Quick post. I've been really busy and hardly seeing Niels because of university. I've got a couple of months left, then I'm home and job hunting.
Niels is being treated at the moment for a few sarcoids, luckily not in places that would be bothered by a saddle. The vet has reccommended that we ride him to keep him sane and healthy, so that's what we shall be doing!
Booked in for the Haflinger Show and he's going to be staying for a couple of nights there. I'm entering *deep breath*
Open Prelim Dressage
Open Novice Dressage and thinking about entering the Restricted Elementary...
The Novice Ridden Stallions/Geldings–21yrs & under
Intermediate Show Jumping (not to exceed 2'6")
The Accumulator Jumping class.
That's just what I'm entering though... My Brother's doing:
Restricted Prelim Dressage
Novice show jumping (not to exceed 2'3").
My Mum's doing Restricted Novice Dressage and her and my brother are entering the Family Pony class (one rider over 25 years, and the other between 14 and 18)
Then my Dad's doing two in hand classes. :S The novice handler and then the senior geldings.
I started practicing in hand with Niels over the weekend, he's not the easiest to control from the ground. He trots up so lovely though I'll try and get it on camera next time I'm home.
Can't wait to get back in the saddle!
Monday, 12 April 2010
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Look at this canter! :D
He had not been ridden for about a week, and when we went in the school another pony was in there, who then pretty much immediately left. Cue pony abandonment symptoms... It took half an hour after that to calm him down. Usually changes of direction works to get him back to me, but after 30 mins of trying that, I went for the opposite, driving him forwards. The above is the result! I can't believe it! He's never cantered that relaxed before in his life. Look at 20 seconds, he's actually stretching down... wow. Canter used to be his worst pace, now it's quickly becoming his better one, we're working on canter to walk transitions and he's getting really balanced. :)
Quite liking that canter to trot transition, it's definitely been helped by the canter to walk work. He was expecting me to ask for walk, so he went into trot nice and balanced. ♥
This was before the 30 mins of nutty pony were up...
He always gets so tense and distracted by the door to the school. What do we think of my sitting trot? (I love that bit at around 15 seconds when we go diagonally across the school. :)) Communication error at the end of that bit across the school, I over did my half halt, nice to know I have breaks though! :P
FYI wearing my body protector because he's been a bit unpredictable lately. haha
He had not been ridden for about a week, and when we went in the school another pony was in there, who then pretty much immediately left. Cue pony abandonment symptoms... It took half an hour after that to calm him down. Usually changes of direction works to get him back to me, but after 30 mins of trying that, I went for the opposite, driving him forwards. The above is the result! I can't believe it! He's never cantered that relaxed before in his life. Look at 20 seconds, he's actually stretching down... wow. Canter used to be his worst pace, now it's quickly becoming his better one, we're working on canter to walk transitions and he's getting really balanced. :)
Quite liking that canter to trot transition, it's definitely been helped by the canter to walk work. He was expecting me to ask for walk, so he went into trot nice and balanced. ♥
This was before the 30 mins of nutty pony were up...
He always gets so tense and distracted by the door to the school. What do we think of my sitting trot? (I love that bit at around 15 seconds when we go diagonally across the school. :)) Communication error at the end of that bit across the school, I over did my half halt, nice to know I have breaks though! :P
FYI wearing my body protector because he's been a bit unpredictable lately. haha
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Haven't posted for quite a while! I've been busy with uni things unfortunately. I'm going home pretty regularly every 2 weekends to ride Niels at the moment. Very frustrating not being able to progress with him. I personally feel that my riding has improved over this year, even since the haflinger show earlier in the year.
This was this weekend:
I'm so impressed with the canter improvements, I'm ignoring the breaking into trot, trying not to make a deal of it. I can feel him trying his hardest, he hasn't been asked to work in canter this way since we've had him, if at all. His left rein is still his worst rein, so I'm working more on that rein in all paces.
Compared to earlier in the year:
He was so tense and hurried, and not listening to me at all.
I'm happy with the steady progress, over the Christmas break (in between studying for exams...) I'll have the opportunity to ride him every day and hopefully improve much more.
In other news my Dad's working in Australia and so his horse, Benny, hasn't been ridden for quite a while. My mum and I have been loose lunging him to keep him under control, which led to discovering that he actually loves to jump! We put up a jump, after he realised that he was meant to go over it, and it didn't mean a change of direction, we couldn't stop him coming! He knocks a pole, get really angry with himself and we have to hurry to put it back up before he gets back round to try again! He's even started learning about his striding and has started to prefer to canter to the jumps. Only problem is that every time he jumps from canter he lands disunited, front legs on the correct lead, back legs not so much... I'll try jumping him on the lunge in a circle and see if that helps.
