Puhinui 13.03.2010

And the report card reads...... F for Fail

Dressage....yeah; started with a hiss and a roar.... 9 for his entry!
and it was all down hill from there. One of his lowest marks in terms of placement in the field....he was basically resisting coming under from behind by going crooked. Hopefully we will work through that and his marks will get back to where they should be (well, better than before cos he should be then working better)
Then to the show jumping.....DISASTER

Clouted him into #1 and he really flew it, and #2, then everything was right for the next, a white oxer with fill coming off a down hill slope....two strides out, and he's 'gone'.....told him off, and he flies it......next jump with fill.....same again, telling off and away he goes....and so to the next jump with fill.....3rd strike out!!
However, Wendy very kindly asked if we could go back in after the last horse (I was very late in the day) and give him a school. Started at the last jump he stopped at;... of course it was SO terribly scary that he stopped again....but this time he got what for, went to pieces and bounced around.....then turned around and flew it.....onto the BRIGHT coloured double, and although he backed off spooking at it, he went. Strangely enough however, he spooked and backed off it every time I jumped it.....so not sure if he is seeing it a little 'off' or something.

However, Wendy then said to continue round the rest of the course, which he actually jumped beautifully, including the one stride double with an oxer in.

Of course my first reaction when he does his naughty pony thing, is to question myself, and what have I done wrong. However, Wendy tells me that I didn't do anything wrong....I sat up, I had him together, and I had my leg on.....apparently a couple of strides out, he just kind of goes 'blank' and then peters out with insufficient impulsion to get over the jump.

Perhaps I need to get practiced at not only upping my own aggression, but giving him a reminder with Mr Whippy about three strides out from anything he is likely to do the "oooh that's spooky" thing.????

One thing is for sure however: I am NOT giving up on it...I AM going to beat this thing.

Cross country day. I was allowed to ride at the tail end of the class, which in my case meant riding at the very end of the day..... long hot day, and I decided to keep it for Kihikihi....the ground was also like concrete.... in fact, as I drove out, well after 4.00pm, they were still going XC.

Lesson LVF 05.03.2010

Really needing to work on my mental shut downs.

It seems that if I am approaching a big (particularly oxers) jump, a few strides out I kind of lose faith in myself and my own ability and basically shut down....Willy then of course stops.
However, when I get aggro and "ride with every part of my body, like I want to get over the jump", then he quite happily jumps.

Also little point in keeping within my comfort zone, as that is not really addressing the problem.

We did some jumps at trot (YUK) including an ever increasing oxer, until it was a pretty decent height, then continued at canter, until it was HUGE (well looked huge to me anyway). Yes, I did have a few shut downs, but I also (with the help of the instructor) did get over it more than once.

We then did a course, and apart from what I would call minor glitches, he jumped well. In hindsight, I realised that EVERY jump we did was an oxer....so if that is not addressing my oxer phobia, I dont know what is.















All in all, progress is definitely being made.

Rotorua Horse Trial - 27/28 Feb 2010

Yay: actually got to an Autumn Horse Trial.

I had entered Pre Novice despite my ongoing show jumping phobia.
Just have to keep getting out there and trying, and continue to work on my mental fixations at home.
Having dropped him to training for a XC run during Spring, and finding he was just DREADFUL to ride, there is nothing for it but to persevere.

Dressage was ok; nothing flash, but nothing grotesque....I think the judges sum up says it all..."obedient horse - accepting. Calm test - more enthusiasm would enhance"

Show jumping didnt look too bad, although both doubles had spooky fillers in the oxer in, and one was in the shade. However, didnt start too well with a STUPID stop at the first...I think I just kind of cruised into it. NEED to rark myself up before the start flags, so he thinks I mean business. So with that stop, then one at the shady oxer, that left the final life which was used up two jumps from home;....yep, the second spooky oxer. Oh well, if I am going to take something positive out of it, it is that I didnt tilt, didnt fall off, and didnt do the 'oh shit' thing.

Cross country. Nice course, quite a big double at number three, and rather a wide fan jump out the back. A couple of silly stops where basically I was trying to get him back together too late before the jump, and so was fiddling on approach rather than having done the preparation in plenty of time, and then RIDDEN to the jump.

However, he jumped everything fine, and was great over the second half of the course ... was even better after the water, which could possibly have something to do with the fact that I gave him a wee hit on approach to the water.

So, disappointing not to properly complete, but regardless I still feel we (I) am making progress.