Yay Kira! First medium test in the bag

milliepops

milliepops

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Kira's aim for winter 2016/17 (though she didn't know it) was to get her changes installed and reliable and prepare to start doing some medium tests. Check, and check :D What a little star.

Since the native champs in October she's had a really quiet time competition-wise, we just snuck out at the beginning of December to see where we were. Other than that she's done lessons and LOADS of arena hire, and it's done her the world of good. Now we arrive at a strange place firing on all cylinders rather than being afraid, which is such a leap forward for her.

Today we had a little unaff outing planned to Summerhouse, just to see what would happen if she did a medium... it was quite a busy day there, we had entered E59 and M69 in the PYO class and I thought it would be dead by the end of the day but the Novice classes were still running so the warm up was fairly busy.

Got on for E59 and we had Wild Kira, couldn't trot with any sense so I changed tactic, rather than try and achieve relaxation before getting started, we went straight for the collection and put her to work. Turns out that was a good idea, and she settled fairly quickly.

E59 is a bit of a funny test IMO but with a bit of practice we're getting better at it (good job, as qualified for Winters at Elementary so we need to be VERY good at it by 1st march :lol:)
A nice clear round, felt a little lacking in self carriage at times but she got 7.5s for her simple changes which was the iffy bit, and the rest was all fairly decent. 68%.
Few stills

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A little break, and then a quick discussion about carrying ones own head. In for M69 and she was such a good egg. Lots still to work on, she needs to remain more connected leg to hand when she's tired and then the contact will settle, and the half pass right went a bit green, but I couldn't be happier with her. A really honest go, and no spooking, and no closing down. Mission accomplished. 68% again, so we got 1st and 2nd in the PYO which was the icing on the cake.

[video=youtube_share;Jdn732lhPpA]https://youtu.be/Jdn732lhPpA[/video]


Ready for some easy BD mediums I think... planning to enter Elem qualifiers and whatever medium looks the best for her next time out. She's better if we get all the trot work done and then canter, as the canter work is stronger when she's getting tired.

Dead chuffed with my cob-legro, she's turning into a really fun horse.

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Fantastic result and the Medium test looked very established for a first go! So looking forward to seeing what the pair of you do this year :), super well done.
 
Thanks all, clever little wotsit isn't she. ;)



AlexHyde said:
Fantastic result and the Medium test looked very established for a first go! So looking forward to seeing what the pair of you do this year :), super well done.
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Thanks, I find elem such a funny level, it's hard to do it really well. I think I ride it better when in a 'medium' frame of mind so hopefully we'll cracking it now. Yeah the medium work is good at home and with a little practice hopefully will get better at shows. Way more consistent than before though :)

Now.... medium bronze or silver?! May as well do bronze, she's doing elem regionals... dunno.

DirectorFury said:
Ah, amazing! And wow at the first photo! She's looking awesome, fancy another Sec D to work on? :p
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Lol yours looks like fun! I'd like a giant welsh, though in the beginning I was bl00dy glad that k is only a little squit!
 
Wow! That's me and my little Sec D suitably inspired! What an amazing test, well done for both results. That medium trot was stonking! Brilliant :-) xx
 
milliepops said:
Thanks, I find elem such a funny level, it's hard to do it really well. I think I ride it better when in a 'medium' frame of mind so hopefully we'll cracking it now. Yeah the medium work is good at home and with a little practice hopefully will get better at shows. Way more consistent than before though :)

Now.... medium bronze or silver?! May as well do bronze, she's doing elem regionals... dunno.
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Wish I had known how tricky elementary was before, it would have saved me quite a bit of self doubt over the past two years! However I do think Topaz needed the time to strengthen before jumping up to Medium, so don't regret lingering, not sure I'd want to do it again though :o.

Super hard choice with the new rules, i think I'd go Medium Bronze and whoop ass at areas! Regionals are great but (and I trust you know what I mean here!) more for the experience and pushing yourself against the big guns, rather than expecting to qualify for nationals. So go with a more established level so you can push in a championship environment, rather than knowing there 'may' be wobbles?

