Proven Prelim Pony!!!!

Not a bad weekend at all!!!

Fleck and I got headed out for Windridge fairly quickly after I got home from work. But then we got stuck in traffic. I was about to scream... between the traffic lights, the slow pokes, the construction... argh!! It felt like we were hauling longer to get to 85 than we were on 85. Which was so not the case. But finally, we were on 85 and moving! We arrived at Windridge and got settled in. Fleck got a nice end stall, which was convenient because I had a plug for his fan. The weather was perfect all weekend long!!! It's such a gorgeous place there! So we got settled in and hopped on for some dressage with Beth. 

I started with some stretching and then we picked him up and went to work. He felt pretty darn good. Even our canter was nice. I told Beth that I was blocking him somewhere and she said to sit a little lighter. I was getting a little too rigid and driving with my seat. And sure enough, it helped a lot! I also had to make sure that I was not throwing away the inside rein. The inside rein helps keep the bend. I was afraid of holding too much with the outside rein and creating a counter bend, but if I didn't hold the outside rein, he'd fall in and I lose his shoulders. So Beth was like.. duh, use BOTH reins.. oh yeah!! Ha ha... If I hold the outside rein connection but also add inside rein, he comes around quite nicely. Yay! Then we worked on the free walk to the medium walk. INSIDE BEND!!! That was the theme of the day in general. When I walked across the diagonal for my free walk, I need to let him out, but then start to leg yield him subtly to the wall before I pick him up. As I'm picking him up, I really need to focus on the inside bend and inside rein to keep him from bracing/inverting/jigging. It really does help. Then he's nice and connected. And I need to remember that my medium walk needs to be the same walk that I have when I'm about to ask for the canter - ie... animated! So we quit with that and Fleck got his bath and was braided. We grazed some and let the horses get used to the peacock noise. Yes.. there are peacocks there and they make a weird noise. The horses were a little worried but not too bad. 

Saturday morning was an EARLY morning. Luckily I had already braided so that helped. But our dressage ride was at 8:07! Fleck was actually really clean so I only had to spot clean three little areas and his braids looked great. So we were on time and even a little early. We got down to warm up and started warming up. He felt great! Beth wanted me to think of riding him behind the vertical. Only because then I ride him correctly. It feels behind the vertical to me but it's actually a true correct frame. She also said that when I counter cantered... to almost counter bend him. For whatever reason that works best for Fleck. If I don't, he tips his nose and isn't in the reins. But when I almost counter bend him, he actually gets straight and gives me the most lovely counter canter. Whee!  Then it was our turn. It wasn't our best test, but not too bad. Especially since we hadn't ridden it in a long time and then only once or twice schooling recently. We started out okay but it wasn't great. I didn't have him up into the bridle enough so he cheated a little. He was awfully haunches in too, though at the time I don't think I realized it. He had a lovely first counter canter but on the second one... it was so lovely that I must have over did it because he swapped on me. I tried to correct it and did, but then it was two strides before we were supposed to trot, so it was ugly. Then I got a little flustered so we kind of went downhill from there. But again, not horrid.. just not good. We ended with a 38.3 I think and were in 7th place out of 11. Argh. Oh well. My fault for not preparing better. And I'm spoiled now after that 31.8 ;) 

After helping Beth and Stephanie and watching them go it was time for stadium. The course looked super fun but was TOUGH! It was almost in a little bowl... so lots of terrain and some really tough questions. It was an uphill oxer to a vertical, roll back to another uphill oxer, right hand turn on a slant/slope to a vertical, then downhill to a triple bar, then to an upshill two stride, then a roll back to a bendy line of a skinny to an oxer, then roll back to the triple combo, then another vertical. I was bound and determined to not have any stops. Oops! We warmed up pretty good and I felt like I almost did it right on course. We started out pretty gung ho and forward and were only slightly chippy to the first two fences. I think the "long" distances are starting to scare me so I take my leg off and hold so Fleck adds. They aren't necessarily tight spots but he loses power so they aren't smooth. So the first three went okay. Then we got to fence four and I buried him. He was so deep that Beth said in order to jump he would have had to go backwards. Doh!! Darn it me!!! So we circled and I gave him a horrible awkard approach but kept my leg on and supported him and he jumped it. Sigh... Then we got our act together and jumped the triple bar quite nice. I got a little frantic and long to the double and he chipped but cleared it and then the rest of the course was pretty nice. He nailed the triple! Sigh... so one stop. No time though. ;) But I really need to get my act together. I think some jumper shows are in our future this Summer. I need to get better with the "longer" spots again. He does not like to get that deep to the bigger jumps when I don't help him any.

