We worked on breaking down bits of E59 that we could improve. Starting with his basic trot - need to school him rounder and deeper so he swings more over his back and engages his hindleg better. He tends to use his back legs as pistons rather than pushing through. Transitions to walk and back to trot keeping the softness and the roundness and the activity coming through. I must remember to keep my elbows in and my shoulders soft. He is much easier to sit to when he is round and soft too.
Same in canter, rounder and softer. Shouldn't struggle to pick him up into a competition outline when needed but for schooling purposes have him down and soft. Move the canter on and bring it back, then right back before sending it on again. Transitions to sitting trot and back to canter, keeping him soft and engaged.
Some work on the trot leg yield pattern, making sure to keep him parallel and to finish the movement and not let the shoulders escape in the last few strides.
Then work on simple changes, keeping him super straight and balanced. From right to left make sure not too much left bend and not let him bulge out through the right shoulder. From left to right, keep the activity and jump in the canter on the first half circle.
Finished with some work on medium trot, half halt, balance, straight, legs on the girth, keep him round and soft and go. He actually did a couple of reasonable attempts - some actual steps of medium. Yay!!!
Went to Patchetts as needed somewhere holding E59 to practice before the Regionals. Have only ridden this test once or twice and it's a tricky one and needs some practice. Also, first time for Monty in Patchett's indoor school so not sure what he would make of it. He was actually very good bar an initial look at the glass windows in the corner. Not the best start with him moving backwards out of the initial halt and then doing his tension trot on the right rein and losing the quarters on the leg yield followed by our usual poor medium trot. Picked up after that though with 7's for halt, rein back, trot half circles and leg yield. 6.5/7 for walk work. 8 for walk to canter, 7.5 for canter-trot-canter and first half circle into simple change. 7's on the other rein for these movements. Only 6's for medium canter as she wanted more ground cover. Couple of comments about canter being on the forehand and need to make sure no bulging through the shoulder in the simple changes. Finished with 6's as final halt not square. 7, 6, 6, 6.5 for collectives. Annette Scott: "Correct paces - needs to work more through from behind to improve self carriage and develop clearer differences within the paces" Finished on 64.68% so 3 points towards Summer Regionals but only came 9th out of 12 which was disappointing. Need to get rid of those 6's and get a few more of the 7's and 7.5's.
Video missing first bit of trot due to tech malfunction
Next test was our 2nd go at M75, the hardest Medium. Was hoping for 60% and a sheet towards Area Festivals but she was pretty tough on us because I thought it was actually a tidy enough test and he tried hard, but just lacking the quality she was looking for. He managed 7's for his SI right, halt&rein back, collected walk, half 20m circle right in counter canter and his final halt. 5's for right travers, medium trots and extended trot. 5.5 for 1st centre line as trotted to halt, right HP half piri right. Otherwise all 6's and 6.5's. Straight 6's for collectives. Same judge. "Correct paces - needs to improve rhythm and tempo in the trot work and develop clearer differences within the paces" Lots of comments about keeping the activity and needing more bend round the inside leg. Pleased with him though - very tough test and he did the best he possibly could at this stage.
No wonder he struggles with all this dressage - his back legs are a foot longer than his front ones and his arse a few inches higher than his withers!
Next dressage comp is on Tuesday at Widmer Farm - never been there before so another good experience for him and another go at E59, along with E43,
Little bit apprehensive about today's clinic given our spectacular crash 2weeks ago in a similar clinic and no personal experience of Lucinda's teaching.
Started with pole work - single pole on the floor, aiming to have it dead centre of the canter stride, first on one rein, then the other, then doing a flying change over it. Have done a lot of pole work with Chris so was pleased to start with something like this and she was teaching the same as him to focus on the centre of the pole and not take your eyes off. Got praised for my good eye for a distance and Monty's adjustable canter which was nice!
Then moved on to just pop over an upright, x-pole and oxer which he was fine with.
So then onto a super skinny made of 2 jump blocks with guide rails. Walked up to it, rein back, then trotted over from there. Exactly the same as Chris made us do with skinny brush at his the other week. Then come round and trot over it which we did fine.
Onto the x-pole followed by arrowhead with guide rails. Loved having the guide rails everywhere after our blip the other week. Need to reinforce to him that no option other than forwards. He was a bit wobbly the first time as anticipated the turn to the upright we did the time before and I then took off before him which wasn't great but after that it was nice and smooth and straight and he didn't feel like he wanted to run out.
