Weekend plans

[J&S]

The format of our Trec competition was changed due to weather conditions and became arena based and on paper questions only. The ride was available but only a couple took advantage of the woodland route as it was very unpleasant weather. We did two rounds, back to back, of the obstacles with 2 x phases of M.A. The indoor motor cycle arena wound round in three big loops and the surface was hard pack earth with large lumps and bumps, suitable for flying bikes but quite challenging for horses. My lovely old trouper of a horse tried his best but for the first time in his trec career did not get his slow canter points. However, his two rounds of obstacles and our question sheet (grids and observations of the OS map of the area) scored highly enough to win with a 30 point margin. Any one interested can see his best round on Trec Riders Club FB page, he did get a bit over come in the bending! I really love this old horse and am so grateful to his owners for letting us spend time together before our ultimate/inevitable retirements!!

 

[Sprat]

@Bernster she looks a really lovely sort, do keep us updated on how you get on with her.

Vets last week was inconclusive. Vet arrived 3 hours late due to an emergency colic so didn't have time to nerve block. Trotted up and saw her on the lunge, she suspects whatever injury she has is higher up in the foreleg. Full workup incl. nerve blocks and scans to happen Thursday this week after box rest.

Annoyingly I have no annual leave left so I'm leaving the yard staff to supervise on Thursday, though my YO is very good at keeping me updated so I'll get regular communication on what's happening. The only saving grace I suppose is that I don't have to trot up the fire breathing dragon after a week of box rest!!

 

[nikkimariet]

I had a lovely long weekend!

Sat I competed Rooni. We went out the weekend before for our first music and it was a disaster lol. He was incredible in the warm then went silly and tense for the novice and I totally disagreed with the feedback (primarily the 2’s received for my 15m circles as they were apparently 20m... didn’t go past the 3/4 line though!). He went back in for the Ele and was much better but then completely and utterly downed tools in the second to last moment. We were still spinning round on 2 legs when my halt played so I put my hand up.

We had our second go which was much much better. 73%+ in the novice with a couple of blips and 67%+ in the Ele.



The judge was really encouraging and I completely agree with the scores and feedback (appears I can ride 15m circles too). Sadly the weather was utterly vile and it’s the only time in competing history I’ve kept my waterproof coat ON for my test! It got the better of him so our 10m trot circle one way was a working pirouette and our free walk was passage. Couldn’t be helped! Lots WD so he was very generous about doing the tests back to back which is a big ask at this stage.

Sunday he had a quick hack and then I got Fig out for the first time in a fortnight. He was ummmm fresh lol. Mental tempis and attempted passage at every given moment!



Makes me laugh and laugh and laugh as I love how well he is feeling.

Then yesterday I spent the day at Holkham and Burnham Market with my gf. Not horsey but the weather was perfect and it was a nice break from the usual weekday grind.

 

[Roxylola]

Ugh I hate that with scoring nikki, I can live with a bit of feedback but if the judge thought the first one was that bad I'd rather they beeped me an error, at least I could do the second smaller! Sounds like a mostly positive experience though

 

[nikkimariet]

Ugh I hate that with scoring nikki, I can live with a bit of feedback but if the judge thought the first one was that bad I'd rather they beeped me an error, at least I could do the second smaller! Sounds like a mostly positive experience though

It really rattled on me but tbh I suspect they are just not... the most encouraging of judges naturally... Whole day Prelim to Adv Med only ONE test was deemed worthy of a qualifying score. Says a lot! Will be avoiding in future!

 

[shortstuff99]

After withdrawing from sunday, today I went for a mechanical horse lesson to have a position tune up! It was really interesting, I already knew that I like to be wonky through my right shoulder (which is still true) but that I was a bit too forward in my leg position and was still a bit like a show jumper ?. Exercises then to have the lower leg in a better place and now to repeat on the real horse. Would really recommend as it's very good at highlighting issues you might not see on a real horse that can compensate for you.

 

[Roxylola]

To be totally fair, I have a bit of a gripe with scoring anyway. I've known lots of folk go to regional etc and come away a good few % down on their normal sort of score - well it _is_ regional, it's to be expected... I can see that judges at different places will have an impact, and I can see that being higher profile may increase nerves etc, but a 6 is a 6, a 7 is a 7 etc, they dont suddenly mean something different because its champs. Personally I suspect either qualifying scores are dished out with gay abandon, then suddenly judges are having to be stricter on the same things theyve been rewarding all season just because it's a higher level.

 

[DressageCob]

It really rattled on me but tbh I suspect they are just not... the most encouraging of judges naturally... Whole day Prelim to Adv Med only ONE test was deemed worthy of a qualifying score. Says a lot! Will be avoiding in future!

I had that with a judge recently. I do think they are being harsher than normal at the moment. My friend had a comment saying "broke" and a score of 2 in the counter canter. She rode it and I watched it and neither of us saw/felt him break. He clearly didn't.

Similarly, I got a 3 for a rein back saying "hollowed, reluctant steps", and I had that one on video. He actually lowered his neck into a softer frame and did 6 fluid steps back before trotting forwards again. I don't know what she thought she saw!

We've had that judge twice in a row now at a local venue. I'm going elsewhere for my next competition!

 

[Sail_away]

Late but I didn't think it counted as next weekend plans! Second lesson at Talland was wonderful - certainly a stiff old boy and I think one of their chilled dobbins in case I couldn't ride - Pippa mentioned him being mainly used recently for elderly ladies to pootle round on and was unused to working hard! Had a very cool time getting some piaffe and passage from him; I was surprised at how much he seemed to rise up in front. He also had the most fabulous spanish walk which he was quite determined to show off.
Then had a flat lesson on Monday where Paddy was unusually flat and downhill - felt his back afterwards and he was stiffer than usual. Physio also commented on it last week but wasn't concerned. I've been massaging his back before and after rides since then and will get a couple hot water bottles to put on before too. He hasn't reacted to me pressing a hand into his back since monday. Hoping it's just the cold, he does NOT like rain/wind/cold, is very happy in his 0g despite mid teen temps. He's getting clipped next week too so will whip out the proper rugs. And physio coming again in two weeks so if he's still stiff then we can investigate further.
And then yesterday - super dude tried his socks off at merrist wood! We went to the evening clear round, had to load in the dark and he trotted on happy as. Bar a trip to liphook he hasn't been on the trailer for months so was very pleased, carrots were given. Missed the coursewalk but watched a couple of rounds, pretty much every fence had a scary filler so resigned myself to elimination. But we went in and - amazingly - made it to the 6th before things got too scary and he bailed. It's progress! He refused just the once, came round again on a better line and he (reluctantly) got over it. Rest of the course had no issues but we went round again for good measure and he flew. Then came back for the 90/1m (our first ever!) for one pole at the second - I just don't think he expected the height - then popped the rest very easily. Chuffed to bits because it was a bit of an ask for him to move up a height at his first comp since March and usually, if he's got an excuse, he'll take it. Excuses include it's raining/there's a filler/you didn't tell me the jumps had gone up/this arena's scary/we've been waiting too long etc, etc, etc. But he really really tried so I'm thrilled. Also thrilled to never do an 80 on him again, they bore me to death!