Today I had a lesson booked in with a lady I've never lessoned (is that a word?) with before. She is recommended by friends who do do very well with their horses, and has also ridden a bit of everything including eventing. I've seen her kids go and always admired them.
It was a dressage lesson, and we had a rope arena up (yay), and it was a long one 60 x 20m. I haven't even LOOKED at my dressage test for this up coming weekend didn't even think about it when booking my class... and whoops, maybe I should have.
Its NZ eventing test A3... trot in, track left change rein H to B, 15m trot circle, change rein B to K, walk over L. Canter before A, P 20m circle give inside rein over V, B change rein, I trot through to H - rinse repeat above on other rein, except back at C after cantering, walk, S 20m circle on long rein, E trot, V half Circle to L, X halt salute.
A few things, YAY there is no changes of rein from H-F etc - that's a long long way to keep a wiggly horse straight, same for going down the long sides, to took AGES to get it today. Noted, do NOT use the outside rein to keep him over, inside rein to flex and inside leg to push him over. I must must MUST remember this.
So the lesson went really well, it had ugly moments, but what was nice is that I was not forgotten, even when Pencil was having fits, and resisting I got reminded to sit tall, keep the elbows in, hands down and thumbs on top... this is while the horse is reefing on me, or throwing pig roots...
After the customary time that Pencil likes to say - ENOUGH, it is time to flip my tongue over the bit and get a rest! We tried to work through it, but after boot camp yesterday with sprints, and a session at the gym today for a hour I was buggered about not, hip started to get tight... and it wasn't going well -Trainer decided to hop on to have a feel... half way through that - you must ride this horse better than I do - he is so wiggly, not straight, and ***K it went for the 15 mins. She didn't have spurs on and found him a little hard work (OK a lot).
I jumped back on, and got some BEAUTIFUL work from him, I actually felt like I had a short coupled horse instead of a long gangly galloot!
Got home, washed him (with shampoo even) and it didn't take me hours today dancing around his hooves, must be tired and just did a few dances, even got the mane and tail washed. I promptly let him go in the paddock full of grass, thinking if he rolls (likely) its not on dirt/dust.. he found the one spot the grass was thin on and voila dirty! Only on one side.
While I was chatting after my ride, teacher said - you need to fix that tail and trim it up. So i decided to have a go at it when I got home, I must say I'm proud of how I've done it. I'll take a picture over the weekend and show and tell. :)
Now I need to finish packing, shower, pick the husband up and get some sleep, I want to be on the road by ten tomorrow morning. Think its about 4.5 hours to to Taupo with the float on... maybe more like 4.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Back to on time and Lesson back with Trainer B
So after what I considered a flop last weekend... I rang and grabbed a lesson with Trainer B today...
It went really really well, short sweet and to the point!
Started of in trot on both reins spirraling in, and leg yeilding out - easy peasy.
Same in canter - this is where is amazes me sometimes, one thing - one little itty bity thing can make such a big difference. I explained how he had been leaning on me... so for the circle to the right, all the trainer told me was, don't let the inside contact go, and allow with the outside to let him keep coming. BING! Got it straight away.
Next we had 3 poles set up in a bounce, 3 strides to another pole, 5 strides to the last pole, angles were all a bit funny - but made me ride. Took a few times through before we got that.
Following on from that, the first single pole went up to a small fence, as did the last two pole through the bounce. Canter through that twice, then carry on back through the bounces and straight for 3 strides to a oxer, 20m half circle to the next oxer - YAY good pony straight through that.
Rinse, repeat - add in another line - continue after the oxer through change of rein to the right, 15m turn off the end and back up over two verticles one stride apart. Done, not perfect, but he left his knees down over the first verticle, and rubbed, learned and picked them right up over the second verticle! Repeat one more time.
Change things up a little... over a tiny icky thing that set one stride off the rail going across shortways... make the turn to the left around the end to the second oxer (I'm going to put a picture in of the arena now so it makes sense), land go to the right over the verticles again, land to the left back to the same oxer, to the right, through the bounces and over the last oxer. Fence height went up significantly for this... rubbed them, and we lost rhythm through the bounce so we did it one more time.
