WE continue our quest to be better before the regionals..
19 days and counting....
So, after the last two 'challenging' outings we tried a new approach this weekend....2 tests..
I have never ridden 2 tests in one day before...mainly due to my utterly, utterly terrible memory coupled with an inability to listen and ride at the same, leaving a caller redundant :(
This was an exercise, however in desensitisation for the Small Brown one who remains spooky in a test situation and a relaxation exercise for me,who remains tense in a test situation!!!
The Wise One has been working very hard with us at home in dealing with the tense moments...relax, sit into the saddle, sit up, look up, ride him forward and into a contact, to an extent let him get on with it underneath you...above all DO NOT panic!!
Wise words indeed after the shenanigans this weekend.
Small Brown is feeling VERY well, limited turnout still due to the field now resembling Lake Windermere, lots of work done, but it was a cold, bright day and an outing to boot!!
We had to park a thousand miles away from the warm up arena, unfortunately right by the entrance gate, but he seemed happy enough...minimal spooking at the puddles/horse walker/bins/shadows...lulled into a false sense of security perhaps, we headed to warm up, where he proceeded to explode!!! I realise now, he had been smacked with someone else's schooling whip inadvertantly while they passed a bit close...but cue an excuse to be a very, very silly boy!!
15 minutes of explosions quickly followed by:
quite frankly, got a bit boring after a while!! 15minutes in and I finally manged to get my leg on enough to be able to ride him forward into a proper rhythm and get a semblance of flexion...sadly not enough to have him properly on side for the first test
However!! we got through it, with some nice moments...lost marks for inaccuracies that were totally my fault...sack the rider...AND we stayed in the arena...for the entire test!!! Hurrah!!!!
Back into warm up for a quick check of both our sanity, and in for the monumental moment of the second test...I know N38 very well, but have never managed to get over 61% for it...transitions are so important in this one and tension has rendered us well, tense..
Today was the first time I came out feeling we had completed a calm and controlled test, where tension was not an issue....the outside shoulder needs work (we are hitting that hard in lessons this week) but judge commented on his lovely active paces and his great potential so I was chuffed to pieces with 64.1% from a list 4 judge.
Test pictures
Lots to work on, but lots of positives too....sooooooooooooooo pleased with 2 4th places...not last for once!!!!!!!
So happy to go home with a smile on our faces!
Read with interest Dan Greenwood's article in Horse and Hound
Spooking isn’t an issue, connection is the issue,” Dan told H&H. “If a horse is connected it doesn’t spook.”
19 days and counting....
So, after the last two 'challenging' outings we tried a new approach this weekend....2 tests..
I have never ridden 2 tests in one day before...mainly due to my utterly, utterly terrible memory coupled with an inability to listen and ride at the same, leaving a caller redundant :(
This was an exercise, however in desensitisation for the Small Brown one who remains spooky in a test situation and a relaxation exercise for me,who remains tense in a test situation!!!
The Wise One has been working very hard with us at home in dealing with the tense moments...relax, sit into the saddle, sit up, look up, ride him forward and into a contact, to an extent let him get on with it underneath you...above all DO NOT panic!!
Wise words indeed after the shenanigans this weekend.
Small Brown is feeling VERY well, limited turnout still due to the field now resembling Lake Windermere, lots of work done, but it was a cold, bright day and an outing to boot!!
We had to park a thousand miles away from the warm up arena, unfortunately right by the entrance gate, but he seemed happy enough...minimal spooking at the puddles/horse walker/bins/shadows...lulled into a false sense of security perhaps, we headed to warm up, where he proceeded to explode!!! I realise now, he had been smacked with someone else's schooling whip inadvertantly while they passed a bit close...but cue an excuse to be a very, very silly boy!!
However!! we got through it, with some nice moments...lost marks for inaccuracies that were totally my fault...sack the rider...AND we stayed in the arena...for the entire test!!! Hurrah!!!!
Back into warm up for a quick check of both our sanity, and in for the monumental moment of the second test...I know N38 very well, but have never managed to get over 61% for it...transitions are so important in this one and tension has rendered us well, tense..
Today was the first time I came out feeling we had completed a calm and controlled test, where tension was not an issue....the outside shoulder needs work (we are hitting that hard in lessons this week) but judge commented on his lovely active paces and his great potential so I was chuffed to pieces with 64.1% from a list 4 judge.
Test pictures
Lots to work on, but lots of positives too....sooooooooooooooo pleased with 2 4th places...not last for once!!!!!!!
So happy to go home with a smile on our faces!
Read with interest Dan Greenwood's article in Horse and Hound
Spooking isn’t an issue, connection is the issue,” Dan told H&H. “If a horse is connected it doesn’t spook.”
We asked Dan to share how he believes a rider should deal with a spooky horse, whether in the competition arena or while training.
1. Don’t worry if your horse’s head comes up — that’s fine, they’re allowed to take a look.
2. Keep a contact on both reins, that’s the main thing.
3. Try to keep your legs on, moving the horse towards that contact.
4. Think where you want your horse’s feet to go. From the point of view of a test, you want to keep going on your line.
5. Be realistic. If your horse is spooky, you don’t want this to become the focus of your test. Don’t confront the problem, think to yourself “I’ll get the horse through and on to the circle” or whatever.
Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/dan-greenwoods-tips-dealing-spooky-horse/#osjzfzgzjATL2Jlx.99
Very useful advice to go with everything we have learned over the last few weeks....connection, connection,connection....
Merrist Wood next week for a Novice and an Elementary...really looking forward to it now.
Love my Small Brown...
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