However, in a perverse way today was the best outing we have had in our short and inauspicious dressage career...
Thank heavens trainer worked us hard in our lesson yesterday...heaven knows what fate might have befallen us had he been fresher...
The first,first this time was the falling off in the warm up. In my head it was graceful, balletic even and definitely definitely not witnessed by anyone...in reality the little toad waiting until I had one foot in the stirrup and was at that point of no return where you have taken your weight off the mounting block and begun to swing it over the back before he charged off like a llama released from the gates of Hades. He didn't even look sorry! We regrouped after a quick 'discussion' about manners proceeded to clear the warm up in a very fine' passage' complete with arab tail and snorting....kill me now, I begged!!
Last week, I would have cried and gone home...what could I possibly do? My warm up involves 10 minutes of walk and lateral work..clearly not today!...There were banners!! Horror of horrors!!! Students turning out horses!!! And cows, oh killer cows!!! Somehow I found my inner dressage diva, thought on my feet and got firm...cue cantering sideways every time I shifted my weight...and paroxysms of indignant plunging...until I smacked his bottom, said absolutely NOT today...where upon he grumbled under his beard that this just wasn't fair and settled to do some work. We trotted and trotted and trotted. Then trotted some more...in for a penny I thought....death or glory...canter transition...no plunging, no running...hurrah...I had him back!!!
Today I thought on my feet, didn't give in, braved the tantrums and came out the other side...in the warm up at least!
Smugness is not an attractive trait...luckily it only fleetingly made an appearance :/
THE arena had markers!! Clearly never seen those before...lovely judge gave us a chance to trot round the entire 20 x 60 3 times, which must have felt like an eternity to her as we inspected everything at a 90 degree angle with obligatory snorting...at this point the photographer beat a hasty retreat!!
Could bore you with a blow by blow....potted version...a few 7's, 6.5's (thank the lord for half marks!!) A couple of very justifiable 3's where we exited the arena stage right :O
The old me would have retired at the first arena exit...today through gritted teeth we battled on, some really nice moments between the madness at the C end...and no one more surprised that me to have scraped 58%...as to be honest I rather thought it might have been another sub 50 for the archives :)
So, what did I learn?
I didn't give in at any of the rather substantial hurdles today!
I got back on!!
I worked him until he was calm and submissive (or at least holding it together)
I didn't retire when it went wrong
I actually came out smiling with a sense of achievement!
And more than that: How much does a frilly cheer you up when you are about to leave without collecting your sheet ;)????!!!!!!
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