Tweseldown BE90 20-05-12

Finally back out eventing again! Unfortunately the long gap did not do Monty's dressage any favours - he knows exactly what happens at Tweseldown after the boring dressage and couldn't quite control the inner giraffe! Posted the same score as the BE90 back in March (36) - not great although the section leader was on 30.5 so not a high scoring section.

Onto the SJ. Course causing carnage in true Tweseldown fashion. Full of dog legs and related distances. Eliminations, cricket scores all for the norm. No time to walk the course so watched a few, most making the doglegs look nigh on impossible and then warmed him up. Jumping well so in we went and he flew round - fabulous round but just breathed on the planks behind as I got him in a little deep so 4 faults - bit disappointing but best round he's jumped in ages so still happy He made all the distances and lines easy. Think there were only about 8 clears in the entire section so 4faults still good. He's been clear at every comp since September and I think even orange ponies are allowed a pole every now and then!

Then quick change and onto the XC. Managed to get a lead on him early and lead him in and around the start box, in the front, lead off, turn around and go - much better than last time's airs above the ground! He stormed the course. Came in 24secs under time and I hadn't pushed him. He made the horrible brush box to corner at 6 and 7 look so easy yet it was causing so many problems there was even a little crowd gathered there to watch! Walked my line about 10 times yesterday as it was on a slight right hand curve with a left handed corner so pretty technical for this level but he locked on and jumped like a pro.

permission to post given from the photographer.

Resized to 95% (was 425 x 386) - Click image to enlarge

video of last fence:

Exactly a year since our 1st ever BE - how much that pony has taught me in a year - he is amazing! Finished 9th out of 33 in the end today  5th top ten finish of the year out of 5 outings! Next stop BE100 at Borde Hill next Sunday - cant wait after today. He just ate it all up and made it feel so easy. He didn't even break a sweat! 

XC schooling and gallops visit 16-05-12

due to rain and some drama at the yard pony ended up having Mon/Tue off so on Wed afternoon we toddled off to LMEQ for a quick reminder on solid fences pre Tweseldown.  Pony jumped really well - water was v deep so didn't canter through it but he sploshed in it happily.  He took me into fences, including trakehners and ditches.  I took him into the triple brush - he was thinking every which way other than over but I just kept chanelling and he jumped it fine.  It's probably Novice height and width so a challenge but one he should answer by now.  I might take him schooling at T/down before the BE100 there in July so we can pop over the house to triple brush as they do seem to be one thing he's a bit sticky at.

Then took him on the gallops and did 5.5 furlongs at a fast canter followed by 6.5 furlongs at a steady gallop which he seemed happy with.  Good work-out for him so happy with that.  Got home and dropped trailer ramp to unload him and there was blood coming from his left nostril.  None on the floor of the trailer though so bit bemusing - either whacked his nose in transit or a very delayed post exercise EIPH.  Not a lot could do as bleeding stopped fairly quickly but will monitor for any sign of a recurrence.

Then the physio came and said he was looking really good on the trot-up and on the lunge.  Bit tight behind the saddle again but loosened off well with H-wave and some manual manipulation.  Next check 3mths.

Had day off Thur, short hack Fri and schooling yesterday - just half hour as very hot but he worked well.  Ran through BE95 nicely :)

Catch up

So, last blog entry was on 8th May.  That was a week ago.  What have we been up to since?

Last Wed tried a new way of lunging - draw reins from bit behind elbows and up onto the withers, no roller or saddle.  He seemed to go nicely like this, was really working through from behind, over-tracking well.  Only thing was that he always chucked his head up in the right canter transitions.  Wish he still wasn't finding this so hard to do correctly.  Only did 20mins and he was sweating nicely so good quick way of exercising him in a correct manor.  Will try to do this weekly.

Schooling on Friday evening - seem to remember him warming up nicely and then having a mental breakdown on the right rein again once I'd picked him up.  Once we'd had a big discussion about how to go nicely he then knuckled down and produced his best stuff on both reins.  Not sure why we have to have a big discussion before we can work nicely - he gets so silly.

BD at Pachesham on Saturday morning.

Warmed up nicely - must not let him curl to the left.  Must try and carry hands equally in front of me and sit up. I let him do most of the warmup rounder and lower to encourage him to relax which seemed to work well as he then picked up nicely.  Must not try to overbend him to the right.  So used to him overbending to left that I'm trying to create the same on the right which he just cant do and I dont want that anyway!

First test: P19.  Same judge as in Nov at MW last wkend.  64.09%.  =3rd out of 13 in the qualifier but also beat the opens so overall =3rd out of 16.  Won £2.50 lol!  Only 5 marks behind the overall winner.  He actually did a nice trot-canter right over X transition - amazing - he can do it when he wants!  Test mix of 6's and 7's. 7766 collectives.  Unbalanced canter to trot transitions, tilted head on trot circle right, she doesn't like his FWLR - 6 again, inconsistent stretch.  Again, said lots to like though.  Needs to be more prepared and uphill in transitions.

