I really should update this thing more. Aaaanyway, what have we done since the last update? August 1st was Urmston show again. I took her in the WH clear round (it took about half an hour to get her round last time!) and my god she was on form! She flew round the whole course, only slowing to look at the water tray, never once feeling like she might stop. I then had quite a wait until the novice WH class. I eventually went in and she flew round again like a pro :) We went in and did our individual show and she behaved very well. We haven't ever been able to practice our gallop because of lack of space but she still picked up quite well.
It was all I could do to stop myself from crying when we got pulled in 1st!!! Our first ridden first at a show! I knew WH would be a good class for her :) Going to do it again at the next show (22nd) and even going to attempt the 14hh-15hh class. The height shouldn't be an issue, she's definitely got a pop in her!
The 8th August brought a clear round competition at the Etherow centre. It was very low-key but thought I'd take her anyway to give her more exposure. She was fine in the weird indoor arena they have (very dark with whacking great columns everywhere, right next to a train track) but was a naughty madam refusing the mini warmup jump. To be fair to her I think it was all just a bit confusing. Hacking down, being indoors, then suddenly a jump appears infront of her. Once we got in the outdoor with the course we were fine. Very tight turns were in order because of the size of the arena but she coped very well. We got a clear in the 2ft3 and 2ft6 :) The 2ft6 felt very easy which was great. Once she's used to scarier fillers etc we'll be able to start entering some decent size SJ competitions hopefully. I've been trying her with a new water tray, just getting her walking over it. She has jumped over it (after a long time working up to it) but I just want her to be 100% comfortable with it.
This week's lesson involved me and Donna hacking over to Happy Hooves to have a XC lesson. I was nervous but very excited. Saf has been jumping brilliantly recently and I wanted to see how she'd be over xc fences so hopefully we'll be able to start eventing next year. Well, I think I've found her forte!! We started with a small pile of tyres which she dragged me to and flew over with about 2ft to spare. We ended up doing a tyre jump (2ft3ish), the bank, the jump on top of the bank, a house type thing, a keg jump and a red plastic wall. I'm really pleased we did the wall because we had a bit of a daft time at Urmston the first time with their wall. I do need to try her with my bale covers, the weirder the better!
So Saffy is just being amazing at the moment! I couldn't find a better horse if I scoured the country! This Sunday we're doing beginners WH at Mottram show. Would be great to get round clear. Next Sunday is the last Urmston show I'll be able to make it to this year, sad :( But will hopefully go out with a bang!!
Thursday 12 August 2010
Monday 26 July 2010
Dressage and Schooling
We entered a dressage competition on Saturday, Prelim 1 and 7. Did prelim 7 first (I'd wanted prelim 1 as a warmup..grrr) and she went beautifully. Got a lot to work on in canter but the rest seemed to go quite smoothly. We ended up with 64.5%!! Our best mark yet and we came 3rd :) Very pleased as it was a strong class.
Prelim 1 didn't feel as good. She wasn't as in front of the leg as I'd have liked but she still went fairly nicely. We got 60% for that (no improvement on our mark from March but she's completely different now so just shows different judges!) and won!! Very pleased with my little dressage pone :) I think once our canter improves and she's moving forward properly we should be getting much better marks, maybe even 70%! We'll see :)
I started her on Allen & Page Hacking Mix on Friday night to give her a bit more oomph. I've worked up gradually and she's now on a scoop a day so I'll see if that helps. I was schooling her today in a Derby House Samber saddle (want!) and she went beautifully. Much more forward going and was working in an outline for the vast majority of the time. I loved it :) Jumping lesson tomorrow! I'm going to ask if we can do some scary fences in preparation for working hunter on Sunday :)
Prelim 1 didn't feel as good. She wasn't as in front of the leg as I'd have liked but she still went fairly nicely. We got 60% for that (no improvement on our mark from March but she's completely different now so just shows different judges!) and won!! Very pleased with my little dressage pone :) I think once our canter improves and she's moving forward properly we should be getting much better marks, maybe even 70%! We'll see :)
I started her on Allen & Page Hacking Mix on Friday night to give her a bit more oomph. I've worked up gradually and she's now on a scoop a day so I'll see if that helps. I was schooling her today in a Derby House Samber saddle (want!) and she went beautifully. Much more forward going and was working in an outline for the vast majority of the time. I loved it :) Jumping lesson tomorrow! I'm going to ask if we can do some scary fences in preparation for working hunter on Sunday :)
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Jumpy jumpy
Had another amazing jumping lesson today! I started with a 2ft warmup which, although small, makes me pleased we're now jumping bigger warm up jumps. Cara then put up a triple bounce, one stride then another jump. We bounced through them multiple times trying to get it right but she wasn't using her back legs enough and so was brushing the jumps and knocking them. She made me get a really bouncey canter instead of letting her go fast and flat. The best we did was a triple bounce (all about 2ft) then a straight of just under 3ft one stride after. It felt brilliant and she flew it!
Cara then made it into a double but put 2 poles meeting at the middle of each jump in a V shape to make her jump higher rather than flatter. She told me to be ready for her to stop because it was something new but I was determined to ride her through it and she popped through no problem! She really snapped her little legs up and again it felt great :) We were both melting by the end of it but she really seemed to be enjoying it bless her.
I've bought a new saddle off ebay this evening so hopefully it will arrive soon. It's the poshest saddle I'll have ever had, really hope it fits well!!
Cara then made it into a double but put 2 poles meeting at the middle of each jump in a V shape to make her jump higher rather than flatter. She told me to be ready for her to stop because it was something new but I was determined to ride her through it and she popped through no problem! She really snapped her little legs up and again it felt great :) We were both melting by the end of it but she really seemed to be enjoying it bless her.
I've bought a new saddle off ebay this evening so hopefully it will arrive soon. It's the poshest saddle I'll have ever had, really hope it fits well!!
Thursday 15 July 2010
Out and about
I had such a good hack yesterday :) Unfortunately there's nowhere nearby to go offroad so we always have to do lots of road work on our hacks. She's fine with traffic and the drivers are generally very good so it's not much of an issue. She does like to gawp at peoples' gardens etc though which is quite embarrassing :)
We've hacked out about 4 times on our own and so far she's been pretty great. No unnecessary spooking (the crunchy leaf spook was entirely necessary). We went a different way to normal and went to a little park thing with a bridle path in it. It's tiny, takes about 5mins to walk around the whole thing. Anyway it was completely empty so we had a couple of good fast canters across the grass and she was loving it! It's the first time I've opened her up in ages and she really seemed to enjoy it. It made me realise how great her brakes are too. I didn't struggle to pull her up one bit.
We then went down a bit of the road we've never been down before and she was great aside from oggling a poor defenseless gardener. Got home and I was buzzing from how good she had been and the fact that I now have a pony who hacks alone! It means we can spend a bit less time in the school now so she doesn't go stale.
I got home and got an email off someone about a hound exercise run with the north east cheshire drag hunt this saturday. The kennels are a 45min hack away on a route we've been multiple times (never alone but it can't be too different..right?). I called the hunt master's wife and she was really nice. Apparently it's a fairly slow-paced hack out for a couple of hours followed by lunch at the kennels. It should be good to get her used to riding in such a big group and with the hounds etc without having to worry about charging through the countryside :) Sooo excited!! Will hopefully refresh her in time for the show on sunday too. Eeeeee :D
We've hacked out about 4 times on our own and so far she's been pretty great. No unnecessary spooking (the crunchy leaf spook was entirely necessary). We went a different way to normal and went to a little park thing with a bridle path in it. It's tiny, takes about 5mins to walk around the whole thing. Anyway it was completely empty so we had a couple of good fast canters across the grass and she was loving it! It's the first time I've opened her up in ages and she really seemed to enjoy it. It made me realise how great her brakes are too. I didn't struggle to pull her up one bit.
We then went down a bit of the road we've never been down before and she was great aside from oggling a poor defenseless gardener. Got home and I was buzzing from how good she had been and the fact that I now have a pony who hacks alone! It means we can spend a bit less time in the school now so she doesn't go stale.
