Weekend plans for 24th & 25th?

Had a fabulous jumping clinic with RC 1st thing this morning, B Fuzzy started off rather over keen but settled the more we did. No boggling at anything and was very responsive to turns and changes of leg. Put them all together at the end for a 8 fence course which rode very well on the fab surface. Came away very happy ☺?
 
Well, not in lock down here (sorry you WA people!). A weekend full of horsey things and people, bliss. Weather is cooling down but still beautiful Sunny days.

Today I jumped on my breaker for the first time in two weeks and she was foot perfect ? I’m just so pleased with her! Tomorrow we will hopefully attempt an intended canter. Tried on her new bridle too:
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My lovely pony piloted around her 10 year old friend today as well. She worth her weight in gold ? love seeing the kids so happy.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!
 
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Bob needs to remember that dressage is boring! Warmed up really nicely bit as soon as he went onto the indoor for the test, it all went to pot! Complete hooligan! Score was pretty kind, but I think the sheet will be used to light the fire! Lots more dressage outings planning, and a bucket of calmer!
And then jumped a lovely clear in the showjumping to prove it wasn't a fluke at Weston! Then withdrew as he doesn't need the practice xc and ground a bit hard for him.
The pony did a super round in the AI, couple down sj with is a work in progress, and he didn't xc either.
And D did a really nice test, marred slightly by a bit of confusion in the simple change. Lovely round for just one down in the sj and then cruised xc but nearly fell down the ski jump and was given 20, which felt a bit harsh. Nice to see him looking like he belongs at intermediate.

So not a bad couple of days at Kelsall, came home sunburnt! I can't believe the changes they've made there. Stunning place.
Nor sure of the next outing. Bob is doing dressage on Wednesday but will wait to see how that goes before the plans are finalised!
 
To finish my good weekend - the young horse did a 35 dr and jumped double clear in the 80cm today to finish 10th. Pretty pleased with her as she was significantly under prepared and I chucked her in the deep end a bit. It was her first competitive outing since she did a walk and trot test at 4 in 2019!

 
Friday, the physio came out and pony was actually really relaxed for a change which is a good sign. She says he’s got a bit of muscle pain just behind his saddle as well as a bit of rubbing. So he gets a lovely hot water bottle there now before riding and she suggested getting a tens machine.

We went for a solo hack today to build our confidence back up but sadly it was cut short. Half way down the lane, I saw the d of e guys come towards us so I span him round quickly before he saw and trotted away so they were a good distance behind us before walking again. I know I need to face our fear but didn’t fancy doing it when we were alone and knocking our confidence even more. But he was perfect before that
 
Podrick had his first jump lesson on Thursday evening since the beginning of lockdown three. He’s only left the ground twice then.

He’s really good fun, and jumped his little socks off. Hoping to be ready for his first event in the not too distant future.

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Haven’t sat on a horse all weekend ? We’ve been busy doing all of those jobs that having horses at home necessitates. Mostly involving muck ?

We have finished revamping one of the stables though. Just another two to windows in and repaint ?

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It’s loads airier and brighter. So worth the effort ?
 
Had a lovely time out at our show. Pony was great, and felt very rideable. Not as relaxed as at home, but tests felt nice.
Very disappointed to get our lowest scores yet. No idea why, have to wait for sheets to arrive in the post.
Not sure if I should just get out more and hopefully get better, or stop competing and just get lessons. Feel a bit flat. But have to remind myself that I have a fab pony and we both love our lessons.
Great to see all the lovely updates.
 
McFluff said:
Had a lovely time out at our show. Pony was great, and felt very rideable. Not as relaxed as at home, but tests felt nice.
Very disappointed to get our lowest scores yet. No idea why, have to wait for sheets to arrive in the post.
Not sure if I should just get out more and hopefully get better, or stop competing and just get lessons. Feel a bit flat. But have to remind myself that I have a fab pony and we both love our lessons.
Great to see all the lovely updates.
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Sorry your scores were disappointing- maybe just chalk it up to one of those things. I don’t suppose you have a video to go through with the score sheet?
How about doing some online dressage tests and see what feedback you get in those to discuss with RI?
 
