Nearly didn't end up going to Oldencraig on Friday as got to the yard and it was snowing heavily. Venue said going ahead though and the snow stopped once I got Monty in so off we went.
Unfortunately Oldencraig is like a bog if they've had any rain. Got parked in the horrid back car park which was disgustingly muddy. Went off to the warmup arena and it was a revolting bog. Monty didn't like going through the boggy bits and so our warmup was rather disasterous. Went into the International arena for N39 and there was a lake down one side. Pretty spooky arena and he was having a good gawp around. First centre line felt v wobbly and he stuck his head up in the halt, nothing much happened in the medium trots, poked his nose in the FWLR but the canter work was nice except breaking after the G&R because of having to go through the puddle (shame as the G&R actually wasn't too bad for him). Ended up 4th out of 5 on 62.75%. Not an awful score considering the break which cost us a percent. Anything over 60% at Novice BD still keeps me relatively happy. He got 5's for his medium trots, 6's for most of the trot work. Pretty much straight 7's for the canter work which is v encouraging. 4 for the break in canter. 6 for the stretchy trot as he didn't consistently stretch - too busy being nosy - she said steadier hinds needed so can stretch more which I interpret as he was running. 7 for final centre line and 8 for final halt. Collectives 677 for paces, 66 for impulsion, 65 for submission (straightness underlined), 77 for rider. "A willing horse showing some promising rhythmical work. Now needs to work from behind, over his back through to a more consistent contact" Judge: Pauline Velten List 4
Took him back to trailer for 10min rest then had a quick 10min warmup before going in for music test. 1st time in the indoor for him - he didn't like the seating area much - he's nearly as bad as flipping Llewi with spooking! Test went ok though - floorplan worked v well given I was adlibbing! Didn't think he went too bad but judge wasn't impressed. Have had her before and pretty sure she didn't have much nice to say about him then either. Disappointed with 61.66%. All 6's except 7 for FWLR and 8's for both halts. His final halt was horrid - he yawed into it so dont know what she was watching by that point. 6's for all the artistic marks too - v unimaginative - I mean 2 of the marks are for choreography and music so even if you didn't like the horse they should get some decent marks given they always have before hand. Just a couple of 7.5's which is normal for that music would have given us plus 65% and a qualifying score :( "Attractive horse but he needed a little more impulsion and softness over the topline" Judge: Bridget Beresford-Wright, List 3
So, set off to Simon lesson on Sat with lots to work on. Mainly his submission on the right rein as it's gone seriously tits up recently. Explained about not being able to get medium trot which we established was due to the fact that he has gone very banana on the right rein and if not straight then no way can do medium trot. Had to establish he wasn't lame as gone so crooked and tight but Simon happy he didn't look unsound in any way which has been playing on my mind. Got physio on Wed for him anyway just to check him over esp after his tumble the other day. We did an exercise first in walk, then in trot which he did fab when bent to the left but awfully resistant on the right. Come round off the short side, change bend, leg yield to centre line, 1/2 10m circle back to track and shoulder-in. Was really chuffed with how he did it in trot with left bend - really secure leg yield and then not a bad attempt at shoulder-in. From the videos can see that he is tending to offer me too much angle but when I try and straighten a little he goes too much so just need to make sure not asking for too much. Even on the right rein he was giving me the angle, just not the softness in the rein. We then did some work pinging him round the school to try and establish that he could give us a medium trot which he did. Didn't do any canter work as not really having problems there at the moment. Went on to work on the large turn on the forehand exercise on a 10m circle which he did fine, wt bearing on the R hind no probs. Also did some work half passing in from the big circle into a walk pirouette - be careful not to make the pirouette too small at this stage and lose the crossing ending up pivoting. V clear on the video but also v easy to feel when doing it correctly. V V easy on left but not v good on the right so need to work on that a bit more. Then straighten, out onto big circle and into trot and not looking sore at all - Simon likened this exercise to a flexion so again happy he is not lame but has just gone really crooked and need to really work on straightening him over next few wks before next competition. Trot ended up being much softer and less crooked. Instructions to do lots of longer, rounder work on the right rein, dont even think about bringing him up in front at this stage - just get him stretching over topline and working equally into both reins. His reaction when he tenses is to completely solidify his lower neck muscles so he cant possibly submit. Need to keep them softer by keeping him lower in front for a bit.
Onto hunting today. Frost on the ground this morning but hunting still ok to go ahead as ground good up on the downs at Kingsclere. B&B drag today. Few people there I knew which made it much nicer. Stayed at the back with them on the first line, and just let him pop nicely over the little tyre jumps without interfering with him at all. Then 2nd line moved up to the front and he jumped all the bigger tyre and log jumps really well - great stride to them all. Then it went a bit wrong at a big upright going uphill when he took offence to me holding him, chucked his head in the air and only just made it over. Then a long v steep uphill stretch where he felt really quite tired and wasn't entirely convinced he felt sound but found out later he had lost a shoe so probably explains that. Got to the top and had to jump a massive tyre jump where we got striding a bit wrong and ended up putting in a short one and jumping v off to the right. Flew the next one though - similar one to most of the ones on the top of the down - meaty upright hidden in some flimsy hedge so looks a bit like a hedge but really do need to clear them or the rail inside would catch them out - luckily he's not one for going through hedge. 3rd line was all the big tyre jumps then the rails/brush. Jumped all on the way up well, missed out the bigger hedges at the top as he was tired from the climb up and just popped the little tyre jump alternatives then did a couple of bigger ones with open ditches in front of them to finish. Final little line back was just a good gallop on the downs, popping a couple of tiny fences then a couple of rail/hedges to finish but he was def tired by this point so not jumping as fab as at the start. Bounced all the way home and looked fit to go round again but his brain thinks he's fitter than he really is I think! He's taken the shoe off with no damage to his foot luckily so should get that nailed back on in next couple of days - really need it back on for physio on Wed as sure she will want to see him trot up.
BD Jungle Book floorplan
halt at D
diagonal line off to the left hand track and into circle right 15m
change rein - 2 half 10m circles
circle left 15m
round track to walk
medium walk to free walk to medium walk on 3 loop serpentine
canter left
20m circle, 5m loop, 15m half circle and back to track, counter canter, change leg
medium canter on 1/2 20m circle
20m circle right, 5 loop, 15m half circle and back to track, counter canter, change leg if time.
back to trot, medium trot across diagonal.
3 loop serpentine
down centre line and halt
No comments:
Post a Comment