Rest of the week and Tracey dressage lesson 29-09-13

On the way back from Liphook on Wed stopped off at Hankley and went for a nice just under 2 hour hack.  Lots of power walking and a good 4min canter as well as some other shorter ones although didn't do too much trotting, definitely kept a steadier pace than usual for one of our hacks as giving him a chance to get used to new shoes.

Thursday we did some lunging including over poles in the draw reins.  This seems like the best way to do poles with him as he relaxes over his back whereas under saddle he always tries to hollow.  Raised poles are especially useful to get him flexing his hocks.

Friday did a short flatwork session and he went really nicely.

Saturday did a short gridwork session.  Started with flatwork and he was going beautifully but then moved onto the gridwork and he really wasn't very enthusiastic.  He never is about jumping at home but god he can be lazy when he wants to be.  He was really having to use himself in the grid as built up to fences on bounce strides only about 2ft high but good gymnastics for him.  Then took away 2 parts of the grid so had pole to 2ft fence to pole to 3ft fence.  Finished on that.  Hope he puts in more effort on Tuesday!

Today had a dressage lesson with Tracey.  Lots to remember - going to jot down the most important points to remember:

• have done well getting him straight into both reins but he needs to show more suppleness and be more into the outside rein now
• if he tilts his nose lift inside hand up
• he tends to motorbike round the turn onto the centre line so remember to lift inside hand up
• look right up and ahead on the centre line
• when coming back to trot from canter, bring outside leg forwards and step into outside stirrup to get the trot transition
• in canter when collect him need to speed him up and when extend slow him down so he takes bigger, slower strides and shorter quicker strides
• lateral work is the key to getting him connected
• don't forget to let him stretch but make him really stretch and flex at the same time
• work on changing the flexions inside to outside and back again making sure can G&R the rein to the inside of the flexion in trot
• make sure he bends through his whole body, not just his head and neck.  on the circle think travers then changing flexion to renvers

Vet/farrier check-up at Liphook - 25-09-13

Eamon checked him out first - trotted up sound, then lunged him on the hard and he was pretty much sound both reins.  Definitely the best I've ever seen him, not just this year but ever.  Then lunged on the soft and Eamon said he was moving really well, bending better through his whole body and definitely going better than he had seen him go before.  Weighed him and he weighs 502kg.  Was happy that he had lost weight and was looking fit.  He did say he needs to walk more.  He is sensitive in his lumbosacral region as well as his thoracolumbar and needs to build up his strength behind with some power walking.  Not sure where I'm getting the hours in the day to do this but will try!

Farrier was also happy with how his feet are continuing to improve - his front feet are much more of a pair now.  We seem to have rescued the left fore which was looking absolutely awful in April.  His frogs are still too long and pointy so still work to do but big improvements.  He watched him walk afterwards and was really happy with how he is placing his feet.

Happy to say he doesn't need remedial shoeing anymore, just needs to continue to be shod in this way.  Set free to find myself a farrier to continue the good work - now there's a mission and a half!

Plan to get new farrier to shoe him a couple of times then return to Liphook for Ross/Eamon to have a look and retake some foot xrays.

Cracking on

Tuesday we did some flatwork- he had stood in for the day as the weather was awful so wondered if he might be a bit stiff but clearly not as he worked superbly.  He was forwards and soft and we even did a passable trot HP on both reins!

Wed I hired Parwood and we did some SJ first - warmed up over a few separate fences working on rhythm and forwards canter.  Then strung together the course they had built which unfortunately was entirely on the left rein apart from the approach to the first 2 fences which were a related 4 stride distance off a sharp right bend - not the easiest start but he jumped a fab round just tipping the last fence with his back feet - not sure if he realised it was a bit higher than the others or got a bit flat by the end but hoping that's our pole for a while!  I was really pleased with keeping the forward rhythm and kicking on into the related distances/doubles and he jumped great.  We did then try and string a few together on the right rein but not sure if it was the right rein or him being a bit tired or me just not riding as well but we did get in close to a few.  Gave him a short break then went out for a play on the XC - first time XC since Tweseldown in July.  He was awesome - ground was great and he was flying.  Taking the odd stride out and not chipping in with short ones.  Soooo bold through the water, didn't notice the ditch, happy with steps up and down and flew the hedge rails.

Thursday very pleased he was nice and sound after Wed's XC so just did a lunging session.

Friday did some more flatwork.  He was initially a little resistant on the right rein but with lots of transitions he softened and then did some nice work although not quite as nice as Tuesday.

