DAY 2 of the Autumn Series

Well we had day 2 of the Rotorua Autumn Series on the 10th May.
Didnt really feel like going to the extent i hadnt ridden Cruise for 2 days before the show.
Bad i know, actually i was hoping it was going to be cancelled< as the weather was supposed
to be really bad on the Sunday.
Anyway, Sunday morning i was sitting at the table having my cuppa, and thought i'd better go,
so quickly packed up the car, shot up to the farm, plaited and off we went.
Weather was ok, right up till i went in to do my first test, and then it rained the whole way
through the test. Cruise didnt mind, but i did!
Second test, same thing, sunny right up till i entered, and then down came the rain again.
Anyway, ended up 1st in both tests, with scores of 75% and 65%
and Champion overall from the 2 days, so was really happy i went.

Will do the unregistered series at Tauranga, and then will register her for the September show here in Rotorua. Onwards and upwards.

Hello - finally have some horse news

Well, we had our first dressage comp at a closed day here in Rotorua a couple of weeks back, and i was really happy with the horse, definately glad i went as a practice for the real thing, as she was very wary of the arenas at first. She did a nice tidy test for a score of 74%.

Next we had the first day of our Autumn series, again she went very nicely for two seconds with scores of 70% and 77%. So overall i was very happy with the way she went, and how she is coming along. And "bonus" i could leave her in the yard, and she only ate 1 rail this time lol.

The day after the show, Hielke came up for a couple of days from the South Island to do some lessons and wean her foal. She bought with her a dvd called Enjoying dressage with Richard Davison, which we watched the night she got here. Totally great. It has some great ideas and hints on several things i need to work on, which i tried the following day in my lesson, one being riding trot, standing straight up, which i couldnot do without holding onto the horses mane, and heck my calf muscles are feeling it today, lol. Have attached a short video of part of the lesson i had on my horse yesterday being the 7th April. She commented on how the horse had put on alot of weight, which is good to hear, as that has being rather a struggle.

So, here is the link to the video i uploaded onto Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBJjIQh6EIg

Am totally looking forward to the second part of our series which is approx 3 weeks away.

Training for the Autumn dressage series coming up

Haven't been to any competitions since Rotorua A&P so thought i would update my blog with some photos of schooling at home. We are getting ready for our first dressage comp, which is coming up very soon.

ROTORUA A&P SHOW 24th january 2009

What a HOT 2 days at Rotorua A&P this weekend. Saturday was a real scorcher. Riding in the Novice Hack classes at 11am was extremely "suffocating". Cruise was SO well behaved for her first ridden outing, with 2 seconds, a fourth, and a win in the Paced and Mannered. Winning the Paced and Mannered qualified us to compete on the Sunday for the Supreme Paced and Mannered. We had a go, but we don't have flying changes or lengthening QUITE happening yet, and by the time the class was held Cruise had had enough (although she did what was asked of her).

We also rode in the Suitability classes where she was placed in every class, winning the conformation class, 2nd in most suitable show hack, 2nd in most suitable dressage horse, and 2nd in most suitable horse for eventing, coming away with Reserve Champion!

So all in all, quite a successful first ridden show for us, but heck showing is such alot of fluffing around. What was really neat was having the people i bought her from (they have the Pirongia Clydesdales) come down and watch us today. "sunday" A big thanks to Louise for helping me get her ready while i was fluffing around, AND for giving my boots a quick polish.

Am rather glad that our next A&P show isn't until the end of February.

Serpentines

Two weeks ago we could barely manage a figure of eight, what with changing the bend, and keeping a rythum, but now we can do 4 and sometimes 5 loop serpentines, maintaining rythum, and now she changes bend through the middle very easily. Such a huge improvement.

A shot of the canter on the good rein, she can get quite strong, but loathe to change bits, as at the start she wasn't keen on taking the bit, and tended to curl behind, so have her in a training snaffle, and although she is a bit strong, at least she is taking the bit.

My instructor had a looksie at my video of my training when she called in yesterday, and said i'm not going forward enough. Mincy, mincy!! So here is a pic of a much more forward trot on the circle, and she can prob still find something wrong! LOL We have a lesson tomorrow, the first one with this horse, so am preparing myself to get a good roasting. LOL