Waihou Dressage - 15.05.2011 (First placings)

Having had a dreadful week riding Sampson, I almost chickened out of taking him.

Basically, as I was still feeling vulnerable, I was allowing him to bully me to some extent, which made me more tentative, enabling him to play around yet more.

My WONDERFUL instructor Wendy, came with us, and the difference having her there was amazing. She worked me through some disengaging first, then flexing him which softened him through the neck and shoulder, taking his power away, and putting me back in the driver's seat.

She then warmed me up for his first test, and we only had a couple of baby skedaddles, which I was onto pretty quick. The key was also I think being told to push myself (and him) out of our comfort zones - dare him a little.....basically start RIDING him!

Unfortunately I think we were about the only ones to get rain for our test, but all in all it wasnt too bad. I started to feel more confident as I went along, which then meant I rode less tentatively, and he went better.

Actually better than I had thought, for 69.58% and 4th place!!

Some good comments and 4 x 8's.
Only really lost marks on one movement getting a 5 for an early transition to walk.

7 for Paces, Impulsion, Submission and Rider.


Second Test
Again Wendy helped me warm up (and again I struck the rain).

He was far more relaxed to start, and I really felt like I was starting to ride him a little, and asking for more forward etc.

I was really pleased with how he went, and apart from a couple of parts where he slipped, and on one fell back to trot as a result, I felt he had done a reasonable test.

Yay: scored just over 68% for 3rd (less than 1% off 2nd and First was on 71%)

So I have had my first dressage placings on Sammie.

All thanks to Wendy!!

Woodhill Sands May 2011 - Training

OK: This was supposed to be an easy run to finish off Sammie's first season on a good note, after his fall at Te Rapa.

However, going into a competition somewhat 'expecting' to do really well is probably not the best attitude. Because when it turns to custard (and it's a when, not an if with that kind of attitude), it leaves one feeling a little flat.

So, having thought I had this dressage malarky sussed, I was expecting to do a good test, and get a good mark. Unfortunately, nobody told my horse the plan. He just thought it would be a great day to display his sense of humour and take the mickey out of his rider. The fact that said rider was still sporting a damaged shoulder and was feeling rather vulnerable made his mission that much more fun.

At one stage I was spinning round in small circles at the canter, having lost my stirrup, sitting perched and panicking as I was SO scared I was going to fall off and do more damage to my shoulder. (When all the time I should have sat up, stopped flapping around and actually given him a kick in the guts and told him to behave)

A million thanks to Donna Smith who was kind enough to help me and warm me up - I think I was just about on the verge of calling it a day if it wasnt for her intervention. VERY much appreciated!!

I am pleased that I did actually do my test, and it FELT dreadful....he felt on edge the whole time and did do the odd skeddadle, but I did do all the movements kind of at the right time and in the right place. Some movements he actually did do well, and got some good marks. Of course he came last but the mark wasnt nearly as low as I had expected.

Funny enough when I watched the video, I was surprised that the test didnt look anything like as bad as it felt, and there were indeed some good bits. What really hit home to me is that I could see that I simply needed to start RIDING him, and not allow him to play on my insecurities and feeling of vulnerability.

I had walked the show jumping and cross country, and thought it was very small. The SJ would probably have been a good chance to practice riding it well - lines, the right canter, etc etc, but I do wonder if there would have been anything to gain from doing the XC - except give him a run.

And also interestingly enough, looking at the results, had he finished on his dressage score he would have placed....ha ha...just goes to show.

Lesson learned - have the RIGHT attitude to start with (and don't allow your horse to dictate how you ride - just keep RIDING!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUWMAHBxVXA

Te Rapa Horse Trial 23/24 April 2011

Dressage
Warmed up really well (after a few of the obligatory skedaddles), and was moving forward nicely in a lovely frame and really swinging from behind. He got a little tense when I moved up to the arena, but soon settled again, and although not quite a good, was going quite nicely.

