competition report 12.7.14

I truly don't care />/> 

Following our DISASTER and subsequent upheld complaint by BD against FSM judge,we picked ourselves up and soldiered on!

Since leaving dressage trainers yard (financial- not fall out!  ) have struggled to get back there for lessons...I work full time, he is competing so much at the moment, felt a bit lost at all at sea for a couple of weeks  ...however, how lucky we were to fall on our feet at a yard with an advanced dressage rider who is quite the most lovely, positive, encouraging person I have ever met in the dressage world. She has 2 youngsters herself and trains with Douglas H and Sue R, and having seen her ride asked for some help...she knows other trainer and methods/theories very well, so has been a wonderful bridge between the two. Completely different style of teaching, but everything is explained in such detail it has helped me no end. Also, she is not scared of trying different things if the standard approach doesn't quite work. Having pointed out that the Small Brown one is actually quite a sharp and sensitive chap and I need to bear that in mind,be more sensitive in my approach. The introduction of the double has been a revelation if I am honest  It was initially because we were showing and he just didn't like the pelham, but I have found I ride so much better in it as I am hugely aware of hands, aids, moving him forward and up into a receiving hand. Pony seemed to approve too  
So it has been intensive work really, lots of pole work, cantering on the track to get him forward, hacking  transitions transitions transitions, but lordy it does seem to be paying off  

Apologies if this gets long, think I need to record for my own benefit...most have given up reading/commenting on my relentless drivel months ago!!!

Been feeling for a while that the Elementary style 'questions and challenges' suit him much better. He isn't good at trotting huge circles, cantering endlessly around the track for Prelim and Novice, in fact the busy-ness, engagement required and variety within paces suits him much better in his chosen role in life as a little rubber ball of tension!Lateral work is easy for him once the rider gets her shit together, and he is so maneouverable it makes it a joy when it he has a lightbulb moment with me  

Anyhow the plan was even if we come last every single time, we have to get out and conquer our collective competition nerves. Warm up has been worked on at home, so we have a long stretch in walk trot and canter (with me off his back totally so he is swinging through). Simple really but a real change for us, as I quite wrongly had been working him straight away after the Sparsholt warm up nightmare where I fell off  

We went off to Priory today to make our affiliated BD Ele debut (only training as I wasn't sure how we would be recieved! />/> ) Our unaffilated attempt last weekend was passable, still last....but 65% was 5% more than our very first attempt a few weeks previously for the riding club! />/> 

Have been struggling massively with the warm up situation and the sheer number of horses he has to contend with...choosing venues with few entries (not easy to predict it seems!!) or grass areas we could quietly get on by ourselves.
Today we had no choice...man up or bugger off.
Lord alive it was HOT...a bit like riding in an oven! />/> 
No air, humid, sweat was running down my boots just tacking up (too much info??!!)
Bizarrely, Ele was before Novice...not that it mattered...he was AWESOME! />/> 
Warmed up like a dream, coped with knobbers riding at us across the diagonal...managed a good long stretch, picked him up and he was firing really nicely despite the heat.Only did 15 minutes...seriously couldn't breath! Judge very kindly said we could ride without jackets! />/> 

Arena of doom...test 1...he hates the hedge and all that is horse killing behind it! />/> 
WE have been working hard in lessons on dealing with the spooking...for a bog pony he is surprisingly sensitive and sharp! />/> Shoulder fore has been a godsend and luckily he has thrown some shapes while trainer has been there, so have managed to work a plan out! So chuffed with how hard he tried for me. To look at us we aint a'dressage horse' that's for sure. Some super smart and fancy combinations there today...definitely the smallest and the brownest />/> It felt fine for once, a couple of moments, but felt we might have squeaked a 60% if we were lucky...if not would have been happy with 58/59% />/> 
For once I went into the arena with a bit of determination, straight into canter and shoulder fore down the hedge of doom...perfect...cheered me up significantly  

Centre line and halt felt a bit wobbly (7)...we had a discussion about spooking at horses in lorry park (4), lots of 7's (plus one for my riding />/> )a number of 6.5's and a couple of 6's( for the medium trots, but that is standard...we still have to work on that!!). 
Just so bloody chuffed with 64.4%! Such positive comments too:'Lots to like and obvious potential' being the nicest things I have read about him like ever.... />/> 

When we left we were actually in 2nd place!!! Yet to find out final potential placing (as obviously we were training so don't affect anyone else today />/> )
Less said about the Novice the better.Too hot, too flat...rider hadn't a clue were they were going...judge had to get out of car TWICE!! />/> 2 errors of course...well deserved 61.5% />/> and almost definitely last!!!

Can't tell you what it means to warm up sanely, complete a test having dealt with a 'moment' to get positive comments and feel like there is much more to come.
As if there wasn't enough love for the Small Brown wonder pony, tonight I would gladly retire a very very happy girl />/> />/>