[Monthly Review] February 2013

Is it just me or did February feel like such a long month, even though it's the shortest month of the year? I felt like it went on for ages and now I can't remember what happened! 

February has been a rather busy month for me so I haven't been able to ride much. At the beginning of the month we went over to Houghton Hall EC for dressage (posted about here) which didn't go too well! So after that I spent the weekend just hacking and having a bit of fun. The week after I free-schooled Pea which showed he is quite all over the place really and finds canter hard. I was back to uni on the 11th and now have 4 day weeks which means Pea can't get ridden but my dad goes down and does him on a Tuesday for me, bringing him in and grooming him whilst feeding him - he secretly loves it! I then get back Thursday and ride him then :) We've mainly been hacking and a bit of schooling but I think it's really helped him getting out hacking and letting him have a stretch and he gets so happy hacking, no matter how many times we go! 

This week I've properly cracked on with his canter work in the school after his walk trot work has been going nicely and fingers crossed we're slowly getting there! Yesterday (28th) I got him to canter round the whole arena on both reins without stopping. It may sound trivial and like nothing but for me and Pea it's a big step! I then decided to show him the water tray that was left out and he happily walked over it and then cantered over it! Definitely a happy ending after spending 5/10 minutes complaining at him for not listening! I schooled him again today ready for dressage on Sunday and focused on the test movements and whilst they're not great they were reasonable! 

One of the stallions at Kildangan

Last week I spent the week in Ireland with uni on a study tour! We visited various places such as Troytown vets, Kildangan Stud (One of the prestigious Darley studs), Punchestown races (where we got to present a prize), RACE, Curragh gallops and various others which I will blog about just as soon as I manage to get round to it! I will also have a competition report after this weekend where we are heading back over to Houghton Hall for their winter championships! 

Hope everyone's February went well!
Bye!
Laura & Pea x

Competition Report [6.2.13]

Helloo :)

Today was a bit of a disappointing day if I'm honest. 

The Intro was quite a nice test and although we had a few bending issues he worked nicely with good consistency in rhythm. He came away with 61.7% and 1st. The judge's comments were: "Lovely pony and nicely ridden test. Need more engagement into steady contact to encourage more roundedness! Great use of arena and very accurate. Well done. Lots to like."

The prelim was virtually a disaster! He was funny with canter in the warm-up and I've not cantered him properly for a while, only working on it this past week. His canter is really frustrating because for the past year or more that I've been trying to work on it, I feel like we're getting no where. Last month he won with this test and today he came away second from last with 45.8%! His right canter was virtually non-existent and he constantly broke, rode on three tracks, wrong leg, etc etc. His left canter was better to begin with and then he charged off a bit along the straight and I could just vision us jumping over the dressage boards but luckily we made the corner! The judges comments were: "Very well tried, all went well until canter request! Well done for not getting fazed. Lots to like so keep working on the canter transitions and strides. Well done."


Overall, I think I am being hard on myself but it's very frustrating when it feels like I've hit a brick wall! However, the judges comments were very encouraging and I text my instructor and she's the best (as I mentioned on the previous blog post) and is very encouraging and trying to make sure I'm not beating myself up about it! I'm going to work hard on trying to sort out his canter and get the physio out in the next couple of weeks to make sure there's definitely nothing wrong though I'm pretty sure there isn't but it will be good for him to be checked. 

That's all for now! 
Laura & Pea x

[Monthly Review] January 2013

Rain. Snow. Strong Winds. Oh what a great start to 2013 we have had! 

I have decided to start monthly round-ups. On my last blog I did weekly round-ups but found these hard to keep up with and if  hadn't really done much in the week then they were a bit boring if I'm honest! 

This month, due to the weather, exams and other various reasons I have not been able to ride as much as hoped. In fact, Pea is having yet another day off today after three days off and then a 20 minute battle in the wind due to the fact that my body feels more like that of a 90 year old as opposed to a 19 year old :/ However, the odd bit of riding that has been done has shown that Pea is like a changed horse and I really cannot wait to see what this year brings for us! 

New Years day I jumped him for the first time in a long time and really got him moving which resulted in him jumping the best he's jumped in a long time! We only kept it small as I've lost a lot of confidence and would rather get the technique and confidence good over small fences rather than jump bigger ones just because it 'looks' and 'sounds' better (incase you haven't gathered, it's a slight pet peeve of mine of people that jump big when they haven't got the foundations right!). Since then, we've not done any more jumping which is annoying as I'm hoping to get my confidence up again this year and start show-jumping again possibly next year! Pea's schooling is coming on so well and he's like a different horse! He's much more forward going and it's taking me a bit to get used to his new way of going, haha! He's so much more willing to work and is really starting to use himself and offers outline more often and doesn't with his head in the air as much as what he used to. Bending is still a slight issue but we're working on it by using half-halts and then applying the aid for leg-yield to keep him from falling in and also leg-yielding around corners has really helped. 

He wasn't too impressed with the wind!

Due to the weather, when I have had chance to get the indoor I've had to share with someone. Our indoor is tiny and it makes it hard to really get any work and with Pea's canter issues, we've had to just work on walk or trot as it's too small for him to canter comfortably, even though it's the same size as a dressage arena which he can happily canter in (I sometimes wonder how his brain works!). At first I was quite apprehensive about having to share the indoor, hence I hardly rode, but the times that we have had to share Pea has been like a different horse (I'm really starting to think he is!). He pays little attention to the other horse, completely focused on his work and what I am asking of him, even when I do transitions or half-halts by the other horse which used to give him an excuse to nap, but now he just carries on as if there's no one there! 

I'm so proud of how far Pea has come on and for February my plans are:
 - We have our first competition on the 6th doing Intro and Prelim so fingers crossed we do well
 - Get jumping again
 - Possibly start working on movements found in a Novice test. 

Whilst his canter is still an issue, I've found that trying to focus on getting it better, it's easier to accept it and just ask for canter without trying to keep pushing on more canter strides, etc etc and instead just sit quietly and let him sort himself out, after all he's happier to canter away from home in a competition when I'm not badgering him so maybe it will work at home! (He's not cantered for about 3 or more weeks so it could be exciting the next time we try!)

That's all for now! 
Bye, 
Laura & Pea x