PolarSkye
Well-Known Member
Kali has made me so very proud this week . . . and I'm just as proud of my lovely jockey . . . they really have formed a lovely, trusting partnership now and it's beautiful to see.
So . . . we started our week with a lesson with our dressage trainer CE . . . now that their relationship is established and the foundations have been laid, CE is really keen to stretch the two of them and put all those foundations to good use. Being consistent in the contact, achieving balance, softness and "flow" . . . as far as CE is concerned, these are now a given . . . now it's about "travelling" and consistent self-carriage . . . and she was really quite demanding of both of them in the lesson - in a good way. They have been working on flying changes already (and they're really coming along), but now they are beginning to lay the groundwork for travers and half pass. They also spent some time focusing on test riding as we are working towards the championships at Welly at the end of this month and have (or had after today) two more competitions in between. Although CE pushed them both hard (and is now being quite nit-picky), she was extremely pleased with them and insists we need to up our game in competition and start going out at Novice.
Wednesday, we took the silver boy to a clinic at Merrist Wood with our jump trainer CB. As I may have mentioned, we've been on the hunt for a jump saddle . . . and our very kind saddler has loaned us a Pessoa while he sources us the right monoflap . . . and it's been fine so far. However, now that CB has helped us crack Kal's tendency to spin/run-out at the first fence (first fence-itis is SO frustrating) and Kal has realized that it's much more fun to do what he loves and is good at (which is SJ) than argue with Z, we are able to really use that lovely scope he has and over the bigger fences that saddle just doesn't work. The good thing is that Kal jumped everything Z pointed him at - even when he wasn't quite sure . . . and for a 90cm-1m class the fences were proper meaty . . . but the downside is that the bigger he jumped and the more he basculed (he makes a lovely shape over a fence and really pushes off the floor), the more the cantle smacked Z up the backside, the more she collapsed on landing, the more she had to slip her reins - and slipping her reins meant Kal felt like Z had dropped him, so he worried. At one point, he came into a decent-sized oxer, really lost his confidence and went to stop . . . but instead of spinning on a sixpence and running out, he just propped a little . . . and then tried to jump the fence (failed miserably, but he tried). He tried! We are under strict instructions NOT to jump anything bigger than 2'3" and only at home until we have sorted an appropriate saddle. However, we have seen a real shift in Kal's attitude - he just wants to do it FOR Z . . . it's lovely to see. We both left that clinic feeling really positive and proud of the big silver reprobate.
So we come to today . . . two (UA) Prelim dressage tests at Oldencraig. Well, we didn't start well . . . went to load him (he usually loads himself), he decided once on that he didn't want to stay on, ripped the leadrope out of my hands and beggared off down the drive past YO's house(!!!!!), then he hit the turf and just galloped . . . took me five minutes to catch the little blighter (not to mention worrying about waking up my lovely YO and her family at early o'clock). And, yes, it really was a harbinger of things to come . . . we got to the venue (uber-posh for those who haven't been . . . and some LUSH horses) and he disgraced himself by rearing on the lorry, kicking the side of the lorry, rearing BY the lorry, pawing and kicking up golf ball sized gravel in the direction of some very posh other lorries . . . I can only assume that because he was plaited (yesterday) and I rocked up to the yard at early doors, that he thought he was hunting. He was a nightmare. Z got on, he relaxed a little (always does once her bum hits the saddle), and actually walked nicely to the warm-up arena. Warming up was a little tough because there were too many people just ambling about (I think yard staff warming up clients' horses in walk), but Z tried and although he was grinding his teeth, he tried too. Once into the arena, he was a tad spooky (didn't particularly like the long side next to the road), but (and this is huge for him) he stayed round and tried his heart out . . . there were some lovely moments in both tests (Prelim 19 and Prelim 4), but there were some bonehead moments too . . . free walk on a long rein in the 19 was utter rubbish . . . and in the two half circles in the 4 he was anticipating canter . . . but he stayed round, tried really hard to stay consistent, did some beautiful canter work, listened to Z, tried his little heart out . . . and Z rode him really tactfully.
When she came out of both tests we were philosophical . . . and we really, honestly and truthfully thought they were last . . . he was so tense . . . in the first test he sweated right through his numnah (which is not a simple, cotton thingamy - LeMieux ProSport with the anti-bacterial lining - so quite a lot of fabric).
Yes, there were only three people in the Prelim 19 and only two in the Prelim 4, but we were still sure we had come last . . .and we didn't care . . . we were just really, really pleased with him (and I was really, really pleased with how Z rode).
We won. Both classes. Hell . . . we? THEY won. Nowt to do with me.
63.7 percent for the 19 and 67 percent for the 4.
Very, very proud . . . I'm happy about the wins - I really am . . . but I'm elated by how they both performed today . . . like when he was at the jump clinic, my boy was firmly out of his comfort zone and he still tried . . . and he tried a lot. And Z rode him so tactfully and sympathetically.
Love them both.
Off to East Soley next weekend . . . think our trainer is taking her boy too, so that will be interesting
.
We got back to the yard at about 3 p.m. and he had a much-deserved two hours in the field, naked, grooming with his little field buddy Rog, and (when I wasn't finishing up yard jobs) I just stood by the fence and watched my beautiful silver boy chilling in the sunshine. Heart full.
