Good outing for us today. Last show was a music and she got very anxious about the noise so today's objectives were
1. restore confidence in the test arena
2. attempt to get some of the quality we're developing at home
Mission accomplished on both counts
Super chuffed to get Expensive Trot in the test arena too! This has been our bootcamp output, developing some really decent activity and more expression - the trot of an expensive horse
All the trot work was easy and reliably forward, first time it's felt that good in the test - I've been run off with a few times and more often than not she clams up, so it was fab to feel the rideable power today. Forgot how to trot in the first 8m circle when she was distracted by 2 terrifying pigeons sitting on the side but we shooed them away to carry on well enough. She tried her little socks off in the extensions, confident tempis, piris not as connected as I would like but that was the hasty warm up coming back to bite us.
So the scores were not as consistent as they have been, but we got some 7s for the sideways trot bits that we haven't had before, really showing that the bootcamp is paying off and if we can get that again then the higher scores are within reach at last
All nudging along
Contemplating trying some clicker training to get Kira to pose for photos because honestly this was the best of a bad bunch today
Haha, yes can do. Background is that canter has been Kira's strongest pace since we started novice. It's been relatively easy to teach her to snap under behind, sit and push. So she consistently produces an advanced level canter which is punchy and easy to collect.
the half steps have gone up a level in quality as a result of all that, much easier to get the uphill posture that makes them feel easy.
Haha, yes can do. Background is that canter has been Kira's strongest pace since we started novice. It's been relatively easy to teach her to snap under behind, sit and push. So she consistently produces an advanced level canter which is punchy and easy to collect.
Trot has been a lot harder to develop. Where she comes through well in the canter, getting her to stay over the back and still active in trot is hard. If I let her bumble about with a novice type neck then the back swings, if you try and make her more active then she goes wooden in the hand (and Kira is exceptionally strong!), if you address that then the hindlegs pop out. She needs to concertina.
So bootcamp has been about pushing those 3 things all at once. Not exercises particularly, just insisting that she firstly stays through into esp the left hand, she is inclined to try and ping off it otherwise. Then tapping the hindlegs up until she twigged she had to do something other than buck 😂 this was a challenge but she got the idea so long as she was allowed to go slowly (this is how she started the half steps, so slowly and engaged is something she knows).
Then tapping the hindlegs while making the trot, um... faster, for want of a better word. Working trot speed, revving behind.
Expensive trot has come from that really, when she's freely forward , polite in the hand and super snappy active behind then the back lets go, and then we just steady the tempo and she starts to push into the air a bit.
Named as such because I said it felt like the smart horses I've ridden for other people 😂 Whole horse gets about 6" shorter from nose to tail as she comes up under the saddle, when trainer rode her it was obvious to see! She wears a 6'3 rug despite being only 14.2 and the long expanse behind the saddle vanished
It's difficult for her brain but her body is capable
. 
.
, she had to man up and offer some self-carriage in an actual test! So not scores that will set the world alight (and to be honest all of the NW dressage bests seemed to be there so we were somewhat outclasses lol!), but solid clear rounds in AM 85 and AM 98 for two 64%'s and it means we're actually qualified for summers now... Still not sure if I should do AF's or Regionals..., ate it and then threw it up in my house, I don't think I'm going to get over cleaning that up for a while 
.
, they've never shown any inclination towards hunting until now!
I've had a lovely few days away at a clinic with Craig Johnson who is an American trainer and rider and has won all sorts. This was the Clinic I wanted to do this year. He's awesome because he has a raft of knowledge and very thoroughly talks you through the planned exercise and what/how it works and helps etc, but then crystallises and clarifies it just as you set of to ride it so you know exactly what you're doing. He's very good at assessing the riders and horses in front of him and tailoring it to fit you all.
On Thursday we got to move cows around and then for the other days we worked on ranch riding which included a few obstacles.
We managed to keep the cow away for a good length of time and in a calm manner so I'm really pleased with that; it turns out its all about the stop not the go when working cows. Also you have to keep straight lines , no curves. I can't read a cow for toffee but that will be fun to learn.
The venue very kindly lent me horses to ride to so I go a good work out and got to ride one very experienced and talented horse who just makes you grin, it was fun to do some proper (although half speed) spins, stops, rollbacks and extended lopes and I managed my 2nd flying change of the year. Which considering its been 13 years since I last did them I'm pleased with, although I did fluff the other 3 I tried. Have to work on 3 Ss:- Steering, Speed Control and Stop.
Tomorrow Daisy is off back there to stud so we'll see what we get next year