Sat we went to the gallops at Bramshill with a friend and her ex-racer.  Had a lovely canter round to start with then let them fly before attempting to regain control for another steadier canter.  Good boy and he tried hard with another horse to go upsides with.

Sunday we went to Hampton sponsored ride with Becky on Llewi and a couple of others.  Montster was excitable and rude - just the way I like him.  He boinged over all the jumps easy peasy, including the meatier ones and seemed happy on his feet.

Monday - trot up fine after the weekend's exertions - phew!  Physio happy with how he was moving and said he was looking good.  He was still sensitive in his back in the usual place and she still thinks he might have some close DSP's but I'm not inclined to investigate when he's going so well.  She wasn't so convinced by the hock theory and I don't think it's made a huge difference to him but there we go - it was worth a try.  Something makes him fail a flexion in his right hind and it's not his back.  If it's not his hock then maybe it is his old hip injury - maybe I'll never know!

Today - day off

Tomorrow - back to vets for check up and see farrier again

Mark Corbett private SJ lesson - Parwood - 11-09-13

Wednesday afternoon we had a SJ lesson with Mark at Parwood.  I said we needed to work on getting the right canter and keeping a rhythm rather than worrying about strides.  We started over a x-pole, then upright then oxer.  He asked me which was the most useful jump he did for a warmup and I didn't know but he said it was the upright that he got slightly close to and had to really use himself to get over so that was useful to know.  

We then strung together a few related distances and a one stride double concentrating on keeping him flowing forwards, especially around the turns and not giving him too long a run up to a fence but to use the corner beforehand to have him into the outside rein and sit him back on his hocks.  We did a combination on a curve which he walked for me on 5 strides.  I got the first part ok, got halfway to the second part and thought I was going to struggle to get there on 5.  I really really wanted to hang onto his mouth for 6 but I was really proud of myself for putting my leg on instead and reaching it on a nice 5 on an open, forward stride and he cleared it brilliantly.  Mark said he is a horse who needs to go with his head up to keep the engine coming through from behind and that he jumps better off an open, forwards stride which is good to hear.  I knew the first bit but the second bit should make me even more determined to ride forwards and not hook him back and kill the canter.  

We finished round a tricky, twisty course and the first time I messed up the sharp right turn to the related 3 strides, held him to the first part, got in far to deep and had to chase for 3 strides (although I didn't hold for 4 so that's something at least!) and he had it down, then came through the double and turned the wrong way so we stopped and regrouped.  I got the turn to the related distance wrong because it was a sharp right turn and he tried to take off with me across the school before that so ended up pulling him round and leaving his engine in the next county.  We did the course again and got that bit better, did the double ok, remembered to turn right, did the horrid right turn to oxer across the centre of the school angling it slightly and totally didn't ride forward round the turn and held him for a short one - not ridiculously short, but not the open stride we'd been working on.  Then had a sharp left turn before the related 5 stride distance to finish which again rode easily forwards on 5.  I felt he jumped well and forwards although he was a little stuffy over some of the smaller jumps and felt I had to carry him a bit - the bigger ones felt no problem.  

I need to work on:

• getting this forwards rhythm more consistent
• resisting that temptation to hook (or to chase) but just to keep the forwards rhythm
• remember the outside aids round the curves/corners.
• balancing him better around the sharper corners
• thinking ahead

warmup jump:

oxer after the curved 5 stride distance:

upright - 1st part of the curved 5 stride distance

dice jump:

looking for my oxer on the curved line:

2nd part of double: 

Catch up

Last entry was for Wellington Area Festivals.  Since then we have mostly been schooling at home, working more on taking my stirrups away and improving my core strength.  Done a couple of lunging sessions and he is willing to work in the draw reins again in the right canter which is a good sign.  We did a little jumping session at home, nothing big as struggle to get up enough power in the small school but working on keeping the canter forwards round the turns - I built a corner with a fairly acute angle and an upright to jump on an angle plus a small oxer and he jumped them all well, if a bit lacking in enthusiasm.  Straight as a die at the angled questions though :)

To cheer him up I have taken him out on hound exercise twice with the Kent and Surrey bloodhounds.  This brought back the old Monts - he was bouncing and boinging whilst still managing to be perfectly well mannered.  Today we jumped a few little hunt jumps and he boinged them no probs.  We opted out of a lovely little hedge as others were misbehaving rather a lot and I didn't fancy crashing into someone plus had to keep Llewi company as didn't want him jumping the hedge.   He was very much sound last Monday so fingers crossed he is tomorrow.  The ground was lovely today - really nice amount of give in it.  We did a small stint of steady trot on the road but not much at all.  Crossed some typical hunting country - banks, ditches, streams to jump - all quite exciting but I am sooooo paranoid about his legs/feet now I'm not sure I enjoyed it as much as I used to.  Think will be picking my hunts carefully this season.

