I must be mad and the next time I tell someone I want to do something extreme with Ceaser, the day before I intend to do an affiliated dressage event I want them to remind me of this very moment where I am laid in absolute agony.
Yesterday was fantastic. For a few weeks now I had been planning on going to the local hunts closing meet with Ceaser and seeing what he was like to hunt. I've never taken him before and was worried he would spend most of the time on two legs as that is usually what he does when excited.
Friday evening, not only did I need to bath and plait Ceaser but also had a massage at 5pm. Somehow, I managed to fit it all in and finally sat down for dinner late Friday night after going through my "to do" list for the weekend just once more in my head just to ensure I hadn't forgotten something.
Saturday morning arrived and I was quite excited. I haven't hunted for a few years now an
d was eager to get back out in the field and join in. I enjoy hunting and think its a fantastic way to keep your horses fit, healthy and rearing to go. As I mainly do dressage and showing on Ceaser I thought it would be a brilliant change for him and enable him to have a good stretch of his legs. Rarely when we are out hacking do I allow him to have a good canter, let alone gallop so I was sure he would enjoy it.Standing around before the hunt set off I was relatively surprised at how relaxed he was, especially when the dogs were let out as usually he hates dogs! It was only when we were signaled to set off that I realised just what was in store for me and did I find exactly how strong my pony really is!
As soon as everyone else set off I could feel him wanting to go. I was told previously to position myself at the front if he is the type to not like being left behind and so off we went closely following the hunt master. A friend had given me some typical hunting advice and said "If he tries to misbehave sit up, hold on and kick on!" so I did just that and I can honestly say I had the best 2 hours out I have had in a long time.
Usually whenever I take Ceaser places I'm usually wiping endless stable stains off, or restitching plaits in that have fallen out or wiping my boots off. It was nice to be able to relax a little and although we had to be turned out correctly I didn't feel the usual pressures of the show ring.
Ceaser seemed to thoroughly enjoy the morning and only popped in a few bronks as we set off but apart from that he was relatively well behaved. We even popped a few fences which felt amazing. The adrenaline you get from doing something like hunting is so different to that of showing and dressage and I really felt it was important for both Ceaser and I to go out and do something different for a change.
Don't get me wrong, he was strong and I didn't feel like I had much control most of the way but I enjoyed it and as we set off at a gallop across one field I could feel he was enjoying it just as much as me so I did what I was told; sat up and kicked on!
Everyone I told that I was planning on doing two dressage tests after a mornings hunting looked at me like I had suddenly grown two heads and told me I was absolutely bonkers. "Expect to enter A in working canter and bronk" were some comments and inside I was just thinking "Please don't let me down Ceaser".
I honestly do not think he is the type to go out and do something and then come home very tense and fizzed up. I wouldn't have expected him to do both in the same weekend if I thought much different.
On Sunday as my alarm started buzzing at exactly 7:50 I did think to myself what am I doing? I could barely move for aching and a few extra hours in bed would have been welcome. No pain, no gain though right? So I shot up and in record time was dressed, ready to go and down the yard with travel boots on the pony.
In the warm up he felt amazing. Maybe a little slugish but that was to be expected. I haven't mentioned before but Ceaser has a very sensitive pink nose and when it is sunny he sometimes nods his head a little. Sometimes I do wonder if its more of a habit than anything though as when he is really concentrating he "forgets" to do it. Today was a particularly bright and sunny day though and I was struggling with his head shaking and my sore arms.
This I think showed in my marks and reflected on our percentage. I was deeply mortified by a 4 in one test for my give and retake and the comment of "hardly showed give and retake, ponies head stayed in same place" yet in my next test I got a 7! I did the exact same thing. Apparently that particular judge is a very harsh marker and I suppose in the dressage world you will always get one of those judges who likes to be that extra bit picky. I was a little annoyed though as I cannot help that Ceaser keeps his head in a lovely outline even if I let go of the reins a little! Surely that shows a well mannered pony? Who knows?
Anyway, I felt both tests had gone reasonably well despite only being out hunting just 24
hours before. I ached in places I didn't know existed and if Ceaser felt even as half as achy as I did then we'd both done very well considering. Our final percentages came to 60.83% in Prelim 14 and 63% in Prelim 13. Admittedly not as good as last time but to be fair it was only our second attempt at affiliated level dressage. Sadly as I mentioned in a post just this week Ceaser is a pony that likes to be kept busy and prelims just aren't busy enough for him. He works wonderful in a Novice or Elementary so I think now I need to aim at moving up.I think what I will work towards now is becoming affiliated so I can do more than prelims and move on to tests he excels in rather than just walks through with his eyes shut! Saying that, it is always brilliant to get judged by different people, if you weren't, competing would become boring.
I am so pleased to be able to say that Ceaser and I have qualified for the British Dressage Petplan Equine Area Festivals as well. To qualify for this you need to gain two percentages over 62% in Prelim or Novice at affiliated level. I cannot believe that my once little green pony who couldn't do much has now qualified for a prestigious event like this one. I am so excited and cannot wait to get booked in.
It is only March and already I have qualified for a championship I had in mind. That is one "to achieve before the end of the year" crossed off my list!
Overall I have had a fantastic weekend and would like to take this opportunity for all at the South Wold Hunt for making me feel very welcome and especially to Kate for looking after both Ceaser and me. The advice of "Sit up and kick on" certainly worked and I had the most enjoyable weekend I have had in a while.
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