Winter training - what are your plans and goals?

[DabDab]

Well that's all sorted then

 

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I now have a plan I am going to rehab Jensen so he can be a proper horse and jump again, and in the meantime we are going to be schooling consistently at Novice dressage level at home by the time the clocks change again....I hope...

 

[scats]

Diva is doing two days a week in the school again now, and 3 days hacking. Combination of new supplement and a slightly different exercise regime and she is able to regulate her breathing much better. We are taking things very slowly but tentatively would like to get back out to do some Intros.

Training plan with Polly is to continue with the rehab. She is full of herself at the moment and feeling very well! We need to sort out the right canter transition as she still strikes off occasionally on the wrong leg.

 

[nikkimariet]

Fig - hopefully cement the 1's so we can squeak round an Inter 2 next year. And a little jumping too!

Nova - carry on with 30 mins a week, he's not aimed at anything next year particularly. I'll just see how he goes!

 

[Tr0uble]

Horse has just done her 1st Elementary with good result, so my main aims are around improving the areas needed to get her Area Festival ready at Elementary. She can do a slightly muddled simple change at home, but I'd not ask her to do it in the ring yet so we need to work on that - rein back is also a weak area so that's on the list.

I'll also be out to get my Novice points for summer Regionals next year as well as getting her as good as possible in time for Hartpury Winter Champs in April.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

So first goal that was thrust upon me completed , and yes I have already been told to repeat in daylight but this is a winter training thread afterall :lol:.

[video=youtube_share;o4AkNlTM554]https://youtu.be/o4AkNlTM554[/video]

 

[milliepops]

erm.... where's the skylla video for the series?! :biggrin3:

I shall not be joining in. Kira's old owners told me NOTHING about her exploits apart from a direct warning not to sit on her bareback.... so I'm guessing that's a definite no-no given how the rest of it panned out

 

[HufflyPuffly]

erm.... where's the skylla video for the series?! :biggrin3:

I shall not be joining in. Kira's old owners told me NOTHING about her exploits apart from a direct warning not to sit on her bareback.... so I'm guessing that's a definite no-no given how the rest of it panned out

Wimp and erm yeah my camera ran out of battery honest :eek3:....

 

[Asha]

I want to get in the school and get my 5yo going better on the flat, perhaps attempt a couple of small indoor SJ classes..all with a bit of hunting to keep him happy.

I've only done the basics and hacking until now, but i feel like he is ready to step it up a bit and then next summer really have a go at a few different things! This is until he has another growth spurt and ends up needing time to mature again!!!

Same here, but without the hunting. I think my girl would enjoy it waaayyy more than I would. Ive had her a year now, and shes going great, just need to crack on. To make things more enjoyable ive a new riding buddy who has the same goals / level of ability. So hoping to do more clinics, then come next year we will be ready to the equestrian world by storm.

 

[nikicb]

I thought I would resurrect this thread now that we are heading towards the end of Feb, even though we still have a cold snap forecast over the next few days. How is everyone getting on?

These were my plans (see below) and I think we pretty much ticked them all off although we still have to fine tune our DTM floorplan. Cassie spent a month in livery up till the past weekend, so I was able to get on with some decent schooling in the indoor, but also able to hack a bit as well which is tricky at home due to the roads. We competed at our first 2018 BD competition scoring a smidge under 67% in our prelim and 64.6% in our novice, giving us our first novice points, and a lovely comment from the judge that we were a 'clear partnership'. We've changed her bit to a snaffle with a link rather than a lozenge, and more recently popped a drop noseband on which seems to have worked well. When she had her teeth done the dentist said that she seemed to be holding onto her bit less which I hope means she prefers the greater stability with the drop. I feel we are now in a good place to start improving specific bits of tests rather than the damage limitation exercise of the past - she's not callled Sassy Cassie for nothing!!

A few photos/short videos - sorry they aren't great, but give an idea.....