The test itself wasnt a world beater, but he was listening and obedient, although I lost marks for inaccuracy, and losing the canter (followed by incorrect lead). A little disappointed with his mark, but he was still mid field, so nothing too much to complain about. And no mention ANYWHERE on his test sheet about lacking impulsion, so we are definitely getting there. Although he only got in the mid 50's he still scored 7 for paces.

Show Jumping
Bit like dodgem cars in the warm up, and he reacted to the foray, but soon settled once we started over the practice jump. He felt great over the practice jump.
Went into the ring, and he gave me a really lovely ride over most of the course. Got a bit deep to number 2 and jumped it a bit green but got over it.
I got my line wrong to a pink striped upright off a turn, and he took that one out, but was GREAT through the one stride double and everything else....jumped the triple spread liverpool great, then turned onto the final double....an "easy" two stride with upright in and oxer out. My thoughts on the corner were..."yay, just one rail"....horse took it as a signal he had finished his job and switched off. Cantering into double, horse 'not home' was a weird feeling. It was only right at the foot of the jump that he suddenly realised there was a jump...needless to say he crashed through both elements of the double....but what a superstar to even have tried.
12 jump faults

Cross Country
Bit of an ask, but I was looking forward to seeing how we both coped with the different questions, and in all honesty, I wasnt expecting him to actually stop at anything.
I also wanted to ensure that at this outing I had him 'on the job' when he came out of the start box - and he was. Was more forward, and I was asking him to go forward...jumped number 1 really well, a bit looky on approach to number 2, a somewhat stark looking mobile spread, but he jumped it happily. Kicked him on up the hill and got a lovely bold jump over the curved log. Onto the Wedge to BIIIGGGG ditch combo. I had been warned that horses were backing off the bright yellow wedge, so rode him quite strongly into it, to be rewarded with a big bold jump over it......however, that then meant that the ditch came up very quickly. I really dont think he understood the question, having never encountered a ditch of that depth or width, and with the two logs on the face of the landing side I wonder if he for a moment thought it was an in and out or something? However, he tried, but got a bit tangled up, feet this side of the landing logs, and down he went (with me catapaulting in the process).
So we got the big E for a horse fall....
frustrated we didn't get to do all those other jumps, also feel a bit silly that I haven't taken the opportunity to school him over that ditch (or indeed the other jumps up there) given it is all of ten minutes away. But I had been concentrating more on my dressage and show jumping.
Also wonder if I had simply popped him over the spooky wedge jump, if the extra time would have enabled him to work out the question better?

However, will drop back to training for Woodhill, so that he can have a very easy run and finish the season on a good note. Am also planning on running him in the snaffle, so that will be a good testing ground. I really don't feel he needs anything stronger XC, but would rather find out for sure on smaller jumps.

He started this Season as a green pre trainer, so he has done very well to progress to Pre Novice, and complete the season with no stops either SJ or XC.

And to think I was too scared to even ride him at home this time last year, and wanted to sell him!

Waihou Dressage 17.04.2011

Naughty pony!

Decided to play on my injury, in terms of the fact that I was still quite sore, but more so feeling very vulnerable about falling and re-injuring it.

Didnt help that Saarin's pony kept calling out to him from the truck, but it was simply an excuse.

We had a multitude of skedaddles, napping to the point where I pulled the bit right through his mouth, a few leaps and bounds etc.....not good for nerves.

I scratched from his first test as he was soooo dreadful, and led him around for a while before remounting to warm up for his second test...ha ha

Yep; more of the same.

However this time I persevered, and despite him going very overbent and behind the leg in the test, I completed all the movements and survived. Ok, the score was abysmal, but I was astounded that he wasnt even last - not even 2nd to last!!

Sometimes having a pony with a sense of humour is not appreciated.

Kihikihi Horse Trial - April 2011

YAY: first pre-novice, and really excited.
Surprising really given that after our wee crash, two weeks ago I was petrified even riding him!

Day 1
Dressage


Got a little bit tense warming up, and a bit of skedaddle was the order of the day, but I kept myself together and in we went. Bit of spooking at the surroundings and flowers etc for him, but held it together. Was a little distracted but managed to keep his attention focussed on the job at hand, and was very pleased to see that he scored consistent 7's right through until the free walk; including for his lengthening...yay.

