Preparation for Dressage Leg Two
So after our first leg of the dressage competition we were filled with motivation for leg two ( and by 'we' I mean me
😂 ) This meant a private lesson with Mr Fred and my hardcore dressage instructor and one with my other instructor (less hardcore) for Mr Cu Chulainn. Mammy is getting her dressage mojo back ( she hopes!!).
Monday was a day off for everyone. We all chilled out and thought about how we got on yesterday. Whilst catching up on Gilmore Girls on Netflix - nobody tell me what happens in the new one!!
Tuesday we went over to indoor down the road and practiced. Went well with CC. A lot more relaxed. Still have tension and he's anxious in transitions, but Rome wasn't built in a day and we have a focus which is great. I also find that having another more experienced horse allows me have more patience for him. I'm not pushing him to magically be better because I can do more with Fred.
Then with Fred I felt that it didn't go as well. He was dropping in canter and transitions weren't smooth. I just don't feel strong enough for him. I've planned on taking up yoga with a friend - I even bought a mat in Aldi! I'm hoping that'll strengthen up my legs and core.
Wednesday evening I rushed home to bring them in and feed them, feed the cats, then (lastly of course) feed myself. Then it was off to the Regional meeting for AIRC. I hadn't been looking forward to it mostly because I had such a busy week I could have done with a break that night and with any type of meeting or committee there can be so much politics involved. But my god it was great! Our calendar is looking ridiculously full!! It's very exciting, so many new things going on, one day events, 2 day shows!! The boys are going to have to be on top form!! So it's great that we've started now and getting our criticisms and what not under our belt now, so that we'll be ready to kick ass 😁
Thursday was private lesson time.........I told her what I felt was happening with us. She put us through our paces and gave us some great exercises to do. Fred felt fantastic by the end!! I was delighted! I didnt' feel like I wasn't strong enough for him - although I did feel like my legs were going to fall off and that I couldn't feel much from the waist down 😥 No pain, no gain they say!!
Friday was spent catching up with friends, some chillout time and also I had to get a new phone, time to give up on the old one when you can only call people on loudspeaker!
Saturday I wasted 2 hours test driving a jeep, my one is nearing the end of it's life with me anyway, a few more good miles in it. The jeep I drove wouldn't pull open an umbrella never mind a horse box! So that was a complete waste of time. Got home, had something to eat and went to get the boys to go practice. The boys however had other ideas and decided to canter and do a bit of xc around the field while I stood there with headcollars and ropes. It was entertaining, but I was late for my lesson!!
Eventually we got going. The lesson hadn't started, so that was great. I did it with CC and he was gerat, he stood while the others practiced their tests and was really chill. Delighted with him. I was too lazy by the time I was finished with him to ride Fred and it was 6 at that stage. I had hoped to wash them in order to finish their clips tomorrow, but it was pretty cold so I decided against it.
Sunday. It's D day. I decided to ride Fred first as I expected more from him and wanted to put the warm up time in to him. We started off well but then had an argument in the warm up. We got over that and went in. Our test was better than the previous one, but still not quite as good as we were in the lesson. I was happier that we were better, but disappointed that it wasn't as good. CC didn't get that long a warm up and then it got dark and he was starting to spook, so I decided we might as well go in. He walked into the pocket and stood there - that was already better than the week before. We had a great turn up the centre line and he was relaxed for another bit, but then he got anxious and he was tense. We got an 8 for the centre line and another part, and he stood patiently at the start, so baby steps. He was in the 60%s and Fred scored in the 70%s and came 2nd, just pipped to first, but that was some turnaround!
So all in all it was a mad busy week!! No competitions next weekend, it's a social outing weekend - I like to pretend I still have a life outside of horses sometimes 😃
On Monday the boys got the day off, but I popped my yoga cherry. There was a few moments of choking back a laugh ( like at the start when they do that hmmmmmmmmmmmmm stuff ) but I felt I got some good stretches out of it and enjoyed the exercises. The only trouble was coming out of a stretch.....as Shakira said, 'hips don't lie' and mine were creaking like a 90yr olds!! I'll need to stock up on the old cod liver oil again - I do actually take this, and it is great.
Tuesday night was another private lesson with hardcore instructor. It was a bit windier so slightly more difficult to hear. I brought my tests for her to have a look over and she asked what I wanted to work on. I said the 'free walk' as we didn't get great marks in that. So we worked on some of the usual stuff and then we did shoulder in, very very slowly, which made my legs ache and I'd say my face was a picture........I wear my pain on my face!! I felt like I had been riding a clydesdale and then went to Fred,so my legs were barely touching him......but again, it worked very well and he went fantastically. Better than last week!! So I have high hopes ( I can't write that without singing the song in my head) for our Dressage Ireland debut (as an official member).
