Weekend plans, the sun is out!

[milliepops]

Looks like loads of fun weekends had
I had a really nice ride today, yesterday felt a bit rubbish as I just couldn't quite get the canter good enough for the 1s so we kept having mistakes but then I remembered Kira hadn't had any oats since Tuesday it DOES make a difference, lol.
So oats for dinner and oats for breakfast and we had another go today. Spent longer working on other things to develop her reactivity, so she did some good half steps to piaffe and some really rideable piris, and then we hit the 1s again she was very sharp but had more pizazz so we got back into the rhythm of it again, phew. Will put that to one side again til we're the other side of the next show
Finished by having a look at the inter1 canter zig zag and found it fitted easily into a 40m arena which highlighted how much more lateral suppleness she has developed recently. Chuffed that's been really difficult for her as she's so squat and strong, it's suppleness of the mind needed, so much as the body!

Millie had a good day too. Caught her mid-raid having busted out of the fence and broken into the hay shed! She had demolished half a giant bucket of treats, Grrrrrr!

 

[Snowfilly]

Stewarding actually turned out to be pretty good fun as the sun was shining and there was lots of cake. Took entries for the most part, and then pole picked for the last class once everyone was in.

Agreed to help with their showing show in late April as well - it doesn't compare to riding but then what would?

 

[Ambers Echo]

Great day at NSEA. Izzy has finally ridden in a comp the way she does in training. Hurrah! It's been a long time coming..... She rode a fast clear in the 80/85 which helped the team to 2nd place overall and a qualifying spot for the National Champs. She saw herself as just making up the numbers as the 4th rider (with 3 rounds counting) but actually she was the highest placed rider in the team so she most definitely deserves her Championship spot! They then asked her to fill a gap in the 90/95 as a rider had to withdraw. They jumped round with a creditable 8 faults over a full up course. They are not in their comfort zone yet at this height so I was very proud of them both.

They are at different schools so Katie had to ride as an individual as no other kids from her school were out today. Dolly stuck to 80/85 and jumped a fuss free clear. Not fast enough to be placed but a great confidence giving round for them both.

Dolly is now having a break from competing till 28th April when she is doing her first Hunter Trial. Jenny is making her BSJA debut next week. Then she'll have also a break to till the Hunter Trial. Great way to spend Mother's Day. Got some pro pics which I will share in a few days. In the meantime here are Jenny & Dolly refusing to pose and both girls looking very happy!

 

[Ambers Echo]

That is a lovely pic of Kira!!!

 

[JFTDWS]

Nice one, AE, and THO - lovely pics.

At the other end of the spectrum, here's my mare being cool about life. This is her 4th time out jumping (we don't have an arena or jumps at home, she jumped a couple of times last year but mostly we were busy working on polocrosse stuff, so this is pretty new to her, hence small fences!). And yes, I can't see strides for love nor money!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=705071796097

 

[spookypony]

Fat Mare (doesn't get called Ballerina Mare until she's no longer so rotund that her spherical belly makes her saddle slip forward) had to do a medium-tempo hack on Friday, a not-terribly-successful schooling session yesterday (she was in a huge hurry and concentration was... limited), and a more successful schooling session today. Tomorrow will hopefully be a longer hack. The Battle of the Bulge continues.

 

[Bernster]

Return of the nap grrrr. Munstead 60cm HT. Not enough warm up (running late despite the 6am start) so had a backwards, not listening horse and we stopped at 3 fences in the first stretch. Cleared them 2nd time around and the 2nd half of the course was fine of course. I need to get his confidence back up again with heading away from home. Wasn’t nervous of the height either, so I am trying to take some positives from this outIng! We popped round the sj course and that wasn’t too ugly, so we did get a bit more practise for the ode there is 2 weeks.

 

[rara007]

Ready to go again after the marathon! My horse is wonderful 54 pen (66%) on the FEI 3* test, 1 cone down within the time and lovely controlled XC We were 3rd open horse but the dressage is effectively PYO and we were best of those on the advanced test Fab for our first run.

 

[Michen]

Return of the nap grrrr. Munstead 60cm HT. Not enough warm up (running late despite the 6am start) so had a backwards, not listening horse and we stopped at 3 fences in the first stretch. Cleared them 2nd time around and the 2nd half of the course was fine of course. I need to get his confidence back up again with heading away from home. Wasn’t nervous of the height either, so I am trying to take some positives from this outIng! We popped round the sj course and that wasn’t too ugly, so we did get a bit more practise for the ode there is 2 weeks.

How about some XC clinics where he has to go away from the group to do his bit?

 

[DabDab]

Aww JFTD, what a sweetie she is - totally no fuss. Great canter rhythm too

 

[Fiona]

I'd have loved to see you jump the Bertie Bassett filler JFTD 🤣🤣

You must be so pleased AE, how wonderful that the girls both did well today. Pardon me being nosy, but how come they go to different schools?

Good luck in two weeks bernster, at least you know what went wrong this time.

Well done rara....

Fiona

 

[Fiona]

I hope everyone had a lovely mother's day in the sunshine today with their furry (and human) babies ❤

Fiona

 

[JFTDWS]

I love Millie's antics, MP! I have a proper soft spot for her!

