Valentines Fun and Hard Work

It is a year since I got back from my travels. This year Valentine's Day was spent having some pleasing schooling sessions. Risby offered a very uphill, clean right to left change so I ended the session there, and Charmeur's canter was the best its been and felt more balanced. Straightness is the issue I struggle most with on Charmeur, and without mirrors or eyes on the ground daily I have to be very very careful to think about how to react to what he does. There was a recent post on the Horse and Hound forum about riding and weight aids being intuitive, hence why waste time learning the theory. This is totally incorrect and a load of nonsense. Unless you've been taught and hence ridden correctly since day 1, at times you have to struggle against what feels instinctive, and do the exact opposite. The only way to correct a crooked horse is to be 100% straight yourself and understand diagonal aids, plus have a good feeling for what the hindlegs are doing. Hopefully you should also have a good trainer who truly understands straightness as people often seem to be confused over it, or deny the importance of it/their role as a rider in it.

After a hard day of riding I was treated to a lovely meal with wine and chocolates :-)

The following day, after the horsebox was finally repaired, we managed to get Risby to his lesson. My lovely friend Becca came with us to help. The sun was actually shining and I had been looking forwards to this for a long while. To get to June's school you have to walk around the edge of a field, and Risby found the mud rather scary and tiptoed his way through. Maybe he was just being precious about his white bandages ;-) He also eyed up the puddles in the school with great suspicion. Honestly, this horse needs to go out and do some cross country!

Warming up: rhythm + suppleness = contact

I had told June about Risby's history and what his main issues were, mainly to do with the contact and keeping him working positively into both reins. He can become tense in the jaw at times which obviously results in a total block through his whole body. I have had lots of trainers' opinions on how to solve this but everything had seemed like a bit of a quick fix. Yes, riding strongly forwards into the contact works as long as... you continue to keep riding strongly forwards, but then what? Yes, playing with the fingers will keep him there... as long as you keep playing. Yes, making him very round will keep something in the reins... as long as you hold him in this position by front-to-back riding. And at the very worst, yes draw reins will fix the contact... but then take the draw reins off and what happens. You get the picture. Some of these options may have their place at certain times, but in general they are not dealing with the cause, which in this case is primarily tension through the poll, leading to cramped tension in the longissimus dorsi muscle. Instead, I had spent the last month trying to ride the nose out as if the reins were sticks, not allowing any curling or ducking behind the bridle, and trying to maintain a soft, elastic contact with a still hand and fingers. As I weigh 7 stone nothing and Risby is a good 16.3hh now and has very big paces, I need to find methods that are easy and work without relying on brute force, needing arms of steel (never a good idea anyway. I always feel slightly scared around riders with bionic biceps!)

Getting the canter relaxed and supple...

June had some excellent advice which was kind, gentle and very effective - by asking for outside flexion before anything else and really working to get him totally connected with the outside rein, yet without giving away the inside contact at this stage. Risby has always felt like a laid back horse who you need to remind every so often to keep going forwards. However, we didn't start the session by driving him forwards too much at all. When everything came right, rhythm, suppleness and straightness, he offered the impulsion naturally without me having to do anything more than apply my inside leg on the circle. Sounds so simple, but it took time to get him soft enough through the poll, accept my aids and become more through. As June often says, it is important to remember where impulsion comes on the training scale, it is not the first thing to focus on. Yes, ride your horse forwards and straight, but don't rush your horse forwards and crooked.

... so that the back can really lift and swing

His canter then felt fantastic, loose and easy. Afterwards, he started to really relax his whole body, snort and start to want to stretch the contact more forwards downwards. I always think of my German teacher Herr Plewa stressing the importance of a non clamped, swinging tail and relaxed ears as the most obvious signs of Losgelassenheit :-) I am always careful to only allow the stretch out millimetre by millimetre, making sure he remains working into both reins evenly and doesn't become too light in the hand. We finished the session by walking back across the school, spooking at patches of mud and fallen logs. Very entertaining Risby but you seem to have forgotten all that hacking we used to do at David Rumsey's old yard with 100 acres of orchards!