I got home and got an email off someone about a hound exercise run with the north east cheshire drag hunt this saturday. The kennels are a 45min hack away on a route we've been multiple times (never alone but it can't be too different..right?). I called the hunt master's wife and she was really nice. Apparently it's a fairly slow-paced hack out for a couple of hours followed by lunch at the kennels. It should be good to get her used to riding in such a big group and with the hounds etc without having to worry about charging through the countryside :) Sooo excited!! Will hopefully refresh her in time for the show on sunday too. Eeeeee :D
Tuesday 13 July 2010
May, June, part of July
Once again it's been far too long since I updated this but we've been having a brilliant time :) After my last update she went lame for about 10 days due to the hard ground. I bit the bullet and had shoes put on her and it's done her the world of good. She really steps out more now and she's a lot less on the forehand which feels great.
June 13th Urmston
Not bad but not great. I was knackered and she needs me to be excited and lively to pass it on to her. I didn't agree with a few of the placings but she behaved, was a real credit.
June 20th Hargate Charity Show
Was a very hot day and the ground was rock solid. She was good, got some ok placings.
June 27th Dressage Regional Finals
She was a star to hack over there. It was her first time leading a hack that far and she didn't put a foot wrong. She worked in well and rode a really nice test for the intro. I was really pleased. We then did the prelim and she did very well but the other horses were all old-hands and the majority were also entering the novice. Got my result for the intro - we won!!! I was over the moon. Our first ridden red rosette :D It definitely suited her!
July 4th Hargate Show
Really crappy day out. She was great to hack there but just wasn't playing ball for the showing. We had our worst ever show and disgraced ourselves in the riding club horse class by jumping the tiny jump 4 feet at once and losing all stirrups/sense of pride. I decided then that we'd have a break from showing classes and do some working hunter to spice things up a bit.
July 11th Urmston
Brilliant day out :) We both felt recharged and under less pressure because we didn't have to rush around fitting into loads of classes. Did the WH clear round first and it took ages :) It was a really challenging course with a couple of solid jumps. We then went into the novice class and had 3 refusals but I was so pleased with her for trying her hardest. Plenty to improve on for next time! We had time to go in the riding club horse class then too which went brilliantly. She did a gorgeous gallop and popped the jump beautifully. I knew who'd win but we got 2nd!! AND, the best bit, the judge said it was extremely close!!! I was so pleased I almost cried :)
In between those shows we did 2 clear round evenings which were great. A short hack over to the farm then a really relaxed atmosphere to practise our jumping. She loved both times and did the 2ft6 course brilliantly :)
We've started having proper jumping lessons and she's really improving. I'm absolutely loving jumping her, it's so exhilerating. She really gets into it too which is great to feel. She jumped 3ft the other day! The kids kept putting the jump higher and higher to see what she could do :) I used to idolise people with their own horses when I was a kid, especially ones that could jump. Feels very weird to be that person now (not that they idolise me!!), although I absolutely love my situation.
Today in my lesson she did her first triple and then her first bounce, ending on a triple bounce, stride, 2ft 6 fence :D She was great once she realised what she had to do. I just need to remember to stay sat up so I don't unbalance her. My instructor also said it would be worth trying eventing with her!! I never thought she'd say that but I'm so excited to try. There's a small xc course nearby that I'm going to have a lesson on. All very exciting!
That's all for now. Got another show this Sunday, more working hunter classes!!
June 13th Urmston
Not bad but not great. I was knackered and she needs me to be excited and lively to pass it on to her. I didn't agree with a few of the placings but she behaved, was a real credit.
June 20th Hargate Charity Show
Was a very hot day and the ground was rock solid. She was good, got some ok placings.
June 27th Dressage Regional Finals
She was a star to hack over there. It was her first time leading a hack that far and she didn't put a foot wrong. She worked in well and rode a really nice test for the intro. I was really pleased. We then did the prelim and she did very well but the other horses were all old-hands and the majority were also entering the novice. Got my result for the intro - we won!!! I was over the moon. Our first ridden red rosette :D It definitely suited her!
July 4th Hargate Show
Really crappy day out. She was great to hack there but just wasn't playing ball for the showing. We had our worst ever show and disgraced ourselves in the riding club horse class by jumping the tiny jump 4 feet at once and losing all stirrups/sense of pride. I decided then that we'd have a break from showing classes and do some working hunter to spice things up a bit.
July 11th Urmston
Brilliant day out :) We both felt recharged and under less pressure because we didn't have to rush around fitting into loads of classes. Did the WH clear round first and it took ages :) It was a really challenging course with a couple of solid jumps. We then went into the novice class and had 3 refusals but I was so pleased with her for trying her hardest. Plenty to improve on for next time! We had time to go in the riding club horse class then too which went brilliantly. She did a gorgeous gallop and popped the jump beautifully. I knew who'd win but we got 2nd!! AND, the best bit, the judge said it was extremely close!!! I was so pleased I almost cried :)
In between those shows we did 2 clear round evenings which were great. A short hack over to the farm then a really relaxed atmosphere to practise our jumping. She loved both times and did the 2ft6 course brilliantly :)
We've started having proper jumping lessons and she's really improving. I'm absolutely loving jumping her, it's so exhilerating. She really gets into it too which is great to feel. She jumped 3ft the other day! The kids kept putting the jump higher and higher to see what she could do :) I used to idolise people with their own horses when I was a kid, especially ones that could jump. Feels very weird to be that person now (not that they idolise me!!), although I absolutely love my situation.
Today in my lesson she did her first triple and then her first bounce, ending on a triple bounce, stride, 2ft 6 fence :D She was great once she realised what she had to do. I just need to remember to stay sat up so I don't unbalance her. My instructor also said it would be worth trying eventing with her!! I never thought she'd say that but I'm so excited to try. There's a small xc course nearby that I'm going to have a lesson on. All very exciting!
That's all for now. Got another show this Sunday, more working hunter classes!!
Saturday 22 May 2010
Last month's update
Can't believe it's been a month since I updated this! Time is flying by. Soon my exams will be over and I'll have the whole summer to spend with ponyface :)
Sunday 2nd May - Mottram Show
We did the working hunter class in the morning, our first go! The course was on maaajorly uneven ground and it was quite slippy but she loved it. She was a star. Unfortunately we knocked one and they had 6 clears (was a huge class) so we didn't get through to the individual show bit but I was very pleased with her behaviour. God knows what happened to her but she went mental in the afternoon. I think it was just such a big show and it all got to her a bit much. We were the only ones in the in-hand spotted so we got a red rosette but I was a bit miffed really because I really wanted our first 1st to be deserved. She behaved like a right berk. Leaping into the air and trying to take off. The judge said she was 'really quite naughty'. No shit sherlock. I took her in the ridden coloured but she was still majorly on her toes so I pulled her out. She was really jumpy on the hack on the way back. I think it was all just too much for her. She was great in the morning though so I'm focusing on that :)
Sunday 9th May - Hargate Show
We hacked over in the morning and she was fab. Our first class was ridden coloured and there were 3 in there. We came 2nd and I agreed with the placing. She was a very good girl and was concentrating most of the time. Good start to the day.
2nd class was senior novice equitation. We came 2nd! I was soo pleased because there were about 8 in the class. She went really nicely, nicer than the one that came 1st in my opinion, so it must have been my riding that let us down. Still, very chuffed with her!
3rd class was in-hand spotted/pally/roan etc. She seems to get really excited in in-hand classes. Quite good though as long as she doesn't flip out. She stood up nicely for the judge and I ran as fast as I could. We won!! There were 4 in the class and I was expecting another one to win as it looked like a fancy little show pony. Yey for Saffy!
Final class was riding club pony. She did an amaaaazing show. Absolutely brilliant. She was really energetic so was lovely and forward going. I was so pleased :) We turned towards the jump, all ok, got to the jump (1ft 6 maximum) and she comes to a grinding halt. Grrrrr! She stepped over it and then jumped it fine from the other direction. There were about 7 in the class and nobody else refused it so I was expecting to come last but we ended up with 4th. The judge said we would have come first if she'd have jumped it properly. We'd have gotten a trophy too!! Never mind. At least I know what we need to work on!
Sunday 16th May - Urmston Show
First class was novice/green horse. She went quite well but I think in future I really need to warm up properly before doing any classes. We came 3rd. We were originally pulled in 5th because idiot here got the wrong leg and didn't notice but our individual show bumped us up. To be honest the winner didn't particularly seem novice or green but meh.
2nd class was senior equitation. It was on pretty uneven ground but she coped well with it. We came 2nd. Again I'm sure her show was better than the winner's but my riding probably ruined it. I really need to focus on keeping my heels down.