PERFECT - such a clever pony, and the trainer was really really positive.. considering last lesson I had with her, I got yelled at, told to get off the horse and convinced to leave it there for training for a week with her!!
Another lesson tomorrow with someone different again that has been recommended to me before the next horse trial in the weekend. I'm half packed to go already!
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It went really really well, short sweet and to the point!
Started of in trot on both reins spirraling in, and leg yeilding out - easy peasy.
Same in canter - this is where is amazes me sometimes, one thing - one little itty bity thing can make such a big difference. I explained how he had been leaning on me... so for the circle to the right, all the trainer told me was, don't let the inside contact go, and allow with the outside to let him keep coming. BING! Got it straight away.
Next we had 3 poles set up in a bounce, 3 strides to another pole, 5 strides to the last pole, angles were all a bit funny - but made me ride. Took a few times through before we got that.
Following on from that, the first single pole went up to a small fence, as did the last two pole through the bounce. Canter through that twice, then carry on back through the bounces and straight for 3 strides to a oxer, 20m half circle to the next oxer - YAY good pony straight through that.
Rinse, repeat - add in another line - continue after the oxer through change of rein to the right, 15m turn off the end and back up over two verticles one stride apart. Done, not perfect, but he left his knees down over the first verticle, and rubbed, learned and picked them right up over the second verticle! Repeat one more time.
Change things up a little... over a tiny icky thing that set one stride off the rail going across shortways... make the turn to the left around the end to the second oxer (I'm going to put a picture in of the arena now so it makes sense), land go to the right over the verticles again, land to the left back to the same oxer, to the right, through the bounces and over the last oxer. Fence height went up significantly for this... rubbed them, and we lost rhythm through the bounce so we did it one more time.
PERFECT - such a clever pony, and the trainer was really really positive.. considering last lesson I had with her, I got yelled at, told to get off the horse and convinced to leave it there for training for a week with her!!
Another lesson tomorrow with someone different again that has been recommended to me before the next horse trial in the weekend. I'm half packed to go already!
26 Jan 2014 - Central Districts Horse Trial
New Season started with the Central Districts Horse Trial in the weekend just been!!!
Quick update (10.02.2014 - photos added)
Few days late but the weekend can be considered a success... or not depending on how you look at it :/ I was wanting to wait for results to be posted so I knew where we ended up overall, but I haven't seen them yet.
Saturday was the drive down, and my oh my, after a hour I almost turned around and went home. Pencil was NOT happy.... when I stopped to see what was going on about 20mins into the 3.5 hour drive the pin had come out of the bum bar again and it meant the partition was swinging open/shut on him... so that would account for all the moving around he was going, got some twine and tied the darn thing to the bum bar and the other side and off we went again. He was better but still not standing still like he normally does, and a lot of either pawing or stomping going on, pulled over to check on him again thinking maybe the twine has snapped - nope nothing. So I just shrugged my shoulder and drove on trying to ignore the stomping and carrying on as much as possible before it got me stressed out - I had to remind my self to let my shoulders relax/drop a few times. Last 2 hours of the trip went MUCH better! Phew. Got to the grounds and YAY course looks awesome, everything looks awesome, only 5 odd other trucks/floats there so I got to park directly in front of Pencils yard (yus for not lugging gear around!) Turns out, one of the boots on the offside hind had dropped down to his fetlock and he was likely kicking at that annoying him (note to check I've done them up properly! - never done that before).
Let him have a walk around, threw him in the yard with some hay/water, cleaned out the float (note I need a hose to take with me in future to make it easir as theirs was to short).
Hopped on and went for a ride around the place to check it out, see where everything was, found my dressage arena, the showjumping and the xc start. Did 15min of schooling since I hadn't done any all week (whoops), put him up for the night, friends had arrived and parked next to me so I hung out with them and helped with their 3 horses. Plaited up, and walked the xc course.
Got a little bit boozy with friends and before I knew it, it was 1am and I freak out race to bed knowing I'm riding at 8:50!!! Stupid stupid LOL... turns out it didn't matter, the moon shone on my face in the back of the wagon and woke me up hourly anyway.. no sleeping in for me.