Using counter flexion

So I'm feeling we've made a significant breakthrough today, which will hopefully result in him finally developing more topline, impulsion and wow factor, but still in a relaxed and easy way. Its so nice when everything just flows but if it doesn't, remembering to go back a step, or even two or three steps, re-establish the missing foundations and carry on. How often do we actually do this? So lost in that narrow thinking space of "I must get this exercise right today to make this a successful schooling session." I am becoming more and more of the opinon if the walk and trot aren't even right, why attempt to canter, its surely asking for even more problems, or at the least, magnifying existing problems. Don't get me wrong, on a genuinely stuffy horse I would tally ho around the school until he was off my aids, but I'm talking about working to actually improve the canter.

Definite lack of topline and at times, a very bendy neck, but watch this space...

His lateral work is established and his changes are coming, but its just the basics I am going to focus on for the next few weeks. He had definitely used himself in a different way today as he seemed much more tired at the end than usual, and finished by stretching nicely.

Foaming mouth, soft eyes and ears, stretching forwards into the contact.

A relaxed picture by the end I would say.

We got home and Becca then had a little lunge session on Charmeur. I was impressed how good he was, he hasn't really had anyone else on him, and Becca hadn't cantered since last Summer! It was useful to be able to watch him from the ground with a rider on board, and I can see clearly how he naturally carries his quarters to the right.

The following day Risby worked on what we'd learnt on the lesson. The trot and canter came much quicker but he still wanted to tense his jaw in the walk, so I spent most of the time working on that to soften him. Going from free walk to medium walk and back, playing with flexions. It might look to outsiders like I'm just walking around, patting him at times, but its amazing how much you need to concentrate on something so simple. Like making sure my weight is predominantly on my inside seat bone and down through my inside leg, whether his back legs are following his front (he's very sensitive and any flexing exercises can lead to inadvertent travers if I'm not careful), whether he's even in both reins, whether he's tilting his head, whether I'm tilting my head because I'm concentrating so hard... The list always feels endless! I'm lucky however that he doesn't ever lose the correct walk rhythm.

I took Charmeur for a hack with Hayley and Toffee and we had great fun splashing through a stream and gallopping across fields. We are planning a picnic ride when the weather is better haha! Dressage rider one day, over aged Pony Clubber the next!!

Charmeur not too sure about the water!

Today Charmeur wasn't quite as exhuberant in the school as he'd been on his hack! I had to work hard to get his full concentration, and remind him that I had an inside leg on the left rein. Lots of leg yield, straightening work and transitions. I think the sudden increase in temperature plus him still being fluffy is not helping. So I'm not too worried about his lack of fizz, I'm sure the spring grass will soon put an end to that. Risby went walking in the field today and just did light work in the school, again, focusing on the relaxation in walk.

So ends another productive week and lots more to come next week :-)

Jan/Feb Training Update

What a busy few weeks its been, in between thick snow and torrential rain. Its very frustrating when its start-stop all the time, but I’ve had plenty to organise when I’ve not been able to ride, like which new bridle to buy Risby :-p Oh and I'm all booked for Germany so roll on September! On a more serious note, the 2013 diary is getting booked up with teaching and judging, plus I have some shows lined up. I think having a deadline really helps to make your riding more efficient.

Risby came back on January 10^th from his Aunty Julia, and has settled into his new home extremely well. He loves his windows, and has several friends he can "chat" to. He can even watch the other horses in the school if he fancies learning some new moves. I wanted him to just chill for a while before bringing him back into proper work. I have been working on suppleness as he can become tense at times, and also on getting the contact much more steady and keeping the poll up. He has also been hacking and had a jumping session, probably the first time he’s done both in over a year. I think variety is crucial for dressage horses to keep them fresh both mentally and physically. I’m totally of the opinion both dressage riders and horses should be brave, and I look forwards to taking Risby for a good blast across the fields or round the canter track at the yard. After his jumping session his trot and canter were hugely improved, his back was really swinging and the contact was the best its been. I am really excited and very lucky to be able to compete him this year.