3rd class was riding club horse. I was determined not to let her refuse the jump again! She did a nice individual show and cleared the jump well. We came 4th, would've come 3rd if I'd have cantered her to the jump. Fair enough, I didn't want to risk it. Definitely something we're working on though.
Final class was ridden coloured. It was a bigger class than last time with some very nice looking coblets. The winner from last time was also there. We came 2nd!! I was probably the most pleased with that result as we beat the person who won last time and came 2nd only to a very well schooled traditional cob. Overall another very good day :)
So this weekend she has a weekend off from showing while I revise for exams. Next weekend we're going showjumping (mini ones!). Really looking forward to it. She really had her jumping head on today and was getting excited bless her :) The weekend after that she'll be having another quiet weekend because of exams then we have Urmston and Hargate charity show the 2 weeks after that. It's going to be a busy summer!
Sunday 2nd May - Mottram Show
We did the working hunter class in the morning, our first go! The course was on maaajorly uneven ground and it was quite slippy but she loved it. She was a star. Unfortunately we knocked one and they had 6 clears (was a huge class) so we didn't get through to the individual show bit but I was very pleased with her behaviour. God knows what happened to her but she went mental in the afternoon. I think it was just such a big show and it all got to her a bit much. We were the only ones in the in-hand spotted so we got a red rosette but I was a bit miffed really because I really wanted our first 1st to be deserved. She behaved like a right berk. Leaping into the air and trying to take off. The judge said she was 'really quite naughty'. No shit sherlock. I took her in the ridden coloured but she was still majorly on her toes so I pulled her out. She was really jumpy on the hack on the way back. I think it was all just too much for her. She was great in the morning though so I'm focusing on that :)
Sunday 9th May - Hargate Show
We hacked over in the morning and she was fab. Our first class was ridden coloured and there were 3 in there. We came 2nd and I agreed with the placing. She was a very good girl and was concentrating most of the time. Good start to the day.
2nd class was senior novice equitation. We came 2nd! I was soo pleased because there were about 8 in the class. She went really nicely, nicer than the one that came 1st in my opinion, so it must have been my riding that let us down. Still, very chuffed with her!
3rd class was in-hand spotted/pally/roan etc. She seems to get really excited in in-hand classes. Quite good though as long as she doesn't flip out. She stood up nicely for the judge and I ran as fast as I could. We won!! There were 4 in the class and I was expecting another one to win as it looked like a fancy little show pony. Yey for Saffy!
Final class was riding club pony. She did an amaaaazing show. Absolutely brilliant. She was really energetic so was lovely and forward going. I was so pleased :) We turned towards the jump, all ok, got to the jump (1ft 6 maximum) and she comes to a grinding halt. Grrrrr! She stepped over it and then jumped it fine from the other direction. There were about 7 in the class and nobody else refused it so I was expecting to come last but we ended up with 4th. The judge said we would have come first if she'd have jumped it properly. We'd have gotten a trophy too!! Never mind. At least I know what we need to work on!
Sunday 16th May - Urmston Show
First class was novice/green horse. She went quite well but I think in future I really need to warm up properly before doing any classes. We came 3rd. We were originally pulled in 5th because idiot here got the wrong leg and didn't notice but our individual show bumped us up. To be honest the winner didn't particularly seem novice or green but meh.
2nd class was senior equitation. It was on pretty uneven ground but she coped well with it. We came 2nd. Again I'm sure her show was better than the winner's but my riding probably ruined it. I really need to focus on keeping my heels down.
3rd class was riding club horse. I was determined not to let her refuse the jump again! She did a nice individual show and cleared the jump well. We came 4th, would've come 3rd if I'd have cantered her to the jump. Fair enough, I didn't want to risk it. Definitely something we're working on though.
Final class was ridden coloured. It was a bigger class than last time with some very nice looking coblets. The winner from last time was also there. We came 2nd!! I was probably the most pleased with that result as we beat the person who won last time and came 2nd only to a very well schooled traditional cob. Overall another very good day :)
So this weekend she has a weekend off from showing while I revise for exams. Next weekend we're going showjumping (mini ones!). Really looking forward to it. She really had her jumping head on today and was getting excited bless her :) The weekend after that she'll be having another quiet weekend because of exams then we have Urmston and Hargate charity show the 2 weeks after that. It's going to be a busy summer!
Sunday 25 April 2010
April Update
Been quite a while since I posted anything. I've been stupidly busy with uni etc, it's all getting a bit stressful now. Anyway Saffy has been brilliant as usual :) We had Urmston show last Sunday and she excelled herself. I went with the goal of getting a 2nd place, we got 2!! We also got a 3rd. I was thrilled to bits with her and I thought she looked great. Only need a red rosette now and we have a full run!
In my lessons I've been working on my position and keeping my heels down so my legs down ride up. It sounds basic but I've gotten into a really bad habit of bringing my heels up and turning my toes out. I'm also working on getting her moving off my leg much quicker and not constantly nagging her with them. It's quite hard work but she's a pleasure to work with :)
We did our 2nd dressage test on Saturday and hacked over to Hargate. She was great on the hack and I felt pretty relaxed, new for me on hacks!! I just wish we could get to off-road hacking without having to go on so many roads. The drivers are generally great but there are so many things that are potentially scary in gardens etc. Meh, I'll get over it. Anyway she was a very good girl in the dressage, really did what I asked and worked a lot better than last time. We got 62.2% and came 3rd!! That's an improvement of 2.2% on last time so I'm pleased. I didn't see the tests that got 1st and 2nd.
Today I've bought her a 2nd hand western saddle for hacking. She was an angel when I was trying it on her and just stood there while I faffed about with it. It was very comfy so I'm looking forward to taking her out in it soon. I got her some hoof boots too which I'm going to use for hacks to stop her front feet wearing down.
We have Mottram show next Sunday then Hargate show the weekend after that. We then have a weekend off while I stress over exams followed by a jumping competition on my birthday weekend. Busy busy bees!!
In my lessons I've been working on my position and keeping my heels down so my legs down ride up. It sounds basic but I've gotten into a really bad habit of bringing my heels up and turning my toes out. I'm also working on getting her moving off my leg much quicker and not constantly nagging her with them. It's quite hard work but she's a pleasure to work with :)
We did our 2nd dressage test on Saturday and hacked over to Hargate. She was great on the hack and I felt pretty relaxed, new for me on hacks!! I just wish we could get to off-road hacking without having to go on so many roads. The drivers are generally great but there are so many things that are potentially scary in gardens etc. Meh, I'll get over it. Anyway she was a very good girl in the dressage, really did what I asked and worked a lot better than last time. We got 62.2% and came 3rd!! That's an improvement of 2.2% on last time so I'm pleased. I didn't see the tests that got 1st and 2nd.
Today I've bought her a 2nd hand western saddle for hacking. She was an angel when I was trying it on her and just stood there while I faffed about with it. It was very comfy so I'm looking forward to taking her out in it soon. I got her some hoof boots too which I'm going to use for hacks to stop her front feet wearing down.
We have Mottram show next Sunday then Hargate show the weekend after that. We then have a weekend off while I stress over exams followed by a jumping competition on my birthday weekend. Busy busy bees!!
Sunday 11 April 2010
Saffy's first showjumping
What a brilliant day :D
I didn't sleep very well last night because I was so nervous. I was so sure we'd have a repeat of Thursday. I needn't have worried :) Got to the farm at 8:15 and she'd managed to get poo stains on her even though she was ninja-d up. It must just seep through the rug. I'm going to put her fleece on over the top next time. I need to modify the ninja thing for next weekend too. She hates it going on and off and I get all stressed because she panics. I'm just going to cut it under her neck and sew some velcro on. Should be a lot less traumatic for both of us!
Anyway I digress. Scrubbed the poo stains off her, tacked up and off we went. It was a beautiful day. I was sick with nerves though. She didn't put a foot wrong hacking either way, she was perfect. I was on edge as always but she put up with me :) When we got there I warmed her up a little bit and popped her over the little warm up jump. Once she was jumping it nicely I took her round the the arena for clear round. Went in and walked her around to have a look at the scary jumps. She hesitated slightly at the first (a filler with a ladder) but popped it and was fine from then until we got to the plank. She gawped at it for so long she got far too close and knocked it. She didn't refuse though so I wasn't bothered. I took her in again after a breather and she went round no problems. It was only 1ft6 but I was more bothered about her going around the course without any problems rather than clearing great heights.
