Quick mid-week update. Monday saw us finally making some improvements to the canter, turns out I forget all about my outside leg as soon as I ask for canter! Corky was immediately straighter when o started to use both legs and by using the half haults we have been practicing, along with both legs equally we finally managed some decent downwards transitions! Only taken us two years!!

On Tuesday after clipping out Corky we headed to our regular lesson with David. Corky was lovely and keen - he jumped great and even David commented on his improvement. I've added a few stills and videos below that Becca kindly took.

We had a short schooling session tonight with a few more nice downwards transitions. Now to learn my two tests for Saturday's competition.

Corky and I headed off to Blueridge for their cat 1 on Saturday morning – it was a very busy show, about 40 in each class. The track was bigger than at Rockrose the week before but I looked good – more of a challenge. The warm up was very busy but we managed to warm up and pop a few practice jumps so felt good going in. I was really pleased with our round – it was 2 phase and we got through to the second phase – we only took one jump and it was rider error. It was the biggest jump in the track and I pushed too hard and through Corky out of his rhythm. I was a bit disappointed with myself but generally it was a lovely round for us. I forgot to put my number down for the British Novice so we ended up with quite a long wait. In hindsight I probably should have just called it a day but we waited and jumped again taking the first flipping fence! We took one more on the way round for good measures! Oh well – there is always another day.

On Sunday I headed back to Luffness for another schooling session with Lucas. He was a little cheekier this week – I ended up on the ground again when he got his legs in a muddle and crashed into a jump. I think it knocked his (and mine) confidence as a few refusals followed. We ended up jumping quite well but he definitely needs to keep practicing every week to build up our confidence together. Hopefully with no more falls though as I’m getting too old for it!

Well the wee man is in the good books this weekend – he has managed to jump his first BS 85 DC and also his best mark at a BD show.  Lucas also was kind of good – be behaved well at his first jumping schooling session but is very green after so long off so I did unfortunately end up eating dirt at one point!  

On Saturday morning we headed off to Rockrose for their first Cat 1 show. I had pre-entered the 85 and the 90 but wasn’t sure about jumping the 90 as we hadn’t jumped a course since Blair over a month ago. The show was quite relaxed, not too busy in the warm up as we were jumping in drawn order. The 85 track has a few tricky turns but wasn’t built too big. We had had a good lesson with David on the Tuesday night so I felt quite happy with the course and height and it turned out Corky was too, he jumped a lovely double clear – our first one ever at a British Show jumping show. I was so pleased with him. We made a couple of mistakes but as the jumps were not too big we managed to leave the poles up for 3rd place (and some prize money). The 90 was a bit more challenging, it was a 2 phase so the aim was to get through to the jump off stage. He jumped the first phase so well that I was so please I almost missed the first jump of the second phase! Poor Corky didn’t have much chance of leaving it up – we then took the following jump too before I managed to get the canter back and finish off the round well. Overall I was really pleased and will continue to jump @ 85/90 until we can start to pick up more DCs at this level.

In the afternoon I headed off to Luffness to school Lucas round a small course of jumps. He warmed up well and seemed fairly comfortable being away from home. He was a bit spooky at a few of the fillers but that is just to be expected I guess. We started with the jumps very small – Lucas didn’t seem to notice and thought jumping the wings would be a better idea! I was literally hanging on for dear life to his mane – not tight enough at one points where I was propelled right out of the saddle into the air, and then onto the ground! It was over a very frightening water tray though lol. I jumped back on and managed to get into the swing of his big jump. Once we put them up a little bit, he became a bit more economical with his jump thankfully. Good session and lots of progress made but I did have a bit of whiplash from the fall – very ironic as I watched the film of the same name the night before?!

I’ve added a couple of videos and stills from our schooling session below.

I was glad to be going to dressage on the Sunday after all of the excitement of the previous day. We were riding prelim 17 in the long arena at Rockrose. I warmed up long and low for the first 10 minutes to help get Corky stretching and opening up his back – I think some of the other competitors thought I was strange but it’s what has been helping at home. Once I picked Corky up he was going well, not like at home but ok for a show I thought. Things didn’t go quite as well when we got into the arena – I struggled to get him moving positively into the bridle, I felt like he needed to take the contact more. He was very obedient though – I was pleased with his transitions as we had been working on them all week. The downward canter transitions still need lots of work but hopefully that will come in time. We ended up with 65% for 6th place which was great as the last time we rode for the same judge we got 58%.

So today I braved it and took both horses to my riding club dressage. I decided just to ride one test on each, prelim 10. I had super times, almost first and last so I had plenty of time to swap them over.
Last night Kerry kindly helped my plait up Lucas which made things easier.

Both boys loaded perfectly this morning and off we set. Corky was on first and despite some coughing (just ordered more NAF Respirator to fix that) and having 3 weeks off he gave me a nice test. Lucas was a little upset but seemed to settle thankfully.

All was going too well!

Rachel kindly helped me swap them over and off I set on Lucas - or thought I was. Turns out Corky the angel pony who is usually the easiest travel/competition pony ever hates to be left on his own! He got super upset and in the end I had to ask Rebecca to stand with him which seemed to do the trick. Will be looking for ideas of how to settle him down in future.

Thanks to Becca Lucas and I headed off to warm up. The rain had come on quite heavily by this time so the warm up was very busy. Lucas was very excited and forward so a few people looked slightly concerned as we bounced round the warm up. I actually thought he behaved really well and this continued throughout his test. He did everything I asked and there was no spooking to be seen. He didn't pick up a very good mark from the judge but I was very impressed with him. He just needs to get out more and more to practice and then will become more relaxed.

All in all a good day but I need to work out how to safely take them both together in future without corky getting so upset. I think I'll try distraction with either a lick-it which he loves and if that doesn't work then maybe a companion pony.

Nothing is ever simple with horses!

So we have all enjoyed a well deserved holiday, the boys in sunny Edinburgh and me over in exciting America. When I got back the boys (and I) all looked a bit chubby and unfit but it's amazing what a difference a week of general work can make. I started with some hacking and then a few short schooling session. Both boys have gone really well and have been super keen after their breaks.

This weekend we all all heading off to the Lothians Riding Club dressage. It's the first time I've taken both horses to a competition but as I'm a member of the RC there will be lots of friendly faces to help if we encounter any issues.

Fingers crossed we all get through the day in one piece!