Snow, Hail and Bouncing...

HufflyPuffly

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Action packed weekend which I thought deserved a post of its own.

First up the gallops on Saturday, as that’s excellent dressage preparation right :lol:. I find it really important for both of them to have a good blast on a regular basis. It keeps them jolly and works different muscles, and a happy horse is everything :). Skylla has found a bit more speed but is definitely not a racer :lol: she's super happy to just pootle about behind :o. Topaz was a tad overexcited for mum, but settled and her stamina is improving :).

Lets goooo :lol:

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Onto Sunday and Skylla went out to do P18 and N27. The weather was hideous, Skylla says snow sucks! It was blooming freezing and I was actually tempted to say sod this and go home at one point. It was one of those ‘learning days’ :o you know where you find the positives and move forwards knowing you will get there!

Skylla was very, very overexcited and bouncy :o. She contained herself for P18 until the second canter where we ‘may’ have launched through the air a little bit... N27 was better, we had a couple of misunderstandings... you know when you ask for med trot and you either get canter or passage...

However, I am actually super impressed with her, the weather was challenging, the warm up busy and asides from being bouncy, she really did try very hard to stay onside. Really think the new bridle is helping the contact, consistency and therefore Skylla’s attitude. Think more comps are now needed, as I do distinctly remember Topaz going through a stage like this.

Don't make me go out there:
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Also, you have got to love a judge with a sense of humour :o, comments included:

'A little passage'y' for medium trot :o
'Will find piaffe easy'
'Brave G+R' :lol:

P18 60% and N27 62%, so second novice and our score has improved despite Skylla trying to freestyle it :lol:.


Onto Monday and Topaz was at Myerscough for Medium Silver Regionals.

Now we had a complete revelation last weekend, so I was feeling good! Started well with a whiteout on the roads and washing her tail in the hail :eek3:. Steady journey there and it was all go. She really did try so hard to be with me, but we still don’t quite have it completely together indoors yet. If I’d had her performance a year a go I’d be so over the moon, now I know we have more to give. I just couldn't quite get her to let go of the tension and let me in, some of it is me not being a strong enough rider and some is still just gradually keeping expanding Topaz's comfort zones.

A wobbly but NO flying changes test :lol: for 64% and ended up 18th out of circa 30 competitors, winner on 69%. A solid mid road score which is impressive really for the bonkers carriage horse. Especially when you consider our trip to Myerscough a couple of weeks ago we scored less, so an increase at regionals with three judges no less :D.

A massive thank you to Milliepops, who managed to record the Equestrian Pro TV livestream for me, seriously the amount she does for HHO'ers I think she deserves a prize :D.

[video]https://www.facebook.com/rachel.jordan.104/videos/1843592405652261/[/video]

I am SO excited for summer regionals now, and the chance for her to shine outdoors :), epic post over thanks for reading.

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Woohoo, go team carriage horses! Love that photo of Topaz :D 'Brave G&R' still my fave comment!



(Unrelated Q, do you take both of yours out in your van? Just wondering as this is the kind of box I'll be looking at as a first but wondering about payload and if I could manage to take 2 if friend takes tack/water separately in a car... thanks :) )
 
:biggrin3:

I do on occasion take them together, we had it weighed so know what we can take, however only on short'ish journeys with less fuel in and no water or second passenger as it is tight! My plan is to take my HGV test so we can upgrade at some point to most probably a 6.5 or 7 t, so we have more payload, height and living :).
 
Action packed weekend indeed! Can't see the video as says it's private :( That's a super solid score to get at regionals, and love the comments. Topaz is so grown up now, what a fab job you're doing with her
 
Action packed weekend indeed! Can't see the video as says it's private :( That's a super solid score to get at regionals, and love the comments. Topaz is so grown up now, what a fab job you're doing with her

Awww stupid FB, I can't change the privacy as I posted it to Alex's page but I can put it on my youtube if Alex doesn't mind :)
 
Massive well done for yesterday, I was biting my fingernails watching it and hoping she would keep it together and not do any freestyling :D Really good result.

Sounds like show-bootcamp is needed for bouncy Skylla :D At least she's enjoying herself!
 
Hmm multi-quote it still broken!

Thanks DabDab, I 'should' be pleased with her score, but I've had a taste of what we can achieve :biggrin3: so I know theres more to come!

Thanks MP, yes please to youtube, I'm having a complete tech meltdown and cannot seem to make anything work :o... Trying to upload the vid my friend took, but it just comes up with error messages...

:lol: she tried very hard to not add any freestyling, but it wasn't quite together enough to make it look 'easy'. Skylla is definitely on bootcamp now, the naughty, bouncy, pest!
 
