A training round up

Wed 13th Feb - Lucy Thompson - Coombelands

Semi-private lesson with Lucy in the outdoor arena at Coombelands where they had an arena eventing type course set up.  Warmed up sweetly over couple of uprights and a XC type rustic affair.  Then moved on to working on various bits of the course before putting the whole thing together.  First time over first fence which was a good 100 oxer he crawled over it, flapped to the next fence, round a tricky right hand corner to an oxer with planks in front and then to a vertical.  Think he'd gone to sleep after his warmup or was surprised to be asked to jump a big oxer but it wasn't too pretty.  Gave him a bit of a wake-up and then cam round and jumped them again and got them spot on.  Really concentrated on lines, and opening right rein after fence 2 to get straight onto correct leg for the tricky turn to 3 which he then met spot on.  

Moved onto fence 5 a double then related distance to a vertical at 6 and had all sorts of issues.  To get to 5 had to go along arena edge straight which put us straight in line with another fence so he was locking onto that, not listening to me and then falling out round the right hand bend to the double therefore leaving hindquarters in next county and making a mess of the double.  At one point he literally put down right in front of it then somehow climbed over putting 2 strides in - not pretty at all and then kept making a hash of the line to fence 6.  So we had him working on a circle at that end and got him listening to me not looking at a different fence and then he popped it nicely.

Sharp left hand bend after 6 to a rustic upright at 7 then dogleg to big rustic oxer at 8 and we got great shot at both then onto a water tray at 9 which he wanted to have a look at but just sat up, leg on and he popped it really nicely.

Then moved onto a double of angled brushes on 2 strides followed by left hand dogleg to an arrowhead.  Again off a right bend so not our favourite and it wasn't too pretty but we got through and just kept leg on to arrowhead so he knew he had to go for it.

Finally put the whole course together with the final jumps being a vertical with skinny rustic pole on top to be taken on the angle across the arena then over into the corner where there was an in and out, then left to a corner and left again to final upright.

Course started well, but fell to pieces a bit in the middle when the double didn't go so well again and then I got a bit hooky and was seeing backwards strides, kind of flapped to the water tray and forgot the sharp right turn to the angled double so made a hash of that but actually got straight just in time and jumped it nicely.  Over to the in and out and he threw a paddy about some poles on the floor next to the jump and leapt sideways through his left shoulder.  Got angry and pushed him back over to the right and made him jump it from a trot as only small - idiot of a horse.  Fine over the out and then round to the corner - not the best shot but made it feel like no doubts he was going and over final fence.  He didn't touch a pole but it wasn't the most stylish round!  Really need to work on his concentration on me between fences but he wont come into an outline without a humongous argument so goes around with head stuck up in the air gawping at things - quite frustrating!  Also need to work on my thinking forwards to next fence, opening rein so land on correct leg and planning ahead better.  Tend to concentrate on fence in hand too much then no time to set up for next fence in a busy arena - not so bad out eventing SJ but definitely something to work on.  He is so super careful though which is so helpful.  Also think need to work more on combinations - I panic about them as if wrong to first part makes it hard to get 2nd part right and I then flap and kick or pull and upset our rhythm.

Sat 16th Feb - Simon Battram dressage lesson

Not seen Simon for nearly a year due to Monty's injury and snow meaning training cancelled.  He was very impressed with the improvement in him.  Requested to work on medium trot so we started with a walk exercise - SI on large circle then half pass in to a small circle then bringing the forehand round with the quarters in before getting out of it and trotting on a large circle.  Then moved onto shoulder-in down the long side in walk collecting the walk slightly then moving it on again, making sure to get a snappy reaction from the hindleg when moving him on.  We then did the same exercise in trot followed by trot-walk-halt to trot and then inc rein back.  Once we had done all that and he was powering through we introduced the medium trot.  It took a few goes and have to remember to sit up and ride the poll up a bit as otherwise he just plows onto his forehand but he got it and we got some fabulous strides in the end.  Played with doing SI down first half long side then straighten into medium, medium across long diagonal and rein back into trot then pushing on into medium.  Could really feel the gear change rather than just running but I think it still needs a lot of work before it's going to get decent marks.  It felt like there was a super one in there waiting to come out though.  :)

