Unaffiliated Dressage - 18/10/13

Thursday is usually my day off college, however on Thursday 18th October I took part in an unaffiliated evening dressage competition held at college. I was at the yard from 3pm getting ready before my evening yard duties, then I had to quickly go back to prepping myself and Mac (thankfully one if my friends is good at plaiting & was nice enough to plait him up for me!) I did the Intro A class on Mac. We achieved a score of 65.65% putting us in 4th place out of a large class, as well as being the highest place academy student in the class?! Mac went well, I made a few minor errors, such as a not so circular circle, but I am proud of our test, which earned us 6 and 7 throughout, with an 8 for our halt & salute!

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Highlights From The Past 3 Weeks?!

Monday 7th October

Prior to an unaffiliated dressage competition the following week, I have been riding Mac,(the horse I rode for the competition) in ride sessions in the run up to the competition. 
We spent our ride session on Monday riding centre lines, first in walk, then in trot. This may sound exceptionally easy, however in practice I realised how much as riders we can cause the horse to drift one way, from something so simple as not looking or sitting straight. We then followed this exercise with getting the horses to go forward into a soft, natural outline.

Friday 11th October

We went on a trip to HOYS for the day to watch the competitions and do some all important shopping. I had such a great time watching the classes (especially the show jumping) and will never pass up the opportunity to watch people competing at such a high level! I obviously squeezed in some shopping while there! As well as meeting GB show jumper Tina Fletcher?!

When I met Tina Fletcher!

William Funnell & Billy Mexico

Saturday 12th October & Sunday 13th October 

I spent this weekend helping the course builder at a British Showjumping progressive show held at college.
On Saturday I helped set up the jumps, then on Sunday I assisted the course builder during and between the classes. It was interesting to see how the colour, style and location of the fence affects both horses and riders - I took note for my next show!

Monday 14th October

I was on yard duties from Monday 14th October. While on duties I was responsible for 3 of the horses on the college yard - Hannah, Storm & India. This involved being at the yard from 7:15am for duties before college then staying at the yard till 6pm afterwards - not too bad, except I was on duties the week in which it rained the most so far..

Thursday 17th October

I competed in an unaffiliated dressage competition, for which I have written a separate blog post...

Dressage Blog Post: http://bit.ly/1dcmT9g 

Sunday 20th October

As part of our duties week we help with any competitions scheduled at the weekend. I helped with a British Dressage competition, that went from Preliminary through to Medium level. I found it quite interesting (for someone that usually dislikes watching dressage, unless its at international freestyle level!)

Monday 21st October

In our ride session on Monday I rode Rylea, a young coloured. I previously rode him in my first week at college when I went to watch his owner ride. He is still quite green, especially in the indoor arena, where there are some spooky sights and sounds for him. Nevertheless he has settled I found he went quite well for me, allowing me to split my concentration between him and my own position which the lesson was focusing on.

Last time I rode Rylea

Tuesday 22nd October

On Tuesday I rode Joey, a 16.3hh thoroughbred, who was quite fresh first thing in the morning! We worked in walk, trot and canter without stirrups. He was a challenge as I had to ensure he was bending and working correctly, while concentrating on my own position. However I really enjoyed my ride on him - his canter was like a rocking horse. Also, my seat and lower leg position are definitely improving!

Joey having a snooze!

Friday 24th October

My last ride before study week was at jumping academy training, on a chestnut called Tom. After the previous session in which we rode away from a fence in a controlled manor, this time we were riding a distance in the form of a dog leg line - off the left rein, cross pole to upright, then ride right away from the fence. I walked the distance correctly on foot, before warming up and jumping it on the horse; however as I found, despite his size, if not asked to work through his back end enough Tom can jump a 4 stride distance in 6 strides! This was majority rider error, as I didn't push him on enough, however as the instructor said, this would not cause fault if done in most competitive situations, it is just not ideal.

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College Week 4

(..As you can tell I'm struggling to think of an inventive name for this post..)

Monday 30th September

I rode Chancer a 14.2hh blue & white Cob X gelding (needless to say I looked massive on him!) We spent most the lesson doing sitting trot without stirrups to improve our lower leg position. I had the additional challenge of getting Chancer to bend round the corners, which he wasn't to keen on! After bending round a few corners he thought it was a better idea to bend so much that I went into the wall, or not at all. Then we
when I continued to ride him forward he decided to have a cheeky prance about & tried to rear. He tried it on a few times, but fortunately I could use my height as an advantage till he stopped playing about!

Chancer

Tuesday 1st October

Instead of riding on Tuesday we worked on lunging the horses. I have only ever lunged once before (a cheeky exmoor pony that liked to buck when on the lunge..) so it was nice to lunge Charlie Brown, commonly known as the slow one on the yard! I've still got a way to go as my coordination is all over the place, but I think it was a good start to lunging.

Wednesday 2nd October

In Wednesday's riding session we were filmed riding the horses in walk, trot and canter, so that we can analyse our positions on the flat next week. For this I rode Flash, a flea-bitten grey gelding, who is known for being highly strung when in the school, but with me he seemed ok, apart from going slightly sideways in canter.