Great lesson today. We worked on getting Millie a bit sharper in her transitions as she has a tendency to slip a little behind the aids and gawp at anything in the distance rather than pay attention (her gawping skills are impressive!)
Once we sorted this out and got her really on the aids, the quality of both her trot and canter massively improved.
What really amused me is that since my Andy Thomas clinic, I do all my exercises before every single ride but I think I’ve been overdoing it because my saddle is now slipping to the right- which it’s not done for years and years.
I am so frustratingly wonky and I have a wandering left shoulder that twists back. Feel so sorry for Millie having to try and work with a complete muppet on her back!

Lovely trip out though and it was a family affair coz the parental unit joined me. Despite not being particularly horsey, they are both huge supporters of everything I do and they enjoy coming along to lessons and competitions. Whereas most of the technical stuff goes over my Dads head, my mums pretty switched on about what we are trying to achieve.

Picture of Dad and Millie
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I didn’t do much this weekend - hacked this morning, that was about it! Though this evening my friend asked me if I wanted to have a spin on her youngster - she’s rising 5, but more like a 4yo as she lost a bit of time in sorting out a few niggles. Lovely little mare and privileged to be the only other person to have sat on her so far!
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A pretty good day out for us. A new venue for us, our first time doing proper BD and I got to wear my waistcoat for the first time.
We did a very nice, mannerly but a bit ‘vanilla’ prelim test to get 68% and 2nd in bronze section. Judges comments said he needed more energy (I agree). So I popped Spurs on for the novice to get a little more ping.
T must have got fed up in the hours wait between tests because he was a different horse in the novice warm up, lit up, not concentrating, lost all bend, shoulders drifting (and I’d not touched him with the Spurs!)
So the novice test wasn’t as mannerly and vanilla. We had the energy as requested but I couldn’t always channel it where required.
I was disappointed we couldn’t show our best work but still came out with 64% and another 2nd.
And it was a beautiful sunny day!
 
Reacher said:
Sorry your scores were disappointing- maybe just chalk it up to one of those things. I don’t suppose you have a video to go through with the score sheet?
How about doing some online dressage tests and see what feedback you get in those to discuss with RI?
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Thank you. Appreciate the support.

My OH did video them - but in true comedy style messed up in both tests! In the first he kept stopping it and in the second he switched on SLO-mo. I was showing my trainer (don’t have sheets back) and we both laughed when it went into slow motion. She thought he looked good though. I can usually guess my scores within a couple of %, but way off for these.

The one I thought was best was sub60, and we are usually mid to high 60 (70 if we sparkle, which we didn’t). the only time we’ve done that low before it was horizontal rain and the whole long side was evil and needed a wide berth. So score felt fair. This time it felt smooth and accurate - although not as expressive as our best tests.

I think I preferred the old days when could pick up sheets on the day! helped stop my overthinking.

I do online and that’s all fine and in line with training etc.
just need to wait for sheets. And stop moping and give self boot up the bum.
 
little_critter said:
A pretty good day out for us. A new venue for us, our first time doing proper BD and I got to wear my waistcoat for the first time.
We did a very nice, mannerly but a bit ‘vanilla’ prelim test to get 68% and 2nd in bronze section. Judges comments said he needed more energy (I agree). So I popped Spurs on for the novice to get a little more ping.
T must have got fed up in the hours wait between tests because he was a different horse in the novice warm up, lit up, not concentrating, lost all bend, shoulders drifting (and I’d not touched him with the Spurs!)
So the novice test wasn’t as mannerly and vanilla. We had the energy as requested but I couldn’t always channel it where required.
I was disappointed we couldn’t show our best work but still came out with 64% and another 2nd.
And it was a beautiful sunny day!
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Next time you’ll have a better feel of how to manage that energy though. Well done regardless :)
 
McFluff said:
Had a lovely time out at our show. Pony was great, and felt very rideable. Not as relaxed as at home, but tests felt nice.
Very disappointed to get our lowest scores yet. No idea why, have to wait for sheets to arrive in the post.
Not sure if I should just get out more and hopefully get better, or stop competing and just get lessons. Feel a bit flat. But have to remind myself that I have a fab pony and we both love our lessons.
Great to see all the lovely updates.
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Thats a shame. Was the judge a bit stingy or was it an off day? One of my tests was marked low the other weekend and fig was always a bit marmite in scores.
 