Then onto N22.  Started off ok then managed to forget the medium trots - put me off a bit.  hate going wrong when people watching.  First medium trot then didn't happen at all but he did try something in the 2nd one.  Rest of it went ok but he didn't feel as secure into the contact as he can be.  Just missed out on the 62% mark due to my error.  Ended up 10th out of 16 in the qualifier but would have been 7th without my mistake so not too bad as a lot of potential for more.  The girl we beat by 2.5% in the prelim beat us by 3% in the Novice and won it so plenty of potential for us to bring in bigger scores.  Sam's lovely horse Rocky ridden by SJ Lanning was only 3% ahead of us too and he then got 70% plus in the Nov qualifier.  Wish we had done that class instead but thought we liked N22 as 2x FWLR double marked.  He only got 6 and 7 though so didn't gain much there.

Then Sunday went to LMEQ for SJ lesson with Lucy Thompson.  Started off through grid of 4 canter poles then an upright which he popped through easy peasy, dead straight time after time no probs in a lovely rhythm.  Then she put filler in final part and put it up a couple of holes and for some reason we fluffed the canter poles and he nearly stopped at the final jump - naughty pony!  He did jump it but ended up hugging his neck!  Got told off for getting in front of the movement - mustn't go up his neck until he jumps!  We changed grid into 2 poles, upright, pole, spread and he mostly did it nicely but was a bit careless and knocked it down a few times.  Followed grid with tight turn left to upright and gradually built up into bigger courses.  Awful fail over one jump off a right hand turn, lost the momentum round the corner, thought he was gonna go, chipped in, caught me off balance and acted like I'd socked his teeth out (sure it wasn't that bad!) 2nd last course we did was fab - met everything spot on just concentrating on keeping the canter rhythm and letting him do the jumping.  Last one wasn't quite so great but still not bad and jumps up to 1m including arrowhead to finish.  Must really concentrate on keeping leg on round corners and riding forwards out of them, esp on R rein.  Generally pleased with him though.

Schooling 08-05-12

hmmmm is what I have to say about today.

Initially worked in really really well.  Super soft and stretching over his back on both reins, good trot-walk-trots on both reins.  Really in front of my leg - determined to use calf aids and not to keep nagging him and he was great.  We did some leg yield in a longer, rounder outline on both reins trying to keep the softness - much tougher on right rein but got something acceptable when he doesn't panic and run across like a crab.  Canter was good, could G&R both reins and keep him down and round.

Gave him a walk break and picked him up again but aiming to still keep him down and round but he came all sucky back at me.  Hate him like that - refused to take the contact forwards, kept ducking behind it over and over again.  Swinging his quarters in on both reins and when I made him put them out and bring his shoulders in he had a temper tantrum.  Threw his toys out big time on the right rein, could feel him about to rear so put him back on the left rein, re-established softness and then back onto the right rein again.  Couldn't get him to soften in the trot-canter transition but did get some ok trot/canter again but took me ages just to establish trotting a nice circle in a nice steady contact.  Do not like the sucky back dropping me thing.  Even when I put legs on to try and ride him up into the contact he just sits behind the contact, neck tight, back tight - yuck yuck yuck!

Finished with a nice stretch down in trot on both reins which he was happy to do nicely.  Debating what to do with him rest of this week now.  Dont want to do too much schooling but equally need to establish him into contact again before Sat.

He has got physio next Wed which I am hoping will loosen him up to the right again as just last couple of wks he seems to be finding right canter harder again.

BD on Sat at Pachesham - P19/N22 so nothing too technical.  First tests with him officially registered.  Huge classes - website says Novices full so suspect 30 odd in each class - eek!

Sat night Laura's hen do then Sun evening 5.45pm got SJ lesson at LMEQ with Lucy Thompson.  Want someone to push our boundaries a bit more than RW did - have got into BE100 at Borde Hill so need to go and jump something bigger than 90cm and hopefully with a bit more enthusiasm than on Sat.

Debating some sort of energy supplement for him as he just feels a bit lacklustre.  Bet he wouldn't have been if I'd taken him on the fun ride yesterday though - pesky pony!

SC&RMA fun ride 07-05-12

Dan and Llewi had a fab time at the fun ride.  Llewi was very well behaved, Dan less so!  Llewi felt tres wonky on anything resembling hard ground and rather unfit.  He jumped a couple of small logs ok, refused to jump some small tyres until given a lead - seems to have lost confidence jumping which is a shame as the first ever time I took him XC schooling he was a lot bolder than he is now.  Not sure if his leg means he lacks confidence to jump anything bigger than a foot high.  Will keep an eye on things.