So we enjoyed the rest of the day helping the others and then walked XC. It looked like a really fun and doable course.. until about half way through. Ha!! There was a decent sized trakenher that wasn't bad at all.. but on a downhill approach. It made me a bit nervous but I knew we could do it. Then a huge wide table, but I ignored the wide and figured it would be fine. But then.. it got scary! A sharp 90 degree turn to the biggest steeplechase fence ever!! It was very upright and very big AND.... on the back side was a three or four stride bendy line to a very big very skinny hanging log. Okay...THIS was going to be a test for me and Fleck. I just didn't like how vertical it was. Then it was along the hill parallel to the drop to a skinny and then another cabin, then the water, then an upbank to a skinny and then a hanging log and done. The course was long and gallopy but so pretty! I was smart this time and scoped out ALL the short cuts!! Including cutting across the field and going over some moguls. :) But I was still pretty nervous!!! eeeks. 

Sunday morning was an early morning too as my ride time was 8:32. Luckily, not quite as early. Fleck felt good and we went for a little walk and studded up and tacked up. We warmed up and he felt great. Rarin' to go with plenty of energy. We roared out of the start box and were off. The theme of the course was "BURN RUBBER!, Let it BURN!" So we were off at the gallop. The first three or four fences were a bit sticky in that I was still holding a bit, but I figured it out and we started to gallop them properly. The coffin rode fine and then we headed to the corner. I knew I had to go outside for the right line but in our gallop we went a little farther outside (after almost running into a tree while I was deciding!). So... we ended up about 4 strides from the corner but VERY diagonal to it. Eeeks.. I thought about circling to get a better approach but then decided no.. we would just get it done. And Fleck locked on and despite a less than stellar approach, he owned it. yay!!! Then we galloped down past the lake, up to the rest of the course. He was jumping great now! We stumbled our way through the moguls but managed to keep our balance and got the pheasant feeder done. Then we came downhill to the trakenher. I think I over balanced and checked too much because Fleck really backed off. But I felt it and said 'No... I mean balance but go" and put my leg on and he went. Yay!! Then we flew over the wide cabin, sat back and balanced and NAILED THE STEEPLECHASE!!! Whoo hooo. He flew over it with room to spare and we just sailed over the skinny with an opening rein. I LOVE THIS HORSE!!! Then we overshot our turn a bit to the drop but he trotted a few strides and crossed back to it, plopped down and smooth as silk jumped the out. The rest of the course was perfect and we made it over the finish line a second or two under optimum without having to rush for it at the end. I was soooooo proud of him!!!!

What a rock star!!!! We ended up finishing with just the four points for the stadium stop and moved up to 5th place. Because of our cruddy dressage score, even without the stop, we wouldn't have moved up any. So whooo hoooo!!! I'll take 5th out of 11 at prelim. :) It's official now.. he is officially a proven prelim horse!!! The problems we were having were all my fault and/or knee pains. And now that he feels good again.. he's golden. The stadium issues are all mine.

So proud of my rockstar!!!!!

Intervals and Icing

This morning was a bit rushed as I had to get back in time for my Mom to come visit with my four nephews. Then this evening I'm heading to Atlanta (The Optimist!!! YAY!) for dinner with Dad, Mike and Gramma. So... I got up early, cleaned the house, and put Fleck in the trailer. We got to Ashland and I tacked up and headed out. We did a ten minute walk warm up and then started our intervals. I did three 5 minute trot sets, with a 2 minute break in between each. Then we did a 3 minute breather before we did our canter sets. We only did two 4 minute sets but with only a 2 minute breather in between. And our canters included little bursts of gallops. :) Then we spent another 5 minutes or so walking to cool down. Fleck went from 80 breaths/minute post.. then 5 minutes later he was down to 60, then another 2 minutes later he was down to 40. And within 10 minutes post he was eating grass. So not too bad considering I technically haven't done any true interval work this year. Then we went to his lake and soaked for a few and headed back in. I ended up trotting back up to the barn some because of time but he was happy to go. He got iced on the way home and is back out enjoying the grass :)