Risby in his new stable Jan 2013

I had planned to take him for a lesson to my trainer June Long on 8^th February so she could finally meet him. A few days before I thought I’d better start the horsebox as its barely done anything all Winter and I just had this inkling something might go wrong… Sure enough it decided not to start, even after charging the battery. My very kind friends Nikki and Pete (who’s a mechanic) came to look at it and diagnosed a couple of minor problems which were sorted out. The next day I drove it to fill up diesel and was driving back when the engine totally cut out on a dual carriage way! All good fun. Luckily it started again but a few warning lights remained on. Basically, this all put an end to me taking Risby for a lesson and the horsebox was sent off to the garage.

June very kindly offered to let me ride her schoolmaster Algie instead. Initially I wasn’t too sure and almost thought, “not another horse to ride!” I think I’d just had a pretty tiring week with a lot of riding hours. However, I was so glad I did and I had the most amazing session. Algie is a 16.3hh Irish bred gelding who has a lovely temperament. He has been competed by June’s daughter, Emily. He’s a little tricky initially as you really have to know which buttons to press, and the warm up was spent just getting him soft through the poll. We then did some straightening exercises and he went on to work really nicely, and wow what a lovely, rideable canter he has. June is a fantastic trainer and I left the session on a very positive high, with Risby pencilled in for the following week, horsebox permitting.

Riding Algie

I found the lesson translated really well when I next schooled Charmeur. Like Algie, he is also a right bended horse and I have to be so careful where I place my weight when riding on the left rein. I used the same leg yield exercises on him and practised changing the flexion often so that he started to take more contact on the right rein. His left canter still needs more work to get him straighter and into my outside aids. But I’m really pleased with him considering he’s barely done anything all Winter and has only been in proper ridden work for 9 months now. Once he’s all fit and muscled up (and lost his Winter fluff) he’s going to be great. We also had a fun fast hack out with our friend Hayley on the pony she rides, Toffee. The best way of opening up the canter is on a windy day through a huge field, spooking as you go... it will also help with your depth of seat!! Remember that dressage people ;-)

Jack has been behaving himself as usual and I am excited to be helping a new little rider with him who is very naturally talented and also keen to learn. He is a real schoolmaster and he always tries to please. So his work is cut out now as it looks like we may both be competing him this year. It was a shame our show got cancelled at the end of December, which would have been his first BD and we had planned two Novice tests. Hopefully we will soon pick up where we left off 

Check back soon to see if Risby finally made it for his lesson :-)

Training in Germany

Many people have asked me what it was like doing my trainer exams in Germany, and the difference between them and our BHS system. As I have experience of both, and have just booked to sit my Trainer B exams in Germany this September, I thought I’d both refresh my memories and share my thoughts.

After several years of juggling a full time job, an 80 mile round trip every day to ride my horse who was then stabled at Oldencraig, squeezing in schoolmaster lessons at weekends (as I don’t believe its possible to stay riding fit/supple/balanced by training just the one horse), plus often helping friends with their riding problems, I realised something had to change. I wanted more hours in the saddle, more free time to watch and learn, plus not have to end up eating a dinner of Tesco sandwiches in the car whilst driving back home at 9pm from the yard! My bookshelf was already full of everything from Seunig to Belasik to Podhajsky, and I was training at the time with Eileen O’Connor, a pupil of Franz Rochowansky of the Spanish Riding School. So I knew I wanted to pursue my interests in classical riding but wasn’t too sure where to start. I considered moving abroad to train in Europe, I also looked into courses at places like Talland, and I researched the BD Apprentice scheme. In the end I thought I’d take my BHS Stages locally and go from there. David Rumsey, whose yard I spent 18 months at, also encouraged me and we had a long chat about careers in the equestrian industry.

It was quite fun to be studying something I enjoyed, but it wasn’t long before the health and safety aspects started to grate and I felt this was taking me further away from what I was actually interested in. I sat my Stages 1 and 2 before deciding this wasn’t what I wanted to do. I think the BHS system is really valuable and a very useful framework, but the riding side of it just didn't coincide with what excited and drove me. A while before this I had spent time at the riding school in Verden and made friends with a Bereiter there, Alina, who came over to stay with me and helped me train Risby. I knew this was more the style of training/teaching that I was aspiring towards but I wasn’t sure how to balance this with my day job. I was also inspired by my dear friend Dr Selene Scarsi who kept her horses with Susanne Meisner in Germany, whose yard I had been to visit and had been amazed by the standard of riding and attention to detail. Selene really made me believe that anything was possible. She herself lived in Italy, worked in England and kept her horses in Germany… a remarkable feat of dedication that made me stop moaning about my 80 mile daily trip!

