Dodson and Horrell Winter Mash - what did the expert think?

A few weeks back I was contacted by leading equine feed manufacturers, Dodson & Horrell about testing and reviewing their latest innovative product; Winter Health Mash.

The aim of the mash is to provide a warming herbal feed that supports the immune system and digestive function over the winter months.

Having owned horses for years now, I'm no stranger to the onset of winter and longer periods of time spent in stables, colder weather and more often leads to our four-legged friends loosing their appetite.  Additionally, with two veterans I'm always on the look out for a feed that can help support their immune system during a challenging time such as winter.

With added carrots, peas and herbs this brand new winter mash is ideal to get even the fussiest of horses to eat as well as an ideal way to disguise supplements and medicines if required. A source of oat and molasses free calories with 7.5% oil content, this palatable feed will also keep your horses coat shining throughout those dull winter months.

Additionally, with added effective levels of echinacea to support the immune system, this mash is ideal for ensuring your horse stays as healthy as possible during winter months when there is no goodness in the grass and more time is spent indoors.

What did the experts think?

With Ceaser getting well into his veteran years now, I'm more than fussy about what I feed him and ensuring he gets all the goodness out of his feed, where possible. 

Although we're not over the worst of the winter months, it's already been a long one with him getting recurring uveitis which caused a horrible eye ulcer that we struggled to get rid of. Unfortunately this resulted in several weeks of bute and days after days stabled, with limited turnout. 

Initially I was concerned he would loose condition from loss of appetite and at his age its something I didn't want to happen. Usually he's fed half a scoop of balancer and that does him, but with all the added stress on him, I was glad when Dodson and Horrell asked me to test their Winter Mash. 

Usually Ceaser is ridden most days and for roughly half an hour per day, but with his eye severely ulcered and the sunlight making it flare up, I was only able to ride as and when for a few weeks - so in the same breath, weight gain bothered me and I was conscious of getting his feed routine during this time right for him.

For me, I found the Winter Mash encouraged and enticed Ceaser to eat both his breakfast and dinner time meals. The fresh, herb aroma made it smell that good, I could have eaten it myself! Additionally, I liked that when mixed with his balancer, it made both a nice looking and smelling feed rather than mush which you often find with feeds you need to add water to. 

My primary concern was leaving our yard staff to make the feed. I'm always conscious with a feed that needs water adding to it, that there's enough water been added or it has been left to soak for long enough. Thankfully the Winter Mash needs only 10 minutes to soak, so by the time they had made the rest of the yards feeds it was good to go! 

Additionally, on the real cold and dark winter nights, when I felt he needed a 'winter warmer', I was confident that the Winter Mash just did that! All I did was add warm water instead of cold and it warmed him up. Other horse owners will know the satisfaction in being able to feed your horse something warm on cold December nights. 

During the initial box rest, all of us on the yard noticed Ceaser was slightly grumpy and to ride he felt lethargic and had barely any energy. None of us know the effects of painkillers such as Bute and antibiotics can have on the insides, so I felt comfortable in knowing I was adding something to his feed that was full of an immune system booster. 

Before long we all started to notice he was considerably brighter and to ride he felt fresher and seemed to have his mojo back after just a few weeks of being on the feed. Additionally I noticed his coat began to get its shine back - which was just as good as seeing the spring in his step return!

Since starting the trial with Ceaser and noticing the difference, I've put my other veteran on it and can already see a considerable difference after just a couple of weeks. Even better, a couple of our liveries have asked what I'm feeding and are keen to give it a go as well.

I cannot thank Dodson and Horrell enough for allowing me to trial the Winter Mash - it's certainly proved to be one of the most valuable feeds I've fed by far!

For more information on the Winter Health Mash, please visit the Dodson and Horrell website on: www.dodsonandhorrell.com or alternatively speak to one of the friendly and experienced nutritional advisors through the Nutritional Helpline - 0845 345 2627

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Pet Plan Area Festival - Vale View

After taking a break from competing and lessons for 3 months I found myself really looking forward to getting back out between the white boards in the week leading up to the Area Festival. I had a nice time of 1:55pm, which meant a not too early start despite a 2 hour ish drive to the venue.

I had been really unlucky in a few days away with work in London fell in the days leading up the competition, but thankfully my instructor was around to school Ceaser one of the days for me and all I could do after that was hope for the best.