The next class came around eventually and I went in 2nd. I kept it steady again and did half in trot and half in canter. It was 1ft9 and she managed it no prob. Went clear and got into the jump off. There was a hell of a lot of waiting around for the jump off and I was supposed to be going in 2nd but the person before me had disappeared so I ended up having to go in first. Having watched the video back I could've cut so much time off but I really wasn't pushing her too hard. I could've probably cut about 4 or 5 seconds off our time if I'd have been really going for it. She jumped clear and did brilliantly :) We came 5th and got a pink rosette and a medal. Dead chuffed :) She was loving the lap of honour too bless her.
I'm going to give the jumping a go at Urmston next weekend. Will start with the clear round (either sj or wh, not sure which yet) and then maybe do the novice if she's ok. If I get into a jump off I'm going to keep her in canter throughout and push her on in between fences. I need to get my turns a bit tighter too, will work on cantering small circles. Overall I'm so pleased with her. She out-performed every expectation and was an angel waiting around between classes. I couldn't have a more perfect horse. Very excited about my dad watching the show next weekend!
I didn't sleep very well last night because I was so nervous. I was so sure we'd have a repeat of Thursday. I needn't have worried :) Got to the farm at 8:15 and she'd managed to get poo stains on her even though she was ninja-d up. It must just seep through the rug. I'm going to put her fleece on over the top next time. I need to modify the ninja thing for next weekend too. She hates it going on and off and I get all stressed because she panics. I'm just going to cut it under her neck and sew some velcro on. Should be a lot less traumatic for both of us!
Anyway I digress. Scrubbed the poo stains off her, tacked up and off we went. It was a beautiful day. I was sick with nerves though. She didn't put a foot wrong hacking either way, she was perfect. I was on edge as always but she put up with me :) When we got there I warmed her up a little bit and popped her over the little warm up jump. Once she was jumping it nicely I took her round the the arena for clear round. Went in and walked her around to have a look at the scary jumps. She hesitated slightly at the first (a filler with a ladder) but popped it and was fine from then until we got to the plank. She gawped at it for so long she got far too close and knocked it. She didn't refuse though so I wasn't bothered. I took her in again after a breather and she went round no problems. It was only 1ft6 but I was more bothered about her going around the course without any problems rather than clearing great heights.
The next class came around eventually and I went in 2nd. I kept it steady again and did half in trot and half in canter. It was 1ft9 and she managed it no prob. Went clear and got into the jump off. There was a hell of a lot of waiting around for the jump off and I was supposed to be going in 2nd but the person before me had disappeared so I ended up having to go in first. Having watched the video back I could've cut so much time off but I really wasn't pushing her too hard. I could've probably cut about 4 or 5 seconds off our time if I'd have been really going for it. She jumped clear and did brilliantly :) We came 5th and got a pink rosette and a medal. Dead chuffed :) She was loving the lap of honour too bless her.
I'm going to give the jumping a go at Urmston next weekend. Will start with the clear round (either sj or wh, not sure which yet) and then maybe do the novice if she's ok. If I get into a jump off I'm going to keep her in canter throughout and push her on in between fences. I need to get my turns a bit tighter too, will work on cantering small circles. Overall I'm so pleased with her. She out-performed every expectation and was an angel waiting around between classes. I couldn't have a more perfect horse. Very excited about my dad watching the show next weekend!
Friday 9 April 2010
Another one bites the dust
Ahh well it had to happen! I had my second fall off Saffy yesterday. Quite dramatic, ended up in A&E! Just for a check over because I hit my head quite hard. I'm ok though, just all achey this morning!
I had put up a double and a single fence. Warmed up and went over the single fence no problem. I took her upto the double and she refused so I gave her a tap and rode her back to it. She felt like she was going to run out but she was brave and did it. Thing is, she threw herself over it. Must've cleared it by 3ft!! That flung me into the air and as soon as she landed she shot to the left to run out of the 2nd jump, leaving me on the floor. She trotted to the corner of the school and stood there looking scared. I shook myself down, made sure all limbs were still attached, put the jumps down a bit and got back on. She was genuinely scared of the jump. After 2 goes she jumped it from the other direction but was really wary of going over it the way she did when I fell off. I eventually got her over it twice and left it at that. I wasn't angry with her and I don't think she's going to try the cat-leaping and legging it method again!
By the time I was going to bed I was scared. I had been convincing myself I had done the right thing getting back on and trying it again with her, which I know I did. Whenever I thought about the show on Sunday though I started to panic. What happens if we get to the double and she does it again? And I end up falling off in front of loads of people and bash my head again? Arghh.
I woke up this morning feeling a lot more confident. Not sure what changed over night but I want to get back on and try again. Today I'm going to put up a little double and get her lunging over it properly. That way she can figure it out for herself with minimal injury to me!
I had put up a double and a single fence. Warmed up and went over the single fence no problem. I took her upto the double and she refused so I gave her a tap and rode her back to it. She felt like she was going to run out but she was brave and did it. Thing is, she threw herself over it. Must've cleared it by 3ft!! That flung me into the air and as soon as she landed she shot to the left to run out of the 2nd jump, leaving me on the floor. She trotted to the corner of the school and stood there looking scared. I shook myself down, made sure all limbs were still attached, put the jumps down a bit and got back on. She was genuinely scared of the jump. After 2 goes she jumped it from the other direction but was really wary of going over it the way she did when I fell off. I eventually got her over it twice and left it at that. I wasn't angry with her and I don't think she's going to try the cat-leaping and legging it method again!
By the time I was going to bed I was scared. I had been convincing myself I had done the right thing getting back on and trying it again with her, which I know I did. Whenever I thought about the show on Sunday though I started to panic. What happens if we get to the double and she does it again? And I end up falling off in front of loads of people and bash my head again? Arghh.
I woke up this morning feeling a lot more confident. Not sure what changed over night but I want to get back on and try again. Today I'm going to put up a little double and get her lunging over it properly. That way she can figure it out for herself with minimal injury to me!
Wednesday 7 April 2010
Tuesday's lesson
Just a quick update. Had another great lesson on Tuesday. Cara's really impressed with how she's working now. She says we need to focus more on getting her moving forward now, which is quite a job! I need to ride every stride and be lighter but quicker with my leg. She said to do 2 beats to every stride, something I definitely need to work on! We're going to do some no-stirrup work soon so that should help strengthen my core muscles.
She's had the day off today while I focus on my dissertation. Farrier's coming tomorrow to have a look at her feet and see what he thinks about me getting some hoof boots for her because her front feet are wearing down quite a bit. Hopefully I'll be alright getting boots. I'd prefer to keep her without shoes. As long as she's alright after having her feet trimmed I'm going to do some jumping in the afternoon. Will do a double and make a scary looking jump in preparation for Sunday.
She's had the day off today while I focus on my dissertation. Farrier's coming tomorrow to have a look at her feet and see what he thinks about me getting some hoof boots for her because her front feet are wearing down quite a bit. Hopefully I'll be alright getting boots. I'd prefer to keep her without shoes. As long as she's alright after having her feet trimmed I'm going to do some jumping in the afternoon. Will do a double and make a scary looking jump in preparation for Sunday.
Saturday 3 April 2010
Boing boing boing
Had a jumping lesson on Tuesday which was great. Cara says I need to fizz Saffy up a lot when we're jumping and count the strides loudly. I'm also not to put the jumps over 2ft until she's getting it right and her back end is stronger. That's fine with me, I'm not in a rush! She had the chiropractor out then (who said she looked like a completely different horse!) so she had Wednesday and Thursday off.
On Friday I took her in the school and she was really good. Quite distracted as it was windy and she hasn't been in the big field for quite a while now. She was great though, not spooky or daft. She's working in an outline in walk most of the time now and does it when asked in trot but doesn't hold it. That'll come with time though. I even asked her to lower in canter and she seemed to understand. I didn't ask for more than a couple of strides but bless her she was doing well :) When we finished I took her over to Ben's. She was good but felt a little bit on her toes. Didn't do anything daft but I didn't feel very relaxed, which I'm sure didn't help things. Either way, we made it there and back with no problems :)
Today the weather was quite nice when I set off so I decided to put a couple of jumps up. Nothing fancy, just 2 x-poles and 2 straights. She was on form today! I got her fizzed up and had her in a nice forward going canter. She flew over all of them for about 20mins (with breathers in between!) and then knocked one because she was getting tired. She's SO honest. If we botch the striding up she assesses the situation so quickly and either puts in a little stride or stretches further over it, whichever is best. She's going to make a cracking little jumper :) Can't wait til our first jumping show next weekend.