So I started to research trainers in Germany who I could take Risby to for a few months to get the ball rolling. My top choice was my all time idol, Hubertus Schmidt. Eileen also recommended Ulla Salzgeber highly. Imagine my surprise when both these world famous riders were kind enough to e-mail me back and accept me for training. Wow, this was really happening! I chose Hubertus in the end and to say I was both excited and nervous was an understatement. But sadly it wasn’t to be, as due to a change in personal circumstances Hubertus was then unable to take anyone for training that year. I was gutted, it was too late to make alternate plans with Ulla as her schedule is just so hectic. So it was back to the drawing board.

It was not long after that an amazing opportunity opened up. My good friend Tracey who also trained with Eileen, had come across courses in Germany that were taught in English. They were recognised by the IGEQ which meant they enabled successful participants to join the BHS register. The first stage was the Trainer C, equivalent to the BHSAI. This sounded just what I’d been looking for. Whilst the course lasted a month, there was much preparation and reading to do before hand and it was aimed at people who were trainers already. Luckily most of the course books were already on my bookshelf so I relished the challenge to learn them in more depth. I had to submit a video of me riding and even that made me feel quite nervous, I wondered how critical they would be!

So Tracy and I started studying frantically, discussed our teaching together, and soon found ourselves heading to the airport in September 2011. Just before the course was the Bundeschampionate, or young horse championships, in Warendorf. There we met up with Selene and also Charlotte Goodall, who I had met through the Horse and Hound forum. Selene’s husband Ben, a journalist, had very kindly managed to get us free passes too. What a weekend it was, to see such phenomenal riders having produced naturally talented horses into something very special. In the past I had volunteered at our BD Young Horse Championships, but this was something else on a much bigger scale. Even the pony riders were just unbelievable and so mature in their riding and ring skills. The stalls were also pretty impressive, full of the latest bling, and I treated myself to a super light and comfy Uvex hat.

                                                        Bundeschampion 2011

After an inspiring weekend it was time to put everything into practice. We headed to the Westfalian Riding School which is just outside Munster and met Linda Christie, the course organiser. Originally from the US, Linda had spent many years working and training in Germany and she made us feel welcome immediately. Our accomodation was at the school itself and reminded me of uni halls, with a shared kitchen and communal area. I shared a room with a lovely German girl called Katherina, who would also end up being my partner during our teaching sessions. She was younger than me but having been taught the German methods her whole life, she was a fountain of knowledge and while she helped me with my riding theory, I hope I helped her a little with her English. We were also joined by students (or rather, trainers) from Canada, Norway and the US. Trainer A, B and C are all run together so it was really useful being around others who had different experiences from their own countries. The first night we all went out for a lovely dinner and got to know each other.

Entrance to the riding school

The first proper day started at 6am with yard duties followed by a good breakfast of cheese, rolls and tons of coffee! I met my flatwork horse, Amicelli, a laid back chestnut. However our first lesson was outside and laid back Amicelli was actually incredibly spooky, so much so I could barely keep him on a 20m circle which made me question whether my aids were totally incorrect for use on German horses. It was very windy mind you. Our dressage trainer Andreas was lovely, very firm but very passionate to see us improve. Luckily all the other sessions were inside and Amicelli was good as gold, although it transpired my 20m circles were still not accurate enough for Andreas! It was tough work but as I'd been taught in Germany before I knew we'd be picked apart on our basic riding.

My jumping horse was to be a slightly quirky bay called Colorado. Here was a totally atypical German horse that did not work in any sort of outline, you had to ride him HIS way or he just stopped at fences. A schoolmaster if there ever was one! We had assumed (or rather hoped) our first jumping session would be an introduction to ease us in gently. I should have guessed, in true German style we were flying round an entire 1m course by the end of the first lesson. I'm not a nervous rider, but there was so much new theory which I'd never been taught before in England and so much emphasis on correct riding as in flatwork (outside aids, contact etc) that I was so worried about making a total mess up of it. Our jumping teacher Lena was incredibly knowledgable in her field, and expected very high standards from us all.