Built up to a couple of courses with a fake coffin and some tricky tight turns to get them landing and thinking rather than running away. Also practised opening up the canter down the long side, then getting them back for a tricky combination. Canter must be adjustable at all times. Bring him right back, bounce on the spot, add a stride to the vertical before the sharp turnback to the oxer. Remember to use outside aids to turn, don't pull him round with inside rein. Finished with a little right handed corner. Unfortunately didn't have time to do more work on the corner but then not necessarily a bad thing as can carry on taking our time with doing that with Chris and good for him to have a positive, fun session with nothing too big or tricky. Will add upright jump blocks into my list of things I can do at home. Also need to do lots more turns as he loves to just charge at jumps and then charge off after. More work on halting before and after to get more control and try to stop him anticipating needed. Really liked Lucinda as a trainer. She was tough but fair and clearly has some great training ideas.
Started off with doing 3 canter poles to a small fence - must concentrate on getting a stride to the first pole and then all works ok. Got it wrong once but otherwise ok.
Then we did an exercise with a x pole oxer and a tight figure of 8 thinking about opening the hand to indicate the new leading leg each time. Took me a few goes to get it but was on a roll after that. Not done that one before - good to get him thinking and me seeing a stride round a corner. Chris said that was a good one for us to be able to practice at home.
Then started working round some courses. He was jumping well, meeting things mostly on good strides.
Rode the vertical out of the corner forwards so got a nice jump and a nice 4 strides to oxer and same back the other way.
Then we had a tricky line of vertical, 3 strides to 1 stride double which Chris said most people had messed up by adding a stride to the vertical then taking 4 strides to the double. I got a good forward shot round the corner and almost had to hold to fit in 3 strides so was pleased with that then surprised him by jumping the skinny brush but we did it ok.
Then onto a corner - did it on 5 strides curving line from vertical and he jumped it well.
Then the skinny brush followed by corner:
Then Chris made it wider and we came on a straight line, I saw a good positive forwards stride, had whip in left hand, rode forwards and didn't even think about hooking and the bloody horse ran out 2 strides away.
At this point Chris got on him and gave him a bit of a sorting out. He said I had a good line and a good stride and he was naughty to run out at that point and if he does that and I have got it right then he does need a telling off. He rode him over the skinny brush and the corner and then jumped everything else in the arena on an angle whilst doing the corner several more times and the pesky pony didn't put a foot wrong.
I got back on and did the brush and corner again - aimed more for the middle first time which he did but Chris wants me aiming for the narrower part as if we're going to be aiming at BE Novice the wider part will be too wide so we need to have him locking on to the smaller part. Narrower part the second time and he jumped well so left it there.
Homework is more corner practice. To start with build them against the fence line of the arena so he can't run out and gradually make them wider. Then away from the fence line but with a guide pole. Need to teach him slowly that running out is just not an option. Kind of concerning as first event is only 6weeks away and this may take some work.
Have got arena XC this weekend with Lucinda Fredericks so need to make sure don't do anything to encourage a left run out and ask to use guide rails if needed. Then have booked on to arena XC clinic at Coombelands with Chris a week Sunday. We will sort this if it kills me! Am now feeling that SJ is no longer my weak point - I am happy to take him round a 1m10 course. XC technicality is my new stumbling block and if moving up to Novice or even going to get round Badminton in one piece we have a lot of homework to do.
Had entered the BE100/Novice but after our blip at the arena XC clinic the previous week I decided to play things by ear and started by just paying my start fee for the BE100. Was relieved to walk the course and see the corner was a right handed one on the left rein although in my worst place which is across the arena on the centre line - for some reason I find this the hardest place to jump! The course looked more flowing than last year but nowhere to make up any time with tight turns. I wasn't there to win though so not too bothered about that. He warmed up well, no dodgy strides - a few where I lost a bit of power through the turns but I didn't hold so all ok!