Prelim Test B

So after I dealt with the mess that Danny and Fleck had created in the feed room... I hauled Fleck out to Ashland to practice some dressage. And wow... this horse is just so easy suddenly. I'm sure I'm not being quite as tough as I could be, but he's really just so fun and easy to ride lately. It was great. We warmed up and had some really good stuff. We worked on leg yielding and then shoulder ins and even turn on the haunches. We also worked on our canter stuff and dammmmnnn if our canter to walk to canters on the three loop aren't getting good!!! Too bad I still can't figure out how to do them on the diagonal ;) But they got better.

Then we went to the upper ring, which was much sloppier, and ran through Prelim Test B twice. It went pretty good. But at the second canter Fleck suddenly felt like he was stuck in the mud. I think somehow I'm blocking him because when I went up into two point and let him do a stretchy canter.. he felt normal. But when I sat back down and collected him.. he felt crabby... Like he didn't want to either stretch out his left side or collect and bend his right side. It was odd. I couldn't figure it out. He was happy enough to canter, but seriously felt stuck behind. I'm guessing I'm blocking him somehow because in two point.. back to normal. Argh.. but other than that.. not too bad considering we hadn't ridden in it awhile. Of course now I think I like Test A better, but oh well. ;)

We then took another hack. Of course ;)

And the sun sneaks out

Unfortunately our lessons with Kelly Eaton were cancelled because there was just sooo much rain. It was predicted 100% of rain today too... And guess what happened??? Very little rain most of the day. The sun even peaked out. But.. the rings and grounds would have been WAY too wet to safely jump and work so it was the right decision to cancel. 

However, since the sun peeked out... I went for a ride! Christina and I met up at Ashland and trail rode. At the end we did a bit of trotting and even some polite cantering. Fleck just adores Sham so he didn't have to beat him. :) The footing wasn't bad at all for what we were doing but was too slick and mushy for jumping I think. But we had fun! The boys were glad to be out and about and the sunshine was very good for our souls. 

 But... proof of how much rain we got and how wet it was became crystal clear upon getting home. I slid a tiny bit in the mud at the gate turning the trailer around when we left, so I was smart and unloaded Fleck at the bottom of the driveway. But there was NO WAY I was getting the truck and trailer through the slick mud at the gate, even without him. I'm not sure why it wasn't working this time... other than I think the mud clogged my tires so that when I finally hit a barer spot there was no traction. So then I tried backing down halfway and turning around in the front yard. That didn't work either... I spun out on the slick mud and moss. Argh... So then Mike and I tried using a chain link fence piece. Not successful. Argh. I finally gave up and managed to get the truck and trailer into the grass and out of the driveway but not turned around.

And then... that night they stayed out in the front field because after dinner (me and Mikes') they wouldn't come in. Then in the morning they came in and ate and all was well. I shut the gate to the front field so they would eat some hay. Only... I didn't notice that Mike had left the gate open when he got the chain link fence. This meant that sneaky Danny found the opening and went into the little dog pen area and then... straight into the feed room. I had left the door open to let it air out because... there's no way for them to get in. Argh... They made a giant mess!!! Three of the feed tubs are broken and strewn about.. thus dumping a brand new bag of Danny's feed everywhere, 1/3 of a bag of dynamix (which luckily... I was trying to use up anyways), and some of the grow-n-win. Then they had knocked all the supplement containers off, luckily only spilling the msm, which is cheap. And it was actaully salvagable as it landed on the other feed tub. They didn't manage to open Fleck's tub and eat some of it... ate some beet pulp.. pooped int he corner... tore apart some hay. Oh, and ripped open the bag ofhchicken feed. Argh... All in all though I got lucky. They didn't seem to actually eat that much feed. Mostly just made a mess. I was curious when I didn't see them earlier in the morning. I just assumed they were in their stalls. Then I saw Fleck poking his whole head into the barn.. and assumed he was just bored.. didn't realize he was watching Dan! Argh...

