9/3/2017 - PVDA @ Loch Moy 2

The second day of the show dawned much prettier! We started off by walking Penn and ourselves down to the show ring to watch some friends ride, and so I could scratch 3-1.

Penn before 3-1 on Saturday.
PC: Austen

I entered 3-1 and 2-3 both days. The plan was to ride 3-1 and 2-3 on Saturday, as long as 3-1 was ridden first, otherwise I would scratch 2-3. For Sunday, if I got my bronze on Saturday, I was going to scratch 3-1 and only ride 2-3. If I didn't, I was going to scratch 2-3 if it was before 3-1. During the week before, I had some crazy notion that I had enough horse to possibly ride all 4 tests! Ha. After the salvage ride in 2-3 on Saturday, I firmly squashed the idea that he would ever ride more than one test in a day at any level above first/second. Especially not the hideously long 2-3 test!

Penn before 3-1 on Saturday.PC: Austen

Anyway, we played at Austen's barn in the morning after Penn went for his walk, then came back and did Penn's pre-test routine. The plan was to get down to warm up a bit sooner than the day before and drill the 3 loops a bit so I felt more comfortable than the day before.

Link to YouTube

This test was for the same judge that judged our 2-3 test the day before. Apparently, we were still lacking all the things. Right from the beginning of watching the video, I could tell he needed more trot. I didn't realize that on him at the time, or maybe I couldn't access any more at the time. Can't remember. Penn needed more suspension in the medium trot again, sorry judge, that's just where he's at right now. I don't have much to say about the trot work, I thought it was a lot better than the day before and the judge kind of agreed (I mean, I had some 6.5s instead of straight 6s!). The halt rein back was bad, then I completely messed up the first TOH when he got stuck. The second one was a bit better. Overall, Penn's walk needs to be a bit more relaxed, ugh.

Then the coughing. So much coughing. I thought it only messed up the start of our canter 3-loop, but looking back at the video, it started when I brought him back from the medium canter, which the judge gave us a 4 for with "needs connection". Oops, can't be connected and coughing. He just about ripped me out of the tack in his coughing fit. It directly effected the amount of sit I had in the first 3-loop, which was marked down for needing more collection. The lack of collection continued to screw me, I had way too many trot steps for the next simple change.

The next medium canter and transition was probably the best movement of the test, he stayed up and reached and came back promptly and was nice and straight. The judge rewarded it with 7s.

The next 3-loop had misshapen and unevenly shaped loops. Sigh. That's my own fault, I need to actually measure in our outdoor and mark out the edges properly. And properly measure where each letter should go so I'm not guessing at where they are, so I can be much more accurate. It's a double coefficient move, so I mean, it's worth the measuring.

I completely botched the next simple change. I started sitting Penn down for it, and he simply broke to trot. Yuck. Well deserved 4.

The show was basically done at that point in the day, and I wanted to play in Loch Moy's new water complex... so we did!

It took much longer than it should have to get him in. The horse that goes swimming won't get in ankle deep water.

He was so thirsty. He drank for several minutes before getting in.

Post-water happiness.

Immediately following this video, one official came down and yelled at us. Oh well. We were on our way out anyway!

We flew through getting Penn packed up, and Austen ran down to get my dismal test- a 59.370% for 4th place. I was miffed because it felt so much better than the previous day's test, but scored worse. And not only worse, but sub-60! Second and third places were tied with a 60.3%, and first was a 68% on a PSG horse. Ok, so I was close enough to everyone who is near my skill level, lol! Still, the 59% really shook my confidence in my abilities to warm up and ride my horse on my own, so I was really looking forward to my lesson on Tuesday. I wanted to cover 1-3 and the halts (because they had been dismal at home), and basically just get a confidence boost.