Posing in her Christmas matchy:

Mooching round the woods:

https://www.facebook.com/CassieCamCo/videos/1013533092119051/

A few short clips from my phone of a schooling session:

https://www.facebook.com/CassieCamCo/posts/1023366177802409

Dentist appointment - not Cassie's favourite thing, but she was the best she's been since I have had her:

Looking super shiny - she's nearly lost her winter woollies!

And all ready to come home:

Last but not least, Cam came home as he was doing rather too well at grass livery and needs a bit of a slimming camp. I was very mean and fully clipped him so he spends the better days unrugged and just wears a lightweight rug when needed. He's lost around 60 kg since he came back but still needs to shed more off his neck. It will come off gradually and it's good to have him back.

As per title really.....

Ours are to continue on our training, but with slightly less emphasis on competing (dressage) and trying a few new things. We've got some horse agility planned, which could be interesting - Madam isn't spooky, but she isn't called Sassy Cassie for nothing, more straightness training, plus a few pole work clinics which we both enjoy. We also have a DTM clinic at the end of November - one where we get music and a floorplan made up for us. I'm really looking forward to that, and hope to spend some time practising over the Winter months so we can get out and compete next year. I am also aiming to have a play around with bits/bridles to help improve our submission/contact marks - nothing drastically wrong, but there's always room for improvement!

What are your Winter training plans and goals? x

 

[milliepops]

Nice update

So far, so good here... this was mine

This is timely as I was just thinking about this earlier. Last year we deliberately took a step back from competing because I needed the time to teach kira her changes without worrying if we broke stuff in the process :eek3:

This year we don't have a hurdle like that and we also seem to be making progress in keeping her thinking forward in a test environment so I think we will keep competing this time to try and get that super confident.

Training-wise, the gauntlet has been thrown down for her get out at PSG next year so we need to continue the canter piri work as she's not quite got the idea yet and cement the 3s (which are nearly there). Plus playing with other bits, but that would be the priority. Exciting!

She's done 3 advanced tests so far, the 3s are pretty secure and she's learning 2s, piris are almost test-ready.. just have to get regionals out the way next week and then we will look for A105 to test out the piris... then press on to PSG.

I got Salty about a week after this thread started so clearly had no aims for her... she's doing quite well though learning about going out to new places and she actually feels like a proper horse to ride most of the time which is nice after the really wonky backward start just have to get her to the point where she can cope with a warm up arena and then we'll go and do a show

 

[DabDab]

Great update - sounds like you've had a really productive winter

I got a good way towards ticking off mine before Christmas and then weather, work and illness have rather stopped us in our tracks.

Left to right canter change was still quite neat a couple of weeks ago but right to left has disappeared and canter half pass is still fairly agricultural. Trot has improved a lot though so I'm pleased with that.

Overall his strength has improved a lot in the last year, but I need to build him up a lot more if I want to develop him up above elementary. So after 10 days off in the field due to me being ill and burnt out, I started hacking in the mornings again this week (thank god for the light coming back ). Which is making us both very happy. So I'll spend the next 2-3 weeks out hacking getting his fitness back and then crack on with the schoolwork again, aiming to be back out competing late April

 

[Wheels]

It's surprising how quickly you can get improvements when really concentrating your efforts on something particular. 6-8 weeks can yield excellent results and it's the right time of year to do 10 mins here and there

For us, we will be continuing our cross training we have been doing, something different every session, fitness work, slower muscle building sessions, polework / jumping, in hand / lunging all seems to be working well, the boys topline is doing fab, he has gone up 1.5 saddle widths in the 3 months since I bought him

I can't see me doing much competing before the spring but will do the odd dressage test and jumping training show in prep for more full on comps next year.

Oooh I didn't know we were being held to account lol

I managed to scrape through the winter so far doing as I thought, bit of lunging, bit of in hand, polework, schooling


I actually wanted to hack more than I have but every weekend seems to have been too icey or too windy.

I didn't think I'd get out to any shows but I did actually manage an SJ training show a couple of weeks ago which went well.

We have our first dressage test this coming weekend and currently preparing for our first ODE at the end of April so we are currently getting fit for that and will incorporate some SJ and at least one other dressage comp as well as some xc schooling along the way. I think in about 3 weeks time it will be light enough to hack in the evenings as well as weekends so yay : D

 

[Asha]

Nikib ,love the matchy matchy , I'm not very girly, but have been sorely tempted to get some pink stuff of late.