Dressage time, got on and went over, a little bit of a pain as his old owners came along and started to talk to me as I was warming up - I didn't want to be to rude, but it was at my own detrement - 10mins warm up probably wasn't enough, before I stopped to talk to them he was going lovely and kindly, soft and relaxed. When I picked up to carry on, he got tense and distracted - DOH. I thought the test was average, and it was... turns out average isn't that great.. can't have been any toerags in my class we ended up last! I was a bit peeved about it, but when I read the comments it was all extrememly fair and relevant - lack of straightness (true), fussy in the mouth (true), loss of rhythm (true).. so 43 penalties was fair... on the most positive note of the whole test we actually halted square and facing at OUR judge.. something we had not managed to achieve to date! Excited for my friend as she was sitting in 2nd after dressage (same class).
Showjumping... ICK, le sigh.. I am SO SO dissapointed in myself there, and Pencil... 4 FOUR rails... horse, could you please please stop being distracted and pick up your feet. It was NOT pretty, he warmed up ok, but motoring at the fences, not rushing but not relaxed and rhymic... in the ring - and BANG distractions galore.. the truck, the people, the filler on the ground beside the ring... (here I think - give him a chance, he has done 8 SJ rounds in his life) but still... grrr. Afterwards I think, I should have slowed him down and asked for more, but sometimes you get in the ring and everything flies out and its just getting through the round that you concentrate on... not each individual fence.... that is one thing I MUST improve on this coming weekend.
SO we reach the highlight of the day! XC! YAY GREAT PONY, he did SO SO well. Ok, maybe not SO SO, but SO well. LOL. The goal, and one and only goal I set for myself was no stops at fence one and two. ACHIEVED. YUS. Good Pony - so proud.
Doesn't mean he wasn't sticky though - so to achieve my objective, the idea was to FLY out of the start box, as I normally just wind up to a canter after trotting out... He is a funny horse because he warms up fantastically, goes, comes back, jump out of stride, and then we go to leave and boom, its goners. Anyway, we cracked on into a canter straight out of the start box and I was PUSHING him to GO. Got to the first fence, he got a 1,2 with the whip when he backed off, and another one with the whip when he broke to a trot - but jumped it from the trot and landed and weeeee off we went.
Fence One - Red numbered are my fences
Fence 2 - its ugly, no ground line, up hill and camber isn't right... we trotted and got a smack to make it over this one as well - they also opened the flags out so where the girl is standing could be jumped too.
Fence 3 - what a UGLY ugly fence, luckily we didn't have the shadows to deal with when jumping, he got a bit wiggly and rather close to rapped it.
Then there was a decent gallop down to the tree line in the distance of that photo
Fence 4 - this had me a little worried because it was in the shadows, and will be dark and gloomy when its time to jump the next day, the gallop stretch helped, but still trotted the last stride and popped over it. Then it was a curving line straight off this to the next fence. What was worry as well, is all the trucks and floats were parked and thats all you could see through here the next day, no paddock...
Fence 5 - had me a smidge worried leaving the paddock where all the horses were, and its a large fence (luckily sun wasn't a problem), I was rather thankful when I got here, because Pencil could see a horse in the distance further on in the course, but he was very very wiggly and we just about missing the darn fence, jumped it from trot again and on the angle! Happy he jumps from trot so easily!
I then cracked on, gave a smack and a hoi up to get moving - was over this sticky trotting business...
Fence 6 and 7 - normally this would be a A and B fence, with the related strides... but because it was different number meant we could circle between them if needed. Sucked back a little, but cantered through these really nicely, I was really pleased with how he went through here.
Fence 8 - rut rooo.... we erm, ah, had a extra er pass at this one... directly between the jump and the tree... rather than going over the fence. Because I had cracked on at him, we were going a littttlllle to quick, and when he goes faster, sometime the steering responses decrease... never mind, we came around and popped over it nicely second time. What you also can't see is there was a lot going on here with major corner complex and we were right under the trees... so probabaly should have accounted for this some more.
Fence 9 - 90 degree turn off the corner, popped over this (from a trot again), and off for another stretch to move out for a gallop.
