SJL lesson - Parwood - 09-12-15

From the start he felt like a very happy pony.  Possibly something to do with the 11.5miles of hooning round Hankley common with the hunt on a fun ride on Sunday!  He was beautifully forwards and much sharper off my aids.

Initially we tried something different with the flying changes - activating with my new inside leg before asking for the change with the outside leg because trying to soften him to the new bend with the reins just makes him change as soon as he feels me ask for the change in flexion so hoping this way will help him soften through the ribcage and do a better change.  So, in the video you can see initially our right to left change is late behind but then trying this way he is through from behind, possibly still a little short in the length of stride but at least not late.  He was still anticipating a bit and not exactly on my aids but it's something we can work on.

We did some work on doing flying changes on a 20m circle as may help him, especially with the tension/anticipation.  He is funny as he just doesn't get the point of changing if we're not changing direction and once he realised we weren't he refused to change.  Shows he needs to be more off my aids in the change and not just be anticipating because we're changing direction.  Video shows some lovely clean changes from right to left (as well as left to right which are normally good), probably the most through he's been in this direction:

Finished with couple of lines of 4 time changes - not our best as he was enjoying himself so much he was charging off after each change and struggled to fit 3 of them in!  Must watch he doesn't anticipate the right to left change as well or we end up with a 3 time change.

On to the canter HP - straight away managed the whole diagonal across the 3/4 length school as in AM98.  Think about staying behind the diagonal line, try to keep the activity with the inside leg and just place the outside leg back to get the right positioning but don't shove him over too much.  Make sure really ride the corner before you start as well and keep it steady and active, don't let him just run sideways.  Still a work in progress but big improvement on before.

Finished with running through AM98 - make sure don't lose the quarters on the 8m trot circle.  Must have him straight after the trot HP before can get the medium trot.  In the walk piris don't nag him all the way round, create the energy then turn the shoulders.  Straightness was definitely lacking a bit today and all the changes were wild but he does make me laugh when he's like that - it's nice to see him enjoying himself!

SJ with Vittoria Panizzon LMEQ 05-12-15

Group lesson at LMEQ.   In the warmup had to work on getting him forwards and back whilst keeping the connection and not letting him get strung out.  Then moved on to some trot/canter in jumping position - alternating between standing up and folding right forwards.  Hard work on the legs!

Then onto a grid - started with trotting into a single x pole and built up to 2 whoppingly wide oxers.  Felt Monts question if I was serious wanting him to jump them from the nothingy canter that results from trotting over a x-pole but it really made him sit back and power over them - he didn't knock them down!  Video doesn't show the extent of the width of them - definitely wider than anything I've done before.

slow mo version:

We then did the grid back at x poles with no hands on the reins - reins tied in a knot on the neck - eeeeek!  First time I wasn't quite brave enough to drop the reins but I did it the 2nd time when they went to uprights and then 3rd time they went to little oxers and we had to do hands on head over first jump, hands on shoulders over 2nd one and on hips over 3rd one - certainly a balance challenge for me and Monts - interesting how much he naturally sped up through the grid without me telling him to wait for each fence.  Never done anything like this before but it was fab fun (if a little scary!)

Finished with jumping round a course - saw a few slightly, wildly forwards strides but he also shortened up nicely when he needed to.  Just need to really work on keeping the connection - something Chris is always going on at me about.

Eileen dressage lesson 02-12-15

Most of today's lesson was spent trying to get him to listen to me and soften and stop crossing his jaw.  Had him in the snaffle bridle and he was spooking at the wind and being a plank.  Spent ages on a circle lifting the inside leg high and moving him sideways away from the inside leg.  Must also carry the outside hand and not drop it and attempt to pin him down.  We did this in trot and canter.  Also making sure he doesn't slow down in the transitions, especially the downwards ones.  Keep him hot off the leg at all times, a small touch should mean go and he should keep going until asked to stop.  In the walk, worked on bringing the legs back slightly and thinking piaffe to try and sharpen him up a bit.  He must be thinking forwards all the time.

BSJA Parwood 28-11-15

First class was the Discovery - technical as always at Parwood - there were many related distances, tight turn backs and dog legs.  Not a great stride to the first but then got things sorted until I nearly missed the sharp turnback to the wall at 6, lost the canter quality and got in too close.  I did react, sit up and wait for an extra stride on the dogleg though which worked well as met that fine.  Then rode like a pansy to the smallest upright on the course which somehow he cleared from a naf stride.  Another tight turnback to the first fence in the 2nd phase which I didn't ride forwards to and again he helped me out.  Got my act together for the big oxer at 10 and then sat and waited for 7 strides again in the dog leg.  He got a fraction close and brushed it in front but I think we'd have struggled to get there on 6 strides.  I would have had to start turning over the fence and cut the corner to make it on him.  We then came round to a huge oxer and got a bit of a flyer which meant I was a big disorganised round the sharp right hand corner into a huge double and he just brushed both parts which was a shame as actually made it on a good stride.  Round to the last and clear.  So, a disappointing 12 faults but still pleased with the majority of it - rider needs to remember to think ahead and keep the power up round the tight corners.   More practice needed, as ever!

FSM - Med/AM - Merrist Wood 21-11-15

We started with the Medium Freestyle and came 3rd with our joint highest score at this level of 67.33%.  Bit of a mistake in the right canter half pass and our trot music needs a bit of tweaking so actually capable of upping that to nearly 69% without too much effort which is encouraging!  Feeling much more established at this level than on our first attempt a year ago.  Comment from Debbie Pateman was "Charming horse with lovely attitude"  7's for harmony, choreography, degree of difficulty with 6.5 for rhythm and music.  All marks between 6.5 and 8 in the test except the right canter HP which got 5.  All the half passes needed clearer bend with the SI needing more engagement.  7.5 for extended walk and an 8 for his first halt.

Onwards to our first go at Advanced Medium Freestyle.  Was pleased to just get round managing all the moves where I planned them.  Only one change didn't come off which was the most difficult one changing from counter canter to counter canter, otherwise all went to plan.  Same music issues with it all being a bit quick for him now so need to tweak but otherwise a good start.  Sadly judge isn't Monty's biggest fan.  Marion Terry couldn't think of anything nice to say about anything in the test.  His best mark of 6.5 came for his left to right changes.  Otherwise 5's to 6's.  Even his walk only got 6's.  SI got 6's, HP got 5's.  Needs more bend, suppleness, bend, bend etc.  6.5 for choreography and music. 6 for difficulty, rhythm and harmony.  Onwards and upwards.  59.5% is a start at least but it's actually his lowest mark at Advanced Medium and music normally allows some higher marks.