Wellington Area Festivals 3rd/5th Sept 2013

Tuesday was the first day of the Area Festivals at Wellington.  We started off with warming up for our Area Festival test.  Did some walk lateral work, a little trot/canter on each rein letting him stretch.  Then did some sitting trot-walk-halt-trot work and some trot lateral work with a bit of canter work.  Finished with some trot shoulder in.  Took him into the International Arena and he was trying to gawp at the stands so stuck him straight into canter, inside flexion and away we went, nice medium canter down the side, bell went so back into a lovely trot and he did a super test, probably one of the best I've ever had from him.  The attempts at spooking gave him some presence and elevation but he remained obedient and accurate.  Just boiled over in the medium walk and jogged for a stride which could have been expensive but we were far enough behind 2nd place for it not to matter.  Was really chuffed to get 67.74% and come 3rd out of 24.  Judge at E (Alison Duck) gave him straight 7's until his 2nd medium trot when he just dropped to a 6, then a 5 for medium walk and 6 for final halt with straight 7's in collectives.  Judge at C (Mary Robley) gave a couple of 8's (for counter canter to trot and first centre line) but a few more 6's, a 5 for his 2nd medium trot and a 4 for the medium walk.

Photos here:
http://www.nicolaelliottphotography.co.uk/holehouserussellunderhillsykeswood

 

So, we got to do another mounted prize giving which basically counted as our warmup for our music test due to timings.  Whizzed him back into warmup to have a quick trot round and then into the Novice Freestyle.  He was a bit heavy on my hands but was just about forwards enough and the floorplan finally worked!  Really chuffed to score 70.36% and come 2nd so get our Regionals qualification.  Got mostly 7's, 8 for his trot circle left, 6 for medium trot, 7.5 for music.  Judge said needed more suppleness which given his lack of warmup wasn't surprising but super score for him.  He was 3rd overall in a big class, just beaten by the Open and Restricted winners.

Day off in the field on Wednesday then back again on Thursday for the Prelim Area Festival class.  Adopted the same warmup as on Tuesday and he did another lovely test barring a massive stop and stick head in air spook as he turned off the centre line because someone decided to walk behind the judges boxes - shows how much attention he was paying to me - doh!  Sadly he is not really a plus 70% horse as he's just not quite wow enough and you needed 70% plus to come 8th or higher.  We ended up 11th which is daft as we were 12th in 2011 and he was shite then!  Standard has improved loads.  We got 68.64% which is still a really good score for him.  Judge at C was Alison Duck again - she gave him straight 7's and an 8 for his FWLR but sadly only 6's for his first 2 movements due to spooking and then what she said was a large 15m circle although going on the video I'd beg to differ!  Judge at B was Jo Black who wasn't quite so generous.  One more mark and he'd have been 10th.  Time to move on with Novice/Elementary though - he comes into his own when the movements are harder and he can show off his obedience and accuracy.

Long wait in the heat until time for our Elem Freestyle.  Warmed up outside this time.  He did some lovely rein back to canter and simple changes but his leg yields were lacking sideways movement and suppleness.  Test was in the indoor arena again - it was ok, but he was anticipating moves and not really in front of my leg.  The leg yields definitely lacked suppleness and he fell out through his shoulder quite impressively both ways.  15m canter circles at A wouldn't be his strong point so I'll move back to putting them at the side of the arena.  His simple changes were lovely - probably need to shorten the amount of time I walk for but at the moment he needs that time to relax and if I rush them they will decrease in quality - definitely still a work in progress.  Floorplan didn't work at all.  Tried to do canter into circle into simple change and then wanted to do counter canter to medium canter across the diagonal but music changed as I was going into counter canter so need to tweak that again!  Not entirely sure medium canter to counter canter is something he'd do well at the moment so need to have bit of a rethink on the entire canter floorplan.  Will see what judges comments were as well.  We got 67.1% and came somewhere like 5th in the Restricted which is ok given it wasn't the best test he can do.  Waiting for sheet to arrive in post so can see marks.  Judge was Mary Robley again.