Dan seemed to have a ball and was looking sound as a pound - love him!

Slighty dryer wk 30-04-12 including unaff MW 06-05-12 and RW lesson 05-05-12

Pretty sure the week wasn't too exciting - spent schooling time establishing walk to canter right and trot-halt-trot after having the bright idea to enter an Elem on Sunday.

Friday had the saddler who checked saddle and said still fitting him fine as although settled a bit, he has filled out a bit.  Check again in 3mths or so.

Sat was Richard Waygood lesson at Farley Hall.  Monts felt like he couldnt be arsed from the word go.  Started over a small upright on a circle offset from centre line - tripped over it a few times.  Had to get the canter back on the circle then ride forwards to the fence.  Fence went up and then progressed onto including it in a course, jumping it then changing direction on landing, related 5 stride distance upright to oxer round to a dogleg - nothing bigger than 3ft and he jumped it all (apart from 1st part of related distance 1st time) but didn't feel very sparky about it.  Made the jump on circle harder by approaching it from behind oxer but he jumped it well every time.  Then did the 2 fences down the centre line so they were on an acute angle with 3 strides between and he made it look easy both times - done that exercise before - no probs.  So, nothing bad to say but he didn't inspire me today.


Jumping largeish upright on a circle:
http://www.waynejonesphotography.com/ag16878

Oxer:
http://www.waynejonesphotography.com/ag16883

Jumping largeish upright again but turning the opposite way afterwards:
http://www.waynejonesphotography.com/photo14796388.html
http://www.waynejonesphotography.com/photo14796390.html

This is my fave one - attacking the oxer:
http://www.waynejonesphotography.com/photo14796398.html

Jumping angles - this is 2 fences on acute angles with 3 strides between them taken on a straight line down the centre of the school.  quite a challenge but Monts has done this exercise before so it's just fun for him.
First one - love the way he's got his toes touching!
http://www.waynejonesphotography.com/photo14796476.html

2nd one - interesting jumping style from the orange one but we let him jump the way he likes coz it works for him!
http://www.waynejonesphotography.com/photo14796461.html


Sunday, was due to go to Badminton to watch XC  so when that got cancelled wondered what else we could get up to.  Our dressage has been slowly improving but still needs lots of work so elected for some unaffiliated dressage at Merrist Wood.  We did N35 last week there at the BD and came =2nd on 66.92% under List 2 judge so feeling more confident about what we're producing in tests these days.  Looked at the tests on offer for today - thought about the prelims as that is what we have to do eventing but they're a bit boring so looked at the novices.  N27 fine - good practice for RC Champs in a few wks time.  N28 - boring test.  Feeling brave looked at the Elementaries.  E42 - looks a lot more interesting than N28 and no harder than N39 which we've done before so put my entry in!

So, we started with N27.  This seemed to go quite well.  He doesn't like the right hand arena and can get really silly but we got that under control on the first trot round and he behaved well in the test.  Haven't really got a medium trot yet and our final halt was skewiff but otherwise not too bad.  Amazed to find out we came equal first out of 20 with 65%.  Judge is List 5 and not renowned for being over-generous so very pleased with that score from her.  She said "A lot to like and work with.  Just losing balance at time and some transitions could be smoother"

First centre line:
[URL=http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2703862440048766437qszAQe][IMG]http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/50300/2703862440048766437S425x425Q85.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Non-existant medium trot:
[URL=http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2196701150048766437eDZmfK][IMG]http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/16920/2196701150048766437S425x425Q85.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Bit of canter:
[URL=http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2132984060048766437GQTdYD][IMG]http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/44922/2132984060048766437S425x425Q85.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

So, then onto E42.  A week of trot to halt, halt to trot and walk to canter had improved these elements but nowhere near established yet.  First halt he stepped one way and the other before managing a lovely square halt, then failed to do a medium across the diagonal but it picked up after that.  Walk to canter right happened albeit a bit stickily.  He went a bit wild in the first medium canter but otherwise all went well.  Slightly tired by the end - not ridden an Elem since Dan 6yrs ago - forgot how much harder they were!  We had a List 3 judge who said "Fair test showing some nice work.  Needs to take more weight behind for the medium work".  We scored 64.1% which I was gobsmacked with.  Just got 5's for first medium and walk to canter right.  Plenty of 7's though - all of his canter left work, both his half 10m circles followed by counter canter, FWLR, 6second halt etc.  7677 collectives.  We were 3rd out of the 10 people doing the Elem.  It was a mixed class with Novices and Mediums too and we came 6th out of 15 altogether so very happy with that.  He has come on leaps and bounds in the last couple of months - really pleased with him :biggrin: