eggs
Well-Known Member
Decided to take my potential ruffty-tufty potential event horse (hopefully) four year old to his first competition (dressage at Addington).
Beforehand I had taken him to a riding club dressage lesson to get him used to being away from home and twice rented another arena on a busy yard (ours is VERY quiet) to get him used to working with other horses. He was an absolute star on all three trips.
However he obviously had had time to think about it and came up with the following game plan:
1. I'm a boy so I will look silly with a fancy new hair do - slow proceedings down by constantly pushing mum off crate whilst she fiddles with my mane.
2. Worry that any horse coming within 10 feet of me in the warmup arena will mess up my new hair do.
3. Walk down to the bottom arena like a champ and then loudly and constantly tell all my new friends left in the warmup arena how much I am missing them.
4. Demonstrate how impossible it is to go on the bit when doing (3) above.
5. Explode into canter off a light aid - don't want the judge to think I am behind the leg.
6. Not sure which is my best side so constantly switch leads in canter to give the judge the option of deciding for herself.
7. Teach myself to buck.
8. Decide this is so much fun I don't want to go back into lorry so stand at the bottom of the ramp to soak up the atmosphere and give everyone else an opportunity to admire by beautiful head.
Having written the above, I was still very pleased with him as we stayed in the arena and completed the test!
Beforehand I had taken him to a riding club dressage lesson to get him used to being away from home and twice rented another arena on a busy yard (ours is VERY quiet) to get him used to working with other horses. He was an absolute star on all three trips.
However he obviously had had time to think about it and came up with the following game plan:
1. I'm a boy so I will look silly with a fancy new hair do - slow proceedings down by constantly pushing mum off crate whilst she fiddles with my mane.
2. Worry that any horse coming within 10 feet of me in the warmup arena will mess up my new hair do.
3. Walk down to the bottom arena like a champ and then loudly and constantly tell all my new friends left in the warmup arena how much I am missing them.
4. Demonstrate how impossible it is to go on the bit when doing (3) above.
5. Explode into canter off a light aid - don't want the judge to think I am behind the leg.
6. Not sure which is my best side so constantly switch leads in canter to give the judge the option of deciding for herself.
7. Teach myself to buck.
8. Decide this is so much fun I don't want to go back into lorry so stand at the bottom of the ramp to soak up the atmosphere and give everyone else an opportunity to admire by beautiful head.
Having written the above, I was still very pleased with him as we stayed in the arena and completed the test!