First couple of fences good and then despite a nice stride he absolutely clouted number 3 - it was quite spooky and he just didn't pick up. Lost a bit of power round to triple bar at fence 4 so had to cut the dogleg and ride forwards for the 5 strides I had walked to a vertical which was then followed by a spooky wall on a good forwards 3 strides. Lots I watched earlier on tried to do 6 on the dogleg and then struggled to get to the wall on 3 and were chipping in, especially as backing off at the spooky wall. I got my 5 and 3 nicely though so really pleased with that. XC fences all went ok to start with, rode positively at the corner and got a good stride but then pulled a little too hard with the left rein and almost got myself a run out at the first sort of skinny brush down the long side, meaning we then shuffed in 4 and 3 strides instead of 3 and 2 - doh. Lost my focus because of this and totally missed the turn to the arrowhead. Realised too late, pulled him round but gave him no chance to jump it so just pulled him up, patted him and approached again when he jumped it fine. Finished well over the double, nice tight turn to roll top and onto final fence. Pleased with him, not so pleased with me.
As he had jumped nicely I decided to do the Novice. Pleased to see that the jumps didn't look anywhere near as big as last year after a year jumping this height. Warmed up again ok. Just didn't have him powering forwards enough so he took the back rail off the first fence and got too close to fence 7 taking it out in front. On the XC section he dropped his back feet on the rail over the gate and then clonked the first part of the bounce. Pleased that I kept the power up for the triple bar and got my 5 and 3 strides again well. Didn't hook and pull, rode forwards, jumped the corner well, got 3 and 2 in the combination and made the turn to the arrowhead. So, despite 4 down, it was a smoother round than last year and I was pleased with him. Style mark of 23 in both classes - difficult to be stylish on a horse like him who fights any contact on his mouth and backs off every fence so needs a fair bit of riding! Also my lower leg went wayward as my back was hurting so not my best performances but still good education for him.
Decided against doing the JAS at Wellington as a smaller, darker indoor arena which he'll just back off in and not likely to get good jumps. Also decided to head to a new XC venue for us at Attington rather than the 2nd Merrist Wood JAS. It's really nothing like real XC so better to practice the real thing and have been wanting to go to Attington so taking advantage of Jonathan Chapman doing a clinic there.
Rewarded Monts on Sunday with a ride out with the Kent and Surrey bloodhounds. Not proper hunting as ground too wet so no hounds but a group of 20 or so going for a blast round Puttenham put Monty in a very happy place - lots of squealing and snorting, leaping and bouncing, and standing on his back legs when made to stand still. Bit naughty but I love him when he's full of it like that!
Trying on his new posh dressage browband today:
Back to Chris for another lesson tomorrow then off to the Balanced Rider with a friend in the evening which should be interesting. Have arena XC with Lucinda Fredericks on Saturday - bit nervous after the session with Wendy Schaeffer but will try and have the balls to say if I know it is something that he is likely to struggle with so we don't upset his confidence or Chris will kill me for putting all his hard work with us to waste. Off to Patchetts on Sunday for a pre-Regionals practice of E59 and also having another bash at M75. Think I'm gonna keep him in the snaffle this time and see what he is like doing a Medium test in the snaffle - we shouldn't get the ducking behind the contact or the temper tantrums but we might not get as good submission. We shall see! Thankfully couple of quieter weekends coming up after this due to work and before we know it eventing will be starting again!
Great to see Chris back in the UK again. October was our last SJ lesson and boy have we missed them! Explained to Chris what we'd been up to and our current confidence crisis. He dragged out a skinny brush and some short, rustic poles to make a corner and we set about fixing things. Chris explained his ethos on training skinnies is to never give the horse the chance to learn to run out - bit late for us now but can try and rebuild confidence.
Started with our usual x pole to oxer exercise to get him jumping. I practised picking which way I was going to go afterwards and getting the correct lead which worked well as long as I remembered to open my rein. Then we popped over a few SJ's, nothing big but Monts was on a mission and wanting to take everything on a long one which is a weird feeling as most of the time he wants to chip in short ones - wish he would make up his mind!
Moved onto a skinny brush with guide poles which he got me to trot to, then halt in front of - good as he tried to take charge and rush so need to get him listening. Then rein backed and jumped from a trot then halt again after. Then in canter and all ok so guide poles got taken away.
We did a little corner on a circle in both directions with a guide pole and he was confident over that so we then combined brush, 4 strides to bigger corner. Corner became a 1m triangle and he stayed straight and confident on the 4 strides from the brush although we did only jump it with the corner to the right so not his bad rein - can save that for another day.