P
So . . . we started our week with a lesson with our dressage trainer CE . . . now that their relationship is established and the foundations have been laid, CE is really keen to stretch the two of them and put all those foundations to good use. Being consistent in the contact, achieving balance, softness and "flow" . . . as far as CE is concerned, these are now a given . . . now it's about "travelling" and consistent self-carriage . . . and she was really quite demanding of both of them in the lesson - in a good way. They have been working on flying changes already (and they're really coming along), but now they are beginning to lay the groundwork for travers and half pass. They also spent some time focusing on test riding as we are working towards the championships at Welly at the end of this month and have (or had after today) two more competitions in between. Although CE pushed them both hard (and is now being quite nit-picky), she was extremely pleased with them and insists we need to up our game in competition and start going out at Novice.
Wednesday, we took the silver boy to a clinic at Merrist Wood with our jump trainer CB. As I may have mentioned, we've been on the hunt for a jump saddle . . . and our very kind saddler has loaned us a Pessoa while he sources us the right monoflap . . . and it's been fine so far. However, now that CB has helped us crack Kal's tendency to spin/run-out at the first fence (first fence-itis is SO frustrating) and Kal has realized that it's much more fun to do what he loves and is good at (which is SJ) than argue with Z, we are able to really use that lovely scope he has and over the bigger fences that saddle just doesn't work. The good thing is that Kal jumped everything Z pointed him at - even when he wasn't quite sure . . . and for a 90cm-1m class the fences were proper meaty . . . but the downside is that the bigger he jumped and the more he basculed (he makes a lovely shape over a fence and really pushes off the floor), the more the cantle smacked Z up the backside, the more she collapsed on landing, the more she had to slip her reins - and slipping her reins meant Kal felt like Z had dropped him, so he worried. At one point, he came into a decent-sized oxer, really lost his confidence and went to stop . . . but instead of spinning on a sixpence and running out, he just propped a little . . . and then tried to jump the fence (failed miserably, but he tried). He tried! We are under strict instructions NOT to jump anything bigger than 2'3" and only at home until we have sorted an appropriate saddle. However, we have seen a real shift in Kal's attitude - he just wants to do it FOR Z . . . it's lovely to see. We both left that clinic feeling really positive and proud of the big silver reprobate.
So we come to today . . . two (UA) Prelim dressage tests at Oldencraig. Well, we didn't start well . . . went to load him (he usually loads himself), he decided once on that he didn't want to stay on, ripped the leadrope out of my hands and beggared off down the drive past YO's house(!!!!!), then he hit the turf and just galloped . . . took me five minutes to catch the little blighter (not to mention worrying about waking up my lovely YO and her family at early o'clock). And, yes, it really was a harbinger of things to come . . . we got to the venue (uber-posh for those who haven't been . . . and some LUSH horses) and he disgraced himself by rearing on the lorry, kicking the side of the lorry, rearing BY the lorry, pawing and kicking up golf ball sized gravel in the direction of some very posh other lorries . . . I can only assume that because he was plaited (yesterday) and I rocked up to the yard at early doors, that he thought he was hunting. He was a nightmare. Z got on, he relaxed a little (always does once her bum hits the saddle), and actually walked nicely to the warm-up arena. Warming up was a little tough because there were too many people just ambling about (I think yard staff warming up clients' horses in walk), but Z tried and although he was grinding his teeth, he tried too. Once into the arena, he was a tad spooky (didn't particularly like the long side next to the road), but (and this is huge for him) he stayed round and tried his heart out . . . there were some lovely moments in both tests (Prelim 19 and Prelim 4), but there were some bonehead moments too . . . free walk on a long rein in the 19 was utter rubbish . . . and in the two half circles in the 4 he was anticipating canter . . . but he stayed round, tried really hard to stay consistent, did some beautiful canter work, listened to Z, tried his little heart out . . . and Z rode him really tactfully.
When she came out of both tests we were philosophical . . . and we really, honestly and truthfully thought they were last . . . he was so tense . . . in the first test he sweated right through his numnah (which is not a simple, cotton thingamy - LeMieux ProSport with the anti-bacterial lining - so quite a lot of fabric).
Yes, there were only three people in the Prelim 19 and only two in the Prelim 4, but we were still sure we had come last . . .and we didn't care . . . we were just really, really pleased with him (and I was really, really pleased with how Z rode).
We won. Both classes. Hell . . . we? THEY won. Nowt to do with me.
63.7 percent for the 19 and 67 percent for the 4.
Very, very proud . . . I'm happy about the wins - I really am . . . but I'm elated by how they both performed today . . . like when he was at the jump clinic, my boy was firmly out of his comfort zone and he still tried . . . and he tried a lot. And Z rode him so tactfully and sympathetically.
Love them both.
Off to East Soley next weekend . . . think our trainer is taking her boy too, so that will be interesting
. We got back to the yard at about 3 p.m. and he had a much-deserved two hours in the field, naked, grooming with his little field buddy Rog, and (when I wasn't finishing up yard jobs) I just stood by the fence and watched my beautiful silver boy chilling in the sunshine. Heart full.
P
