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Post by breakfast on Sept 16, 2013 20:54:00 GMT
It really is pretty awesome, I'm conscious of good fortune every day I ride here.
Unfortunately mare has a bit of a sore foot today - we did a brief schooling session and she came up ouchy on the near fore after a bit of trot. I'm hoping she just hit a stone and bruised it a bit, but after the trouble Zorro had I'm inclined to horseochondria where that is concerned.
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Post by nicxf on Sept 17, 2013 6:31:27 GMT
Great updates and truly gorgeous hacking photos! That landscape looks just made for riding in.
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Post by kas on Sept 17, 2013 19:46:08 GMT
Great stuff mate.
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Post by breakfast on Nov 13, 2013 9:37:50 GMT
I thought you might like to see a bit of video of where we're at after six months or thereabouts- it's far from amazing and as always I hate to see myself on video but it gives us a kind of marker for future progress. Also kindly taken by my dad which means the camerawork is quite smooth but I forgot to tell him that in horsemanship you always want to see the feet...
There are quite a few places where she is still a bit resistant to the bit, but she gets a little better each time I ride her. I think the next thing we'll be really concentrating is staying in front of my leg.
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Post by breakfast on Nov 16, 2013 12:27:43 GMT
We have also ridden out a few times in the pleasant weather. The other day my OH was with us so she got some pictures that show a few of the things that I love about Iris: She is so careful over terrain that is new to her- this was our first crossing of this little ditch and she just walked very steadily and with great care over it. She likes splashing! She's very good in general about walking into and through water, although weirdly she seems to prefer muddy water to clear. On the way back from this ride she threw in one out-of-the-blue buck which I think was trying to escape from a suspiciously clear puddle at the side of the road. Trotting off down the track. Yesterday we made our first expedition up the hill to the Punchbowl. Again she was super-good in the light of all the people we met including large groups of walkers, dogs and cyclists. The track is rocky but worth it for the views: I think Autumn is at its very peak now. A few people are now offering stark warnings that winter is coming. On the way home we go around a couple of big fields and at one point the electric inner fence of the field was ticking and Iris had a bit of a morale failure. I hopped off and lead her past and then was glad I was walking as these guys came scampering over to say hello: Iris was actually super adorable about this, she just walked along with me whickering quietly to them. If I had given her leave I think she would have gone to say hello, but as it was we ambled around the end of the field and then, just as I was about to get back on, one of the babies zinged themselves on the fence and everyone went bucking and galloping off around the field. I was quite glad to have waited at that juncture. It took a little while to get Iris brain back in her head after that, but I calmed her down enough to be able to get back on and aside from a bit of passage down the steep hill beyond the field the rest of the ride was pretty good. Today we went out for a short loop on the common in the afternoon. We were a little short on time but I think it was our first truly seamless ride- we had to stop and look at some cows and snort a little at a cyclist, but in general we just kept going smoothly and comfortably without any big drama. We had some nice trot and canter that didn't accellerate unnecessarily, it was just all really nice. Walking home in the afternoon light. We're at the time of year now that I really wouldn't want to leave the yard without hi-vis in abundance.
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Post by kas on Nov 16, 2013 17:52:24 GMT
She's gorgeous and sounds like temperament to match.
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Post by el on Nov 16, 2013 17:57:30 GMT
Great update love the pics.
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Post by breakfast on Nov 23, 2013 16:25:25 GMT
Just a picture from this morning's ride that I was especially pleased with: A magnificent mare indeed. We had a lovely trot through the woods that turned into a canter to escape from a log of peril, with occasional eel-like wiggles as we passed other potentially hazardous logs and needed to keep them under close surveillance until we were safely past. She is a real pleasure to ride already and she's only going to get better with practice. I have been working hard on staying relaxed and not picking up the reins until something has happened that necessitates it ( easy to say, surprisingly hard to do ) and - surprise! - I hardly ever have to pick up the reins.
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Post by beksnjake on Nov 23, 2013 16:33:05 GMT
Lovely picture - love the shadow!