:P Such a sweety.
This was this weekend:
I'm so impressed with the canter improvements, I'm ignoring the breaking into trot, trying not to make a deal of it. I can feel him trying his hardest, he hasn't been asked to work in canter this way since we've had him, if at all. His left rein is still his worst rein, so I'm working more on that rein in all paces.
Compared to earlier in the year:
He was so tense and hurried, and not listening to me at all.
I'm happy with the steady progress, over the Christmas break (in between studying for exams...) I'll have the opportunity to ride him every day and hopefully improve much more.
In other news my Dad's working in Australia and so his horse, Benny, hasn't been ridden for quite a while. My mum and I have been loose lunging him to keep him under control, which led to discovering that he actually loves to jump! We put up a jump, after he realised that he was meant to go over it, and it didn't mean a change of direction, we couldn't stop him coming! He knocks a pole, get really angry with himself and we have to hurry to put it back up before he gets back round to try again! He's even started learning about his striding and has started to prefer to canter to the jumps. Only problem is that every time he jumps from canter he lands disunited, front legs on the correct lead, back legs not so much... I'll try jumping him on the lunge in a circle and see if that helps.
:P Such a sweety.
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Brilliant lesson on Monday. We boxed him over to our instructor's yard to have the lesson.
He was chilled from the start, and after the usual start of showing him the arena and all its scary parts, we started work. We worked on defining the working trot, which is a lot slower paced than I had in my head, but active. So lots of energy, but not so much forward motion. Same applies for the working canter of course. We worked on lowering his head carriage in both paces, he's been locking his neck somewhat.
Then we did some work on medium trot strides across the school. I'd been trying to get too many strides, now the aim is to show some from each of the 3/4 lines.
Towards the end we worked on free walk. We've been getting really bad scores on our free walk, as you can see on every video. Totally understand that more, so hopefully we can look forward to no more 4s!
So a really positive lesson and lots to work on. I'm feeling positive about our next test (Prelim Championships 31st August at Allens Hill), I very much doubt we'll place of course, but I'd like to get a nice score and a bit more positive feedback. :) Next lesson is 8th September, we're having monthly lessons now to save money primarily, but also it gives me time to work on things, and find things I want to work on in the lessons. When I was having weekly/fortnightly lessons I was becoming quite lazy during the week!
Starting my new list of things I want to work on already. Medium canter, halt on the centre line, and maybe some elementary movements if I'm feeling brave. Things like canter to walk transitions, collected canter and trot, I might do a bit of each and try and work it out for myself and see what she thinks.
He was chilled from the start, and after the usual start of showing him the arena and all its scary parts, we started work. We worked on defining the working trot, which is a lot slower paced than I had in my head, but active. So lots of energy, but not so much forward motion. Same applies for the working canter of course. We worked on lowering his head carriage in both paces, he's been locking his neck somewhat.
Then we did some work on medium trot strides across the school. I'd been trying to get too many strides, now the aim is to show some from each of the 3/4 lines.
Towards the end we worked on free walk. We've been getting really bad scores on our free walk, as you can see on every video. Totally understand that more, so hopefully we can look forward to no more 4s!
So a really positive lesson and lots to work on. I'm feeling positive about our next test (Prelim Championships 31st August at Allens Hill), I very much doubt we'll place of course, but I'd like to get a nice score and a bit more positive feedback. :) Next lesson is 8th September, we're having monthly lessons now to save money primarily, but also it gives me time to work on things, and find things I want to work on in the lessons. When I was having weekly/fortnightly lessons I was becoming quite lazy during the week!
Starting my new list of things I want to work on already. Medium canter, halt on the centre line, and maybe some elementary movements if I'm feeling brave. Things like canter to walk transitions, collected canter and trot, I might do a bit of each and try and work it out for myself and see what she thinks.
Sunday, 9 August 2009
We went to Swallowfield Equestrian Centre today and did Prelim 19 and Novice 22. Niels was brilliant as usual, but our test sheet didn't reflect it. Totally my fault of course, he was really willing and I just didn't do him justice. We weren't placed, just missed out in the Prelim, and nowhere to be seen in the Novice. There were a lot of warmblood and sports horse types there, I'm trying not to be put off by it all, I really enjoy competing and I've just got to focus on that aspect and try to squish my competitive side. :P
The first test was the prelim 19, I was so flustered in the test because it was the first time I'd ridden the test in a 20m by 60m school, and I was constantly panicking about where all the extra markers were! Worst panic was at the end of the test when I had to do a 20m circle at V (victor you'll hear my mum say) and I did an oh **** where's V?! Of course I'd just gone bloody past it hadn't it? So that was totally cocked up.