In the end I decided to try a different jumping horse, Robert. He was a feisty little bay who just wanted to whiz around everywhere, much more my cup of tea and not unlike my old Junit. I clicked with him straight away although I wasn't quite used to that level of exhilaration anymore! I was always worried when Lena (heavily pregnant) would stand really close to the jumps whilst we were flying around, she obviously trusted my control far more than I did! Colorado was ace round the cross country course so I kept him for that.

Many hours were spent practising our teaching on each other. I had the tough job of having to instruct Katherina which really made me think as she was already a super rider. We also had to learn to lunge in a different way to what I'd practised recently for my BHS Stage 2, with more importance given to the horse's correct way of going. We were extremely lucky to have the head of the school, Martin Plewa (forner coach of the German National Event Team) teach us riding theory. We also spent a lot of time on the lunge ourselves, I got to canter in a racing saddle for the first time which was great fun, we attended various lectures, we tried out Balimo and did floor exercises, plus visited some fantastic tack shops (I was very good and only treated myself to a new Pikeur belt :-P)

Katherina spoilt for choice. Notice all the Pikeur labels, heaven!

We visited Ingrid Klimke's yard and she was really lovely and showed us all her top horses. I found it particularly interesting watching her "in-hand man" (yes in Germany there are people that just start young horses and do ground work) working a particularly hot black horse. There was a calm yet workmanlike atmosphere at the yard.

I was ecstatic to find we would be visiting Hubertus Schmidt's yard :-D I have never felt so in awe around a horseman before despite having trained and been around many top and Olympic riders. When he rides, Hubertus is just naturally part of the horse, everything is effortlessly brilliant and fluent. There was an incredible amount of energy in that school, not just because there were 5 or 6 outstanding riders all riding advanced movements, but the horses are trained to be electric and offer their riders everything, and more. Several horses Hubertus rode looked very "average" as they came into the arena on a loose rein, warmed up in a relaxed and supple way, but wow did they come alive as soon as he picked them up. Such a transformation! And totally in accordance with the German methods. Oh, and all the stallions wear pink bandages, fantastic!

                                        Photo by Brett Ingram

 

 Hubertus talking to us (faints!)

I was lucky to even spend my birthday in Germany. Michelle (originally from Canada but currently a trainer in Norway) very kindly produced a bottle of wine from her room and we left the revision for a while. I remember thinking how 10 years ago I was just starting my university degree and here I was, back as student, taking yet more exams in a totally unrelated field! Life is as interesting as you make it.

Our kitchen, some wine, some kitchen roll and some dubious looking takeaway!

Despite all the excitement we were very aware that our exams were looming. Andreas upped the tempo, Lena really pushed us with our jumping coaching skills, and in the evenings it was text book time. Our first exam was a 3 hour written paper based on the GNEF book, The Principles of Riding, aka The Riding Bible. In case you couldn't guess, I love writing, so sailed through that one. Herr Plewa had taught us thoroughly so I finished the exam feeling fairly confident.

The day before the ridden exams we were frantically plaiting up our horses, cleaning tack and boots. I was very glad I'd learnt "the proper" way of polishing boots all those years ago as I felt this was one of the situations it would really be noticed! We then walked the XC course we'd be riding the next day.

Katherina walking the course in her own way ;-)

The main exam day was one of the longest and most tiring days ever. We started with yard duties as usual, then we had to sit the Basispass which is a basic stable management exam which you must sit before the Trainer C. We then took the lunging exam and I actually found it really interesting discussing with the examiners. It was very much based on applying our theory knowledge to the actual situation. For instance, did we understand WHY we were doing what we were doing, what were the benefits to the horse, was the horse equally supple on both reins? Why had we chosen the auxiliary reins we were using? How could we use lunging to improve this particular horse?

