nikkimariet
Well-Known Member
.....Was pleasant 
But cold 
At Vale today for N28 & N39. It's blowing a right gale up there!!! Me and PS were the first ones there (I'll explain in a moment) at 7.45am and it was McChilly. I wasn't on till mid and late morning, but didn't think it fair to expect perfect behaviour from Fig after a few months off competing when Vale is a, quite spooky b, very noisy when it's windy c, the classes were big so warm up would be busy. You know it's cold when me, the radiator, wears a jacket to warm up in
I needn't have worried. He was lovely. Really made me smile. Had a few stop and stare/rabbit in headlight moments at erm nothing in particular when I was first on. Asked him to stay rounder for this to really stretch the muscle behind his saddle. A few of the horses were finding the atmosphere spooky :sympathyspinks: and Fig duly ignored them, clever boy Back onto the lorry for 30 minutes, where he instantly started eating so I relaxed a little as he won't eat at all if he is stressed out. During this time I nearly knocked PS out with the lorry partition, apols darling sister if you have a black eye tomorrow
He came back out sweet, soft and concentrating. Had a few dodgy accidental 2 time changes, a few happy bucks (as pint sized as Fig is himself!) and one rather monumental slamtheanchorsonandspinroundatwarpspeed spook (one should not medium GALLOP towards another competitor when one does not know the left to left rule....). But other than that, couldn't fault him
First test felt really comfortable, really confident. It's a fairly standard test but he can mentally wander out of his 'zone' with all the long sides and long diagonals. His medium trot could have been better, but I knew if I pushed he would set his neck and poke his nose so I let him be. They're coming along really nice;y at home, and he did some lovely work in the warm up - starting to develop that push and lift, rather than scooting along the floor
Second test he felt a bit tired (but I'd rather have to kick than pull!), but everything was sweet and correct. We fumbled the second canter-trot-canter *puts hand up* my fault! Totally set my seat on him! And then he hopped in trot for a stride on the short diagonal, which was him anticipating. Little things. Little things that will be solved, and I won't tell him off for wanting to go forwards, because that's what I keep asking him to do!
Our biggest success of the day though....is that we actually did a free walk! Hurrah! In BOTH tests! None of this chompy BTV head up his butt lark. Got 7's for that and 8's for his medium walk, which is another huge improvement as that was tension riddled in 2012 In fact, the contact in general has been much better at home, I think the strength of his trot work is starting to seep into his canter work and he's able to maintain the activity and bounce now
Pics:
Trot:
Passage:
Medium:
Canter:
Le happy buck:
Le pre spook:
Le spook complete with pig eye:
Scores:
70.42% and 1st place for N28, and 65.17% and 3rd place for N39 which I believe is 9 points towards our 19 points required for the Summer Regionals
So; pleased with him, pleased with me (yes I will say that! I've felt dog miserable about my riding as of late!) and pleased with PS for getting out of bed and joining us up the road in Antarctica
One of my kittens has run off with my creme egg and is batting it round my room, and the other one has knocked my sprite over. So no food on offer, but thanks for reading my idle ramblings
But cold At Vale today for N28 & N39. It's blowing a right gale up there!!! Me and PS were the first ones there (I'll explain in a moment) at 7.45am and it was McChilly. I wasn't on till mid and late morning, but didn't think it fair to expect perfect behaviour from Fig after a few months off competing when Vale is a, quite spooky b, very noisy when it's windy c, the classes were big so warm up would be busy. You know it's cold when me, the radiator, wears a jacket to warm up in
I needn't have worried. He was lovely. Really made me smile. Had a few stop and stare/rabbit in headlight moments at erm nothing in particular when I was first on. Asked him to stay rounder for this to really stretch the muscle behind his saddle. A few of the horses were finding the atmosphere spooky :sympathyspinks: and Fig duly ignored them, clever boy
Back onto the lorry for 30 minutes, where he instantly started eating so I relaxed a little as he won't eat at all if he is stressed out. During this time I nearly knocked PS out with the lorry partition, apols darling sister if you have a black eye tomorrow He came back out sweet, soft and concentrating. Had a few dodgy accidental 2 time changes, a few happy bucks (as pint sized as Fig is himself!) and one rather monumental slamtheanchorsonandspinroundatwarpspeed spook (one should not medium GALLOP towards another competitor when one does not know the left to left rule....). But other than that, couldn't fault him
First test felt really comfortable, really confident. It's a fairly standard test but he can mentally wander out of his 'zone' with all the long sides and long diagonals. His medium trot could have been better, but I knew if I pushed he would set his neck and poke his nose so I let him be. They're coming along really nice;y at home, and he did some lovely work in the warm up - starting to develop that push and lift, rather than scooting along the floor
Second test he felt a bit tired (but I'd rather have to kick than pull!), but everything was sweet and correct. We fumbled the second canter-trot-canter *puts hand up* my fault! Totally set my seat on him! And then he hopped in trot for a stride on the short diagonal, which was him anticipating. Little things. Little things that will be solved, and I won't tell him off for wanting to go forwards, because that's what I keep asking him to do!
Our biggest success of the day though....is that we actually did a free walk! Hurrah! In BOTH tests! None of this chompy BTV head up his butt lark. Got 7's for that and 8's for his medium walk, which is another huge improvement as that was tension riddled in 2012
In fact, the contact in general has been much better at home, I think the strength of his trot work is starting to seep into his canter work and he's able to maintain the activity and bounce now Pics:
Trot:
Passage:
Medium:
Canter:
Le happy buck:
Le pre spook:
Le spook complete with pig eye:
Scores:
70.42% and 1st place for N28, and 65.17% and 3rd place for N39 which I believe is 9 points towards our 19 points required for the Summer Regionals
So; pleased with him, pleased with me (yes I will say that! I've felt dog miserable about my riding as of late!) and pleased with PS for getting out of bed and joining us up the road in Antarctica
One of my kittens has run off with my creme egg and is batting it round my room, and the other one has knocked my sprite over. So no food on offer, but thanks for reading my idle ramblings
Just got a few bog standard BD outings lined up, at Brooksby next week. PS on hols so dead easy for Father NMT to drop me off and then come fetch us again as only up the road!