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Post by breakfast on Nov 25, 2013 0:07:56 GMT
Thank you On Wednesday we might be endeavouring to make a dressidge. Currently the forecast for this attempt is "hilarious fiasco."
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Post by breakfast on Nov 27, 2013 15:13:33 GMT
Right, the dressage test looms this evening. Actually quite anxious now. Hope I can avoid conveying this fact to Iris...
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Post by beksnjake on Nov 27, 2013 17:00:29 GMT
Just keep breathing - use all those martial art techniques. You & Iris will be fine. Go & enjoy - this is part of the journey.
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Post by breakfast on Nov 27, 2013 22:58:50 GMT
Iris was not entirely impressed with the idea of going out for a dressage instead of having her tea, but she tolerated it with her usual gentle demeanour as we hustled her into the box and chugged our way to Guildford. We pulled up next to another box almost exactly the same as ours but in a different colour. I had hoped to talk to them and ask if they had ever run into any problems with the wheel falling off but they were gone by the time I had picked up my number. Iris was quite snorty and understandably keen to look at everything while we got ready. My OH was essential for this, as she knew how to pin a stock tie together and also helped me put my number on then pointed out that I had put the noseband on the bridle totally wrong and it looked ridiculous. Unfortunately we had five minutes before my start time by this point and I figured we needed to get warmed up so off we went. As soon as I was on my horse was fantastic - her anxiety manifested as being a bit lively and light under me, but that meant that we also had lovely upward transitions and she was really steady considering the new and alien situation. It was only a matter of minutes before the steward called my number and we made our way into the indoor. We had a couple of minutes to look around ( I spent most of this time getting Iris brave about the big letter markers ) and then we were buzzed for the test to start. We entered at A, the test starting with a long trot up the school turning left at the end and back right around the outside of the arena past where we had entered. This part went pretty well up to where this picture was taken. You can see that Iris was looking forward and I thought that we were going to get our usual attempt to stop ( this is how we finish sessions usually, so she likes to stop at G ) but no, the slight balkiness I could feel was that she had never in her life seen a big judge's box and she was now encountering one for the first time. She was <i>most definitely</i> not going to go near it now she did see one. We stopped and boggled and then I kind of pushed her forward and around, but the scene was set... This was actually the closest we got to the box at any point. My attempt to have correct, low, dressagey hands has already gone out the window and I am working on having any steering at all. We should be cantering around the top of the arena, but as you can see, we're not tremendously close. We were, however, as close as Iris was prepared to get to that box of terrifying... boxness. She could probably feel the judgement pouring out of it. Also you can see how the stupid misplaced noseband has pulled the bridle around. Stupid unnecessary riding equipment you have to stick on because of stupid competition rules. My fault. At this point Iris thought the best way to get us back on track might be to try a properly avant garde move, so we briefly fell out of the arena. We found our way back in, though, and apparently didn't get disqualified - I think we might, technically, have deserved it. Shortly afterwards on the canter transition right beside the box ( or as "beside" as we could get ) I lost my left stirrup and spent most of the rest of that circuit trying to get it back, which rather took my eye off the ball as regarded what was going on with our general performance. Halt and immobility- possibly the only part of the test that we really had spot on, but hey, that is one thing at least. So that was our first dressage test. The results are actually available online but suffice to say that we would be well in the lead if this was a three day event. As it isn't, we are the only pair to come in below 50%, which puts us in last place. The strange thing is that I actually really enjoyed it and I would like to try again and do better. Iris was a total star throughout and with a bit of work on accepting judging boxes, we could probably get things figured out and working much more nicely. Also, given that we scored 49%, better should be quite achievable.
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Post by snigsby on Nov 28, 2013 9:06:07 GMT
Oh well done,that pair! Everyone has to start somewhere and Iris looks perfectly cheerful with the whole thing. Rider is almost unrecogniseably formal A valiant attempt,breakfast and I'm looking forward to seeing the next step in your dresidge career!
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Post by breakfast on Nov 28, 2013 10:44:29 GMT
Rider followed up his formality by dropping his jacket in a puddle while getting changed afterwards...
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