I was then examined on my ability to teach dressage. It was pretty daunting having two German examiners and I could not even guess how it had gone. Then I had to ride the dressage test I'd been practising on Amicelli. I totally fluffed up the medium trot, lost the balance, and overall it could have gone much better. Next I had to teach jumping to 2 riders and that actually went quite well, I felt confident and there was a definite improvement through the session. By this time I was pretty shattered already, and had to do the showjumping on Robert. I wish I'd grabbed a snack as I felt pretty faint! The jumping is judged on technique and not just whether you go clear. Perhaps due to my tiredness, Robert for the first time ran out of a fence and I panicked a little, but pulled myself together then completed the course. I slid off him and was relieved to then have lunch!

Next we had an oral exam on riding theory. We had to critique some riders and horses, talk about what was correct and what wasn't and how it could be improved. Our final test was a XC course with 17 obstacles including a water complex. Herr Plewa himself would be watching this one and he picked me to ride first, yikes! He joked that the round would be timed, but that put me in a really determined frame of mind. Colorado would NOT stop at anything! I have never ridden so positively in my life, we flew over everything, finishing with a big splash through the water... what an amazing adrenaline rush! I immediately felt sad I wouldn't get the chance to ride that again. I started to ponder if in fact I should take up eventing?!

Colorado and I



We found out our results that evening and Tracey and I were over the moon to have passed all sections and would be awarded our Trainer C and International Passport. We all had celebratory drinks with Herr Plewa, Linda and all of our teachers and many photos were taken. Herr Plewa (obviously impressed by our XC haha) joked he would give me Colorado as a souvenir! We said our sad goodbyes to everyone, and it was just Tracey and I left in the dorm to have a big glass of wine, reflect on everything we'd learnt, and think about our plans for the future. We were sure we'd be back to do our Trainer B... Looks like 2013 is the year ;-)

Snowy and Rainy Days

As we are still affected by the snow I thought I’d do a little brainstorm of activities to keep you motivated. We are all so good at keeping our horses warm, cosy and happy in the cold weather but do take some time off to reflect and plan. Tear yourself away from horse forums and researching matching sets and read on...

1)      Have you set you and your horse achievable and appropriate goals for this year? Review them now, you always feel more motivated after a break and it’s a good time to up the pressure. Chances are your trainer is also having a quiet time at present with the bad weather, why not discuss your goals with them? Any good trainer should be happy to help. Do you have all your dressage tests for the next level? If not buy them now, its useful to know what you should be preparing for.

2)      Plan your training for the forthcoming season if you haven’t already. Look into clinics and even residential camps for you and your horse. Many of them book up quickly so get organised now. Perhaps treat yourself to some schoolmaster lessons to give you a head start this season.

3)      Look into starting up that hobby/career you’ve always wanted, whether its equestrian art or photography, taking your BHS exams, or maybe starting your judge training. There are also home study courses available or why not take the plunge and plan a trip to Germany or Holland and immerse yourself in the horse culture over there. Use the internet, do some research, make a plan and give yourself a deadline. Perhaps get a friend involved too. Get motivated now! Imagine what you could achieve this year if you put your mind to it.

4)      Did you know that just imagining yourself riding and running through the movements in your head can create neural pathways that are just as effective in creating muscle memory as actually performing the action itself? Many top athletes use visualisation to improve performance. So go on,”virtually ride” through those dressage movements. It takes many thousands of repetitions to make something instinctive so you may as well start now, your horse will be grateful for it.

5)      Find all of your unwanted items you could sell. If you photograph them now and prepare adverts, you’ll be ready for the influx of enthusiastic buyers as soon as the sun comes out. Alternatively look into local equine boot fairs, or organise one of your own.

6)      Give all your leather a thorough cleaning and conditioning, you know once you start riding again it will be put off!

7)      Join Horse Hero (www.horsehero.com), a really useful and inspiring website to watch video clips of top riders and trainers in action. Training your eye is one of the fundamental aspects in improving your riding and very few people get to watch top riders on a daily basis. Don't feel bad you aren't able to ride, watching is just as worthwhile. But always watch good riders who you aspire to be like, set your goals high, immerse yourself amongst the best. That is how you learn and constantly raise your game.

