Smiths Lawn Report

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Bossanova

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So pleased with my pony, she was a star
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I have to say that eventing Moon is thoroughly enjoyable- there's no stress involved, no pressure to do well and I dont even get nervous on her as she's so athletic and clever with her feet. A nice change after Boss!

Got another crap dressage score. I just dont know why they slate her as today she did a nice sweet calm test with just one small error in her simple change. I've tried riding her in 3 different ways in her novice tests and each time we've got bad marks so I dont know what to try next
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Sj she jumped super. It was a very small track which doesnt suit Moon as she tends to be a bit careless when there's nothing to try over. She had no.1 down and the first part of a double of uprights but I was pleased with her as she didnt tank off or try and rush through her combinations.

The xc course was an odd mixture of little easy fences and then really quite demanding questions. All the fences are off turns which is fine for Moon, she loved zipping through the woods! Basically there was severe pilot error at the coffin and we had a technical run out but to be fair to my horse, I didnt even present her at the jump- I winged it round a corner and ran her past it bless her
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Apart from that she was just fantastic- we both had huge smiles on our faces! She was very good with her skinnies. The 2nd water was pretty demanding as you jumped a roll top in, ran through the water and then had an angled step up with 1 stride to an angled arrowhed that many ran past. Moon just popped through like she'd been doing it all her life
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So not a great day on paper but me and my pony had a whale of a time!!
 
Well done she really is progressing well. As you say won't look great on paper but looks like it's going to really come together somewhere soon. where do you go next?
 
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Well done she really is progressing well. As you say won't look great on paper but looks like it's going to really come together somewhere soon. where do you go next?

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Winkleigh, bit of a trek from here.
I'm just hoping we can sort this dressage thing out. I cant blame the judges everytime!!
 
Thats fantastic, it sounds like shes proving to be a proper star in the making. Shame about the dressage - what sort of comments do you get from the judges? Are they similar or all different?
 
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I'm just hoping we can sort this dressage thing out. I cant blame the judges everytime!!

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I know Sarnita is the same but at the end of the day as long as they are athletic and got the jump that is the main thing. The dressage will come and even if it doesn't I got some quite good placings with pretty awful marks.

May see you at Winkleigh might go up and have a look haven't decided yet.
 
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Thats fantastic, it sounds like shes proving to be a proper star in the making. Shame about the dressage - what sort of comments do you get from the judges? Are they similar or all different?

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Always different, last time they said she was tense as I tried to ride her a little more connected after the judge the week before said she was on the forehand and a bit strung out.
The problem is that she's long backed and boring, she moves freely but she is in no way flashy. If I ride her too pushed together she gets a little tense in her mouth. If I keep her relaxed and content, she looks too long in the frame. Today I went for a happy medium and though it felt nice. Obviously it didnt look nice!!
 
Excellent! I said she would be good didnt I!!

Bet it was lovely there with this nice sunshine
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Shame the SJing wasnt up to height the Novice was HUGE last year!
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And the XC is usualy up to height but not that technical, I always things Smiths have quite a large and close to the start box number 1!

Well done again
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Sounds like you had a great ride !
Im gutted - I cant go as im just in the protection zone for F&M - fields are but stables arent but its really not worth the risk. Just called the sec to withdraw - left it to the last minute incase things changed!
Good luck to everyone else who is going !
 
Making progress and having fun is what it's all about so very well done. It sounds as though she's totally laid back - which is a real bonus - and I think it's very difficult sometimes to understand what the judges are seeing. She coped with the tricky XC jumps so no wonder you were thrilled with her. Good luck at Winkleigh.
 
Well done J - Are you being more stung on the dressage in Novice than you were at PN? Maybe try producing a bigger trot? As really there is no other difference and her PN tests were fine.

Great about everything else she really is ace with skinnys and you should definitely sign up for some eventers GP next year as careful and so good with techinical stuff. Plus I think she would like going fast!
 
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Well done J - Are you being more stung on the dressage in Novice than you were at PN? Maybe try producing a bigger trot? As really there is no other difference and her PN tests were fine.

Great about everything else she really is ace with skinnys and you should definitely sign up for some eventers GP next year as careful and so good with techinical stuff. Plus I think she would like going fast!

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I cant push for much more as that brings in tension- thats what I tried at Stockland Lovell and it def didnt come off!
I just dont know what they hate so much, to me she feels obedient, accurate and willing. Surely thats worth more than a 5?

I'm so pleased she has come to enjoy the xc as she does now, she's just an absolute joy to ride xc
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So the grackle didn't work then! At least the important bits are coming on nicely, and enjoying yourself is meant to be the main thing!
I wonder if it might help if you could bear to do some dressage tests with her over the winter? Then afterwards hunt the dressage judge down and see what he/she has to say about the comments they make? I'm entered for a competition in a couple of weeks where you ride a test, then get immediate feedback from the judge. I've been in the past with my pony and have had some great feedback, there's only so much that can be put on the sheet but getting a short talk with the judge (and then the chance to ride the test again) really helped, especially as she could tell me not only what was wrong, but how to correct it. But then if you can't bear the thought of doing dressage "just for the sake of it"...! I dare say it will come in time though.
Well done, glad you enjoyed yourself!
 
You know me and dressage- we avoid each other if at all possible!!
I think I'll take her up to Talland when I get a spare few days, they normally sort me out and make me up my game. Tam helps me sometimes and she agrees there's not a lot I can change until she gets a bit stronger.
 
I didn't think you'd be keen!
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there's nothing wrong with dressage really, honestly!
Talland sounds a good idea, get you both ironed out and set on the right track.
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Oh J, I can empathise with the dressage. Never mind, I'm glad you had a good time in all other respects! Well done. Also echo the big trot, although perhaps not till she's stronger as you say.
 
Completely missed you! Not sure how I managed that! You must have gone early as neither of mine had to jump the arrow-head out the water, apparently they took it out as those that did run past had no way of re-presenting safely. Wasn't too thrilled with W's dressage mark in that section either, but I think whilst he can wing a sub-35 mark out of a more eventing type dressage judge he simply doesn't cut it with the proper dressage judges. Will do a report in a min...
 
Oh what a pain, I felt a real sense of acheivment for jumping that arrowhead!
It's probs because the person before me (v we known 4* rider) had a nasty fall at it and was heard ranting and raving at the steward about it!!
 
Well done today, sound like you had a good day, how early did you have to get up this morning!?

I managed my first placing - only 10th but still pleased, XC was a bit wierd and managed to get a bloody nose at fence 14!
 
Super Moon- she really does make it look all so easy! Sounds as thou she needs to be doing the Intermediate Novices really to get that SJ height
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Maybe that would help her dressage marks if she is being asked to do more with the intermediate tests?
 
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Super Moon- she really does make it look all so easy! Sounds as thou she needs to be doing the Intermediate Novices really to get that SJ height
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Maybe that would help her dressage marks if she is being asked to do more with the intermediate tests?

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I was wondering that actually, I may enter IN at Goring and see. She finds lateral work very easy so the test would be within her capabilities.
 
hmmmmmmmmm difficult one then - if you were getting similar comments it would be so much easier!

Its hard to ride a horse thats long 'up and together' it took me a good couple of years to master Bloss and getting her more from behind. Even then i always got comments that she was not under and working from behind enough.
 
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