I then lost him after the free walk, and didnt really get his focus completely back. Canters were ok, I guess but he broke on one of them, and I got annoyed on the other rein and gave him a bit of a kick to which he objected with a big buck and change of lead...ha ha...I think that surprised the judge a little bit. However, overall he still scored ok with 62.6% for 13th place.

Day 2
Cross Country

Quite a big step up from training for him, and it was going to be interesting to see how he coped with the bigger fences.
Warm up was diabolical!
LOTS of leaping about and sideways and skedaddles (umm and set off a horse being held)...walking to sand warm up area was....interesting...lots of leaping about etc every time a horse went past...but we got there.
Had to quickly jump the practice fence despite his antics, which he absolutely flew. OK, he wasnt going to stop at fence one.
And off we went.
He was a little distracted for the first few fences. Looking around at everything, which was far spookier given how foggy it was. But he still jumped happily and popped over the big agapanthus oxer which was a relief for me.
Next fence was huge, with a rail stuck out in the middle of nowhere behind it. We got a really bad stride to it and he chipped in VERY short, and helicoptered over it. I was waiting for him to land on the back rail, but he didnt touch the jump at all. OK, if he could jump that from that kind of approach, we didnt have too much to worry about.
He flew the roll top out of his stride, then spooked on approach to next fence at jump judges. I saw a lovely stride to the next one, a slight drop off of football field and he then jumped the next three related fences off a lovely forward stride meeting each one perfectly.
Flew the next few fences including the brush to bank.
He did back off the white rails before the water, but was never going to stop, and basically just jumped the rest of the jumps quite happily.
Unfortunately, although I let him go his own speed, the spooking and distraction at the beginning cost quite a few time penalties.
So, his first pre novice and he jumped clear and happily.
Next time out, I will work on getting him on the aids and focussed from the start box.

Day 3
Show Jumping

I was expecting him to be somewhat tired and stiff, and mentally tired as he had been full of it even in his yard.
No, not at all....he was just as wired as the preceding day, if not worse. Leaping sideways, napping, etc....just managed to jump the upright practice jump once, then did the oxer just cos I thought I should....he was very keen, and did a HUGE jump over it....ok, once again, I was happy that he probably wasnt going to stop at anything, but given his antics, how was he going to cope with it in the ring...there were tents, spectators and all sorts of things going on....I was rather anxious.
Shouldnt have worried, despite being a giraffe in the ring, as soon as we turned to the first fence, he focussed and gave me a lovely round, apart from my muck ups.

I didnt really get the corner right to an oxer with a long four related distance to oxer in , one stride double, so he chipped in. I made the mistake of then trying to chase for the four, when I should have waited for five. As a consequence he chipped in again and made a balls up of the double. I then overcompensated on the next related line, and allowed him to get a bit long....he tried but did tip the planks. Jumped the next oxer fine, and flew the last; a triple bar over a liverpool.
So...3 rails.
Lots to work on, but it can only get better!

Woodhill HT - 27 March 2011

Having had one SJ lesson on the Thursday, being our only SJ since the fall, and two dressage lessons Wednesday and Friday, we headed off to Woodhill sands Horse Trial.

They were running a practice SJ on the Saturday morning, which should be perfect for us going into the Horse Trial.

Despite atrocious weather, I toddled down to the sand arena. Sampson was rather full of it, and I was a real nervous nellie...tense and tight. Eventually trotted! ... and finally decided to actually attempt to jump....however, my horse was a different horse to that pre accident!!

Off he charged toward the fence, head up and as soon as I tried to slow him down (panicked and grabbed) he started propping badly head still up, and did an awful jump. However into the ring we went, and I was thankful that the jumps were pretty small.

The first few were awful, we were quite simply fighting each other and he was immensely strong. However, I then (finally) stopped pulling and fighting at him, started to use my core and actually ride him, he settled and we got into a rhythm. Started again at jump 1 and did a passable round. Left it at that.