The 15m circles are 20m circles, he really drifted to the wall both times. Doesn't look like it on the video, just looks like I planned it like that...
Our walk is appalling.
Canter not too bad, but not very balanced at times.
He kept bloody spooking at the viewing gallery, didn't think we were going to manage to track right at the beginning...
Then the trot again they said was hurried. Definitely agree with that in some occasions, but I'm not really sure. I've arranged a lesson tomorrow (only time she was free, I'd usually give him a day off) and I've made a nice long list of things to ask and get help with, this will definitely be at the top of the list.
The second test was Novice 22. I was quite pleased with him in that one. I was worried about the counter canters, but he didn't break out of them early at all and I thought we deserved at least a 7 for one of the two, but they disagreed, 6s for both reins. I really slowed Niels down from the start and I didn't get so many hurried comments. Totally cocked up the medium trot strides across the school. Really unfortunate because they're quite lovely when he does them right, he broke into canter half way through. On both reins. I'm blaming Niels for that, we've practiced that SO much, we hardly ever canter across the school in that way and he pretty much associates going across the diagonal as medium trot time, so he was just being a cheeky little sod and choosing to play up. Our medium canter section was brilliant, needs work still obviously, but the way he came back to working canter on each rein was so brilliant and balanced, I'm so chuffed with him! Only got 6s for them, but no comments about balance or anything so I'm still pleased.
We did get a few 7s, so the entire thing wasn't diabolical. :P
Only the beginning of the test because the memory in the camera ran out.
Again people were saying that they were marking harshly today. There were some gorgeous warmbloods competing today and they were doing quite lovely tests, with quite experienced riders on their backs and the highest mark I saw on the score board was a 65%. Bit odd if you ask me.
No more competitions until the end of August I think. God knows how much I've spent these past few weeks!
The first test was the prelim 19, I was so flustered in the test because it was the first time I'd ridden the test in a 20m by 60m school, and I was constantly panicking about where all the extra markers were! Worst panic was at the end of the test when I had to do a 20m circle at V (victor you'll hear my mum say) and I did an oh **** where's V?! Of course I'd just gone bloody past it hadn't it? So that was totally cocked up.
The 15m circles are 20m circles, he really drifted to the wall both times. Doesn't look like it on the video, just looks like I planned it like that...
Our walk is appalling.
Canter not too bad, but not very balanced at times.
He kept bloody spooking at the viewing gallery, didn't think we were going to manage to track right at the beginning...
Then the trot again they said was hurried. Definitely agree with that in some occasions, but I'm not really sure. I've arranged a lesson tomorrow (only time she was free, I'd usually give him a day off) and I've made a nice long list of things to ask and get help with, this will definitely be at the top of the list.
The second test was Novice 22. I was quite pleased with him in that one. I was worried about the counter canters, but he didn't break out of them early at all and I thought we deserved at least a 7 for one of the two, but they disagreed, 6s for both reins. I really slowed Niels down from the start and I didn't get so many hurried comments. Totally cocked up the medium trot strides across the school. Really unfortunate because they're quite lovely when he does them right, he broke into canter half way through. On both reins. I'm blaming Niels for that, we've practiced that SO much, we hardly ever canter across the school in that way and he pretty much associates going across the diagonal as medium trot time, so he was just being a cheeky little sod and choosing to play up. Our medium canter section was brilliant, needs work still obviously, but the way he came back to working canter on each rein was so brilliant and balanced, I'm so chuffed with him! Only got 6s for them, but no comments about balance or anything so I'm still pleased.
We did get a few 7s, so the entire thing wasn't diabolical. :P
Only the beginning of the test because the memory in the camera ran out.
Again people were saying that they were marking harshly today. There were some gorgeous warmbloods competing today and they were doing quite lovely tests, with quite experienced riders on their backs and the highest mark I saw on the score board was a 65%. Bit odd if you ask me.
No more competitions until the end of August I think. God knows how much I've spent these past few weeks!
