Pole work Clinic with Shelley Wilson 27.11.19

This weeks training was something I've been dying to do for a good couple of years but always had something come up so could never attend any of the clinics.   I booked the session in December as soon as it came up and when a one for this week appeared last minute I jumped at the chance.  I was a little concerned as we headed into the arena and seen the amazing but scary-looking exercises set for us when remembering how much of a pain he was last week to get him through a set of poles but I need not have worried as he was a star!

The first set of poles we tackled was an ascending ladder which worked on our straightness due to it being 'wonky' but the whites of the poles staying straight the whole time up.  Being the first set of the poles he'd headed towards I felt him hesitate but I kept my leg on and rode a little more aggressively to keep him going forward.  I was still expecting a stop but he just wobbled slowly over them. I felt confident that we would make lots of progress in this session. 

After going up the ladder a few times working on straightness Shelley had us all attempt it in canter, Carlos took it on but we lost momentum by the end and kept breaking back into a trot.  I had to work really hard on keeping him going forward and we managed all but the last two poles before he found it too hard and dropped to trot. 

The next challenge had two parallel poles at the start and end of a row of poles which were laid on an angle.  Again the exercise was all about straightness and I was really pleased how Carlos tackled it and we even succeeded in keeping the canter throughout the whole exercise with a lot of pushing forward on my part. 

Last we had a shallow loop of poles, these looked super scary but were actually really nice to ride,  I could really feel him stepping up and under over the poles.  

Really looking forward to the next session with Shelley next month and see how he gets on with some different exercises. 

Grid work with Will Murray 20.11.19

I can't explain how nervous I was for this training session, I had a massive amount of mixed emotions going on and I couldn't work out if I was most nervous about the fact I was loading him and travelling there by ourselves, the fact it was the first time I was attending a training session with the riding club I recently joined or whether it was the fact I had yet to jump Carlos other than two teeny cross poles and I'm so out of practise!  Whatever it was - it was worth it all.

The nerves of travelling eased once I was on the road with him happy in the back, my GoPro attached so I flick my eyes to my phone screen quickly if I was worried.  When we arrived Carlos was at total ease, it's certainly a different experience to the ex-racers who would stress and dance around.

Once inside the arena, Will asked me having not seen Carlos in the sessions before whether there is anything he should know about him.  My reply being 'I've only had him a month and he's done nothing' made me think what on earth am I doing here!!   After a warm-up we were started with a simple exercise of trotting straight through two parallel poles - simple was not what Carlos thought!   Will had to open the poles wider and I had to borrow a whip to get him just to walk through.   Once through he went though with more confidence each time.

Next was a simple straight bar, again this was then simplified for Carlos down to a cross pole as he wouldn't go anywhere near it.  At this point, I was starting to worry I was just going to hold everyone else up but Will was really positive after we got over the cross pole with a massive leap getting me to come around again over the cross then he popped it back to a straight which he went straight over.

Will kindly simplified all the challenges he had set, next being a double of oxers but Carlos decided to even be a pain for the cross poles Will had put it down to, although there was a lot of poles which is what I thought would be spooking him.  However, as we approached for the second time Will had me change tactics after spotting that Carlos, in fact, wasn't at all scared of the poles and was totally taking advantage having been able to get away with it in the past.  I was unsure if he was scared or not so now I know he's not and just looking for excuses I will carry on changing my way of riding.

After a few battles we got over the double and Will had all of us proceed to the next challenge which was a bounce set as a square so it would be rode around on a figure of 8.  Again the poles were dropped for us but I thankfully got Carlos straight over after riding a lot more forceful knowing he wasn't scared. 

The last challenge was quite complex so Will dropped the poles again for us, it was basically a set of about 6 bounces set on angles.  Carlos again went to try his luck but I managed to keep riding him forward and got him over the poles.

In the end, we then completed it all as a course.  I was over the moon that I got around the whole thing with Carlos, especially as Will set the double back up with spreads and the poles were put back on the square bounces and the straight bar.  We had a pole on the way out of one of the square bounces but it was more due to tiredness than anything else. 

Onwards and upwards now I know he's being a cheeky monkey.

Pole work lesson with Shelley Wilson next week!

Our first dressage!

Our first outing!  I decided to be brave and pop Carlos into a local express dressage event.  I only chose the Intro C test as the other was Intro A and I've not been the best at learning that (though I have learnt it since ready for Dressage Riders Online this month)! I got him ready on Saturday, including giving it a bash at my first sewn in plaits.  I hoped they would survive the night better than ones just banded in as I tend to struggle to plait due to having bad hands so having to replait on a morning too leaves me with very painful hands.  Sadly the odd one did unroll but I just stuck in a plaiting band so they still looked ok.

He was nice and calm when I was getting him ready but I gave him a calming cookie anyways as I knew he would likely worry once travelling.  He hesitated as I went to load him but then thankfully went in and travelled well.  I said to Dan on the way I feel like I've forgotten something, on arriving at the venue and being asked for Carlos passport I realised what I had forgotten.  Thankfully I only live 5 minutes from the venue but poor Carlos had to join us which I don't think he was too impressed with. 

He was super calm and collected when I unloaded him and tied him up, which was a nice surprise.  Once all tacked up I got on board and headed into the warm-up.  He has a silly little spook heading into the warm-up arena and then another at some scaffolding that was up against the indoor arena but after that, he just got on with the job he was asked.  He warmed up really well, he wasn't at all fussed with the other horses going past him either.

We headed out of the warm-up arena to the indoor with perfect timing as the doors opened.  I pushed him forward and the tension began, one of the staff kindly lead him in past all the scary monsters of the doors.  As soon as he stepped inside he grew in height, became a giraffe and I felt any control I had in the warm-up head straight back out the door!  I headed around stroking his neck and purposely walking him straight towards the white markers and telling him he was ok which helped him settle a little.  We got past the judge's box with a lot less worry than I thought he would have but he continued to spook at the whiteboards and markers.  We were told by the judge we could start and I wish I had turned him around and trotted down the other side as I later found the whiteboards got scarier in the other eye.

As we trotted up the centre line I was trying not to laugh as he wobbled up, looking side to side wondering what on earth he was doing in there. The rest of the test for me went like a blur other than remembering he didn't relax, or listen and was constantly looking elsewhere and spooking at the boards.  He didn't let me ride him at all, I just steered the best I could.  The feedback given was spot on with marks from 6.5-5 scoring 56% (5th place - out of 5 entries) and the judge's comments were 'Shame the tension was affecting the suppleness and rhythm today.  When he allows you to ride him more correctly forward marks will improve.'

I know what work he's producing at home and how lovely he was in the warm-up so I now know I just need to get him going to lots of different places and get him to relax when seeing the world!

On the whole, I'm over the moon with how he went.  This venue also has another dressage planned for December so hopefully, I can attend that one and get a little more relaxation from him!

Video of our test -