_______

DRESSAGE
He warmed up well with lots of long and low and stretches.
Despite the disgusting weather - he had probably the worst of it, being a total downpour! - he was a very good boy and did a nice test. Predominantly 7's and 8's with just a couple of 5's - one where he broke from canter (other canters were 8's) and the other where he fooled me and curled under at free walk. Judge also commented on "this lovely big horse"....

Scored 67.5% for a penalty mark of 32.5 - just 0.5 behind Danni Lodder!!!
He ended up 7th after dressage, so very pleasing that he was up with the 'big wigs'... :)

SHOW JUMPING
Jumping was scheduled for the Sunday and thankfully despite rain continuing overnight, it wasnt actually raining. Needless to say everything was rather wet.

I actually only jumped the upright and oxer practice fences once each as he felt fine (as did I).

Into the ring I went, (with some very sage advice that if he took off on me, too bad and just vrrooom around the corners)....perfect advice as it turned out.

Jumped 1 and 2 and take off he did, but I just looked at number 3 steered to it, and he went "ooops, mum's not going to fight me", and so he got VERY deep somehow got over it, then settled and jumped beautifully for a clear round. He was very pleased with himself and I had to get off and lead him back as he was so full of himself.

CROSS COUNTRY (cross country photos by Michelle Horan: Kiwi Sporthorses)
I had intended to go for time (and may well have done had I known I was sitting in 4th place after SJ)....however, the course passed by the warm up on the splotty noisy sand, and every horse galloping past wound him up more and more (including horse running back to their trucks after depositing rider somewhere on course). I actually only managed to pop him over a practice jump just before we went.


He basically took several jumps to get onto the job....the steering was a bit peculiar and he was simply popping over the jump at the last minute when he kind of realised it was there. But by the time we jumped back onto the sand, he was back on him game. Just let him toddle along in a rhythm and sat and steered.....he just lined up every jump and popped over happily....didnt back off the water jump at all, and cantered through it and popped out over the skinny.

Gave me a lovely lovely ride, and I felt confident and happy. Indeed I did so little that apart from being hot (it was muggy) I wasnt even puffing!

Amazingly, despite 22 time faults he still ended up in 8th place!

YAY....onto Kihikihi and time to push myself out of my comfort zone.

Waihou Dressage - 12.03.2011

OK; time to put into practice our Shorter warm up, to see if it helps.
Having lost a lot of confidence in the fall, I also really needed to have an outing.

However, having lost a lot of confidence was the prime opportunity for the Big pony to exercise his sense of humour = NOT appreciated.

He was quite tense and on edge, and having timed it for about a twenty minute warm up, I arrived at the warm up area to find the ring was running well ahead of time with the rider before me already in and doing her test. I then dropped my back number so had to scramble to get it tied on. And onto our WALK around the arena....eyeballs sticking out at every opportunity!

The test was not much better, with a leap and bound and skedaddle across the arena, with me fearing us jumping out, and worrying about stopping. The rest of the test was pretty dreadful with him laughing at me the whole time and me riding by the seat of my pants.

But my goodness was he pleased with himself when he waltzed out of the arena, and thought he would march back to the truck. I knew then that the little blighter had been playing on my nerves! Yeah; huge joke - NOT.

After about ten minutes of working him at walk long and low and a relaxing stand under the trees, I gave him his final warm up just as the horse before was in the arena. What a different horse...he felt light soft and obedient.

We proceded to trot around the arena, and then the bell went for us to start our test. As luck would have it, at that moment a horse did a huge noisy scramble up a truck ramp....just the excuse he needed to do a monster skedaddle with head in the air, and leap about....I promptly lost my stirrups and had the fleeting thought that my still injured body really couldnt cope with another fall from that height.

Managed to halt, with the giraffe head up and eyes on stalks.

OK, time for positive action: we had a dressage test to do. Pushed him up together, told him to get on with the job, and he did!

Slightly tense throughout the test, but a completely different and rideable horse compared to the first test. - which again goes to show that he plays on my weaknesses and thinks it is a huge joke. Now to work on ignoring his antics in the future.