The journey to Vale View was quite a pleasant one, it wasn't as far as I initially thought it was and thankfully the new road from Newark to Leicester made it quite straight forward - even in our little old lorry.

We arrived with just over an hour to spare, so I decided to leave Ceaser on the box and head over to the arenas to find out exactly where I was going and watch a few tests. Nothing like last minute preparation! For the first time in what seemed like a year, I was genuinely looking forward to competing. I think the break has done us both the world of good and we've enjoyed a summer of hacking, bolting up and down stubble fields and generally enjoying ourselves rather than score chasing. It's been different, but in a nice way.

Finally it was time to get Ceaser off the box, stick the massage pad on for 20 minutes whilst I got ready and then tack him up. I'd gone through a new warm up routine with my instructor in the lesson I'd had with her the previous week, so I wanted at least half an hour on him to warm up and plan what I was going to do.

I started by warming him up long and low. It's quite interesting really to watch everyones faces as we enter a warm up ring full of huge, big moving dressage horses and there I rock up with my coloured cob, that doesn't look exceptional when being ridden long and low. I got a few questionable head turns - especially given that Ceaser had dragged us nearly half way across the car park before we'd tacked him up (but that's another story!).

I worked on suppling him up, doing lots of transitions and remembering to flex left, right and then ask for a transition; especially in the step up to canter. It works in keeping him through and round as we still have that tendency to hollow. He felt fantastic and was doing everything I asked, when I asked. Surprisingly we only had one interesting moment in the canter when a lorry came speeding down the road near the warm up arena and Ceaser bolted to the other end. Will he ever act 21?

Apart from that he felt on form and after a quick 5 minute breather it was time to pick him up, drop the whip and ask for more. Having not been ridden without a whip for a good 3 months, I half expected him to back right off my leg and produce issues - but he didn't. Like a poppet he popped into canter when I asked, did some lovely shoulder fore and leg yield and felt really light in my hands.

Quick tack check and it was our turn to go in - eeek! Quick panic of could I remember my test? Yes I could; it was now or never!

The three judges were sat on tables at the end of the arena and Vale View had nicely dressed up the edge with flowers and draping curtains. It looked fantastic but was catching a few horses out. I knew I needed to get him around the arena in the trot round and I'd be fine. Two of the judges we knew and one I didn't. One of them always marks us rather harshly so I went in with the expectation to just not come last. With 40 in the class I decided to aim for about 30th, which I thought was fair given how long we hadn't ventured out for!

Ceaser produced a lovely, foot perfect test. I honestly couldn't fault him. On the left canter transitions he slightly backed off my leg, but that's all I can say! Apart from that he was light in my hands, obedient and listened to my every leg movement and body shift. I kept having a sneaky peek in the mirrors during the test and from what I could see it looked nice - I had to just hope the judge thought so too!

All too soon we were trotting down the centreline and it was out of my hands now. I was proud of Ceaser no matter what the outcome - I honestly couldn't have asked for more from him. I popped him back on the box and went to check my score!

Roughly 15 people had been, and there were 35 more to go after me, so I didn't hold much hope, however I really could not believe my eyes when I saw our score of 66.99% WHAT?! Surely I'd read the wrong mark, or they'd got mine wrong? Surely? I couldn't believe it! That's our highest Novice score for a good 12 months, and one of the judges had us on 72%, with another putting us at 70%! Wow! With a quick tally up, I noticed that put us into 4th place - so well within a top 10 placing and into the ridden prize giving!!

Throughout the next few hours I watched the scoreboard like a hawk. Slowly we were put into 7th place and there we stayed for such a long time! It was such a nail biting and tense experience watching the scores go up and anticipating whether we'd be knocked out of the top 10. I wanted this more than anything and to be in the ridden prize given would be an amazing experience!

Finally there were 5 more people to go and that's when it got tense. This was it, I could either stay in the top 10 or all 5 of them could produce lovely tests and knock me out, leaving me in 11th!

After what seemed like an eternity and with several people gathered around the score board, the final 5 scores were put up, with the last rider going in winning the class with an amazing 70% test! I could not believe it, this left us in joint 8th place, a top 10 placing and a chance to ride in the mounted prize going!