I have the Battle of the Bulge going on with my ponies too Spooky! It's a hard life

Aww JFTD, what a sweetie she is - totally no fuss. Great canter rhythm too

Thanks! I'm really soppy about her - she's just so generous and helpful about life. She's not the most talented for sure, and she's very green, but she always does her best, and I really like that in a horse!

Lol, Fiona, I'm sure she won't give it a second glance - but she's not established enough to push the height up... yet

 

[Fiona]

Fionn and I had an amazing WH clinic, where he was in great form including jumping in a very spooky indoor festooned with banners...

Possibly video later if you don't laugh...

Fiona

 

[JFTDWS]

Possibly video later if you don't laugh...

Fiona

I posted mine, so at least you can laugh back at me

 

[Northern]

Sounds like everyone had great weekends! AE, I love that your twins have matching ponies

 

[Ambers Echo]

Sounds like everyone had great weekends! AE, I love that your twins have matching ponies

Unplanned I promise!! RIs can never tell them apart!

 

[Ambers Echo]

Fiona they were at the same school until this year and got tired of being seen as a pair. Even teachers saw them as 2 halves and not as separate people. They were not able to have separate appointments at parents evening for example. So one moved to a neighbouring school where she already had friends and the other stayed put. Both are happier with that. Though they do get on very well too!

 

[Fiona]

Fiona they were at the same school until this year and got tired of being seen as a pair. Even teachers saw them as 2 halves and not as separate people. They were not able to have separate appointments at parents evening for example. So one moved to a neighbouring school where she already had friends and the other stayed put. Both are happier with that. Though they do get on very well too!

Oh wow, the parents evening thing is nuts...

I'm glad separate schools is working well, though it must be awkward for you in terms of logistics..

Fiona

 

[Ambers Echo]

Not really - Katie walks and Izzy gets a bus! I work so they know they have to be independent.

The parents evening thing drove me mad. Even when we asked they wouldn't budge.

 

[JFTDWS]

That's ludicrous... But I've heard it's a common issue with identical twins... Very annoying!

 

[Fiona]

The last exercise we did in the jumping part of my WH clinic.. Unlike my last video, Fionn was VERY up for it, and was not backing off at all...

No laughing, I had got up VERY early..

Fiona

 

[Chippers1]

Ahh @Fiona he's so cute! Looks like he was having fun. @Ambers Echo I'm an identical twin too, as soon as we started school we were never in the same class - for this reason! It's great having a twin but I am my own person and I absolutely hate being called 'the twins' etc. Good on them for choosing to go to different schools!

 

[alexomahony]

Loving all these photos and videos! Well done everyone - the sunshine was wonderful and even inspired me to do my first poo picking session of the year! (they only go out for about 2 hours per day over winter so I scrap poo picking from Nov - March!)

Saturday Sky's loaner had a SJ'ing lesson with Polly - first time we've really done any coloured pole training for a few months so Sky was VERY happy to have them built to a decent height as you can tell by his face!

 

[Bernster]

How about some XC clinics where he has to go away from the group to do his bit?

Yeah I need to have a think about how to manage this. We overcame it last year, so I know it’s possible!

 

[JFTDWS]

Yeah I need to have a think about how to manage this. We overcame it last year, so I know it’s possible!

It's early in the year, and you've had a bit of a break lately - I know you've been out the last couple of weeks, but I think you said you'd had a break before that? Some reversion to type is quite normal, I'd think. Just keep cracking on!

 

[Bernster]

It's early in the year, and you've had a bit of a break lately - I know you've been out the last couple of weeks, but I think you said you'd had a break before that? Some reversion to type is quite normal, I'd think. Just keep cracking on!

Yeah I need to be a bit kinder to us both I think! We had nearly 4 months of not going out then we did a few lessons, xc clinics and a dressage comp. This was our first xc comp for a while so perhaps I was unrealistic or unprepared. But now I know and can plan accordingly! Two more outings coming up which will show whether it’s just a case of getting out more, or if I need to adjust the plan.

 

[JFTDWS]

I'm not saying you were unrealistic, or unprepared at all. I don't know, for sure, and you don't either really, until you try. I just mean don't beat yourself up - bad days happen, and I can't imagine this will cause issues going forward (that didn't already exist anyway).

 

[Bernster]

Thx JFTD - that comment was me wondering about myself. But I agree, I don’t really know if I was. I felt like I’d done ok prep but maybe this outing was showing me I hadn’t.

Just one day out, as you say, so not enough to be sure. Will re assess after the next 2 and decide what to work on next! I am ofc discounting all the things that went well and forgetting how fab my horse is in so many ways - which I have a tendency to do!

 

[J&S]

Well the arena Trec was great fun. On reading the list of obstacles I realised that I had not ever asked the old horse to do Led Rein Back.... its not a real Trec obstacle any way. Also our pet hate of Side Pass was in the intermediate class. So after what I decided was an appropriate ridden warm up including trying to persuade him to side pass over a pole I jumped off and began to back him up around the edge of the school. He was reluctant but did oblige a little, so in the actual class I was so pleased as he managed to get a 7 score. In the main class we even got 5 for the side pass. Was pleased to end up with a good second place score, especially since we have not been out since last April and only one month ago I had quite a health blip. So you CAN teach an old horse new tricks!