Fence 10 - meant to be more of a galloping fence, but we trotted the last stride in as he had a wee look
Fence 11 a/b - under more trees, skinny on a curve and the a fence wasn't really small - this was the fence that had me the most worried and where I expected to have issues... but no, we still trotted into it (BIG effort) and made it through
Fence 12 - there was another long stretch to this, where you can see after is the water complex which was AWESOME, and I went straight over this, carried on and down into the water.. turn left around the "island"
To the left of this pic, we came up out of the water up a small step, 2 strides and over the roll top (Fence 13) you can just see, then turn hard right and back into the water over the small logs (Fence 14) you can see flagged on the RHS of the pic.
Looking backwards at them from Fence 15 just out of the water... these can be a little tricky if the horse is sticky coming out of water, especially up a bank... luckily this was low enough you can trot over it.
Fence 16 a,b,c - up a bank with a small ditch in front (you can't see), down the bank, 4 strides and over C.
Fence 17 - straight forward but a slightly funny line off the C above, I'm standing at the back of C... we cantered this one!
Fence 18 - I nearly come off him here... as you can see - its not that visible, and Pencil nearly tripped over it!! Jeepers creepers, how would that be for bad luck to fall off between this and the flags.
And that was the xc course of 3600m - phew... tired pony and pip at the end - but grinning like mad!
Quick update (10.02.2014 - photos added)
Few days late but the weekend can be considered a success... or not depending on how you look at it :/ I was wanting to wait for results to be posted so I knew where we ended up overall, but I haven't seen them yet.
Saturday was the drive down, and my oh my, after a hour I almost turned around and went home. Pencil was NOT happy.... when I stopped to see what was going on about 20mins into the 3.5 hour drive the pin had come out of the bum bar again and it meant the partition was swinging open/shut on him... so that would account for all the moving around he was going, got some twine and tied the darn thing to the bum bar and the other side and off we went again. He was better but still not standing still like he normally does, and a lot of either pawing or stomping going on, pulled over to check on him again thinking maybe the twine has snapped - nope nothing. So I just shrugged my shoulder and drove on trying to ignore the stomping and carrying on as much as possible before it got me stressed out - I had to remind my self to let my shoulders relax/drop a few times. Last 2 hours of the trip went MUCH better! Phew. Got to the grounds and YAY course looks awesome, everything looks awesome, only 5 odd other trucks/floats there so I got to park directly in front of Pencils yard (yus for not lugging gear around!) Turns out, one of the boots on the offside hind had dropped down to his fetlock and he was likely kicking at that annoying him (note to check I've done them up properly! - never done that before).
Let him have a walk around, threw him in the yard with some hay/water, cleaned out the float (note I need a hose to take with me in future to make it easir as theirs was to short).
Hopped on and went for a ride around the place to check it out, see where everything was, found my dressage arena, the showjumping and the xc start. Did 15min of schooling since I hadn't done any all week (whoops), put him up for the night, friends had arrived and parked next to me so I hung out with them and helped with their 3 horses. Plaited up, and walked the xc course.
Got a little bit boozy with friends and before I knew it, it was 1am and I freak out race to bed knowing I'm riding at 8:50!!! Stupid stupid LOL... turns out it didn't matter, the moon shone on my face in the back of the wagon and woke me up hourly anyway.. no sleeping in for me.
Dressage time, got on and went over, a little bit of a pain as his old owners came along and started to talk to me as I was warming up - I didn't want to be to rude, but it was at my own detrement - 10mins warm up probably wasn't enough, before I stopped to talk to them he was going lovely and kindly, soft and relaxed. When I picked up to carry on, he got tense and distracted - DOH. I thought the test was average, and it was... turns out average isn't that great.. can't have been any toerags in my class we ended up last! I was a bit peeved about it, but when I read the comments it was all extrememly fair and relevant - lack of straightness (true), fussy in the mouth (true), loss of rhythm (true).. so 43 penalties was fair... on the most positive note of the whole test we actually halted square and facing at OUR judge.. something we had not managed to achieve to date! Excited for my friend as she was sitting in 2nd after dressage (same class).
Showjumping... ICK, le sigh.. I am SO SO dissapointed in myself there, and Pencil... 4 FOUR rails... horse, could you please please stop being distracted and pick up your feet. It was NOT pretty, he warmed up ok, but motoring at the fences, not rushing but not relaxed and rhymic... in the ring - and BANG distractions galore.. the truck, the people, the filler on the ground beside the ring... (here I think - give him a chance, he has done 8 SJ rounds in his life) but still... grrr. Afterwards I think, I should have slowed him down and asked for more, but sometimes you get in the ring and everything flies out and its just getting through the round that you concentrate on... not each individual fence.... that is one thing I MUST improve on this coming weekend.