We ran back to the lorry and quickly got both me and Ceaser ready for the prize giving. He behaved impeccably in there and produced the most amazing trot, with his ears forward the whole time - like he knew what he'd just done for me. He always feels like he's proud of himself when he's in prize givings - it's like he just knows.

I was emotional, over the moon, proud of Ceaser; everything! Honestly, what would I do without my once in a lifetime pony that never fails to exceed my expectations of him! I'd gone expecting to be placed about 30th, and we'd had the opportunity to ride in the mounted giving. With everything that's been going on over the last few weeks and months, I genuinely think my boy knew he had to pull out all the stops and try his heart out he definitely did. There will never be another pony like him - he really is my one in a million and what a come back from our short break!!

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Senior Inter-Regionals 2015 post mortem

Being told Ceaser and I had been chosen to represent the Northern Region at the Senior Inter-Regionals seems like a lifetime ago now. We were so very lucky to be picked to be on the team and the memories we made are ones that I'll cherish forever.

As soon as we received a phone call from Sarah, our regions Development Officer telling us we had been accepted onto the Novice Team we went into full on practice mode and in all honesty, I don't think I've slept this last month as I put all my time into preparing and getting ready. 

Ceaser has been working exceptionally well and the difference in his trot and canter work is different beyond words. The feeling I'm getting when I'm on him is something I've never felt before and I'm enjoying the whole ride. I would definitely say he's working far more uphill than he's ever worked which is fantastic. My instructor is also thrilled with his suppleness and how well he feels in the lateral work. 

The final run up to the competition was a little manic and wasn't helped by the fact that no sooner did I arrive home from the Inter-Regionals, I'd be jetting off to South-Africa for 2 weeks.

My good friend and Ceaser's massage lady, Amy accompanied us on the trek to Keysoe in Bedfordshire and kindly drove the lorry for me. As soon as we arrived we made ourselves at home in our tents for the weekend (Amy's was so small, I'd barely fit my suitcase in) and then took Ceaser exploring down the local bridle paths which was lovely.

The Friday you arrive at these competitions is always manic. Once the ponies are settled in it's time to head to the camp base and meet your fellow team mates. It was lovely to meet up with many that I had met the previous year and have a much-needed catch up accompanied by some wine and Arches. I was riding twice the next day; once in the Novice warm up test and once in the team test. My instructor had told me exactly what I needed to do to nail it and I was determined to ride three nice tests without worrying about the placings.

Ceaser warmed up fantastic for the warm up test. We were careful not to over work him in order to leave some energy for the afternoon test which mattered the most. I concentrated on getting him supple and engaging the hind end, then asking him to vary the speed within the paces, ensuring I didn't rush coming into the medium.

As we entered the ring and trotted up to C, Ceaser caught sight of the banner right under the judges box, spun round and tried to bolt. It was catching lots of horses out and we weren't the only ones that'd had issues trotting in. Reiterating my leg, I squeezed him on, ensuring his neck bend was slightly to the left so he could concentrate on me rather than what the judges were doing and their scary banner. Thankfully normality resumed and he quietened down after this, albeit with a little tension up at that end still, but nothing too noticeable.

To me he produced a nice test given how long I'd warmed up for and not focused on overtiring him and the slight tension we had in the top corner showed, so we finished on a respectable 9th - which put us in the middle of the class.

We had a few hours to kill, so Amy and I took the time to get a drink and some lunch whilst Ceaser had a well-earned rest before it was time for the test that mattered.

When it was time to get back on Amy told me to focus on still slowing him down and keeping him supple, ensuring I did lots of transitions, change of speed in the paces and flexing on both reins, but being careful not to coil the base of his neck in so he becomes tight.

He warmed up the best he's ever warmed up and produced some fantastic medium trots that left both Amy and I speechless. The plan had been to recreate that in the test but unfortunately it just wasn't our day and a break in the medium trot left us with some tough marks to digest. Overall we didn't have a good day on paper, but tomorrow was another day and it was finally hitting home I really needed to stop pushing him faster and faster.

By the time Sunday morning came around I had ridden Saturdays test over and over again in my head. I know what I needed to do and I also knew what I needed to not do. A couple of friends came to help me warm up and help me focus on slowing right down, tapping the hind to engage him and then asking for him to go forward. He felt much more free and relaxed and was giving me a much better ride than the previous day which left me riding down that centreline feeling much more positive.

