HufflyPuffly
Well-Known Member
Been an age since I did a report but as I have come away with a few musings I thought I'd share!
Background: Skylla is 8 now and only started really jumping last year after my first ever Tuffy clinic. She did 70cm's last year but failed to actually do a whole ODE as the one we entered had the XC cancelled doh! However, did lots of hunter trials and SJ last year at 70, stepped up to 80 this year, did a couple of ODE (on a surface) at Bold, did the arena eventing at Kelsall and she was flying
. Lockdown happened , new eventer moved on the the yard and started giving us lessons and we got ourselves sorted to try and step up the BE once restrictions had eased! Did the arena eventing (on grass now) at Kelsall, had a big miss at Eland, did a ton of schooling, felt fabby again and then did Frickley, overwhelmed in the XC went super green had 5 stops, did some more schooling, went to Skipton, fell off at the first like a numpty!
I think I can safely say I've managed to knock my own confidence about whether I'm capable or not! Skylla I have to say, gives very little cares about how I feel ?, an example is Skipton SJ, I had zero breaks was pooping my pants and Skylla told me to shh and she's got it and jumped round super for a lovely clear with not much involvement from me ?.
Anyway on to the clinic!
Day 1, gridwork and polework day.
Ended up being only two of us in our group, so a bit more focus on us. Tuffy's comments where stop holding her, use your legs, stop firing yourself out of the saddle and for gods sake put your hands down and forward! She thought she was overbitted in the ID pelham type and recommended a bubble bit for day two. Skylla was fab, didn't touch a pole, was a little overexcited and needed telling to trot the trot poles, but was reluctant to go for a longer stride (three bounces to a one stride double, she wanted to pop two in and it was tricky to get her to go on one) as I'm restricting her too much hence the suggestion to change bits.
Day 2, SJ course.
Combined groups, so ended up being with the the less experienced horses, which was sort of nice as we got used as a lead a lot and it does give you some confidence back when you know you're sitting on the straightforward horse! Skylla was super, though not a massive fan of the new bit or the rain ?! I got told to stop trying to be perfect, stop protecting Skylla and let her sort herself out, let her run a bit as long as I sit up and get her controlled in plenty of time for the fence Skylla has to know she is allowed to go forwards. Fences all got put up for me at the end which was half terrifying (I said last time my version of a small fence is not Tuffy's version ?) and half a nice boost that she thinks we're capable of some sightly bigger fences.
Skylla making her thoughts on the rain very clear!
Boing!
Short clips of getting our lines for tricky combinations and getting her forward through the triple.
Day 3, XC day!
Started off not great as the group before us overran and the heavens opened so we got absolutely drenched and cold before we started! Skylla is a bit of princess about being wet ?, so we started a bit aggy and I think because I was cold and wanting to do well I was a bit tense and stiff... Jumped everything asked and was used as a lead horse again, Tuffy commented that hard fences I ride well and single fences we are mostly likely to miss at oops .
So Tuffy agree's there is a bit of work to be done, mainly on my control and fluidity over a fence. She wants to try some more bits to find the best one, as Skylla sits behind the contact until she gets rude, and then I do need just a bit of 'extra', but overbitting means I'm a bit too much in control in Tuffys words ?, which would be fine if I could ride her braver for a forward stride! She also wants to try shoeing her and using studs, just to give us both that extra confidence on grass.
All of which means I've withdrawn from Llanymynech, I feel too much pressure to go and not get eliminated XC when there are a few things we want to tweak to get me riding better! I'm feeling positive overall, love having a plan ?, and know we'll get there I just need to take the pressure off first and remember it's suppose to be fun.
Cookie dough munchies for anyone who gets all the way to the end of this mammoth report!
Background: Skylla is 8 now and only started really jumping last year after my first ever Tuffy clinic. She did 70cm's last year but failed to actually do a whole ODE as the one we entered had the XC cancelled doh! However, did lots of hunter trials and SJ last year at 70, stepped up to 80 this year, did a couple of ODE (on a surface) at Bold, did the arena eventing at Kelsall and she was flying
. Lockdown happened , new eventer moved on the the yard and started giving us lessons and we got ourselves sorted to try and step up the BE once restrictions had eased! Did the arena eventing (on grass now) at Kelsall, had a big miss at Eland, did a ton of schooling, felt fabby again and then did Frickley, overwhelmed in the XC went super green had 5 stops, did some more schooling, went to Skipton, fell off at the first like a numpty!I think I can safely say I've managed to knock my own confidence about whether I'm capable or not! Skylla I have to say, gives very little cares about how I feel ?, an example is Skipton SJ, I had zero breaks was pooping my pants and Skylla told me to shh and she's got it and jumped round super for a lovely clear with not much involvement from me ?.
Anyway on to the clinic!
Day 1, gridwork and polework day.
Ended up being only two of us in our group, so a bit more focus on us
. Tuffy's comments where stop holding her, use your legs, stop firing yourself out of the saddle and for gods sake put your hands down and forward! She thought she was overbitted in the ID pelham type and recommended a bubble bit for day two. Skylla was fab, didn't touch a pole, was a little overexcited and needed telling to trot the trot poles, but was reluctant to go for a longer stride (three bounces to a one stride double, she wanted to pop two in and it was tricky to get her to go on one) as I'm restricting her too much hence the suggestion to change bits.Day 2, SJ course.
Combined groups, so ended up being with the the less experienced horses, which was sort of nice as we got used as a lead a lot and it does give you some confidence back when you know you're sitting on the straightforward horse! Skylla was super, though not a massive fan of the new bit or the rain ?! I got told to stop trying to be perfect, stop protecting Skylla and let her sort herself out, let her run a bit as long as I sit up and get her controlled in plenty of time for the fence Skylla has to know she is allowed to go forwards. Fences all got put up for me at the end which was half terrifying (I said last time my version of a small fence is not Tuffy's version ?) and half a nice boost that she thinks we're capable of some sightly bigger fences.
Skylla making her thoughts on the rain very clear!
Boing!
Short clips of getting our lines for tricky combinations and getting her forward through the triple.
Day 3, XC day!
Started off not great as the group before us overran and the heavens opened so we got absolutely drenched and cold before we started! Skylla is a bit of princess about being wet ?, so we started a bit aggy and I think because I was cold and wanting to do well I was a bit tense and stiff... Jumped everything asked and was used as a lead horse again
, Tuffy commented that hard fences I ride well and single fences we are mostly likely to miss at oops .So Tuffy agree's there is a bit of work to be done, mainly on my control and fluidity over a fence. She wants to try some more bits to find the best one, as Skylla sits behind the contact until she gets rude, and then I do need just a bit of 'extra', but overbitting means I'm a bit too much in control in Tuffys words ?, which would be fine if I could ride her braver for a forward stride! She also wants to try shoeing her and using studs, just to give us both that extra confidence on grass.
All of which means I've withdrawn from Llanymynech, I feel too much pressure to go and not get eliminated XC when there are a few things we want to tweak to get me riding better! I'm feeling positive overall, love having a plan ?, and know we'll get there I just need to take the pressure off first and remember it's suppose to be fun
.Cookie dough munchies for anyone who gets all the way to the end of this mammoth report!