After that I took her down Gorsey (big hill, 30% gradient in places!) and back up again. The weather was lovely and she was a very good girl. It's a massive workout for her but excellent for getting her fit and building up her bum. I'm going to aim to do that at least twice a week from now on. It's such a quiet road so great for a relaxing ride. When we got back I pulled more of her mane in an attempt to get it thinner. It's getting there but could do with 2 more sessions I think.
Going to do some schooling tomorrow and think I'll put some poles on the ground to work her over to encourage her to stretch down a bit.
On Friday I took her in the school and she was really good. Quite distracted as it was windy and she hasn't been in the big field for quite a while now. She was great though, not spooky or daft. She's working in an outline in walk most of the time now and does it when asked in trot but doesn't hold it. That'll come with time though. I even asked her to lower in canter and she seemed to understand. I didn't ask for more than a couple of strides but bless her she was doing well :) When we finished I took her over to Ben's. She was good but felt a little bit on her toes. Didn't do anything daft but I didn't feel very relaxed, which I'm sure didn't help things. Either way, we made it there and back with no problems :)
Today the weather was quite nice when I set off so I decided to put a couple of jumps up. Nothing fancy, just 2 x-poles and 2 straights. She was on form today! I got her fizzed up and had her in a nice forward going canter. She flew over all of them for about 20mins (with breathers in between!) and then knocked one because she was getting tired. She's SO honest. If we botch the striding up she assesses the situation so quickly and either puts in a little stride or stretches further over it, whichever is best. She's going to make a cracking little jumper :) Can't wait til our first jumping show next weekend.
After that I took her down Gorsey (big hill, 30% gradient in places!) and back up again. The weather was lovely and she was a very good girl. It's a massive workout for her but excellent for getting her fit and building up her bum. I'm going to aim to do that at least twice a week from now on. It's such a quiet road so great for a relaxing ride. When we got back I pulled more of her mane in an attempt to get it thinner. It's getting there but could do with 2 more sessions I think.
Going to do some schooling tomorrow and think I'll put some poles on the ground to work her over to encourage her to stretch down a bit.
Monday 29 March 2010
Winning weekend!
What a brilliant weekend. I'd absolutely love to spend every weekend like that. I can dream eh?
I spent all of Friday getting her ready. I had a little ride in the morning just working on getting the right canter lead. She was tired and it was a bit shakey but she was a very good girl. God I love that pony. Anyway, after that I gave her a mini bath to get rid of the stains on her bum and neck. The weather wasn't too bad and the sun even came out at times. It took forever though! Once that was done I began the mammoth task of plaiting her. She was a very good girl and very patient. I wrapped her up in her lycra bodysuit and fleece to keep her clean overnight.
Saturday morning I got an early train to the farm and found her with a poo stain on her bum. I now know it was the rug that put it there, seeing as one appeared in exactly the same place on Sunday morning! Anyway, washed it off, got tacked up and set off with Donna and Pam to Hargate. I'm still quite nervous hacking but little Safmonkey was great. It took about 45mins to get there and it was a great looking yard. Very jealous of all the facilities they have there! All the kids milling about would piss me off though. Anyway had a warm-up and she was going nicely. Wasn't bothered about kids flying around jumping or scary looking WH fences in the warm up arena.
We went in for our walk trot test and she went in very nicely. We actually got a 7 for our trot down the centre line! The rest of the test went nicely. She was dropping down into an outline a lot but not consistantly. I mucked up the half 10m circles and she was falling out through her outside shoulder quite a lot but for her first ever dressage test I was very pleased with her. Her walk needs to be more forward going and obviously get her to work consistantly in an outline but she showed definite promise.
We went in for our prelim test and again she behaved very well. She needed to be more forward going and we need to work on our canter transitions to make sure she doesn't hollow and that she canters as soon as I ask rather than running into it.
I was thrilled with our placings! We came 3rd in both!! The first test was out of 12 and the second out of 6 but I was expecting to come 6th because the other tests I saw looked very good. Our placings mean we've qualified for UK Riders Challenge 2010 regional finals!!! We'll definitely be giving those a go! Hopefully by then (June) she'll be working consistantly in an outline and her canter will have improved. Very happy with her on Saturday!
Sunday morning and I was greeted with another poo stain. She hesitated a bit when loading, not helped by bloody kids being stood around the box saying her name. I told them to move and they didn't. I was hoping she'd spack out and kick them but hey ho, no such luck. I got the box man to poke her in the bum with my lunge whip and she walked straight on. She travelled fine and we got there in good time. She was such a good girl in the lead rein class. The kid rode like a prat and didn't remember to salute at the end so came last. Not arsed, Saf was an angel. My first class was straight after that. We came last at the last show! I was determined to do better this time. It was a different judge which I was a bit miffed about because I wanted to show the other judge she was wrong when she said it'd take her ages to learn to soften. Today's judge was very nice though. There was a bit of drama as we were all cantering round as a spooky horse got scared by something and set another one off, sending it one way and its rider the other. She got her arm tangled in her reins and got dragged a couple of metres. Poor thing. The horse then legged it around the arena a couple of times so we all had to stand and wait while that sorted itself out. She went nicely in out individual show. Struck off on the wrong canter lead once but sorted it out. We came 3rd in that so I was very pleased :) We also got a rosette for being the highest placed member in that class. Yey!!
Next was ridden showing. It was a tough class but she did well and came 5th. Ridden coloured was a very tough class too with some beautiful horses. We got 4th in that one so I was all smiles :) All in all, a very good day. She's so easy to take to places. Not stressful at all. She spent her down time sunbathing by the box!
Brilliant weekend!! Six rosettes to show for all her hard work. She's had a well deserved day off today. Jumping lesson tomorrow :)
I spent all of Friday getting her ready. I had a little ride in the morning just working on getting the right canter lead. She was tired and it was a bit shakey but she was a very good girl. God I love that pony. Anyway, after that I gave her a mini bath to get rid of the stains on her bum and neck. The weather wasn't too bad and the sun even came out at times. It took forever though! Once that was done I began the mammoth task of plaiting her. She was a very good girl and very patient. I wrapped her up in her lycra bodysuit and fleece to keep her clean overnight.
Saturday morning I got an early train to the farm and found her with a poo stain on her bum. I now know it was the rug that put it there, seeing as one appeared in exactly the same place on Sunday morning! Anyway, washed it off, got tacked up and set off with Donna and Pam to Hargate. I'm still quite nervous hacking but little Safmonkey was great. It took about 45mins to get there and it was a great looking yard. Very jealous of all the facilities they have there! All the kids milling about would piss me off though. Anyway had a warm-up and she was going nicely. Wasn't bothered about kids flying around jumping or scary looking WH fences in the warm up arena.
We went in for our walk trot test and she went in very nicely. We actually got a 7 for our trot down the centre line! The rest of the test went nicely. She was dropping down into an outline a lot but not consistantly. I mucked up the half 10m circles and she was falling out through her outside shoulder quite a lot but for her first ever dressage test I was very pleased with her. Her walk needs to be more forward going and obviously get her to work consistantly in an outline but she showed definite promise.
We went in for our prelim test and again she behaved very well. She needed to be more forward going and we need to work on our canter transitions to make sure she doesn't hollow and that she canters as soon as I ask rather than running into it.
I was thrilled with our placings! We came 3rd in both!! The first test was out of 12 and the second out of 6 but I was expecting to come 6th because the other tests I saw looked very good. Our placings mean we've qualified for UK Riders Challenge 2010 regional finals!!! We'll definitely be giving those a go! Hopefully by then (June) she'll be working consistantly in an outline and her canter will have improved. Very happy with her on Saturday!