The test was a hundred times better, we didn't break in the medium trots and the counter-canter felt balanced and together. Personally I think he really held it together and produced some much better work. I ensured I rode an accurate test as that's where we find I'm able to pick up the marks that he looses for his mediums. Finally we were halting at X and we'd managed to ride a good enough test to drag us up from lying in second to last place overnight, to finishing in the middle of the class,

I was really thrilled with how hard Ceaser tried for me, we couldn't have done any more than we did and to move up that many placings after our disastrous start to the weekend was great. Overall we had an absolute ball throughout the whole weekend and it was so good to catch up with all our friends and have a good gossip. For the majority of us it's not about where we're placed, but the memories we create throughout the entire weekend and the fun we have doing it. One thing is for sure, I always feel on top of the world when I go home, wherever we've been placed because Ceaser always tries his hardest and proves each time he has the heart of a lion.

After the weekend was over I spent the following week just keeping him ticking over before dropping him at my instructors for 2 weeks whilst I went away on holiday. Now i'm back we're competing this weekend in the training section of a novice class as I want to be careful not to gain too many points.

Huge thank you to Amy for accompanying us and being such great company. You can all check out her page out here!

Have a lovely week everyone!

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Sian and Ceaser's road to.....

Last year I was so keen to take Ceaser out competing at every opportunity, I wanted to relish the high scores, the red rosettes and quite frankly the endless hours of lost sleep. However, something made me do a complete 360 a few weeks ago and I realised it's not about how many likes you have on a Facebook post where you tell the world you "won your class", nor is it about how many red rosettes you have pinned to your wall. It's about enjoying those few minutes of freedom where you put your all into performing movements to the best of your ability, and showcasing your hard work that no one else sees behind closed gates.

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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Winter Regionals - Novice Freestyle to Music

I have had such a great start to the year with Ceaser. Things really seemed to be going my way and I was looking forward to competing at the winter regionals and showcasing all of my hard work throughout winter. I apologise for how long it's taken me to get this out, things have been manic both at home, work and in general. When you think you've got half an hour to get a blog done you find actually you've got so much more to say and half an hour is no where near enough time.

Some might say I was absolutely mad to change my music the week before I was due to compete and others might call me crazy for not taking him for a test-run at Bishop Burton before going to such an atmospheric competition. For those who haven't ever been to a BD regionals; it's big, they 'dress' the arena with lots of spooky atire and the venues are always huge, albeit it's always a fantastic show! 

In the weeks leading up to the competition my instructor and I focused a lot on keeping Ceaser supple, through and using that hind end more to gain more marks. In my last lesson before regionals we worked on riding an accurate test, counter canter and getting him much more off my aids. She told me to stop letting my fear of warming up with bigger and (not necessarily) better horses. We all had a right to be in that warm up arena and were entitled to warm up the same. A encouraging text the night before worked a treat and I feel I warmed up the best I ever have. 

It helped that the arenas at Bishop Burton are HUGE, very spacious and simply lovely. But for the first time in my life, having now seen the results when I slow things down a lot, I kept cool and calm. Inside I wasn't neither, but on the outside I think I look generally okay. Ceaser felt great, infact he couldn't have felt better. He was lovely and forward and felt interested and up for what he was about to do. It was to be our first competition of the season and in roughly 3/4 months so I was rather excited too. Putting us together, we just seemed to be having one of those days where we clicked and were definitely on the same page. 

To warm up I focused on keeping a plan in my head. Work on lots of transitions, keeping steady and asking for flexion a both left and right on both reins. I wanted to ensure I rode a shoulder-fore slightly to keep that hind end engaged but not enough that the judge would see, but more for me. With the canter I made sure I pushed it more forward than what I usually do, allowing him to have more ground cover. 

Soon enough Mark had gone to take his position in the indoor arena and my name was being called. This was it, come on CP! 

Entering the big indoor arena I realised just how many people were watching. Quite honestly? I did a rather large gulp but tried to focus on Ceaser and enjoying our moment of glory in the ring. He felt so keen I wanted to relish and enjoy every second of the forwardness I was getting and the spring he seemed to have in his step. 

He had a little look at the judges table and the audience but nothing much. I had heard from various friends the big indoor audience and vibes were spooking a lot of horses and separating the class quite a lot. Honestly? I hadn't worried about that, Ceaser is never usually one for getting distracted and has always focussed on his job.

