*THIS* weekend plans :p

Apologies for the radio silence, it turned into a flat out weekend surrounded by flat-out days as I was doing my Cat C training - I'm pleased to say I passed this morning so I'm now window shopping horse boxes!! I have a flat to sell first though so I'm pestering my estate agent...

It's fab to see everyone's pictures and catch up on the goings-on! MP, Kira does look very grown-up, wow. FW - looks like a great purchase! JFTD - your jumping position is lovely, I'm jealous ;)

Our dressage didn't quite go as well as hoped. Pocholo was fabulous, I was absolutely delighted with him in his (and my) first tests with sideways bits. We got 63.7% in E43. E53 had a couple of slight rhythm blips but I felt we went pretty much the same as the first test, so was thinking 61 or 62%, so trainer and I were both pretty surprised at 58.5%. Both tests had 'tension' and 'tight over the back' comments, and the second test said 'unsteady in mouth' in one movement then 'mouth!' further on. The contact felt good so I'm a bit puzzled! Unfortunately I'd asked my trainer to read E53 so no video, ho hum. I'll keep working on his looseness (it's a challenge with such a short-coupled little horse!) and crack on, I think we can only manage one more test this month though due to other commitments, so that will be our last chance to qualify for the GBPRE champs.

Pocholo is such a dude though, he gave a lesson to a complete novice last week and was an absolute star and we're going Autumn hunting on Saturday for the first time (back at Rockley Farm, where he was rehabbed for navicular) next weekend. I doubt many other horses are as versatile!
 
Fabulous photos, JB - lovely to see. I may have spammed them a little on fb!

Thanks j1ffy - I've spent years working on it and beating myself up over it, only to realise it was the mechanics of how *that* horse jumped, and on others it's really not that bad. That was a learning curve! Well done on your C1 test - that's brilliant. Shame about the dressage, but I'm sure you'll have more fun cubbing anyway!


DirectorFury said:
Pwp about the not-so-successful horse search JFTD - have you got a particular 'type' in mind? Good luck for the viewing tomorrow anyhow :).
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Ah... Yes and no - I want what I want, but I don't quite know what I want! I'm after a 15,2ish pony to have some fun with - possibly (maybe, ideally, but maybe not) for polocrosse, but if not for that, it'd definitely have to jump and have reasonable paces for dressage.

I'm torn between wanting a safe bet, something old enough and established enough to know it's sane and decent, and wanting something I can work on and improve. I love having youngsters and bringing them on and putting the buttons where I want them. But I don't want to overhorse myself with a young blood horse and create a disaster! Endless play off!
 
Shame about the 58% Jiffy... one of those sheets you just have to put to one side & press on, I reckon.

Our extended weekend was a success, just back from a very encouraging trip to Kings for M75 and AM96. The homework we've been doing is definitely working, much more through and rideable all the way through for 66% in both tests. That's her PB at advanced medium, chuffed to bits.

We've stayed in bronze so far but might do some silver entries if she can keep this up, and aim for winter regionals at 2 levels :eek3: :D :D :D
 
*whispers dress option number one for a concours class in a couple of weeks has just arrived ;). Thankfully I can borrow yellow pony to see if it works ridden.

The original dress that I wore for dressage to music a few years ago seems to have gone awol :( despite mummyester's fervent loft hunting, which is a shame as it was a very good colour on him. I'm blaming my sister :p
 
milliepops said:
Shame about the 58% Jiffy... one of those sheets you just have to put to one side & press on, I reckon.

Our extended weekend was a success, just back from a very encouraging trip to Kings for M75 and AM96. The homework we've been doing is definitely working, much more through and rideable all the way through for 66% in both tests. That's her PB at advanced medium, chuffed to bits.

We've stayed in bronze so far but might do some silver entries if she can keep this up, and aim for winter regionals at 2 levels :eek3: :D :D :D
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Jesus wept, check you! :eek3:
The recent videos are definitely a step change from a few months back....you might be getting dangerously close to cracking the puzzle of that brain of hers. You must be delighted.

Well done on the first step on new ladder j1ffy. Resist the urge to ponder on the mouth comment too much, otherwise if you're anything like me you'll over focus for a good two weeks. Good score on the first test though :D

Lovely pictures JB - you both look very autumnal serene
 
Yeah I second the "don't fixate" thing, if it hasn't been a problem, didn't feel like a problem, chances are it isn't a problem. I've also been tempted to change everything based on one test, and that would have been a mistake.

DD I don't think I'll ever crack her but Adam definitely made a key observation about accidentally training her to be tight in the early trot work a few weeks back and it's been transformative :o so so helpful to have a trainer that *gets* your weird horse rather than trying to fit her into a box. I've paid more close attention to making the first effort at a movement in training being test quality, as well, rather than needing a "run up" :D funny how that helps in a test, eh? Duh! :o

Getting up the levels is definitely as much about learning to ride more and more and more effectively as well as teaching the horse stuff.
 
God yes, I hear you on that! I think the tricky ones you get so used to coaxing for the first part of every session that you actually get to the point where you're babying them unnecessarily and effectively teaching yourself to ride a bit ineffectively before eventually building up to being vaguely useful to your mount :p
 
Wow MP, exciting times!

I'm not fixating on the mouth thing - if I can't feel it and the contact is solid, I'm not sure there's anything I can do if he decides to do something weird with his lips..! The appearance of tightness over the back is annoying, a lot of judges say it but I know he's not (I wouldn't be able to sit if he was!). It's really down to him not pushing enough from behind so I'll keep working on that.

I'm more fixated on my fluffed hill starts in my lorry test, which resulted in my only minors!! My brain works in ridiculous ways...
 
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