Ceaser had a break from competing over winter before the Music Regionals and quite honestly although he was a little tense, I think he went all the more better for having a break and it made me think. I'll openly admit last year I chased scores, chased a place on the team and overworked both me and him. When I realised just how much he enjoyed his outing to Bishop Burton for the regionals I decided that was it - we weren't going to be the percentage chasers anymore, we weren't going to work our butts off to get on the team. We still wanted the red rosettes and the chance to represent our County at Senior Inter-Regionals, but I wasn't going to run both Ceaser and myself into the ground to get either. Last weekend saw us take a trip over to our local venue for a Novice test. He needed a run and I'd been working so hard on making changes to everything that I wanted to see how we faired. Unfortunately I realised we'd drawn the judge that although marks us fairly, never really puts us above 66%. However, it wasn't about that and I had to keep reminding myself it was more about doing something for us - to see if I felt we had improved, and to see if the photos showed improvement.
Ceaser warmed up lovely. He started a little sluggish and not really wanting to bend round my right inside leg and I felt I knew what was coming. How right could I be. I gave him a little nudge and up he went into a rear, shot forward and then did some gorgeous work. It's almost as if he has to try it, just to prove he hasn't changed from that opinionated youngster we once knew. Amy, Ceaser's lovely back lady had made the trip to come and watch us and then massage Ceaser afterwards, so it was great to get her feedback as we were warming up.
Amy noticed that before his 'strop' he didn't seem to be trying so hard, and then instantly switched and the work came. I have to be so careful that his hind right leg doesn't swing out in the trot, so I rode lots of shoulder-fore and leg yield, which my instructor feels helps to warm us up. Then I'll do a canter on each rein, which riding a couple of circuits of counter-canter, ensuring he isn't running along but rather keeping the bounce. To change the rein I'll ask for a medium, then working trot again and then pick up canter and do the same on the other rein. I really feel we've cracked the warm up routine now a short, sharp 20 to 25 minutes works wonders, rather than going on and on for over half an hour. My test was in the dreaded arena 3 which has caused us quite a few problems in the past with spooking and scary monsters jumping out the trees, so I was very conscious to catch Ceaser's attention as soon as we rode into the arena. I do find bending him slightly too much to the inside so he's focussing on the inside of the arena rather than the out whilst I'm going around the edge works wonders.
Overall my test went rather well I thought. I was so focussed on keeping him steady but ensuring the hind end stayed active and through. I also needed to make sure I did as Tracey had said the previous week during a lesson and ensure I don't coil his neck in too much, but rather let him stretch over the base of his neck and back. We found that I tend to hold too much, rather than letting Ceaser do some of the work himself, which includes balancing and coming into the natural outline, rather than relying on me.
I was rather pleased with how the canter felt in the test as this is something we've been working such a great deal on. Ceaser had a tendency to go into the canter nice and collected, then run and run as the canter went on which just gave it a 'flat' look. We've worked so hard in my lessons to keep him up, using those hinds, but also keeping the forwardness. Upon finishing the test Amy said from an outsiders point of view it looked like a 68/69% test, but unfortunately we still ended on 66% and 3rd, which wasn't bad considering the competition in our class. However, after looking after the photos both Mark and the professional photographer took and going through each movement on my score sheet with Amy we felt there had been such an improvement and we would take the positives away rather than the score. At the end of the day, Ceaser is a coloured cob cross and not every judge sat in the box is going to love how he moves, or think he belongs in that dressage arena, but one thing is for sure, he always tries his heart out. His mediums may not be perfect and he might not have the paces of a warmblood but I am getting such fantastic feedback from all those that have followed our journey over the last 12 months, both my instructors; Julie and Tracey and Amy has commented several times Ceaser has never felt so great in his massage sessions.
So, that brings us to this week. He's had a steady week with some basic schooling and yesterday I let one of the Pony Clubbers on the yard take him over a few jumps - which he thoroughly enjoyed!
Of course I want to get a place on the teams this year and red rosettes would be an added bonus, but quite frankly I do all this as a hobby and whilst I may have lost sight of that a little last year trying to achieve certain things, I think we can still get to where we want to be, but without the pressure!
Have a lovely week everyone!
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