Monty's new double bridle bits arrived earlier this week so have been looking forwards to trying them out. They came at great cost from Germany as Sprenger slightly cheaper there. Sensitive horse got rubbed by his Neue Schule ones and they weren't exactly cheap! If anyone knows anyone needing a 4.75" NS Slimma Weymouth and a 5" tranz angled loose ring bradoon please say as could do with getting some money back on nearly £400 worth of bits!!! (not including the new snaffle and pelham Sprengers too - pesky orange horse!)
So, we started with some stretchy work and he seemed to be accepting the bits well considering he hasn't worn the double since February or something like that!
We finished with running through a squashed up version of AM92 - squashing it meant not as much prep time for each movement but needed to get a feel of the test. Really pleased with how it went. Managed everything where it should be. Hadn't looked at how many rein back steps it was so did too many. Walk piris weren't as good as they can be. Trot to canter transition was rubbish. Medium trot needs to be more. Flying changes could be a bit better but they all happened and only the first right to left was slightly tight behind. Canter half pass currently the weak point and must keep him more up in front in the trot work. If he does it anything like that next week though I will be very happy as we won't be a total disaster. Currently there are 3 entries in the BD section and just me in the unaffiliated section. Could get a red rosette if we don't get eliminated lol! Going to hire Merrist Wood next week to run through it properly in the long arena.
Not done much in the way of jumping since the end of June at our last event. A little trip to Parwood last weekend where he jumped well and one little jump session at home so was looking forwards to being pushed a bit in a lesson. Wasn't disappointed as Monts was on fire and felt like he was loving it, really taking on the fences and hitting good strides 99% of the time.
Even the warmup fences got big enough - just got told to make sure I keep him connected and together enough so he can bounce in a powerful short stride if needed rather than always going on a long one.
Then onto a course:
Next mission to think ahead more so as to try and get the correct leads and if not then get the flying change. Still a real struggle in a SJ course as he prefers to just ignore me! Difficult to practice at home as arena not big enough so must make an effort every time we do go somewhere else to school to insist on it.
2nd attempt at same course with some fences raised and an extra one added in after fence 4.
Asked after and Chris said the second course was roughly about BE Novice height, if not a bit more in places. Good round, just need to get the changes. Where we had to circle to get the lead we then lost power in the canter so ended up shuffling in a stride before the double. He is so careful he didn't knock a pole all session. Fab horse! Chris gave us the ok to look for a nice Novice to do end of this season - eeek! In the mean time, might get brave and go and do some more BSJA.
Had non-horsey plans for today but they were rained off so when I saw a last minute space in a dressage clinic advertised on Facebook the fact it was in an indoor school was enough to persuade me!
Started with work on the trot - almost bringing him back to walk then back to trot - keeping in rising trot to keep him soft through the back. Making sure not to have too much inside bend. Then the shoulder-in making sure to use the outside rein to bring the shoulder off the track. Travers was good. HP in trot good both ways. In the walk when picking him up think slight shoulder fore to stop him anticipating walk piris.
Then onto the canter. Looking at the videos it all needed a bit more energy. Did lots of leg yield from the corner across the arena and on the left rein he was really reluctant to get off my right leg so lots of work needed on that as the left HP was decidedly sticky. Much much better on the right rein - ironic given this was traditionally always our worse rein. Leg yield great for improving his suppleness and reaction to the leg.
Then moved onto the changes. They were actually pretty good today. Watching the video I don't think he missed any or even did any right to lefts where he jumped behind. She thought that probably the jumping together behind was him getting down on his shoulder and not being able to jump through from behind. Did a bit of work on trying to leg yield into the change. Need to try and stop him reacting to the change of bend and make him wait for my leg aid. It's just him trying to be helpful but it's difficult when you're trying to do things like leg yield into the change. Finally just need to keep him soft and I need to remember to look up. They are sooooo much better than 6months ago though.
So, on that note I've entered our first Advanced Medium in 2wks time. Gone for 92 as it has 4 changes in it and I'm hoping he'll get better marks for them than some of the other stuff! There's a rein back which he's good at and his walk piris have also been getting good marks. Finally the trot work is split in half by the walk work so I get a chance to regroup! Find it quite hard at the moment doing all the trot work in one go as sitting trot is bloody hard work for my dodgy back. Decided 85 was just a Medium with a couple of changes plonked on the end so we might as well do a proper one! If we get anywhere near 60% I will be over the moon!
Well, that was a frustrating day out. As soon as I saw the layout of the event I knew we were in trouble. They had an ice cream van and a sizzling burger van with really loud generators right next to the long side of the arena along as well as multiple marquees for trade stands and benches with people moving around. Monty has a firm hatred of tents so had a feeling this may not go well. He was silly in the warmup spooking at people and banners around the gate, people sitting at picnic tables at the other end of the warmup, generally being daft although did get some nice canter half pass and probably his best medium trots ever.
Went in the arena, positively cantered up the long side, got to the end and he spooked a bit, so circled and as we came head on towards the tents he threw in the towel. Stood up on his back legs and then went backwards for what felt like ages until I could persuade him forwards again. Not a good first impression for the judges. Fortunately the first part of the test is away from the top corner so we at least got going before having to confront his fears which led to a very dodgy end to the first leg yield. Doing a give and retake of the reins in canter right towards the tents was a bit of a leap of faith - ironically got some of our best marks for it! He did perform everything where it should be but by god it took some effort and the medium trots didn't happen at all - my legs certainly haven't had that kind of work out in a long time!