Sunday morning and I was greeted with another poo stain. She hesitated a bit when loading, not helped by bloody kids being stood around the box saying her name. I told them to move and they didn't. I was hoping she'd spack out and kick them but hey ho, no such luck. I got the box man to poke her in the bum with my lunge whip and she walked straight on. She travelled fine and we got there in good time. She was such a good girl in the lead rein class. The kid rode like a prat and didn't remember to salute at the end so came last. Not arsed, Saf was an angel. My first class was straight after that. We came last at the last show! I was determined to do better this time. It was a different judge which I was a bit miffed about because I wanted to show the other judge she was wrong when she said it'd take her ages to learn to soften. Today's judge was very nice though. There was a bit of drama as we were all cantering round as a spooky horse got scared by something and set another one off, sending it one way and its rider the other. She got her arm tangled in her reins and got dragged a couple of metres. Poor thing. The horse then legged it around the arena a couple of times so we all had to stand and wait while that sorted itself out. She went nicely in out individual show. Struck off on the wrong canter lead once but sorted it out. We came 3rd in that so I was very pleased :) We also got a rosette for being the highest placed member in that class. Yey!!
Next was ridden showing. It was a tough class but she did well and came 5th. Ridden coloured was a very tough class too with some beautiful horses. We got 4th in that one so I was all smiles :) All in all, a very good day. She's so easy to take to places. Not stressful at all. She spent her down time sunbathing by the box!
Brilliant weekend!! Six rosettes to show for all her hard work. She's had a well deserved day off today. Jumping lesson tomorrow :)
Wednesday 24 March 2010
Can you say outline?
Eeeeee she's amazing :D I took her in the school today to practice what we did yesterday and I wasn't expecting much really. She was brilliant! She felt tired, not sure what to do about that at the moment, but warmed up properly and did plenty of tight circles etc. Once she was warmed up I asked her to soften in halt. No problem. I asked in walk and she got it after a few strides. I then asked in trot and she did it after half a lap!! I was sooo pleased!! I was using firm but gentle aids so I wasn't getting too tense and she took to it like a duck to water. It's not consistent but she does drop down when I ask so it's just a case of being quick to react to her actions and she'll soon learn she needs to maintain it. She feels so light on my hands when she does it. I really hope I can get her to do it at the show seeing as the judge said it would take ages to get her in an outline because of her neck muscles. Pah. 3 weeks!! I know judges are unlikely to ever take her seriously as a show pony but that doesn't bother me. She's more special than any of the horses at that show and probably has more intelligence in her hoof than the majority! She's wonderful :)
Tuesday 23 March 2010
Great lesson
Cara came to give us our lesson today. Having weekly lessons has been the best thing I've ever done with Saffy. It's helped us no end. I was wondering whether she'd start to drop down into an outline like she was doing yesterday but needn't have worried. After warming up and a little bit of persuasion she dropped down nicely. She doesn't hold it for long at the moment but still the fact that she's dropping her head at all is a huge achievement for us. Cara even got us attempting it in trot! Oh my god I haven't had a work out that hard in years!!! It was such hard work. I need to be firmer with my legs whilst maintaining the contact so I'm constantly working her into the bridle. I managed to get it right a good few times which I was very pleased with but I did feel a bit like I was going to die :) She feels so lovely when she drops down. I can't wait until we're getting it more consistantly. She'll look amazing!
Managed to book Barry to take us to Urmston show too which is a relief. Should save us some money. Excited!
Managed to book Barry to take us to Urmston show too which is a relief. Should save us some money. Excited!
Monday 22 March 2010
Wonderful pony :)
Yesterday I put up a double, a straight (2ft3) and a *scary* straight which comprised of traffic cones, red and green poles and a roadworks plank. Overall she did very well. She knocked more than last time but she did feel quite tired and it was a warm day. After a couple of run-outs she tackled the double successfully and the straight was no problem at all. She ran out of the scary one a few times but then popped it no problem. The majority of the knocks were down to striding but some were lazy. I'm going to start using harder poles so she doesn't think she can knock them as easily. She tried hard and I was pleased with her progress :)
Today I wasn't feeling great and was angry that she'd been left soaking wet in her stable but I felt better once I'd spend some time with her. I did about 25mins of schooling and she was great!! I warmed up and practised our intro dressage then I had a little canter (still wasn't taking off on the correct lead on the left rein..not sure why she's reverted to that..need to be clearer with my aids). I then started asking her to come down into an outline in walk but it wasn't working. I said to someone at the gate 'she's never going to want to go on the bit'. Cue Saffy dropping down into an outline and holding it for pretty much 4 complete laps of the school!!!! My voice was getting so high only dogs could hear it!! I was SO pleased with her. When she brought her head back up I'd open my hands again and she'd drop right down straight away! She's so so clever. It's like the break from schooling has given her time to mull over what I've been asking of her. She's not holding her head still yet when it's down but given it's only been a week since I started asking her to drop I'm more than happy with her!!
The kids had a practice on her then for the show. I felt sick at the way they ragged her mouth when they rose to her trot. I'm going to make sure they keep a long rein to avoid it as much as possible. Wish I'd never opened my big mouth now. Still, each one will only ride for 10mins at each show so she'll be a good girl and put up with it. After that, nobody else inexperienced is riding her ever. She's been so patient with me letting novices on her. Now she's growing up and schooling properly I'm not having anyone else ruin it. I love my little girl far too much for that.
Today I wasn't feeling great and was angry that she'd been left soaking wet in her stable but I felt better once I'd spend some time with her. I did about 25mins of schooling and she was great!! I warmed up and practised our intro dressage then I had a little canter (still wasn't taking off on the correct lead on the left rein..not sure why she's reverted to that..need to be clearer with my aids). I then started asking her to come down into an outline in walk but it wasn't working. I said to someone at the gate 'she's never going to want to go on the bit'. Cue Saffy dropping down into an outline and holding it for pretty much 4 complete laps of the school!!!! My voice was getting so high only dogs could hear it!! I was SO pleased with her. When she brought her head back up I'd open my hands again and she'd drop right down straight away! She's so so clever. It's like the break from schooling has given her time to mull over what I've been asking of her. She's not holding her head still yet when it's down but given it's only been a week since I started asking her to drop I'm more than happy with her!!
The kids had a practice on her then for the show. I felt sick at the way they ragged her mouth when they rose to her trot. I'm going to make sure they keep a long rein to avoid it as much as possible. Wish I'd never opened my big mouth now. Still, each one will only ride for 10mins at each show so she'll be a good girl and put up with it. After that, nobody else inexperienced is riding her ever. She's been so patient with me letting novices on her. Now she's growing up and schooling properly I'm not having anyone else ruin it. I love my little girl far too much for that.
Saturday 20 March 2010
This week..
Oops not updated as much as I would have liked. Got a lot of uni work on. Bleurgh.
Tuesday..
We had our lesson in the morning. It was the hardest lesson yet. Cara wants me to get her working in an outline in walk now. Little ponio doesn't understand what I want her to do and I feel a bit useless. I need to relax more through my shoulders and arms whilst getting her more balanced with my legs. As soon as she drops I need to release the strong contact and take my legs off. I'm finding it really difficult but I know it should come with time. Thing is, Cara got on and within a few mins she had her going in an outline. Ok so it wasn't a constant one and didn't look very comfortable but she had it and maintained it. I can't seem to get her to that stage at the moment. It was great seeing someone who can actually ride ride her though. She looked so beautiful in an outline :) A proper horsey.
After the lesson we walked down to Ben's farm on our own. It was a lovely day and Saffy was foot perfect. She seemed to really enjoy our little trip :)
Wednesday...
I tried to practice what we'd done in our lesson but she was having none of it. She dropped down once in walk but she was getting really frustrated after a while so I moved on to practise the dressage tests. She was a very good girl, just need to make sure I keep the impulsion all the way round. I was disappointed I couldn't get her in an outline more in walk but she'd done it once so better than not at all.
After that I took her down the road towards the main road. I was going to try her on the main road on our own but she started to tense up when we got there so decided not to risk it. Glad I did in the end when I realised the playground by the road was full of screaming kids! Instead I took her back up to the farm, went past it and then went down Gorsey (very steep road..30% gradient in parts!) and back up again. It was the furthest we've been on our own and she was very good. It's a massive workout for her so when we got back she was soaked with sweat bless her. Will be very good for getting her fit and working her back though.
Thursday..
Day off for Saffy but not for mummy. Driving lesson, uni work, lecture, tutorial, work.
Friday..
