Llwyncwn
Well-Known Member
Thought you might all like to know about the 3 day intensive dressage training we had this week with Partoow at her 5* yard somewhere near the Midlands.
Myself, Charliesmum and another lady from the yard arrived after a 5.5hr journey to be greeted by Partoow and her wonderful staff. Our horses were given the best attention and soon settled in to their lovely deep bedded stables.
The Venue - A tree lined lane and post and rail paddocks lead into a beautiful yard with manicured lawn, flowers and shrubs and tubs outside the stables with potted palms in front of the C shaped stable block with around 15 stables, tack rooms and office. Our mouths opened in wonder as at first we saw 3 beautiful white Spanish stallion heads looking over their doors at us with their long flowing mains and as our eyes scanned the rest of the block we were greeted by the most elegant blue blooded faces of the rest of her horses. We walked across the golden raked gravel to look at the school. It was difficult to take it all in - not a blade of grass out of place. We walked across a bridge over a stream to a second yard, again all manicured. There were peahens and white doves on the lawns and numerous mad dogs running around having a ball.
The Training - We all had a joint lesson on the first night for assessment which went on for well over an hour. We were taught some of the very basics which none of us knew about
and here began the building blocks of turning years of bad training around. Gone were all of the gadgets. She began by helping us to un-learn years of bad habits, breaking down wrong assumptions and with me in particular, showing how wrong training had made my horse crooked.
Day 2 was a real eye opener. We went through a range of emotions from exhiliration to frustration to feeling defeated and back to yeay, I can do this! I was taught to ride with feel, to think about every move and setting up transitions and to know what the inside hind leg was doing. For the first time ever I lifted Cass upwards with my legs and learned to hold a contact correctly. We had a few strop moments when she just came to a sudden stop and wouldnt go forward so I was taught not to ride forward with the hand brake on. At one particular point I was told off and shortly afterwards was praised for getting it right, at which point it all got a bit too much and my bottom lip started to tremble. After going 'large' to sort myself out
we seemed to go from strength to strength.
Day 3 - Mounted my girl and got off to a bad start forgetting (not thinking) about the previous day. 'I Cant' is something I will never say again
We soon got it all together and I felt Cass become as light as a feather once I stopped nagging with my hands and feet. In the afternoon Partoow asked if I would like a ride on her Medium horse (would I
) William was bought to the school and, OMFG his legs went all the way up to 18.1hh and he was built like a brick outhouse. Partoow went into her office for a moment so I took the opportunity to ride him around, into trot and woooohooooo I had never felt anything like it before. However, after 15 minutes I felt that my pelvis had just delivered twins and I had to get off.
Partoow - What a lady! She is very professional and serious about what she does. She has a great sense of fun and had us all laughing out loud. We looked through so many photos of her beautiful horses and of herself performing Levade and 'airs above ground'. I didnt quite realise what a top, top respected trainer she was and cant believe that she spent so much time with us taking us to the pub, then to her favourite Italian restaurant and to a huge tack shop where we treated ourselves. One evening, after already working 5 horses and teaching all day, she still had her beautiful Grand Prix stallion to work. It was ten o'clock and we sat in the school watching her working in. Our eyes widened and mouths hung open as she performed piaffe, passage, canter pirouettes and Spanish steps. At one point he began to rear and we all sat in wonderment whispering to each other that we wouldnt get on that! We thought he was being naughty - just shows you what we know. He was evading the piaffe by going in to levade. Apparently piaffe sets up the airs above ground and he was evading piaffe by levading! Can you imaging getting on a horse like this and giving him the wrong aids
We have all come away with exactly what we went to learn and have the building blocks to take us further. I cant thank Partoow enough for what she has done for me and Cassy and I am proud to call her a friend. We are planning a return trip next year, if she will have us!
Carthorse came to visit us on our stay. What a lovely, lovely lady she is and a great source of inspiration and motivation. We laughed so much that we felt like old friends. Carthorse used to compete at PSG level and has so much knowledge - I now have your lovely face on video, along with Partoow and the gang and will remember our time together always.
Sorry this report was long and hope I didnt waffle too much, just thought that some of you who enjoy Partoow's posts may have found this interesting reading.
Hx
Myself, Charliesmum and another lady from the yard arrived after a 5.5hr journey to be greeted by Partoow and her wonderful staff. Our horses were given the best attention and soon settled in to their lovely deep bedded stables.
The Venue - A tree lined lane and post and rail paddocks lead into a beautiful yard with manicured lawn, flowers and shrubs and tubs outside the stables with potted palms in front of the C shaped stable block with around 15 stables, tack rooms and office. Our mouths opened in wonder as at first we saw 3 beautiful white Spanish stallion heads looking over their doors at us with their long flowing mains and as our eyes scanned the rest of the block we were greeted by the most elegant blue blooded faces of the rest of her horses. We walked across the golden raked gravel to look at the school. It was difficult to take it all in - not a blade of grass out of place. We walked across a bridge over a stream to a second yard, again all manicured. There were peahens and white doves on the lawns and numerous mad dogs running around having a ball.
The Training - We all had a joint lesson on the first night for assessment which went on for well over an hour. We were taught some of the very basics which none of us knew about
Day 2 was a real eye opener. We went through a range of emotions from exhiliration to frustration to feeling defeated and back to yeay, I can do this! I was taught to ride with feel, to think about every move and setting up transitions and to know what the inside hind leg was doing. For the first time ever I lifted Cass upwards with my legs and learned to hold a contact correctly. We had a few strop moments when she just came to a sudden stop and wouldnt go forward so I was taught not to ride forward with the hand brake on. At one particular point I was told off and shortly afterwards was praised for getting it right, at which point it all got a bit too much and my bottom lip started to tremble. After going 'large' to sort myself out
Day 3 - Mounted my girl and got off to a bad start forgetting (not thinking) about the previous day. 'I Cant' is something I will never say again
Partoow - What a lady! She is very professional and serious about what she does. She has a great sense of fun and had us all laughing out loud. We looked through so many photos of her beautiful horses and of herself performing Levade and 'airs above ground'. I didnt quite realise what a top, top respected trainer she was and cant believe that she spent so much time with us taking us to the pub, then to her favourite Italian restaurant and to a huge tack shop where we treated ourselves. One evening, after already working 5 horses and teaching all day, she still had her beautiful Grand Prix stallion to work. It was ten o'clock and we sat in the school watching her working in. Our eyes widened and mouths hung open as she performed piaffe, passage, canter pirouettes and Spanish steps. At one point he began to rear and we all sat in wonderment whispering to each other that we wouldnt get on that! We thought he was being naughty - just shows you what we know. He was evading the piaffe by going in to levade. Apparently piaffe sets up the airs above ground and he was evading piaffe by levading! Can you imaging getting on a horse like this and giving him the wrong aids
We have all come away with exactly what we went to learn and have the building blocks to take us further. I cant thank Partoow enough for what she has done for me and Cassy and I am proud to call her a friend. We are planning a return trip next year, if she will have us!
Carthorse came to visit us on our stay. What a lovely, lovely lady she is and a great source of inspiration and motivation. We laughed so much that we felt like old friends. Carthorse used to compete at PSG level and has so much knowledge - I now have your lovely face on video, along with Partoow and the gang and will remember our time together always.
Sorry this report was long and hope I didnt waffle too much, just thought that some of you who enjoy Partoow's posts may have found this interesting reading.
Hx