We survived our first hunter trial of the year! Walked the course on Saturday and freaked myself out with one of the jumps, a pretty wide table which i'm not sure was suited to a 60cm 'beginners' class...and of course it was fence 19 out of 22 so I had the whole course to worry about it! I was so nervous when I got there, Buzz was very well behaved though and warmed up nicely.
Just before I went onto the course I said 'the only jump i'm not worried about is those blue barrels as we have them at home and jump them all the time'...famous last words!! He stopped twice at them, TWICE!! That'll teach me to get complacent A. about the fact he will just jump something and B. about he fact that he normally always jumps them on the second attempt...remember to ride!!! I'm an idiot. He jumped the table beautifully though :D
Aside from the barrels and number 10 he did a really lovely round, forward, flowing, not jumping too wildly or strong and not backing off from any of the rest of them so I was so pleased with him but really disappointed in myself for not riding the barrels properly. I have no idea why! They were also on a turn away from the horses/car park area so I should have been extra vigilant about riding properly (and we'd just taken a complete over jump at fence 9 so were possibly less prepared!)
Fully expected to come somewhere near the bottom but imagine my surprise when I was handed a third!! And we qualified for the Eland lodge championships! Overall a good first competition day but kicking myself still, I probably would've won if i'd not been so terrible :D
 
You'll never make those mistakes again though chippers, more valuable than a red frilly.
On the poor scores note, its not the first time I've found the maths was wrong when I've checked a sheet - not often but it does happen
 
Roxylola said:
You'll never make those mistakes again though chippers, more valuable than a red frilly.
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I do it all the time :D and get annoyed with myself all the time! I was so nervous which didn't help but once over that I started enjoying myself more so hopefully with practice and more confidence I will get better at the complacency.
 
Chippers1 said:
I do it all the time :D and get annoyed with myself all the time! I was so nervous which didn't help but once over that I started enjoying myself more so hopefully with practice and more confidence I will get better at the complacency.
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Funny isn't it how things affect us all differently.
Re the scary late fence, they generally do that as they're on their way home by then and you've already jumped most things so you've got a good idea how it's going. I try to be as "in the moment" as possible and just ride one fence at a time, but it sounds easier than it is in reality
 
hope everyone had good weekend , i had chilled weekend , shopping and catching up on things at home , clipped and lunged , mine will get worked this week and treadmilled and have weekend off maybe just light hack as hes got his flu jab on friday , should have been in feb but not due to covid , maybe not a good idea getting it done before a bank holiday weekend but hopefully he wont have any reactions .
 
the shelter is the right way up! hallelujah! Honestly wasn't sure this could be done. Last winter it went for a jolly, somehow flipped over 3 times and went around a tree to wedge itself over the top of the boundary fence against said tree. it's an elderly shelter, well abused by the horses and i really did think that it might turn into an inconveniently nail-filled bonfire.

Anyway, with much shunting and grunting, between the digger and tractor we got it righted. it now faces the other way, but you know, details shmetails. the afternooon sun shone directly into it where it was before anyway :p

a bit of TLC needed and then we can have the grand reopening.

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We went eventing!

Solihull BE100 was actually a reasonably stiff test on the XC - so ideal for prep for us to move back up to Novice next weekend at Bradwall. Pleased with the dressage - tried new warm up tactics to get him much rounder and more connected, and scored fairly well for what would have been a 30.3 were it not for a stupid rider error of course - so 31.3.

Rolled a pole showjumping - but not our favourite arena surface to jump on, and was also causing carnage.

Super round in the XC - a bit looky over the first question - downhill arrowhead brush at 6, but then got himself in gear. Was taking a pull and easing off the pace all the way around due to firm going, but actually he was so straight that we were only 1 second over anyway.


Now hoping for a decent bit of rainfall before next weekend....
 
j1ffy said:
Looks lovely and Rooni has come on so beautifully! Where are you based now? I'm on the Ridgeway but obviously it's a very long trail..!
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Aw thank you!

Still based Leics but drove down with a friend. We are planning on going again so can do a meet up if you wanted! We started roughly around the chilton area :)
 
We went showing - won his first class (was the only one in it...but he behaved, went nicely and not his fault only one in it). Then had long wait til next class and think he just got tired, so again went nicely enough in a strong class to be placed. We both could have done better but think both our minds had switched off. Well done to everyone whether out and about or getting tasks done at home.
 
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