartened at a recent seminar when I heard that the way to score a horse's trot down the centre line (for example) is to say this horse is flashy so should get an 8, and then deduct marks from there if it gets things wrong or wobbles, and then look at say a cob type and say this trot is worth a 6 and go down from there, purely because it isn't as extravagant.

I get it if the cob's trot lacks cadence, suppleness and thoroughness etc. But where it is as rhythmical, even, springy and soft as that breed can achieve I don't see why the starting point should be anything but a 10 (and then work down from there when it wobbles).

I love seeing non-warmbloods succeeding in dressage. My little coloured would often beat more obviously flashy horses because he was correct. He didn't get any free marks like the flashiest horses do, but he made sure not to lose any unnecessarily ?

 

[humblepie]

Four days away at a show though first day was just getting there and setting up. Had some good placings, including two seconds and coped well with the evening performance which was good as had bit of a fright at his last one. Finally wore my concours outfit and were placed in a huge class which was a shock as don't know much about these classes at all and was on own so not able to do a final tidy up or even check if hat on straight! Bit of down time for him now before one other major show this year and then a holiday.

 

[oldie48]

Good lesson on Mr D this morning, it's great when I have input from his owner as she knows him so well. For me ATM it's all about the "outside rein". He's teaching me so much, I'm sure his owner won't mind me saying that with age he's lost some suppleness (haven't we all?) so to get a good 10m circle he must be giving me some body bend and be turning from the outside rein, if he's happy doing that I've got a good trot and everything becomes so much easier. He doesn't do lateral work as easily as some so again, it's really important to get the trot more on the hind leg and position him correctly, I got some half decent leg yield and shoulder in today and I'm doing more canter work although I really need to up my fitness, if I can!

 

[milliepops]

Hosing down tonight... I've arranged to sleep in lorry at the yard tomorrow night as a friend is over for training and I normally have to scurry off home instead of chatting in the evening. Hope the weather cheers up ??

 

[southerncomfort]

Just had the best hack yesterday on my 5 year old.

Was blowing a hooley so had decided to lead Bo down our hill, meet my hacking buddy at the bottom, continue on to the bridleway and get on from the bench at the start of the bridleway.

Did not start well. Bo has been seriously spooked by the high winds, but really this is the reality of winter here so he needs to get used to it. Unfortunately he completely freaked out at my neighbours washing line and spooked in to me twice, kicking my ankle.

Calmed him down and went to meet our wonderful hacking buddies. My friend's pony is in his twenties and completely unphased by anything.

When we got to the bridleway I was still dwelling on the super spooks and wasn't convinced getting on was a good idea, but my friend persuaded me to mount up!

Well Bo was an absolute superstar! He was lovely to ride, listening to me all the way. He marched past so many things that you would have forgiven him for if he had been worried.

Best part was when we met a double decker bus. The driver was due a break so he turned his engine off and came out and made a fuss of Bo, who then marched up to the bus to have a good look at it. I think he would have boarded the bus if he could have! ?

Oh and we had our first trot in company!

He was just brilliant! ??