Yay, thanks MP :D

I should just join Facebook really shouldn't I...

Eta, spoke too soon - content blocked for copyright. Ho hum
 
Can't see the video either :(

I wish I could get Chilli to a gallops as I think it would do her the world of good! Not that I'll be on her for a while now...
Two beautiful girls as always x
 
Thanks all :) video from my friend should be here:

[video=youtube_share;RPPBGQoM_Xk]https://youtu.be/RPPBGQoM_Xk[/video]

Sorry to hear about Chilli RO :(.
 
I've already said Well Done on FB but will say it again - well done!!

It's an achievement just to qualify at Regionals, and to go there and get a solid score is fab. Bring on summer and all the great things it provides...! (Not needing to wear five layers as well as outdoor Regionals ;))
 
I've already said Well Done on FB but will say it again - well done!!

It's an achievement just to qualify at Regionals, and to go there and get a solid score is fab. Bring on summer and all the great things it provides...! (Not needing to wear five layers as well as outdoor Regionals ;))


Thank you :), I am SO looking forward to not wearing 5 layers!!!

Final attempt at a video...

[video=youtube_share;TEE1t9dKek0]https://youtu.be/TEE1t9dKek0[/video]
 
That looked like a lovely test to me! (As someone who's yet to do a Medium!!).

As an aside, where did you get your grey jacket? It looks fab. I'm toying with getting some grey boots and a grey jacket, I think it would look fab on Indio ;)
 
That looked like a lovely test to me! (As someone who's yet to do a Medium!!).

As an aside, where did you get your grey jacket? It looks fab. I'm toying with getting some grey boots and a grey jacket, I think it would look fab on Indio ;)

Jacket is the FairPlay Bea, there are a few who stock it but mine is from Equissentials Dressage :). I have the matching tailcoat :eek3: from LVR Equine, goal for the year!
 
Fabulous, I've just managed to watch the video :D

Wow, her trot work is looking so grown up - carriage horse cadence coming under control so now she looks all fancy pants! And I love love love her walk (though it looks a tad bouncy to sit on). But her little head did look like it was fighting an internal battle in that counter canter... Pleeeaaaasssse can I change now????

Well done again. I promise that I will endeavour to get on the Facebook
 
Fabulous, I've just managed to watch the video :D

Wow, her trot work is looking so grown up - carriage horse cadence coming under control so now she looks all fancy pants! And I love love love her walk (though it looks a tad bouncy to sit on). But her little head did look like it was fighting an internal battle in that counter canter... Pleeeaaaasssse can I change now????

Well done again. I promise that I will endeavour to get on the Facebook

:lol: that is pretty spot on for an analysis of her :lol:.

Trot is her strongest pace, and so even with the tension I could inject a little fancy pants in ;). Walk was a touch fragile but she’s come on so much with not getting joggy! Canter is her weakness, when she’s relaxed and swinging it is impressive, the moment she gets tense, her back stops swinging, her hind legs stop pushing and her head bobbles about as she evades the contact :o...
 
Lovely test, she's so smart! Can def see it in her face trying SO hard not to change in the counter-canter :D love her. That trot looks mega-bouncy!
 
Lovely test, she's so smart! Can def see it in her face trying SO hard not to change in the counter-canter :D love her. That trot looks mega-bouncy!

Thank you :), her trot is getting better to sit to when she is more over her back, I sadly need to improve my core strength!
 
Yay the video! Topaz, I love you. Mare power!! Woop woop! Who votes we should have a HHO dressage cheerleading squad for comps. Actually no scratch that as I feel plenty of us have horses who would NOT appreciate it!
 
Yay the video! Topaz, I love you. Mare power!! Woop woop! Who votes we should have a HHO dressage cheerleading squad for comps. Actually no scratch that as I feel plenty of us have horses who would NOT appreciate it!

:lol: I'm absolutely up for a silent, none pom-pom waving cheerleading squad ;).
 
Lovely test - the trot work was so uphill (not jealous at all :D)

And that half circle in cc :eek: Not looking forwards to having to do that. well done for keeping a lid on it (I have a sneaky changer too ;))
 
Lovely test - the trot work was so uphill (not jealous at all :D)

And that half circle in cc :eek: Not looking forwards to having to do that. well done for keeping a lid on it (I have a sneaky changer too ;))

Ah I can take no credit for the uphill’ness that is all conformation :o. The half circle and PIG line in E59 are Topazs nemesis :lol:.


Fab test :). She's looking really good!

Thank you :).
 
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