Put your Eventer panties on and ride!

So... we had signed up for the High Point Schooling show today. We planned to do 2-1 to see how it might go in June at the recognized dressage show. And then we signed up for two stadium rounds. 

Friday was cold and windy and I was hoping to do some intervals but I got stuck at the day clinic so.. no riding. And then.. it started raining.. and kept raining... and raining... and raining!! I woke up and went to feed and decided to scratch. It was cold... and wet.... and cold... and wet! But... Beth talked me into it. She said that we NEEDED another stadium round before Windridge. And that I could put studs in. And that it wasn't that bad. Sigh..... So I went. And it was fun.... And again.. Beth is always right. ;) 

We got there and tacked up in the rain. And got on... Poor Flecky.. he was trying to hide his head because he doesn't like the rain on his eyelashes. But he was pretty darn good. We didn't warm up too much as it was rather slick in the grass warm up area, but... we got it done. Then we went in and did our test. It wasn't our best by far, but it wasn't too bad. He was a bit more rideable than I am used to and so my half halts were much more effective than usual. A fact I did NOT remember when we did our second counter canter loop... he broke. But it was because I over half-halted. Doh. Our canter to walk to canters were pretty darn good considering. We got counted down for a trot step or two but for us... pretty darn good. We even got some 7.5's on our trot work. Yay! We ended up with a 63%. Which... quite frankly, I'm quite pleased with. Sure, it's no 70% but still! It would have been a qualifying score. :) I'll take it. 

So then he went in his stall and I went and checked out the course. Tacked back up and then I realized how cold I was. Everything was wet. I tacked up way too early and had to wait on Beth and Hannah to finish their dressage tests, so I went back to the barn and Fleck and I hung out out of the rain for a bit. I shivered the entire time. It sucked.. But then we went back out and got warmed up (literally and figuratively). The warm up jumps were in the grass so I had to be careful and Fleck slid a little. But it wasn't too bad. He was jumping great too. He wanted at them! So we went in for the training round first and he was a little behind my leg to the first and second fence and then we started rocking and rolling. Although my leg kept slipping but it might have been because they were numb. Anyways... at fence 5, which was almost perpendicular across the arena, he stopped. I didn't close my leg and he got to it to a deep spot and without my help and leg.. he decided it was easier to stop. I wailed on him with my princess wand and then he jumped the rest of the course fine. 

We hung out for a bit while the others changed tack and did their course and then raised up the fences for the prelim rounds. I warmed up over two more warm up fences and he was on fire! So then we sat for a minute and then went in. I wanted to simulate the show grounds since we have had a few stops lately. Anyways.. we went in with GRRR and energy and it was awesome!!! He jumped like a beast! He was a little skittery because the footing was getting slicker, but he jumped great. We had one rail down, but no stops!! Yay!! So... for next weekend... GRRRRR!! :) 

And you know what made me happiest!? Flecky just keeps getting happier and happier!! He's back to his lean mean prelim machine self :) He was sooo excited about jumping :) YAY!!! I think he likes his aluminum wedgies back. 

So.... quite the miserable weather but quite the fun day!

Dressage Day

Today Fleck and I got back to High Point for lessons again. It was fun! We started off and Cindy said that she liked how I was slow in the up part of my post but that I needed to be just as slow in the down part of my post. By posting down fast, I'm telling him to bring his hind leg down fast. And that's not what we want. So... I tried. But holy smokes that is hard!!! Seriously hard!! But we must have been making some progress because Cindy said it was working :) Then we moved on and focused on the canter work. NO tipping forward into the canter. I got better at it. Then I just need to remember to make my elbows heavy (Ie.. bend them and keep them by my hips) and keep the connection. Fleck was REALLY getting my half halts today! It was awesome. He got some serious sit! Of course I need to remember to keep my seat cantering and not stop, thus turning the half halt into a halt. ;) I also need to keep my hip moving up in the canter to the right. And keep my right leg down and long. And forward... and when I did that.. it settled right where it needed to be and Fleck could bend around me. :) yay!!