Looking back at the video, I can see that majority of the work WAS better than the day before. What screwed me were the coefficients with the handful of single bad marks: my entry is usually much better (4), unsquare halt and resistant rein back (5), sticking in the first TOH (4x2), his normally loose free walk that gains extra points was missing (6x2), coughing in the medium-collected canter transition (4), a 3 loop that would have been ok if he wasn't coughing through the start (6x2), the first simple change (5x2), and the second simple change (4x2). With the rest being half and half 6 and 6.5, with a smattering of 7s, the mistakes were too much to overcome. The medium-collected canter transition, 3 loop serpentine, and the first simple change were all effected by the coughing fit. I lost his collection and never really got it back. Two of those 3 moves are double coefficients.

During the pack up process, my husband texted me to see if I was done for the day, and then my parents called. My grandfather had died that afternoon. It wasn't a complete surprise- he had fallen asleep on Wednesday and we weren't sure if he was going to wake up again. I had left for the weekend anyway, and if he passed while I was gone, I was going to come home Monday and skip trail riding and my lesson. I checked in with my mom and if she needed anything, and then if she minded if I kept to my original plan to go to lesson. The burial wasn't going to be before Wednesday, so I didn't actually need to be home yet unless she needed me. I explained that I was really shaken from my two 2-3 tests and needed a lesson, so she agreed with me continuing my plan.

Austen picked up more Straw-ber-ritas on our way to her barn, where we settled Penn in his own massive field (like 1-2 acres all to himself). They didn't have a stall for him that weekend, so we had arranged a paddock because I figured he'd be happier being outside anyway. He had zero interest in dinner when I hung it for him. I had put him in the field without dinner to see if he'd lose his shit over being out by himself. Nope, he walked around, rolled, and looked. I hung his feed and shook his grain so he would know it's there. He looked at me and then cantered away in a manner that I'm pretty sure he thought he was flying, but alas, he was not.

We got pizza and ate and drank on the farm deck for a while before going back to visit Penn and see what he was up to now that horses had been turned out for the night. He was chilling by the gate, half interested in his food and half interested in his new neighbors. We headed out shortly after, bringing an end to the horse show part of the weekend!

Bubble wrapped, just in case.

9/2/2017 - PVDA @ Loch Moy 1, Part 2

After my 3-1 test, we scurried back to stabling and I pulled Penn's tack and started a second round of miniPhaser massage. We only had about an hour, but I wanted to get as much soreness out of him as I could. Not sure how successful I was with that, but the horse still enjoyed it!

Well, he used to have tall hind socks.

Walking down to warm up (this was walking down the first time).
PC: Austen

We went back down to warm up and I made sure to hit my 3 loop serpentine several times, especially on the right lead, to make sure I squashed any flying change ideas Penn might have. I shouldn't have worried; Penn has become quite honest about the changes. 90% of the time he waits for some kind of cue from me, and I've been schooling the 2-3 canter pattern at home with flying changes instead of simple changes to keep him guessing about what's happening.

PC: Austen

Sassy tail wants to do a flying change.
PC: Austen

PC: Austen

Unfortunately this test was not the Dover Medal winning test I wanted it to be, instead it became a thing to try to salvage.

Link to YouTube

Simply, Penn was tired and didn't have much to give and he wanted to be a bit looky at the stuff outside the ring. The medium trot lacked, the SI right wasn't enough, the travers right was bridle lame. Medium trot lacked again, he had a coughing fit that went across the short side and into the SI left, which wasn't enough, and he fought me in travers left. I didn't think the halt rein back was all that bad though. For the TOH left, the judge noted that he has a tendency to cross the hind legs. I thought in TOH that was ok? It's not a walk pirouette. Penn didn't come to play for the free walk either.

Medium canter was ok, then I completely botched the geometry of the first 3 loop. Remember how I said in my last post that I liked schooling in the show ring because it let me work on my geometry? Well I need more practice. I think I was fighting Penn's fatigue or flying change tendencies and just didn't get the 3-loop started right, so then the middle was bad, and I missed the final loop start. Bad, just bad.

