sneaking in with a show report...

sorry, iv been uber crap at updating this, so bloody busy as a demented bee chasing its own tail(if it had one).....

.....pony has been fabulous since i last blogged, trot is now starting to feel as good as the canter, contact is more stable and balance is much better.
have been concentrating on trying to keep the rhythm a little steadier but with the same sharpness off the leg, and have got some really good powerful work with him pushing up and out not just forward.
introduced some shoulder fore after the last 2 tests were judge said he needed to be more supple and also did the trotting to each corner then walk leg yielding really deep in to it and trotting out exercise, and now feel he is really stepping under and bending better round the corners and certainly this weekend i was able to ride deeper in to the corners and keep the same rhythm and also in the 10m circles keep the forwardness and rhythm better.

have pinged off a few changes again, usually the first one goes with an almighty buck and a squeak and then the next one is fine, he's such a good boy though, will go from changes to counter canter with never a thought of anticipating or changing before he's asked,such a clever pony :)

so..show....warm up was rank as new surface has only been down 3 days!!! its turfloat ( i think) and will be fab when settled but is currently like porridge. most people were sticking to the edge so that was marginally less gluey, so thats what i did too. did one leg yield each way and one medium each way but really only did about 50% of my normal warm up as was thinking of his legs and at only 4yo theres always another day.

had been very fresh and naughty to hack on saturday-leaping and broncing when asked to go out of a walk and generally being quite wild.....and he was still OTT and fresh in his first test, containing himself until the canter when he let rip and bucked and farted his way through the entire right canter section!!! the walk didnt really happened either-jogged and was very tense, but im not so worried about that, id rather he was keen to get going than grinding to a halt.

second test was much more settled and being busier (N37) also suited him better than easy N22 as it keeps him thinking.
walk was better but still not as nice as it can be and the halts were awful-Harry we need more help on this!!!!! but everything else was on the aids and felt lovely.....very pleased with 65% and just beaten in to 2nd place. so 3 points for baby pony and a huge £13 for me!!!!

have ummed and ahhed and think ill got to Vale view in 2 weeks to see if i can get another area festival sheet and then Patchetts area festival if i do.I really dont want to pressure him, but then im quite good at riding area festivals/regionals etc like "just another test" as Rubi taught me well that theres no point building it up!!!!will then take a break from competing and try and tidy up the walk and halts and get more power in to the trot and canter, and do some shows at VV at end oct/nov as much closer to home.

pony is having a couple of days chilling in the field now.

have just clipped fuzzy bruce, so he is now bald as a coot and have turned it out in a fleece and lightweight-you will NOT grow any hair back for at least a month you hairy sod!!!!!

show pics here