Told to come at the oxer on the left hand side and I just didn't ride forwards for a good stride so he nipped out a stride away - he could have gone on the stride I had and he would have done had I aimed at the middle but he saw an easier way out so a guide pole went up and I rode more positively and we were fine. Then made this into a corner and had to ride it on 3 strides from the vertical before which worked well and he was flying. That was enough for this session but we clearly have a lot to work on with regards to accuracy questions still and there are bound to be many of them at Badminton.
Had entered this with the plan of it being in the big, outdoor arena but sadly due to high winds it got moved indoors at the last minute. 20x60m school isn't the best for arena eventing practice - space was tight, the lights weren't on so it was dark and dingy and then we had to hang around for ages while she set some jumps up for us. Not the best start.
Monty warmed up ok over a pole, x-pole, pole which became pole, over, pole - thankfully we went second as she forgot to move the landing pole out after the oxer and the first horse almost landed on it! Moved onto a barrel on its side with poles coming off it so it was an arrowhead and we started with jumping it by going through the side with the poles to the barrel and then onto the oxer and then back the other way so just coming straight at the barrel with no guide rails. Monts did this very well, felt straight and confident. Then she put the barrel on its end so was probably 1m10 or so - jumped it well going through the poles, then back the other way I kept a hold of him for 5 strides, then she wanted me to repeat it with 4 strides - rode forwards and got it but he was a bit skewy over the jump as not entirely sure he was confident with what he was doing.
Came to do it a 3rd time and think I was just a little off it, but I rode it confidently and usually he will go as long as I ride forwards but last minute he nipped off to the left and I went flying up in the area, crash landed on the pole and then landed on my head on the floor. Not good :(
Instead of then taking the exercise back a step she just moved us on to jumping a big corner made of a barrel on its end and a left handed one at that. Total recipe for disaster. Ended up on the floor again.
Had to ask for her to put the corner down as he then started running left at the brush he'd already jumped and clearly had his knickers in a knot.
Not a good session to be honest. Battered mine and his confidence and after no run outs for ages reinforced his want to run out to the left. Now convinced can't jump corners and skinnies again. Argh.
Started with working on him not bracing against me in the upwards transition from walk to trot. Not to let him dribble into the transition and take 3 strides to start working in a decent trot, needs to be sharper off the leg and straight into a good trot with no bracing. Downwards transitions considered good though.
In the walk, lots of picking up and putting down and moving him sideways if he starts to jiggle and wiggle anticipating.
Then moved on to the canter. Again, 3,2,1, canter and straight into sharp, active canter which must be round and soft straight away. On the right rein he got me to lift my inside hand rather than pulling back and keep it there until he softened then soften back. Lots of 10m circles to soften him every time he got tense and braced against me. Need to be able too change the bend wherever I want to whenever I want to, on 20m circles, in the leg yield and HP, along the long side, across the diagonal and all without him trying to change (much easier said than done at the moment - mustn't tell him off for changing but just repeat the exercise). Don't let him walk, just keep going on whatever rein and keep repeating.
I asked to work on the canter HP as feel that is a weak point. Showed him on both reins and he said he was surprised how good it was after what I said and was actually perfectly acceptable but just needs to be more supple and accepting of the bend.
We broke it down into leg yield, shoulder-in and travers before doing the HP again. In the HP to the right if he stiffens then 10m circle, move off in HP again, 10m circle again until he stays soft. In the leg yield we went from the corner, had to open the rein in the direction of travel and ask for big movement across in a big canter - sharp off the leg, straight across to X and then collect and straight down the centre line. Move the bend around in this as well - the neck needs to stay soft and able to bend wherever I want it.
Finished with some flying change work. Warned Roland it was the blind leading the blind here. I have barely ridden any flying changes before, let alone taught a horse how to do them! I did one each way on a serpentine and they were both clean and correct. He said there wasn't much wrong with them and would earn a 7 at the moment. Just need more expression for higher marks.
We then worked on being able to canter across the long diagonal and change the bend without him doing a FC - this proved nigh on impossible! We had lots of bouncing behind as he anticipated the change, legs were going everywhere. Did finish with a very expressive feeling clean change from right to left though. Roland said nothing to worry about with them, just keep working on them and definitely aim at Advanced Medium this year. Yay!
Definitely a productive session. Lots to go away and work on to improve his suppleness and get us some higher marks. Might have another go at M75 in a couple of weeks, see how things are coming on. Loving the dressage at the moment!