Friday 4th October

We were at the college for jumping academy training this week, so I rode Sadie, a bay 15.2hh cob X. We worked on strengthening and securing the lower leg by riding with our stirrups 3 holes higher than jumping length (a total of 5 holes shorter than for flat work) and later without stirrups, both in rising trot, jumping position and also standing straight up in the stirrups. During all this I had to keep the reluctant Sadie in trot - needless to say my legs had a work out!

I'll finish with this post with this picture of Hannah, that I took while on the yard, Monday morning - it's a hard life being a horse!

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Week 3 at Equine College!

Monday 23rd September

I rode Sprockett, a 16.3hh thoroughbred cross, gelding, he was such a nice ride, now I understand why my friends were raving about him before! In the lesson we worked mainly in trot, riding 20 metre circles - ensuring it was actually a circle rather than the all too common square! As well as getting the horses to bend, round the turns. Sprockett is quite the schoolmaster at dressage and has evented in the past, so gave me quite a good idea of what I should be looking to achieve with the more novice horse.

Sprockett

Tuesday 24th September

I rode Storm a chestnut gelding for this ride session, we continued to focus on riding circles in trot; this time more on accuracy too. The instructor set up blocks that gradually grew narrower at 'A' and 'X'. Storm didn't seem too phased by this, until they were as narrow as possible, when he did a few little hops over the blocks at 'X', rather than lift his knees higher. However after a few goes I think he improved, as I rode him in a more forward and positive way.

Wednesday 25th September - The Day I Died - Joking!!

Wednesday started with an oh-so-glorious strength and conditioning session in the weights room! (Trust me if it wasn't compulsory for academy members it would be the last place I would be!!) However as we do have to do it, I'm taking it seriously in the hope it will have an effect on my riding especially after how much I've been aching since  as I have been feeling the 'benefit' since!

After strength and conditioning I had a riding session, this time on Vita, a 16.2hh grey mare. She was slightly excitable to say the least! I continued to ride her forward, despite how nerve-wracking it seemed she messed about less and I enjoyed it! We continued to work on accuracy and started to get a feel for the horses in canter, which was slightly amusing when Vita decided it was more fun to go sideways...

Needless to say my legs are now killing me! (but I'm looking forward to riding Vita again!)  

Friday 27th September - Showjumping Academy Training

Today once again we went to Brampton Stables for the showjumping academy training. This time I rode Finley, a cob-type coloured gelding. 

Finley

We started by getting to know the horses while working them in on the flat, while trying to soften the contact and asking them to round themselves more. The jumping exercise we followed this with was a cross pole, with a placing pole, approached from trot. Then on landing we were required to ride straight while doing a simple change (canter-trot-canter transition) this meant as riders we had to think ahead - as we would when jumping a course. Finley was a nice ride; I found he required a bit of encouragement to prevent him falling out of the trot or canter - different to what I'm used to, but no less enjoyable!

For more photos of Finley & I at academy training look on my Facebook page.

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Show Jumping Academy

On Friday I went to the first showjumping academy training session, which I am participating in alongside my Level 3 Horse Management qualification, in order to get further training and the opportunity to compete. 

For the first session at the external yard (where the training takes place,) I rode a coloured gelding called Nike. He was about 14.1hh (bearing in mind I'm 5'8" !) so he was just a bit of a change from the 16hh horses I'm used to! Nevertheless he was very cute, and his paces improved after a short canter on the right rein when warming up.

We did an introduction/assessment session, focusing mainly on how, as riders our light seat and jumping position should be. Trotting round the school in a light seat also showed how strong the lower leg needs to be in order to maintain the position without compromise to jumping performance.

As part of the academy I also have to do weekly strength and conditioning sessions, which I'm not looking forward to so much!

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It All Starts Now!

Ok, so the title of this post is a bit weird...

I have just finished my first week at college, and there have been lots of funny and interesting things, but today I'm just going to write about the riding!

We have ridden twice this week (from next week I'll be riding four times a week). 

On Wednesday I rode India a little chestnut who is about 14.2hh, for a quick riding assessment in walk and trot. She was very cute and 'pony-like', even if she didn't like keeping her head straight (resulting in a horrible face from her as I tried to keep her straight!)

Today I rode Winnie, a grey 17hh dutch warmblood, for another riding assessment-type-thing with my course tutor watching this time, ahead of the first showjumping academy session next Friday. She was such a nice but very sensitive horse to ride - if I used my hands, legs or seat the tiniest bit too much she let me know! However by the end I would like to think I understood her a bit better! 

Winnie

Now I am so excited for the showjumping academy training next week!

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Moving On...

If you follow my facebook or twitter pages, then you may know that I am going to study for a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horse Management (Riding &a Coaching) - just a bit of a mouthful! - at college for the next 2 years. As I am going to be residential at college I have had to leave my shared horses behind.  I have had the best 2 years with them & the people I have met, however it does feel the right time to move on. 

I am hoping to keep this blog updated (as I've only just started it!) so please follow my progress. As in the next 2 years I have numerous goals and aspirations, the first being to buy my own horse! 

So watch this space!

As I say in this video....

...This is only the beginning.

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