8)      Do some stretches! Not riding for even a short time means a drop in fitness and suppleness. Make sure you are riding fit as SOON as you get back in the saddle and don’t waste precious time onboard having to regain fitness.

9)      Get yourself some decent riding books and take time to brush up on your theory, it is definitely worth it. So often we don’t quite understand the goals we are trying to achieve and we could get so much more from our lessons if we did a bit of homework ourselves. There is an extensive reading list on my website.

10)  Think about how you could use your skills wisely this year. It wouldn’t take much extra time to volunteer for the RDA, help out a local riding school or raise some money for an equine charity. Use your passion to make a difference, there are opportunities all around. If you’re more adventurous how about one of the charity rides abroad that the BHS arranges?

Don’t just read all this, go and DO IT! Good luck J

Jack Goes to Oldencraig

Horse and Hound report on Jack's trip to Oldencraig.


You may remember the Dales pony, Jack, owned by Thorthepony. She has been the most amazing and supportive owner and I feel ever so lucky. I have been schooling him 1-2 times/week for the last 2 months and despite not having any previous formal dressage training he has come on in leaps and bounds. He is such a fun pony to ride and is incredibly clever and kind. Due to the way he is built, I have been trying to get him to lengthen the neck and frame and to increase his stride length. He previously did a lot of showjumping which means he likes sneaking in flying changes and sometimes becomes excited and comes above the bit in transitions. I am being careful to avoid holding him with the hand but instead doing lots of on and back work so he accepts the leg and lets the aids more through. We thought we’d take him to OEC for an unaffiliated to see where we were (I’ve had one lesson on him with my trainer) before we start BD later this year. 

It was the worst possible weather yesterday for it! Freezing cold, windy, all the horses were spooky and tense. Jack arrived very smart, newly clipped and mane beautifully plaited by his Mum. His “brother” Thor came as a travelling companion and enjoyed munching hay while Jack was working hard. The warm up was packed and Jack was quite unsettled initially, calling out to Thor, I couldn’t get him to relax and stretch out into the contact. 



We pulled the short straw as both our classes were outside in the “spooky arena”! Prelim 19 first, I could feel he was a bit on edge as we started our test. Although the test was mistake free, our circles and centre lines had been mega wobbly as he wasn’t completely on my aids, and I must add I was a bit blinded by that icy wind! The trot-canter transitions were rather exhuberant as he literally leapt skywards into them hehe.

I think the score was a bit harsh at 61% (6th out of 11) as it wasn’t that bad, but its just one of those short tests where every single thing counts and its over in the blink of an eye. General comments were on inaccuracies as the whole thing was a bit wibbly wobbly and unsettled. 

So back to warm up for Novice 38. He felt a lot calmer and more relaxed by now. As I only taught him counter canter two weeks ago (!) I did some frantic practise, figures of 8 etc, to get it in his head there were no changes involved  




So windy his plait started to get destroyed 


"Uphill canter? Anything those pesky WBs can do so can I "



As soon as we entered the ring he felt fab, pretty much like how he does at home. I always think you can tell from your first centre line how the rest of the test will pan out, so I attacked that centre line and carried on riding as positively as I could. I was so pleased he didn’t break in the counter canter, the medium trots were good, the walk was more relaxed. Overall I don’t think at this stage in his training he could have gone any better at all. I was so pleased with that I wasn’t even bothered about the score. 



Well we were all chuffed to find he’d got 66% and come 2nd (out of 7?), beating some really smart “big boys” hehe. The most annoying thing was I did one medium trot to the wrong marker (despite having a caller, how dumb am I!!) so that was -2, so we would have actually got higher than that. He got a 7 for his paces which is great as I feel we have overcome the choppy, short pony strides, and I got an 8 for my riding which I was chuffed about. More test riding practice is what we need as everything is coming together nicely.

So overall a great day out and a positive first show for Team Jack. This has confirmed what we thought to skip out Prelim as there’s not enough to keep him occupied, and carry on competing Novice and possibly Elementary. At home I want to get all his lateral work established over the Winter and try and tidy up all transitions and work out how to overcome him anticipating everything, he’s just too smart!

Sorry the photos are huge, stupid new Photobucket. Home made chips and a glass of wine if you've managed it this far