Thursday night I am bringing the boys over the road for a return to jumping.............watch this space!!
Monday was a day off for everyone. We all chilled out and thought about how we got on yesterday. Whilst catching up on Gilmore Girls on Netflix - nobody tell me what happens in the new one!!
Tuesday we went over to indoor down the road and practiced. Went well with CC. A lot more relaxed. Still have tension and he's anxious in transitions, but Rome wasn't built in a day and we have a focus which is great. I also find that having another more experienced horse allows me have more patience for him. I'm not pushing him to magically be better because I can do more with Fred.
Then with Fred I felt that it didn't go as well. He was dropping in canter and transitions weren't smooth. I just don't feel strong enough for him. I've planned on taking up yoga with a friend - I even bought a mat in Aldi! I'm hoping that'll strengthen up my legs and core.
Wednesday evening I rushed home to bring them in and feed them, feed the cats, then (lastly of course) feed myself. Then it was off to the Regional meeting for AIRC. I hadn't been looking forward to it mostly because I had such a busy week I could have done with a break that night and with any type of meeting or committee there can be so much politics involved. But my god it was great! Our calendar is looking ridiculously full!! It's very exciting, so many new things going on, one day events, 2 day shows!! The boys are going to have to be on top form!! So it's great that we've started now and getting our criticisms and what not under our belt now, so that we'll be ready to kick ass 😁
Thursday was private lesson time.........I told her what I felt was happening with us. She put us through our paces and gave us some great exercises to do. Fred felt fantastic by the end!! I was delighted! I didnt' feel like I wasn't strong enough for him - although I did feel like my legs were going to fall off and that I couldn't feel much from the waist down 😥 No pain, no gain they say!!
Friday was spent catching up with friends, some chillout time and also I had to get a new phone, time to give up on the old one when you can only call people on loudspeaker!
Saturday I wasted 2 hours test driving a jeep, my one is nearing the end of it's life with me anyway, a few more good miles in it. The jeep I drove wouldn't pull open an umbrella never mind a horse box! So that was a complete waste of time. Got home, had something to eat and went to get the boys to go practice. The boys however had other ideas and decided to canter and do a bit of xc around the field while I stood there with headcollars and ropes. It was entertaining, but I was late for my lesson!!
Eventually we got going. The lesson hadn't started, so that was great. I did it with CC and he was gerat, he stood while the others practiced their tests and was really chill. Delighted with him. I was too lazy by the time I was finished with him to ride Fred and it was 6 at that stage. I had hoped to wash them in order to finish their clips tomorrow, but it was pretty cold so I decided against it.
Sunday. It's D day. I decided to ride Fred first as I expected more from him and wanted to put the warm up time in to him. We started off well but then had an argument in the warm up. We got over that and went in. Our test was better than the previous one, but still not quite as good as we were in the lesson. I was happier that we were better, but disappointed that it wasn't as good. CC didn't get that long a warm up and then it got dark and he was starting to spook, so I decided we might as well go in. He walked into the pocket and stood there - that was already better than the week before. We had a great turn up the centre line and he was relaxed for another bit, but then he got anxious and he was tense. We got an 8 for the centre line and another part, and he stood patiently at the start, so baby steps. He was in the 60%s and Fred scored in the 70%s and came 2nd, just pipped to first, but that was some turnaround!
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| Celebrating 2nd with a new rug |
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| Just happy with food |
On Monday the boys got the day off, but I popped my yoga cherry. There was a few moments of choking back a laugh ( like at the start when they do that hmmmmmmmmmmmmm stuff ) but I felt I got some good stretches out of it and enjoyed the exercises. The only trouble was coming out of a stretch.....as Shakira said, 'hips don't lie' and mine were creaking like a 90yr olds!! I'll need to stock up on the old cod liver oil again - I do actually take this, and it is great.
Tuesday night was another private lesson with hardcore instructor. It was a bit windier so slightly more difficult to hear. I brought my tests for her to have a look over and she asked what I wanted to work on. I said the 'free walk' as we didn't get great marks in that. So we worked on some of the usual stuff and then we did shoulder in, very very slowly, which made my legs ache and I'd say my face was a picture........I wear my pain on my face!! I felt like I had been riding a clydesdale and then went to Fred,so my legs were barely touching him......but again, it worked very well and he went fantastically. Better than last week!! So I have high hopes ( I can't write that without singing the song in my head) for our Dressage Ireland debut (as an official member).
Thursday night I am bringing the boys over the road for a return to jumping.............watch this space!!
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