Please tell me you're considering Midway Champs this year though?!?
 
Yeah def staying with elem for regionals. Think we'll start med bronze and then swap to silver for winter quals ;)

Yeah we'll probably go for the midway champs assuming it doesn't clash with anything. .. better get saving!
 
What a lovely test, and she does so well to keep concentration with all that going on around her, what a busy venue. Do you get much noise from the road traffic?
 
Funny coincidence, my aim for my Kira in 2017 is to start changes and get out at medium. I need to sort my health out as I can't even ride through a prelim ATM but we are capable of all the parts but not stringing them together.
Anyway lovely test, I really enjoyed watching, it really didn't look like a first attempt at all.
 
She looks fantastic! Those are great scores too. Mine is at much the same stage, we have done a couple of mediums but taught him the changes last month and now all the work is ruined! We are back to basics working on the canter and I have no right hp anymore :-( I do have quite nice four times though, just not when required!!

I will maybe see you at Ele regionals and I think we will aim for medium areas. I might do Ele summers if I happen to get the scores when practicing for winters :-)
 
AlexHyde said:
Good plan, yay to Midway it's my new plan for Skylla so fingers crossed she can get the Q scores!
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aww sure she will do, she's a cracker! Will you bring Topaz too or just S?

Fiona said:
She is gorgeous. ... Welsh D?

What a clever little person she is :)

Does she jump as well?

Fiona
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She *can* jump ... but tbh I don't really bother - she got to the age of 9 when I got her, without having really jumped a stick so it's not like she's missed her calling if you see what I mean! I was doing a bit with her every week but then I found I didn't have enough time to hack her as both jobs needed doing in daylight. Hacking was more important! No plans to jump competitively so I do some poles and that's it really.

JennBags said:
What a lovely test, and she does so well to keep concentration with all that going on around her, what a busy venue. Do you get much noise from the road traffic?
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Do you know, that's the thing that really struck me this time - she wanted to look at a few things but let me coax her round without fussing. Just as we went into the 2nd medium trot, a tractor with a rattley trailer went past and she wanted to make a drama about it but followed my lead instead :angel:

It can be quite noisy there, but tbh when you are in the test arenas it's not something that is really noticeable. Plus the access is so good (literally a hop, skip & jump from the M5), it's worth it IMO :D

LynH said:
Funny coincidence, my aim for my Kira in 2017 is to start changes and get out at medium. I need to sort my health out as I can't even ride through a prelim ATM but we are capable of all the parts but not stringing them together.
Anyway lovely test, I really enjoyed watching, it really didn't look like a first attempt at all.
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Sorry to hear you're still suffering, hope 2017 is a better year for you :) and thanks, it did feel much more established than Millie's first medium test... the benefit of experience ;)

Matafleur said:
She looks fantastic! Those are great scores too. Mine is at much the same stage, we have done a couple of mediums but taught him the changes last month and now all the work is ruined! We are back to basics working on the canter and I have no right hp anymore :-( I do have quite nice four times though, just not when required!!

I will maybe see you at Ele regionals and I think we will aim for medium areas. I might do Ele summers if I happen to get the scores when practicing for winters :-)
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Hehe that's why we started the changes early in the autumn - I *think* we're just about over the hump of breaking everything else, though she does think they are great fun and I have to remember to ride with precision to prevent her slipping them in now and again.
It'll come back, it's all still in there :)
 
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she is looking really good. if she carries on that way she will soon be very competitive at affiliated at adv med as well as med. little horses are so often overlooked its good to see one getting out and showing people how its done
 
crabbymare said:
she is looking really good. if she carries on that way she will soon be very competitive at affiliated at adv med as well as med. little horses are so often overlooked its good to see one getting out and showing people how its done
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Ahh thanks. I hope so, I think her changes will be good as they get more established as she's naturally correct and the balance in the canter gets better every week.

I never intended to have a horse this small but we kinda got stuck with each other. .. millie is 15hh, kira 14.2 on her tiptoes... the next one WILL be a big horse!! But yes, the shorties can do a good job too.
 
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