I showed Deuce First Level Test 1 and First Level Test 2 this afternoon. I was warming up and he started sucking back and evading my aids once i wanted to canter. L was helping me and told me to just push him forward almost to a gallop -- she said he is worried about my leg instead of being worried about going forward forward forward. I didn't realize until now that the sucking back was from him saying no to me, I thought he was just unsure of what to do due to him being young.
The first test went really well....we got a 67%! To be honest, i think the judge was very generous. :)
The second test was kind of a flop. I went off course, and Deuce was also kind of t'ed off....he was tired after the long weekend. We still got a 62.5, but again i think the judge was generous. I was so tired by the time my second test came around and having mental focus is really difficult for me when I'm exhausted. I was trying, but my aids were a little sluggish and sloppy.
In sum, here's what i was reminded of this weekend:
more forward will solve lots of problems
make him say yes to my leg
it's okay to let him be playful (ie. when doing changes he started cross cantering and J said I should just make him buck so he would change to a true canter.)
I need to definately practice the full test before I do it at the show
I need to remember to push Deuce to learn new things - challenge him
Stay soft, even when I'm pushing him to do something difficult
These are things I already knew, obviously, but it's easy to forget to apply them when everyone at the barn always says how wonderful he looks! I am going to give Deuce Monday off...and maybe Teusday. Next time I ride I will work on getting him forward and in front of my leg at all times. Sucking back will not be tolerated. Once I have him forward, I'll try counter canter in both directions. Looking forward to the fun!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Show Part 1
Had a really fun weekend at the show. I worked in the morning on Saturday and got a free lesson in the afternoon. The lesson was really good because it challenged us both. I think when I am riding at the barn it's easy just to be happy with what I have and not push Deuce to do more. When I first got on for my lesson, Deuce was super hyper because of another horse that was going nuts in the round pen. He started hopping up and down so I decided to get off and lunge him for a while. After he raced around the round pen kicking and bucking for a while, I got on and had my regular horse back. When things like that happen I always have to remind myself that he is only 4!
After I got on the second time I started the lesson. J said to do my normal warm up but after I was trotting around for a while she was like...what are you doing? I guess I need to make sure in his warm up that I do lots of bending, lateral work, and lengthening/shortening of his stride. Once I warmed up the trot, we did leg yield at the canter from the quarter line to the wall. This exercise helps give the canter an uphill balance and teaches Deuce to push from behind. After that, I rode first level test 1 for practice.
The last thing J had me do I was pretty intimidated by at first. She put a cavalletti along the centerline of the arena and told me to do two connecting 20 meter circles and jump over the cavalletti in the middle. I did it at the trot first which was totally fine, but then she told me to do it at the canter. I had never cantered Deuce over any fence and she still wanted me to do change his bend over the cavalletti. I realized halfway through that we were really teaching him to do flying changes -- she could have told me that before we started!
Deuce landed a few times on the wrong lead or cross cantering, but eventually he got a clean flying change over the fence in both directions. He's a good baby!
After I got on the second time I started the lesson. J said to do my normal warm up but after I was trotting around for a while she was like...what are you doing? I guess I need to make sure in his warm up that I do lots of bending, lateral work, and lengthening/shortening of his stride. Once I warmed up the trot, we did leg yield at the canter from the quarter line to the wall. This exercise helps give the canter an uphill balance and teaches Deuce to push from behind. After that, I rode first level test 1 for practice.
The last thing J had me do I was pretty intimidated by at first. She put a cavalletti along the centerline of the arena and told me to do two connecting 20 meter circles and jump over the cavalletti in the middle. I did it at the trot first which was totally fine, but then she told me to do it at the canter. I had never cantered Deuce over any fence and she still wanted me to do change his bend over the cavalletti. I realized halfway through that we were really teaching him to do flying changes -- she could have told me that before we started!
Deuce landed a few times on the wrong lead or cross cantering, but eventually he got a clean flying change over the fence in both directions. He's a good baby!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Out for the weekend
I took Deuce over to another barn tonight where the schooling show will be going on on Sunday. He was great in the trailer, just walked right in with no problems at all - even in the dark! I rode him before we went over there and he did pretty well. He seemed pretty tired so I will try to ride him pretty easy tommorow - I am going to work for the day to get a free lesson in the afternoon.
The past few days I've been working on test movements like leg yield into canter and 10 m trot circles. Deuce is doing very well...he just needs to build muscle and get more consistent. I will have to review my tests tomorrow so i don't embarrass myself on Sunday by going off course -- I actually think I will have a little cheering squad! Also hoping to get some good pictures or videos to put up here....we'll see. My goal is to have an nice relaxinng lesson tommorow to prepare for the show and just keep him relaxed during the tests. I'm not sure how my scores will turn out, but I'm hoping for the best.
I was looking at Deuce today and noticed two things: I think i need to up his feed and he is definitely building some muscle in his haunches. It's slight but enough to tell. This is encouraging since it means I am riding him through his back. If we can keep improving, we'll be doing fun stuff in no time. Looking at the show calender for next year, I think we can easily qualify for regionals at first level pretty easily and maybe show some second level tests later in the year next year. :)
The past few days I've been working on test movements like leg yield into canter and 10 m trot circles. Deuce is doing very well...he just needs to build muscle and get more consistent. I will have to review my tests tomorrow so i don't embarrass myself on Sunday by going off course -- I actually think I will have a little cheering squad! Also hoping to get some good pictures or videos to put up here....we'll see. My goal is to have an nice relaxinng lesson tommorow to prepare for the show and just keep him relaxed during the tests. I'm not sure how my scores will turn out, but I'm hoping for the best.
I was looking at Deuce today and noticed two things: I think i need to up his feed and he is definitely building some muscle in his haunches. It's slight but enough to tell. This is encouraging since it means I am riding him through his back. If we can keep improving, we'll be doing fun stuff in no time. Looking at the show calender for next year, I think we can easily qualify for regionals at first level pretty easily and maybe show some second level tests later in the year next year. :)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Getting close!
Getting so excited for the show this weekend. Deuce has been going very well and it will be so fun to actually ride a test. I pretty much know first level test 1 but i'll have to study test 2 somemore. Today i just rode him forward on the bit doing walk trot and canter and did some leg yield and circles. Tomorrow i think i will ride some test movements and just make sure he is forward and through his back. Deuce is such a cutie! Can't wait until he builds up his muscles and is ready for the fun stuff - it'll be easy for him.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Lesson Learned
Today would have been great, but I think I screwed it up by riding Deuce for too long. He was very forward and connected after the warm up and was doing nice 10 meter circles. Then I cantered him and was very satisfied with the ride. I decided that he was pretty much done but that I would do leg yield at the walk while I cooled him out. This turned into a bit of a fight and then Deuce started baccking off the leg and not being forward and into the bridle. We somewhat recovered, but I feel badly that I didn't just stop the ride on a much better note. I guess I'll just do an easy, relaxed ride tommorow and won't ask much of him. I feel badly that the ride turned out this way. Can't wait for another ride tomorrow and am very thankful that Deuce is so forgiving. I have a great horse and I hope I never forget that.
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