So then we worked on the canter/walk/canter on the second quarter line. That's hard for me. I can do a decent canter/walk/canter anywhere else, but doing it at the second quarter line on the short diagonal is hard! Cindy said to just visualize a fake wall to my side. I didn't think that was what the problem was, but it really helped. We got a really decent one. Yay! Maybe this weekend won't be a total disaster. :)

Oh, and while warming up we worked on the turn on the haunches, and I think Fleck and I are getting it! Whoo hooo!!!

Good days!

Under and Over Achiever Me

So... Fleck had Thursday and Friday off because of work. Saturday was a pretty day and I was determined to ride despite being exhausted. I ended up taking a short nap and then managed to get Fleck to Ashland before the rain was supposed to start. That meant I missed Peri's dressage ride though. So I get tacked up and I noticed that Flecks left front has started to shift to the side a little. Not too bad though. So off we go down the trail. I get about 1 minute into it and suddenly Fleck is walking funny. I look down and his darn shoe is twisted out to the inside. So he's walking half on a shoe and half off. ARGH!!! I REALLY REALLY wanted to do intervals with him. I was so bummed. So we walked back to the trailer and I was able to pull it off the rest of the way. The good news is that it was 90% chance rain on Sunday and our pony club clinic was already cancelled. So at least I wouldn't have to be double bummed about missing another day or riding. 

Kip was able to come out Tuesday morning and redo his feet. We put him back in his aluminum wedgies which he seems to like best! 

So Wednesday I was good to go for my jump lesson with Beth! Yay! And Fleck is back to feeling himself! He's back to snorting and going after the others at feeding time and just... sproingy again! :) Me... not so much. ha! This week has kicked my butt in work and I'm just exhausted. Even after sleeping pretty much all day Sunday. I didn't sleep well Monday day because I was stressed about work contract negotiations. Then Tuesday I had to stay up for Kip and then once he left the people who were cutting down trees arrived. So the chainsaws kept me up. Then work was slammed again. So this morning I only managed about a 1 hour nap before our lesson. I told Beth if I was ignoring her... it wasn't that I was ignoring her but that I had fallen asleep! 

But it was a good lesson!! Fleck felt great! We worked on a fun grid. It was a big cross rail with two ground poles then a one stride to a vertical with ground poles on both sides. We jumped it both directions and I had to keep him trotting in, then push a little for the out. And it highlighted the left drift over the vertical out. Fleck was too smart to drift left over the very high crossrail. ;) So then we did a few courses. Beth made me put my stirrups back on the ball of my foot.. not rammed home like for XC. She said that it would make my ankle more flexible and thus help me keep my knee off the saddle and from pinching. It did! Of course it also felt like I was standing on my toes, but she pointed out that was just because it was actually almost on my toes for the first time. It did help. Despite the fact that I felt like I was going to slip out of my stirrups every stride. ;) 

The first few courses were just not together. Beth said that I was letting him get long and strung out. And sure enough, he had to take some flyers. And then this one stupid vertical kept getting the best of me. TWICE I flung myself up to Flecks ears with at LEAST one more stride. And Twice FLeck said "Excuse me Mommy... I cannot possibly jump this with your entire weight on my head"!. So then she reminded me to not let him lengthen. So then I went from not doing anything... to overdoing it. I would over lengthen and then he was chipping in and not having enough energy. Argh... 

We finally got it though... Balance and half half EFFECTIVELY (ie... take a good pull and give when he gives vs snatching repeatedly) on the turns and approach to the fence, connect him but keep the energy, and even shorten him. But then... when he's within 5-10 strides away.. just sit there. Settle and be there supporting him, but don't adjust. And it worked. Like magic! We got some beautiful fences, even when she jacked them up. And I stopped riding the vertical like a freak. And I managed to not squeak my foot back too far home in the stirrups. :) 

So then we went for a short hack to the lake and soaked his legs for a bit. It was neat... the sky was a little creepy cloudy and there was a big family of hawks soaring and calling.. then a herd of bounding deer! Fun times. :) 

So... now if I can just remember to do everything right for Windridge, we should be good :)