I tried to remain slow, but ensuring that I was still engaging the hind end so keeping the impulsion, but without the speed we usually get. He felt great entering the arena going up the centreline, so much so that I actually remembered to breathe for once and had a huge grin on my face. My instructor had installed into me that I needed to remember to riding an accurate test as that's where I could pick up any points where we might not be 100% in something.

Everything was going great, it felt like I had Ceaser right where I want him and couldn't have asked for more and then it all went wrong. Well, no, not wrong, but then he spotted the audience. I was coming across the diagonal and at H I had to walk. As we then turned along the short side Ceaser had chance to cast his eyes up and what did he see...? A rather large audience! That was it, I really struggled to get his attention back and because it was in the walk there was nothing I could do. Thankfully I then turn two half 10 metre circles to change the rein so managed to get him back a little but then I ask for a free walk across the diagonal to F and then canter. It was in the free walk that he just lost all concentration completely and almost tripped up through turning his neck to stare at the audience. I felt like he was going to freeze but in fact it did the polar opposite and suddenly he grew 5hands and wanted to get a move on. We had a nice walk to canter transition but it wasn't as connected as it had been prior to the walk, so unfortunately we then got several comments about being tense.

There was nothing I could do but smile and in all honesty the grin on my face showed I was having a fantastic time and enjoying this new and forward Ceaser that seemed to be loving what he was doing! We finished to a rather large round of applause and I couldn't have been any more happy or pleased with his efforts. To say we hadn't been out competing in a good few months I think he handled the situation well and in hindsight maybe I should have done what everyone else seemed to be doing like going for test runs etc, but I didn't think I needed to.

The plan now is go out and try to get some decent scores at novice that I'll be able to put forward for the senior inter-regionals team selections. I have everything crossed for getting on to the team again and then I'm off to South-Africa for a much needed holiday.

Thank you everyone for reading and to all those who supported me throughout the run up to Regionals and throughout the weekend. Whilst it wasn't meant to be for us that weekend, I still had a fantastic experience and came home with a happy and healthy pony, which is all that matters at the end of it all.
 

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All About That Pace - Ceaser's debut Song!

The Hundleby Equestrian Centre Pony Clubbers were all singing a song on their annual presentation evening, so Mark and I decided to do something too.....and this song was born! 

It's taken weeks, if not months of planning, organising, film shooting, song writing; everything! I was a little apprehensive of whether we would be able to pull it off, but finally - it's done and we aired it last night to the children in a surprise presentation!

In case you're wondering, Ceaser is a 14.2h Dressage pony, and we're always told if he was just a hand bigger he'd be perfect. In our eyes he is perfect and we don't let his size cause any problems when dressaging! He can still do all the required moves for a medium test!

However, it was intended as no more as a bit of Christmas fun. 

Special thanks go to:

- Guy Garrett - vocals and Music
-Mark Ferguson - Video Editing
- Sian 

Of course, not forgetting the gorgeous Ceaser Pony, who this song describes down to a tee! 

So guys, thank you for watching and go ahead and share....BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT'S ALL ABOUT THAT PACE! 

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Lesson with Ceaser and Ziggy 22/11

It absolutely threw it down for my lesson on Sunday. I don't just mean it rained a little....it rained buckets. Then it rained some more. I don't think I have ever been so chilled to the bone! But, commitment isn't shown by just riding in the fair weather. I'm in this for the long haul and I believe that if you want to succeed you have to take whatever life throws at you. (Including soggy underwear from sitting on a saddle that resembles a puddle!)

Anyway, moving on swiftly from the topic of my underwear.... 

I was looking forward to this lesson. We were beginning to actually get somewhere with Ceaser and I had seen a huge improvement in Ziggy from the previous week, so upon waking up I had a spring in my step. Which probably also had something to do with getting 12 hours sleep the night before, but you never know! 

As usual we started with Ceaser. The plan was to work on walk to canter transitions this week now that we had started to get some clean trot to canter transitions that we're getting us 7.5's in our tests (BOOM!). 

To start with we worked on some nice long and low steps to help warm him up, whilst gradually picking him up and asking him to bend more through. The left rein is always a particular struggle for Ceaser so we tried something different this week. We worked him on a circle at B and slowly asked him to work into the contact, by lifting my inside rein for a few steps and then dropping back down, then lifting, then dropping back down. It really seemed to work much better than instantly asking for the bend, and in asking in stages we didn't have any tantrums from him to show that he was struggling - so that's good, i'm going to keep using this when working at home and warming up at competitions. 

