Second Bank hol weekend plans!

[ScampiBigMan]

Enjoyed reading about everyone's weekends

We had a great weekend both days at Llanymynech. Amazing weather, lovely ground and excellent organisation. Was pretty hot both times as we were on in the afternoon both days but the horses coped very well. Reilee came 15th in her second BE100 (she felt v confident SJ and XC and very pleased with herself afterwards) and Phoenix 11th in the BE Novice (I made an error in the dressage test that cost us a couple of places which is pretty annoying).

Dressage is getting there with both but definitely (my) weakest phase, love the training but not good at focussing sufficiently during tests. I think I would v much benefit from a test riding clinic so may look into one over the winter.

Unlucky 4 faults SJ with both, just a little too much pace going into a double and a treble respectively and tipped final elements, v pleased with the rhythm and jumping in both rounds though. Both clear inside the time XC, feeling fantastic .

Phoenix took several laps of the field at the finish to pull up - v much enjoyed the run & definitely ready to try Intermediate next time out (should have been last week at Somerford). Will be my first Intermediate too, she is an amazing horse

One more event left for both this year as long as all goes to plan

 

[ScampiBigMan]

Mixed day at Llanymynech for me. Dressage was great. Toby relaxed quite quickly which is good, and did a nice test for 30.3.

Show jumping was going well until he lost his footing in a dip on the ground and had no choice but to turn away from the first part of a double. We've never show jumped on grass before, and the slip rattled us both so it was better for us to turn away than to push and shove to get over the fence. We are new to this so we have to make it nice and straightforward still. I also need to sort out my position to make life easier...heels down and hands forward! I can do it at home but at competition the nerves mean those things don't always come off for me!

I went down for cross country, and the working in was awful. We kept sliding on the grass. The ground was rock hard, with a thick layer of long grass on top, which was still covered in dew. My horse just couldn't get traction, and the more he slipped, the more I lost my nerve. After one good jump over the working in fence I went in. The working in was knocking our confidence rather than preparing us.

We went to the cross country and jumped the first two fences beautifully. Turned the corner to the third, which was on a lovely big bend, and he slipped again. It was too close to the fence so did a circle and presented again. This time he slipped a little but I didn't have my leg on. It was the only fence on the course which I was concerned about, a big wooden box with a brush sticking out of the back wall at the top. And because we had slipped and my horse had backed off, I then didn't have the guts to kick and say we were going for it. I then realised I shouldn't go any further. Firstly because of the slipping and the risk of doing an injury somewhere, but also because I wasn't riding confidently enough to make up for the slipping. So we retired on fence 3.

I am having back shoes put on for other reasons anyway, and I'm not sure studs would have made a difference in these particular circumstances, but I'll have them ready for Sapey next week.

I went on Somerford farm ride yesterday to have a nice quiet ride with some jumps thrown in to get our eye back and to build confidence. We jumped quite a few nice roll tops, brushes, a little double, a ditch, sunken road etc. We had no hesitations nor issues of any kind so feeling good about next weekend.

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Shame Saturday didn't go to plan but good to have had a good ride round Somerford to top the confidence levels up. If you could practise flatwork and jumping on grass am sure will help as well as shoes and studs. I have no arena so all is done in a hilly field at home plus lots of hacking out over the mountains including our interval training. Then they have studs at events so have more grip than they are used to so don't get any slipping on a v wide range of going. Of course, we do get the 'unbalanced' comment q often for our dressage (although it is reducing) but that has much more to do with me not using corners as well as I should and not timing my half halts as well as I should(!) When I ride properly (i.e. SJ and XC), balance is v good...

P.S. v nice pic!

 

[DabDab]

That's pretty decent Scampi, well done. Horses look fab in the pics too 😁

 

[Leo Walker]

I've done a big post about my day in the tack room. We got a terrible score but overall the day was an amazing success. We all learnt loads and a couple of decisions I made to sacrifice a decent score in order to use it as a learning opportunity meant that a very, happy confident pony came through the finish line. It feels like I banked a huge cheque in her confidence bank on Monday and I'm utterly thrilled!

The picture is of Bobbie at 2pm on Monday in 30degree heat calmly coming through the last gate happy and full of running. She'd have gone round again if I asked her to.

And just for comparison, a video of her from a year ago, waddling down the road, ironically spooking at the hedge! I guess at least shes consistent

 

[Reacher]

reacher I've known a few that can just get very overawed by the concept of a beach and it's rather unusual horizons if that makes sense? and it makes them very anxious.

Plenty of ambles with friends horse might help.

Yes I need to go with friend more frequently, no real excuses not to.
Instructor is suggesting a lunge session but I reckon he’ll charge around, pulling me off my feet and risk an injury (to him).