Moving onto canter work - walk to canter on the L rein followed by SI on the circle then half pass into a smaller circle asking for collection in the canter, keeping inside rein soft and guiding him round before leg yielding back out to the bigger circle.  Super on this rein - really working towards sitting enough to be calling them working canter piris.  R rein walk to canter slight hollowing but generally not a bad attempt for him on his more difficult rein (and mine!)  Not able to get him onto quite such a small circle or as collected but he gave it a really good go.  Totally dropped me in the canter-trot trans so made him repeat it and stay forwards and then finished there.

Super session - so pleased with his flatwork at the moment.

Sun 17th Feb - Rob Stevens XC - Tweseldown

Something about Tweseldown really winds him up and he didn't fail to show that today.  Didn't really help that we were in a pair with someone who's horse got naughty if she had to wait and jump 2nd so we kept having to wait and jump 2nd which brought out his seriously naughty, nappy, spinning to the left and refusing to go right side.  He was charging at the fences and not really listening to me which is a bit like he is in competition sometimes and especially there so not bad to have to deal with but slightly concerning as to how I'm going to hold him round there in a few weeks time.  He was jumping everything super - corner, houses etc and then Rob asked us to jump over an unmade bit of ditch under some trees which didn't have a good run up to it and landing was lower than take-off so only saw it last minute and he threw in the towel.  Last minute run out then full on napping and rearing about it - he doesn't like surprises!  He did that when 2yrs ago I first tried to walk him at the open ditch further round the course but jumped fine from a canter.  Dont think he likes to look at ditches esp deep open ones with water in the bottom.  Had to get a lead over it in the other direction but he was seriously sticky.  Other horse jumped fine.  Interestingly later on jumped the dry ditch that is normally in the 90 and was slightly sticky but jumped and other horse said no big style.  Strange creatures they are.

So then moved onto a house and a small brush followed by big brush which he ballooned and then the sunken road which he has done a million times so thought he knew best.  Had nice bouncy canter leading to step up but then he took charge, launched off the step down, took one big stride and then threw himself up the step up leaving behind his left hind and then cantered off feeling hopping lame - had sick feeling to pit of stomach as couldn't quite feel which leg lame and thought he had knackered his bad leg.  Fortunately turned out he was just hopping as boot had torn in a big way and was stuck round his fetlock.  He was fine once replaced it.

the knackered boot:

We then did triple brush which he popped first time no questions.  Then we did the dry ditch followed by brush and then onto the open ditch which he popped both ways from canter a little looky but never not going.  Built that up to doing ditch to 100 house followed by the full 100 coffin which he popped neatly and pleased he jumped houses well whether slightly close or a little off - he was confident to go.

Onto the water and he happily trotted through there so then did trot through, pick up canter on exit and pop rolltop fine.  So then turn round and do rolltop - leg on firmly as they sight water on takeoff, canter through water and got lovely stride to rolltop out.  That is also a 100 combination and he made it feel easy.

Finished with popping through the 100 owl-hole which is tiny and then a chair to angled rail followed by 2 beefy upright skinnies on a right hand curve which he made feel easy peasy and then charge of the light brigade over the final 90 fence and then took off with me through the finish then had major nap attack so couldn't make him walk back to find Rob and other girl - had to sit there while he reared and spun with me - he knew he'd gone through finish and was damned if he was going back to start again!  Funny old horse.

So, now am wondering why I entered the 90 as he would clearly be fine round the 100 and maybe the bigger fences would back him off a bit but then if he's going to take charge and be stupid perhaps the smaller course is better.  Mind you, that's if we get in as ballot list not up yet :(

Another dressage lesson on Wed - this time with Tracey, then BE jump training on Thur - doing the 90 but wish had entered 100 as well now as he is jumping fab.  Might take him for a blast round some gallops on Sat and then has got RC SJ Q on Sunday which at 80/85cm he is going to find tiny but we will work on rhythm and controllability and getting good turns and hopefully he'll bother to pick his feet up.