SO we reach the highlight of the day! XC! YAY GREAT PONY, he did SO SO well. Ok, maybe not SO SO, but SO well. LOL. The goal, and one and only goal I set for myself was no stops at fence one and two. ACHIEVED. YUS. Good Pony - so proud.
Doesn't mean he wasn't sticky though - so to achieve my objective, the idea was to FLY out of the start box, as I normally just wind up to a canter after trotting out... He is a funny horse because he warms up fantastically, goes, comes back, jump out of stride, and then we go to leave and boom, its goners. Anyway, we cracked on into a canter straight out of the start box and I was PUSHING him to GO. Got to the first fence, he got a 1,2 with the whip when he backed off, and another one with the whip when he broke to a trot - but jumped it from the trot and landed and weeeee off we went.
Fence One - Red numbered are my fences
Fence 2 - its ugly, no ground line, up hill and camber isn't right... we trotted and got a smack to make it over this one as well - they also opened the flags out so where the girl is standing could be jumped too.
Fence 3 - what a UGLY ugly fence, luckily we didn't have the shadows to deal with when jumping, he got a bit wiggly and rather close to rapped it.
Then there was a decent gallop down to the tree line in the distance of that photo
Fence 4 - this had me a little worried because it was in the shadows, and will be dark and gloomy when its time to jump the next day, the gallop stretch helped, but still trotted the last stride and popped over it. Then it was a curving line straight off this to the next fence. What was worry as well, is all the trucks and floats were parked and thats all you could see through here the next day, no paddock...
Fence 5 - had me a smidge worried leaving the paddock where all the horses were, and its a large fence (luckily sun wasn't a problem), I was rather thankful when I got here, because Pencil could see a horse in the distance further on in the course, but he was very very wiggly and we just about missing the darn fence, jumped it from trot again and on the angle! Happy he jumps from trot so easily!
I then cracked on, gave a smack and a hoi up to get moving - was over this sticky trotting business...
Fence 6 and 7 - normally this would be a A and B fence, with the related strides... but because it was different number meant we could circle between them if needed. Sucked back a little, but cantered through these really nicely, I was really pleased with how he went through here.
Fence 8 - rut rooo.... we erm, ah, had a extra er pass at this one... directly between the jump and the tree... rather than going over the fence. Because I had cracked on at him, we were going a littttlllle to quick, and when he goes faster, sometime the steering responses decrease... never mind, we came around and popped over it nicely second time. What you also can't see is there was a lot going on here with major corner complex and we were right under the trees... so probabaly should have accounted for this some more.
Fence 9 - 90 degree turn off the corner, popped over this (from a trot again), and off for another stretch to move out for a gallop.
Fence 10 - meant to be more of a galloping fence, but we trotted the last stride in as he had a wee look
Fence 11 a/b - under more trees, skinny on a curve and the a fence wasn't really small - this was the fence that had me the most worried and where I expected to have issues... but no, we still trotted into it (BIG effort) and made it through
Fence 12 - there was another long stretch to this, where you can see after is the water complex which was AWESOME, and I went straight over this, carried on and down into the water.. turn left around the "island"
To the left of this pic, we came up out of the water up a small step, 2 strides and over the roll top (Fence 13) you can just see, then turn hard right and back into the water over the small logs (Fence 14) you can see flagged on the RHS of the pic.
Looking backwards at them from Fence 15 just out of the water... these can be a little tricky if the horse is sticky coming out of water, especially up a bank... luckily this was low enough you can trot over it.
Fence 16 a,b,c - up a bank with a small ditch in front (you can't see), down the bank, 4 strides and over C.
Fence 17 - straight forward but a slightly funny line off the C above, I'm standing at the back of C... we cantered this one!
Fence 18 - I nearly come off him here... as you can see - its not that visible, and Pencil nearly tripped over it!! Jeepers creepers, how would that be for bad luck to fall off between this and the flags.
And that was the xc course of 3600m - phew... tired pony and pip at the end - but grinning like mad!
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