I decided to lunge her because we hadn't had a lunging session for about 3 weeks now. I put elastic side reins on for the first time. I started with them very loose while she was warming up. Once she'd had a warm up in both directions I tightened them up a bit. They were attached low on the girth to encourage her to drop her head and they were loose enough so that she could drop her head as low as she wanted but not put it up too much. She walked on perfectly. Took her a minute to realise she was meant to be going forward and that the pressure on the bit didn't mean slow down. She then proceeded to walk around with her head in a lovely position :) I made sure she was working properly from behind and the whole picture was great. I'm going to do this more often now to get her used to working with her head in that position.
I got on her and did a little bit of canter. For some reason she was striking off on the wrong leg on the left rein. That hasn't been a problem of late so don't know what caused that. Hopefully it's just a one-off. I took her down the road to Ben's again to drop off my straw money and again she was great. She went past a tractor and roller making loads of noise without batting an eyelid but refused to go past a guy up some scaffolding. I got off and head her past no problem. She was fine on the way back. Daft pony.
Saturday..
I intended to jump but the weather's been miserable so I just did my jobs and gave her her tea. Will hopefully be able to jump tomorrow though. I'm going to set up a double to see how she is with those. Excited!
Tuesday..
We had our lesson in the morning. It was the hardest lesson yet. Cara wants me to get her working in an outline in walk now. Little ponio doesn't understand what I want her to do and I feel a bit useless. I need to relax more through my shoulders and arms whilst getting her more balanced with my legs. As soon as she drops I need to release the strong contact and take my legs off. I'm finding it really difficult but I know it should come with time. Thing is, Cara got on and within a few mins she had her going in an outline. Ok so it wasn't a constant one and didn't look very comfortable but she had it and maintained it. I can't seem to get her to that stage at the moment. It was great seeing someone who can actually ride ride her though. She looked so beautiful in an outline :) A proper horsey.
After the lesson we walked down to Ben's farm on our own. It was a lovely day and Saffy was foot perfect. She seemed to really enjoy our little trip :)
Wednesday...
I tried to practice what we'd done in our lesson but she was having none of it. She dropped down once in walk but she was getting really frustrated after a while so I moved on to practise the dressage tests. She was a very good girl, just need to make sure I keep the impulsion all the way round. I was disappointed I couldn't get her in an outline more in walk but she'd done it once so better than not at all.
After that I took her down the road towards the main road. I was going to try her on the main road on our own but she started to tense up when we got there so decided not to risk it. Glad I did in the end when I realised the playground by the road was full of screaming kids! Instead I took her back up to the farm, went past it and then went down Gorsey (very steep road..30% gradient in parts!) and back up again. It was the furthest we've been on our own and she was very good. It's a massive workout for her so when we got back she was soaked with sweat bless her. Will be very good for getting her fit and working her back though.
Thursday..
Day off for Saffy but not for mummy. Driving lesson, uni work, lecture, tutorial, work.
Friday..
I decided to lunge her because we hadn't had a lunging session for about 3 weeks now. I put elastic side reins on for the first time. I started with them very loose while she was warming up. Once she'd had a warm up in both directions I tightened them up a bit. They were attached low on the girth to encourage her to drop her head and they were loose enough so that she could drop her head as low as she wanted but not put it up too much. She walked on perfectly. Took her a minute to realise she was meant to be going forward and that the pressure on the bit didn't mean slow down. She then proceeded to walk around with her head in a lovely position :) I made sure she was working properly from behind and the whole picture was great. I'm going to do this more often now to get her used to working with her head in that position.
I got on her and did a little bit of canter. For some reason she was striking off on the wrong leg on the left rein. That hasn't been a problem of late so don't know what caused that. Hopefully it's just a one-off. I took her down the road to Ben's again to drop off my straw money and again she was great. She went past a tractor and roller making loads of noise without batting an eyelid but refused to go past a guy up some scaffolding. I got off and head her past no problem. She was fine on the way back. Daft pony.
Saturday..
I intended to jump but the weather's been miserable so I just did my jobs and gave her her tea. Will hopefully be able to jump tomorrow though. I'm going to set up a double to see how she is with those. Excited!
Monday 15 March 2010
Update from the weekend
Friday:
It was really windy but I decided to try schooling. Because of the weather everything was far too interesting outside the arena so I got giraffe Saffy most of the time. She did drop down for a few strides in walk though after loads of effort so I guess I got somewhere at least. Did lots of canter transitions across the diagonal. Her canter is absolutely divine at the moment. Sooo nice to sit to.
Saturday:
Went on a looong hack with Harry :) She was so much happier with a sensible lead horse and didn't put a foot wrong. She had a tiny spook at a rattling van but literally just a jump. We rode for 2hrs, a lot of roadwork and some very steep hills so she was knackered when we got back but she seemed to really enjoy it all. It's boosted my hacking confidence loads. Can't wait to get out hacking more, especially in the summer. It seems a few shows are hacking distance away so it'll be great to get out and about loads and get some rosettes!
Sunday:
I was hungover so she had a day in the field :)
Monday:
Jumpies! I put a jump up on each long side and one across the diagonal. The diagonal was a x-pole and there was a spread (2ft) and a straight (2ft3 then 2ft6). I warmed her up and popped her over the x in trot. She usually refuses the first jump so I made sure I rode her positively upto it and she popped it quietly. Did that a couple more times then cantered over it no problem. I went to the straight in canter and she refused! I think it might have been me just being a bit unsure. We managed it after that. She even gave my friend's horse a lead over it! She was jumping so cleanly and quietly. It's like something's really clicked. The spread wasn't a problem for her either. She made such a good job of them all and really tried hard. She got so excited towards the end she put in a few little bucks! So cute. We did the full *course* a couple of times and she was great. It was her first try jumping more than one jump at once so I was soo proud of her.
I'm taking her to a jumping have-a-go fun day on 11th April and going to do the clear round, 1ft9 then 2ft3. That'll be her first time jumping away from home but it's a really relaxed environment so I think it'll be great for her. Very excited! If that goes well I'm going to enter her in some jumping classes at another local show as practise for the big local one in May!
It was really windy but I decided to try schooling. Because of the weather everything was far too interesting outside the arena so I got giraffe Saffy most of the time. She did drop down for a few strides in walk though after loads of effort so I guess I got somewhere at least. Did lots of canter transitions across the diagonal. Her canter is absolutely divine at the moment. Sooo nice to sit to.
Saturday:
Went on a looong hack with Harry :) She was so much happier with a sensible lead horse and didn't put a foot wrong. She had a tiny spook at a rattling van but literally just a jump. We rode for 2hrs, a lot of roadwork and some very steep hills so she was knackered when we got back but she seemed to really enjoy it all. It's boosted my hacking confidence loads. Can't wait to get out hacking more, especially in the summer. It seems a few shows are hacking distance away so it'll be great to get out and about loads and get some rosettes!
Sunday:
I was hungover so she had a day in the field :)
Monday:
Jumpies! I put a jump up on each long side and one across the diagonal. The diagonal was a x-pole and there was a spread (2ft) and a straight (2ft3 then 2ft6). I warmed her up and popped her over the x in trot. She usually refuses the first jump so I made sure I rode her positively upto it and she popped it quietly. Did that a couple more times then cantered over it no problem. I went to the straight in canter and she refused! I think it might have been me just being a bit unsure. We managed it after that. She even gave my friend's horse a lead over it! She was jumping so cleanly and quietly. It's like something's really clicked. The spread wasn't a problem for her either. She made such a good job of them all and really tried hard. She got so excited towards the end she put in a few little bucks! So cute. We did the full *course* a couple of times and she was great. It was her first try jumping more than one jump at once so I was soo proud of her.
I'm taking her to a jumping have-a-go fun day on 11th April and going to do the clear round, 1ft9 then 2ft3. That'll be her first time jumping away from home but it's a really relaxed environment so I think it'll be great for her. Very excited! If that goes well I'm going to enter her in some jumping classes at another local show as practise for the big local one in May!