We haven't done much sadly, as ive spent most of my time running back and forth to visit my dad. Then my riding buddies horse hasn't been well. So Pip the super star ID has been having an easy time of it. I have managed to get back on my first homebred a couple of times, which in itself is pretty momentous. Ive got on after the pro who rides him has nearly finished. He actually feels the best ive ever felt him. Hes become 'sensible Harry', its only taken 9 years !!

 

[JFTDWS]

sorry but the thought of cheery the 12.3 pony going to 2* eventing has made me chuckle! Hup hup cheery!

Genuinely the most amusing thing I've seen thus far today Poor Cheery would need leg extensions!


I didn't post any plans, but I bought a new pony at the end of October, and I'd planned to get her going over winter. She was very green and babyish when she came here - she's 4 and hadn't been backed long. She's now confident on the flat and over poles, and left the ground for the first time properly at the weekend, and was surprisingly competent about the whole business. She's capable of working nicely at prelim/novice at home when she's in the zone, but somewhat inconsistently at present, and hasn't been out to compete due to my lack of effort in that direction. She has, however, been to a few polocrosse training sessions, and is absolutely super to stick and ball. Her stops are terrific, rollbacks are really coming on, her neck reining is lovely and she's getting more confident around the other horses and moving into their space all the time. #

She's a really nice, responsive ride, with a few fun party tricks, a good attitude and is a fast learner, so she's basically perfect in my books.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Well done everyone! Sounds like most people have made good steps towards their goals

Good luck everyone with your respective goals, I hope everyone can achieve what they want to

My aim is to get Henry out and about as much as possible really! Last winter I discovered that he is ultra-spooky in indoor arenas (I doubt he'd ever been in one before!) so I hope we can improve on that. As for competing, we will be focusing on dressage and SJ, hopefully getting some good marks at prelim dressage and hopefully working up to 80/85cm SJ (though the issue with indoor arenas hampers both of those!). His sharer is taking him hunting every weekend whilst I'm still at uni, and from what I hear he's loving it and getting more confident every time. I hope that this will help get him super fit, and also improve his jumping and confidence! I will also be continuing with that when I'm home I'm also hoping to get my jumping confidence a bit better over bigger fences at home, and really focus on how best to ride him to get the best out of him as he's so different to what I'm used to.

These were mine. We're definitely on the way there. I've been out and about quite a bit, a blackthorn in his leg just before Christmas meant we missed a few planned outings, but luckily he was only out of work for a week. We have achieved our goal of 80-85cm SJ, it isn't pretty yet but we got round Have had a couple of successful dressage outings, but have mainly been focusing on SJ. My confidence is much improved, and I'm definitely getting to grips with how to ride him better.

We've been a bit stuck in a rut recently with a few problems and not being able to make the progress we wanted, but after a good discussion with my usual instructor and an enlightening lesson with a friends instructor yesterday, we've got a plan of action in place, so I hope we'll be able to get back on track soon. Turns out H is very tight and stiff through his back, probably due to how he was previously ridden as he never learnt to use himself properly, so we will now be working on stretching and loosening that up so he can get his backend underneath him and really push from behind. He has regular chiropractic treatments and saddle checks, but we're getting a very well renowned physio out soon too, and will be getting saddle checked again. Instructor yesterday says that when we get him unlocked he should come on in leaps and bounds. It explains a lot of the issues we've been having recently, and fits perfectly with his history. Have fingers crossed a few good physio sessions will sort him out and there's nothing underlying, as he's improved so much since I first got him and he does loosen up somewhat with exercise....

 

[Bernster]

Mine is a mixture of not much and prob too much!! Most of all, for us both to stay healthy and happy, and have fun. To carry on with our training boot camp, having regular lessons which are doing wonders for us both. To not get over worried about pushing myself too far and too fast but keep the challenges enjoyable, having had a confidence issue myself with jumping.