Simple change was ok, another ok medium, and another shitty 3 loop (but with better geometry). The next simple change I apparently took too many walk steps, even though I've seen people walk on for even longer. The final few movements were better than the rest of the test... I wonder if the judge was thrilled to see us go?

Hoping for a 60.
PC: Austen

I came out of the ring just hoping we had salvaged a 60. I really didn't want to add a sub-60 score to his record. On our way back up to stabling, Austen pulled my 3-1 test and we rejoiced over the bronze score and second place! Once we were back up to stabling, we checked the scores online and Penn and I had scored a 60.854%, albeit for 7th place, and there was more rejoicing! While it's not a winning score, it was: over 60, and counts as on of 4 required 2-3 tests for Penn's 2nd level performance award.

We walked back down to collect the test, and I walked Penn around the show ring because he was being looky before and a little during my test near the judge. Of course the horse didn't bat an eye at anything, but we did get this great set of pictures of us looking at the test:

PC: Austen

Speaking of average:

So many 6's.

In the end, I was just happy to be average that day!

So pretty, and definitely not average!
PC: Austen

Second Level Test 3 Shenanigans

Ok, show of hands. Who knew the Dover Medal program was ending this year?

I sure didn't.

Crap.

That doesn't align perfectly into my plans! I had planned on riding the 2-3 Medal classes and 3-3 all next year until Penn was ready for 4th... finishing my 1*/2* centerline ratings, Penn's second and third level performance certificates, and hopefully winning a Dover Medal along the way.

Obviously if I want a Dover Medal, that can no longer be the plan. I have one more recognized show weekend before championships (champs is not the place for me to attempt to get a Dover Medal!). Since this upcoming show weekend is conveniently two separately numbered shows, there's two Dover Medal classes.

Of course, I snail mailed my entry before I found out about the Dover Medal Program... But the bright side of snail mail is that I don't have to pay an entry change fee since the secretaries don't even have my entries yet! (I sent emails and extra checks)

So we're signed up for 2-3 and 3-1 both days. If 2-3 is after 3-1 on Saturday, I'll ride both tests. If 2-3 is first, I'll scratch it. My bronze is more important to me, so the 3rd Level tests get the fresh horse. If I get my bronze Saturday, I'll scratch 3-1 Sunday and give 2-3 my full attention. So much is up in the air, it's all pending scheduling and results!

Anyway, that meant I needed to do a run through of 2-3 to see what I was working with. I haven't actively worked on counter canter since June's recognized show, only flying changes (swapping them out for simple changes or changes through trot when I need to mix it up).

I set up a dressage court in the outdoor this past Sunday, which ended up too narrow for the length so some stuff was awkward, and went to it to get a baseline: (the video was taken up and down and had a lot of shake, so this is cropped and stabilized, which is why it looks funny)

Link to YouTube

I made plenty of mistakes: the trot needs more power/forward/step/impulsion, and it needs to be not BTV. The TOH needs to be better, the halts need to be better, but the canter work was surprisingly good and uphill (until Penn got tired). I used my leg off technique for impulsion as I went into the first serpentine and Penn misinterpreted that as a cue for a flying change, hence the bobble starting that movement. In the first simple change, he went to hop immediately back into canter... I stopped him, then positively nailed him with my left spur for the right lead. I had to spend the time before the next medium apologizing to him for my rudeness.

BTV much?

Overall, I would have been happy to have that go down centerline! Would it have won a medal? I donno.

I scheduled a lesson with the local dressage trainer at her farm for Tuesday this week. She has a standard size outdoor court and an eye for test riding. I emailed asking to work on 2-3 because I decided to enter it on a whim. #3weeksisplentyoftime

She was immediately thrilled with Penn's topline. She last saw him about 2 months ago and thought he looked good then but a lot better now ("Whatever you've been doing is working!"). She also loved my new "fun button" that I found in walk: Penn sometimes comes out laying on my hands, which pissed me off to no end the other day. I gave him the kind of half halt I'd give him in the canter to sit the fuck down now (it's a motherfucking big one), leg slightly back and on lifting his barrel, then a few sharp taps on his hip with my whip. He makes an angry face, but lifts the front end and sits a bit more. DT thought it was great, and said I should start playing with half steps using that in trot (I can already feel a piaffe wanting to come out, but I am not pushing the button that hard for a few months yet!). She warned me to be careful with his walk- it gets a bit unorganized when I overshorten it.