Wednesday 10 March 2010
Our first hack
Today we went on our first proper hack since moving to the yard. We went during rush hour and with only a young skittish horse for company so probably wasn't the best idea. Saffy was, as usual, pretty great. She spooked at a couple of things (drains, double decker bus hitting branches, grit container) but nothing too bad at all. She doesn't care about vehicles passing her it's just the sudden noises. I think she'd have been pretty foot-perfect if she'd have been with a more sensible horse. We stayed in walk barr 2mins of trot but because we spent half an hour walking up a huge hill she was soaked with sweat when we got back :)
I wasn't very comfortable riding on the main road but I think if I went during the day or at the weekend then it'd be loads quieter and I could relax more. If the weather holds out we'll be going out with Pam and Harry on Saturday so hopefully that'll give her more confidence. Overall I was very impressed with her considering it was a whole new experience with lots of potentially scary things :)
I wasn't very comfortable riding on the main road but I think if I went during the day or at the weekend then it'd be loads quieter and I could relax more. If the weather holds out we'll be going out with Pam and Harry on Saturday so hopefully that'll give her more confidence. Overall I was very impressed with her considering it was a whole new experience with lots of potentially scary things :)
Tuesday 9 March 2010
4th Lesson
Cara came today and we had our 4th lesson. Can't believe how quickly Saffy has come on since we started lessons! She felt quite tired today but she worked nicely. We started off doing a 20m circle around x and then turning off to do a 10m circle on the other rein at various points on the circle. It was very good for getting her to engage both her hind legs. I really need to make sure I'm sitting up straight and not leaning in on turns.
We then went onto cantering more circles and her canter seemed so much more balanced and she was back on her hocks more than before. It felt really nice :) We did some leg yielding in canter and she really took to it easily. We came back to walk and attempted to get her to engage and soften to walk in an outline. Bless her she didn't have a clue what I was asking! It took about 10mins of walking with a consistent contact and random bursts of trot to get her thinking 'forward' and she dropped down! She did it!! It wasn't consistant but she did it for one long side of the arena and got lots and lots of praise. It felt wonderful!! I didn't expect to start working on her outline properly for ages yet, partially because of what the judge said about her neck being upside down, but my little star has shown she can do it!
Tomorrow I'm hoping to go on a hack then she'll have a day off on Thursday. Friday will be schooling and going over what we worked on today and Saturday another hack. She'll probably get a day off on Sunday. If I'm not hungover I'll go and either jump or lunge. In fact, I may as well plan out now what I intend to do leading upto the dressage and show.
Wed 10th Hack
Thur 11th Day off
Fri 12th School
Sat 13th Hack
Sun 14th Day off/jump/lunge
Mon 15th Jump/school
Tue 16th Lesson
Wed 17th Hack
Thur 18th Day off
Fri 19th School
Sat 20th Jump
Sun 21st Hack
Mon 22nd School
Tue 23rd Lesson (and chiropractor)
Wed 24th Day off
Thur 25th Day off
Fri 26th School
We then went onto cantering more circles and her canter seemed so much more balanced and she was back on her hocks more than before. It felt really nice :) We did some leg yielding in canter and she really took to it easily. We came back to walk and attempted to get her to engage and soften to walk in an outline. Bless her she didn't have a clue what I was asking! It took about 10mins of walking with a consistent contact and random bursts of trot to get her thinking 'forward' and she dropped down! She did it!! It wasn't consistant but she did it for one long side of the arena and got lots and lots of praise. It felt wonderful!! I didn't expect to start working on her outline properly for ages yet, partially because of what the judge said about her neck being upside down, but my little star has shown she can do it!
Tomorrow I'm hoping to go on a hack then she'll have a day off on Thursday. Friday will be schooling and going over what we worked on today and Saturday another hack. She'll probably get a day off on Sunday. If I'm not hungover I'll go and either jump or lunge. In fact, I may as well plan out now what I intend to do leading upto the dressage and show.
Wed 10th Hack
Thur 11th Day off
Fri 12th School
Sat 13th Hack
Sun 14th Day off/jump/lunge
Mon 15th Jump/school
Tue 16th Lesson
Wed 17th Hack
Thur 18th Day off
Fri 19th School
Sat 20th Jump
Sun 21st Hack
Mon 22nd School
Tue 23rd Lesson (and chiropractor)
Wed 24th Day off
Thur 25th Day off
Fri 26th School
Monday 8 March 2010
More jumpies
I wasn't intending to jump 2 days running but my friend wanted to try her horse over a few so decided to give it another go. Saffy was wicked :) Warmed up then went upto the cross in trot and she refused so I gave her a smack and came back round and she flew it. She always tries to get out of it at first then she realises she loves it bless her. I seem to have killed my 'cantering-upto-jump' demons and cantered upto every one from then on. She was brilliant. Really tried her little heart out. It wasn't a huge jump, about 2ft, but I was more concerned with starting to get her striding right. She makes such a lovely shape over jumps and really gets going, little ears about to pop off they're that far forward! She's going to be a great little jumping pony :D
I also had a go on another horse at the yard which was a first for me because I'm usually too chicken to get on random horses but I really enjoyed it. It was very nice to ride a horse who naturally goes in an outline. Can't wait til Saf is like that. Still wouldn't swap her for the world though :)
I also had a go on another horse at the yard which was a first for me because I'm usually too chicken to get on random horses but I really enjoyed it. It was very nice to ride a horse who naturally goes in an outline. Can't wait til Saf is like that. Still wouldn't swap her for the world though :)
Sunday 7 March 2010
Bit of background info..
Saffy is the most wonderful horse in the world. She has just turned 6, is a part-bred appaloosa and stands at almost 14.1hh. I have owned her since 31st July 2008. She came from a dealer and had just been backed and ridden away. Unfortunately I had to put her out on loan 6 months after getting her but she came back to me 9 months later and now she's staying with mummy forever.
So far she has come on from a funny looking little baby who was scared of men/headcollars/saddles/rugs to an adventurous little madam who tries her brave little heart out. We just started lessons together a few weeks ago and since then she has come on in leaps and bounds. I am working on getting her to work in more of an outline at the moment now she is moving forward properly. I am also focussing on accurate transitions and getting her to soften in halt. Finally, she is learning to jump. I'm taking it slowly so she doesn't get bored with anything and she's coming on wonderfully.
In the last few months we have done some interdressage tests and she has had pleasing scores, our best so far being 64%. My next aim for interdressage is to get a score above 65%.
She had her first show last weekend which went brilliantly. She behaved excellently and didn't bat an eyelid at anything. Took everything in her stride. We got 4th (out of 4 but 6 started the class and had to leave because their ponies were playing up) in equitation, 4th (out of 8!! very pleased!) in ridden showing and 6th (out of 7) in ridden coloured (she was tired by this time but still behaved well). Now she's seen what it's like we can aim to perform better every time we go.
Today I jumped her properly for the first time in a while and she loved it. By the end she was popping 2ft6 quite easily and giving it plenty of air so again, very pleased with her. My aim as far as jumping is concerned is to get round a small clear round course by the end of May. I also have an irrational fear of cantering upto jumps (god knows why!) so I want to crack that.
Finally, I intend to do a lot more hacking to get her muscles built up and to get her used to being out of the school. My confidence isn't great in that area so building it up is another goal.
That's all for now! Here's to the summer...
So far she has come on from a funny looking little baby who was scared of men/headcollars/saddles/rugs to an adventurous little madam who tries her brave little heart out. We just started lessons together a few weeks ago and since then she has come on in leaps and bounds. I am working on getting her to work in more of an outline at the moment now she is moving forward properly. I am also focussing on accurate transitions and getting her to soften in halt. Finally, she is learning to jump. I'm taking it slowly so she doesn't get bored with anything and she's coming on wonderfully.
In the last few months we have done some interdressage tests and she has had pleasing scores, our best so far being 64%. My next aim for interdressage is to get a score above 65%.
She had her first show last weekend which went brilliantly. She behaved excellently and didn't bat an eyelid at anything. Took everything in her stride. We got 4th (out of 4 but 6 started the class and had to leave because their ponies were playing up) in equitation, 4th (out of 8!! very pleased!) in ridden showing and 6th (out of 7) in ridden coloured (she was tired by this time but still behaved well). Now she's seen what it's like we can aim to perform better every time we go.
Today I jumped her properly for the first time in a while and she loved it. By the end she was popping 2ft6 quite easily and giving it plenty of air so again, very pleased with her. My aim as far as jumping is concerned is to get round a small clear round course by the end of May. I also have an irrational fear of cantering upto jumps (god knows why!) so I want to crack that.
Finally, I intend to do a lot more hacking to get her muscles built up and to get her used to being out of the school. My confidence isn't great in that area so building it up is another goal.
That's all for now! Here's to the summer...
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