A deservedly bad score of 63.958%. 15th out of 23. He was really capable of a top ten finish but sadly not meant to be. Still got some very pretty pictures, few stills off the video, the good ones courtesy of my lovely trainer Sara-Jane Lanning who spared the time to help us in the warmup and then take lovely photos, aside from the fact we definitely wouldn't be here without her and he is quite unrecognisable to the horse I first took for lessons 18mths ago who couldn't do even half the things he can do now! Also thanks to my sponsors West Kent Saddles for their ongoing support in making sure Monty's saddles fit him perfectly and he looks snazzy in his sponsored saddlecloths.
His outline has com on massively since last year - he is much rounder and softer and more uphill. We are definitely still making progress and if you'd asked me a year ago I wouldn't have thought we'd be at Elem Regionals let alone managing 7's for simple changes and I would have openly laughed if you'd told me I'd get 7's for a give and retake of the reins ever! Easy to be frustrated but it's a never ending journey and we're still learning. Onwards and upwards. Our Advanced Medium debut is in 2weeks now - eeek!
First attempts at Freestyle this year. Another hot, muggy day - not our favourite! Thought we'd start with the Elementary as we know it well and was hoping to get qualification for next years Regionals done and dusted. The boy didn't disappoint. 68.26% and a win so that's that done! He got 7's for walk, free walk, leg yield left in trot, both medium canters, simple change right to left, first halt and a 7.5 for final halt. Otherwise all 6.5's. Collectives 6.5, 7, 7, 7 "Pleasing test. Could have more elasticity and swing but nicely choreographed test and pleasing ending" - Keeva Fox. Pleased we seemed to re-discover our leg yield today - photos look fab. He felt like he really tried in the medium trot. Counter canter wasn't great today though - bit on the forehand and running and didn't feel very balanced. Really pleased with the photos - he has come on so much in the last year thanks to super trainer Sara-Jane Lanning. He looks like a totally different horse, is so much more uphill, discovering a medium trot and has got some cracking lateral work. He really does try so hard it's fab!
Sadly Monts not too impressed with being asked to do a second test. He was really behind my leg to the point of objecting when I put it on which made it all very hard work. When we got back to the yard he was desperate for a pee so might have been that or just the heat/humidity he didn't like. Did still manage 65.5% which is the same as we got back in December on our first attempt at this level. Not a terrible score but last out of the 3 in the class. They were on 67% though so not a million miles ahead. We did get 7's for half pass right in trot, the first medium canter, simple change left to right and both halts plus the choreography and music. This was my first time riding this floorplan and I did think I was running out of music halfway through the shoulder-in and hadn't done the half pass yet so probably rushed the rest of the trot work a bit. Same judge as the Elem and she said "Pleasing test. Needs more suppleness in lateral work but pleasing floorplan and music" 6, 6.5, 7, 6.5, 7. Not good enough for Regionals qualification so we will have another go in August and maybe just do the Medium so he is fresh for it.
Next stop is Sparsholt again for Summer Regionals then a few weeks off before some more Mediums and our Advanced Medium debut! Have just ordered one of the new Prolite Fairfax girths - hoping it's as good as all the hype as if he could just open his shoulders a bit more he'd have a cracking medium trot!
A rather blustery, rainy day that felt more like October than July except it was horribly hot and muggy. Not nice weather for dressage. We haven't been to Sparsholt since the Regionals last year which was a good excuse for Monty to be silly. Glad we went today as a warmup for Regionals this year because apparently all the advertising boards, the judges hut, the marquee and the sizzling burger van were all very very scary.
We did a very tense E59 to start with. He did manage several 7.5's (first centreline&halt, trot-halt, rein back, walk to canter left) plus 7's for medium walk, free walk, both simple changes (which is 4 marks altogether) but nothing over a 6.5 in the collectives which was very disappointing and meant we only scored 65.94%. "Attractive horse showing some good balance. Needs to work over a more supple back and neck needs to be more relaxed - Barbara Marshall" This left us 9th out of 12 in the Restricted and 18th out of 25 overall. It might as well have been the Regionals given the standard of competition - huge class and fabulous horses. Let's hope Monts behaves a bit better next week and we can improve those collectives!
Three hour break before our 2nd attempt at M69 in the indoor arena. Also rather tense which makes it almost impossible to sit to his trot. Hate feeling like I'm bouncing. Felt worse than it looked on video though and judge missed our flying change at the end of the second medium canter thankfully! Finished on 63.64% so first points towards 2016 Winter Regionals. Ended up 6th out of 8 in Restricted and 13th out of 17 overall. Only 2marks behind 4th Restricted and 3.5marks behind 3rd though and there is definitely more to come from him and me as we get more established at this level. We got 7's for collected trot, half walk piri left, extended walk and the final centre line/halt. Otherwise all 6's and 6.5's except a 5 for the second medium trot for not showing anything. "Accurately ridden. Lots to like but needs to develop more suppleness and bend in lateral work to develop a little more impulsion coming from behind" Sheena Russell.
Here's us starting the 2nd medium canter - quite uphill I think!
and another canter one:
Few days before we played with some jumps at home - first big ones, then some little skinnies - his accuracy and straightness is definitely improving.