So to distill that rather confusing list - unaff dressage, low level jumping, a bit of hunting, and at home to continue schooling hacking and jumping practice. And try to motivate myself to go to the gym and get some flipping physio as I'm a creaky old woman these days.

Oh, and if that wasn't enough haha, to get some help with my confidence issues. Phew.

ETA my goal is to complete the Wobbleberry Challenge BE80 which I've deferred from this year.

I wasn't quite sure what I'd put. Interestingly, even though it wasn't that long ago, I'm pleased to report that we have def done lots of the above. Yay me.

Continued with training boot camp and we continue to improve. 10%+ improvement in dressage scores, qualification for CTR champs, a rosette every time out often a red one. Slowly working on the sj confidence, still a way to go but both feeling much happier about it. Went hunting, was fab. Started sports confidence coaching.

Started physio (well, shiatsu) and the odd bit of yoga and stretching as my back is troubling me more and more these days. Booooo for the old creaky lady.

Still not totally sure about the BE80 but have revised my plans, got mini goals, remembered to have fun, and feel much better generally about stuff.

Although slight spanner in the works in that pony decided to bash his face in last night so he's not currently healthy but hopefully a minor issue and will be all better and normal sized face soon enough!

 

[Mule]

Horse is back from his winter break. We've been enjoying hacking for the last few weeks.

He has had a couple of months off and his natural crookedness has returned, as it tends to. I will have to work on straightness, leg yielding, riding my corners and try to figure out shoulder in (for straightness). We've done parts of the hack on contact and he's not stiff so that's encouraging.

Had a great hack in the forest today. When the path ended we were able to go quite far in through the trees. We hopped over rows of fallen trees, drains, streams/ swamps and through/ under tree branches. He's never hunted and he's only been on manicured x country courses. He loved it. We're becoming hacking addicts

 

[Ahrena]

I'm not really sure 😂

I need to work on my jumping more as I'm rubbish at jumping at home unless it's a lesson as it's hard to get someone to help and I don't do jumping alone to try and get my confidence back up as it's still pretty frail after my xc accident last February.

I think in my wildest dreams I'd like to jump a newcomers and my dressage instructor was making noises about attempting a medium after Christmas but privately I think she might be on drugs.

A more realistic aim would be to be confidently jumping discoveries - we did one a few weeks ago and it was relatively successful but confidence isn't the word I'd use. I'd like to establish changes too because madam's counter canter is so good now that she doesn't bother change herself SJ anymore and frankly it's a pain.

Mine haven't gone too well 😂😂😂

We’ve done a couple more elementaries relatively successfully although have found Lexi is much spookier in a more distracting enviroment so our first tests on the outings weren’t great (including a spectacular reverse around almost the entire arena when she heard someone walking on gravel 🤔 everything is coming for medium but not quite ready yet, we do halfpass but we aren’t covering enough ground yet. Working on changes never happened.

Show jumping - we jumped a couple of good 1ms but we had a lorry breakdown so missed one outing and then had a rubbish outing where she wasn’t herself and I retired. Back lady found her very sore the next day. But I have tried hard to jump more at home and the confidence is coming. Jumps are getting bigger. Even managed a 1.25m back bar on an oxer (she makes it feel so small) but it was at the end of a grid so doesn’t really count.

But we have had two amazing xc sessions which included plenty of BE100 combos so our confidence is definitely coming back!

 

[rara007]

'Fitness and strength! I want to make it to FEI 2* by midseason next summer so we can finish off abroad. He's never truely been fit so the work starts now (I have relatively limited time). He's been to his first ODE which was a success so physical strength is the main aim as the schooling is already nearly there.'

Getting there! Just this week have admitted defeat and employed someone to put in even more hours. He now has a partner in crime for the long term but his pair is the year younger so won't be doing FEI for another season (and won't be ready before either). We've had out first win and some pretty decent dressage scores beating current top level ponies. The fitness is coming on... full steam ahead! Had an on foot training day yesterday and now all ready to go! Mid april is our first outdoor venture...

 

[amandaco2]

nothing...mine get the winter hackig out as no facilities... gives time for mirco injuries to heal....