The aforementioned outdoor. A little spooky even though it's neatly tucked into a hillside. 

We went right into what I would do to warm up at a show, but then stopped to mix in some turn on the haunches work:

• Work on a square at first, doing quarter turns.
• Keep them slow since he wants to rush through them and get unbalanced.
• When working 180s, stop at the 90 mark, then proceed.
• Until he gets stronger in them, make the beginning of the 180 tight behind, then let him get a bit bigger in the second half so he doesn't plant a hoof and get an automatic 4.
• Work him on a 10m circle in haunches in, bringing him around into a TOH and back out again. Make the center of the TOH vary in size like you would as you school pirouettes.
• If he's reluctant to make the TOH in a particular direction, begin it with a shallow haunches in, then bring it around.
• When bending right, keep my balance to the right. He wants to drop me off the left side of him and fall out. Release the left rein a hair.

For the trot:

• Let his nose out by pushing him forward then bringing him back with the "fun button".
• When tracking right Tuesday night, he did not want to bend right. Flex him with the inside hand and scratch his shoulder every now and then with the outside. His whole picture changes.
• Along the lines of bend, in 10m circles right, keep the outside leg on to force the left hind to keep up and stay in. It's almost a haunches in feeling for him. If I don't do this, I lose the hind end to the outside and it'll be a 5 or less.

In the canter:

• Same right bend/flex right/scratch left problem.
• More prep for the simple changes.
• Keep the outside leg on in the right lead - he is suddenly weaker this direction and wants to leave the outside hind behind and 4 beat.

Someone had to "tie" to the trailer upon arrival because we cut it too close to lesson start time for me to schlep his stuff into the barn. He was extremely unsure and definitely still needed his helmet on.

Off we went to the test!

• Keep the entry centerline straighter. Maybe I need to track left to enter. He's been especially fussy to the right which makes for a squiggly centerline.
• Let his nose out just a hair in the medium trot.
• Shoulder-in is good.
• 10m circles are good as long as I keep my outside leg on.
• More angle in the haunches in right- from C, it doesn't read as enough. Push him forward and resteady myself to the right and add some extra outside leg halfway through. A lot of the same theory as the TOH right.
• I need to keep my right hand extra down in the shoulder in left so he doesn't tilt his head.
• Same 10m circle rules.
• Same more angle in the haunches in left. Keep my hands down and quiet because I end up wagging him.
• Get better halts.
• Know your count for the rein back and stop asking one step early.
• Same rules as above for the TOH.
• Free walk is good, play the fingers to keep the topline round.
• Walk/Canter was excellent.
• Medium canter A++
• Serpentine good.
• He dropped out early at the first simple change- she had me represent the change and add more new inside leg in a leg yield thought (without actually moving sideways) to keep him straight and get him hopping, and to start riding the change after the centerline so he won't break early in my test.
• Medium canter A++
• Serpentine good. Keep applying leg to keep him hopping.
• Same rules in the second simple change.
• Trot and final centerline, A++, easy 8.

Nothing much huh? Lol

We reviewed the haunches in after the test and added more angle, but by then Penn was pretty beat. She was thrilled with how his canter was looking- like night and day from when she saw him last. It's so much more uphill.

So that's the story of how we entered two more classes at the next show and took a lesson I never planned on taking (which was very beneficial). I might take another one before we go to Loch Moy, but we'll see. The next few weeks get tough for me to do anything extra as we gear up to finish my bronze and then hopefully smoke them at First Level AA Championships by riding a third level horse.