Monday, 3 August 2009
We didn't have quite such a successful test on Sunday at Solihull Riding Club. We did the Novice 28 test, and we should have got a nice result. Niels was going wonderfully, we were brilliant in the warm up, but when we entered the school, I didn't really ...perform. I suppose that's the word for it. It wasn't appalling or anything, anywhere else we would have got in the 60s but Solihull have some really strict judges who obviously aren't keen on ponies. They said that his trot was hurried, but I was awaiting a sluggish written all over my test sheet. We've watched back the video as well, and everyone agrees that it was sluggish, so the conclusion we came to was that we were the only pony they'd seen that day and that pretty much explains it... Still came 5th though and got a rosette! It's all about the rosettes after all. ;)
The other thing that I'm going to change is that I'm going to go back to carrying out the tests in rising trot, I got told at Solihull by someone that at this level you get better markers in rising trot than in sitting, the more swinging the movement the better. Which makes sense, you're getting marked on how ready you are to move onto the next level really.
The only problem with this though is that his carriage doesn't stay as consistent when I do rising trot. He's a very easily distracted pony and if I'm not telling him constantly to pay attention, he doesn't. I know I should be able to do this in rising trot as well, so I'm going to work on that for next week.
I have constant battles with Niels about him being a complete chicken. If something in the school has moved positions he'll shy away from it the first few times past it, hacking out he's not so bad, perhaps he's just so surrounded by scary things that maybe he kind of resigns himself to the fact that he's going to get eaten. haha Anyway, Solihull Riding Club arena is scary. It's indoors, really high roof and there's often birds there, viewing place down the sides, you enter straight through a door from the warm up arena so there's napping issues, the judges are in a glass box/conservatory thing, a cafe/viewing gallery above the judges, a walkway at the judges end to toilets, adverts, etc, a vending machine and most importantly random chairs. Niels doesn't like randomly placed things. :P So I enter the arena riding really positively, Niels is positively shaking in his boots as we walk down the side past the chairs, away from the warm up arena and then all the way past the judges (who talked to us! Shock and horror!) and he looked like a nutter the whole way, felt like a nutter but didn't at all behave like a nutter. I was so proud!
So even though we didn't do so well in our score and performance he was brilliant and I'm super proud of him not showing me up. Apparently some other girl's horse went loopy when they were going past the judges in their test and shot off up the school. I had visions of that being us, but he really stepped up and did me proud instead. :)
We're going to Swallowfield Equestrian Centre on the 9th August (This Sunday) and we're doing the Prelim 19, which we will be doing again on the 31st for our very first championship! :P We're also doing the Novice 22. Both tests are in a 20x60m arena... I don't have a 20x60m arena to practice in, not sure how to go about this. lol At least we'll have a warm up test this time, Niels can have his worries about the arena and so can I without too much of a worry.
Fingers crossed for a better weekend! : )
The other thing that I'm going to change is that I'm going to go back to carrying out the tests in rising trot, I got told at Solihull by someone that at this level you get better markers in rising trot than in sitting, the more swinging the movement the better. Which makes sense, you're getting marked on how ready you are to move onto the next level really.
The only problem with this though is that his carriage doesn't stay as consistent when I do rising trot. He's a very easily distracted pony and if I'm not telling him constantly to pay attention, he doesn't. I know I should be able to do this in rising trot as well, so I'm going to work on that for next week.
I have constant battles with Niels about him being a complete chicken. If something in the school has moved positions he'll shy away from it the first few times past it, hacking out he's not so bad, perhaps he's just so surrounded by scary things that maybe he kind of resigns himself to the fact that he's going to get eaten. haha Anyway, Solihull Riding Club arena is scary. It's indoors, really high roof and there's often birds there, viewing place down the sides, you enter straight through a door from the warm up arena so there's napping issues, the judges are in a glass box/conservatory thing, a cafe/viewing gallery above the judges, a walkway at the judges end to toilets, adverts, etc, a vending machine and most importantly random chairs. Niels doesn't like randomly placed things. :P So I enter the arena riding really positively, Niels is positively shaking in his boots as we walk down the side past the chairs, away from the warm up arena and then all the way past the judges (who talked to us! Shock and horror!) and he looked like a nutter the whole way, felt like a nutter but didn't at all behave like a nutter. I was so proud!
So even though we didn't do so well in our score and performance he was brilliant and I'm super proud of him not showing me up. Apparently some other girl's horse went loopy when they were going past the judges in their test and shot off up the school. I had visions of that being us, but he really stepped up and did me proud instead. :)
We're going to Swallowfield Equestrian Centre on the 9th August (This Sunday) and we're doing the Prelim 19, which we will be doing again on the 31st for our very first championship! :P We're also doing the Novice 22. Both tests are in a 20x60m arena... I don't have a 20x60m arena to practice in, not sure how to go about this. lol At least we'll have a warm up test this time, Niels can have his worries about the arena and so can I without too much of a worry.
Fingers crossed for a better weekend! : )
Monday, 27 July 2009
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