For the trot work we asked for some shoulder fore to begin with. This is really good to help the suppleness of a young or stiff horse, and seems to work well for Ceaser when warming up. Since adding this into my warm up plan I've noticed a huge difference in him when it comes to the later work. 

Anyway, as before we flip between riding shoulder-fore and shoulder-in. We'll ride shoulder-fore along the short side and shoulder-in down the short side. Not only does this help to get everything supple with Ceaser, but I really feel it helps get the connection and him listening to my aids. Especially when we then add a bit of change and go across the short diagonal, then across the next short diagonal with some leg-yield. Sometimes when I come out I find him to be quite stuffy and resistant to my aids, so this exercise wakes him up and gets him thinking whilst connecting the hind legs to the front so to speak! 

We've been working a lot on slowing the trot down, but opening and speeding up the canter. I'm not sure if you remember me saying but my instructor described our canter in my first lesson as always collected. We've been working on opening this up, moving forward and creating more lift from the front to create that impulsion and uphill look. 

In all honesty the canter has felt much better since I've allowed Ceaser to go forward more. To help get some clean transitions we've found that if I just open my inside hand and rein slightly then he canters much easier and without dropping the poll, which we were getting a lot previously. Once cantering my instructor told me to move the canter forward immediately, and change between the counter and correct bend, just to get him moving around a little. Once we did that we added some counter-canter and then came across the diagonal again onto the correct lead, and then trotted, straight away focusing on getting the same rhythm in the trot we had previous to cantering. 

Once we had warmed up it was time to start and ask for the harder work; the walk to canters. My instructor told me to focus on 10metre circles off the track and then upon hitting the track ask for a canter immediately. The first time not a lot happened in the first three strides, but we still had the forwardness which was good and he did pick up canter afterwards. She noticed I tend to flop into the canter and 'give everything away', so told me to sit up more, help Ceaser's balance with my rein, leg and seat and try again. This time he popped into canter immediately like a doll and did some fantastic transitions. I liked that because she didn't know which is our worst rein for walk to canter transitions she just picked a rein and told me to try it. It just so happens it was my worst rein which I struggle with, but it just goes to show that actually when I put my mind to it, it can happen on both reins despite me thinking it can't.

After doing this on both reins we both felt we had possibly the strongest trot we'd had in all the few weeks I had been having lessons there, so decided to be brave and ask for some medium trot work. Again, after watching some videos of my previous tests, my instructor thinks I have a tendency to get into the medium work, throw the reins at Ceaser and expect him to do some fantastic medium strides - which as we all know isn't going to happen. So to begin with we started with my shortening my reins and creating the feeling I had him between my legs, hands and seat perfectly. Afterwards we gently asked for a few medium strides, then collected him back and then along the long side asked for more. At first I did what I always seem to do and threw the reins at him whilst expecting him to do all the work. Immediately I realised where I had been going wrong all this time now it was explained and focused on keeping him balanced whilst asking for the medium trot down the long side.

Honestly, I think my face said it all at that moment - I couldn't believe what I was feeling. We had power!!! At last! I'll upload the photo Mark took during the trot work, but it doesn't show what we felt, nor what we had. Fingers crossed I can keep that feeling in my test on Friday. So, that was it for Ceaser - he had been a complete star as usual!

*

Next up was Ziggy, that had been an angel all week, up until the previous night when I decided to ride with some kids from the yard and once again we had a spooky pony.

We started by changing his bit into a Neue Schule loose ring snaffle to see if he relaxed more into the contact and stopped the constant chomping. Without jinxing it, he seems to be going much better for now which is good.

At the moment I'm getting really hung up on getting Ziggy into a constant contact and because he can be such a star, it's hard to remember he's only 4 at the end of the day. This week we focused on keeping my hands wide to offer a foundation for the contact and to ensure I had him at the end of my rein all the time, but without pulling him in the mouth. It's so different to how we're now expecting Ceaser to work, so to come off one pony where you're trying to do the complete polar opposite and then get on one you need to its quite confusing.

My instructor told me to focus a lot on my position and keeping ziggy moving forward, forgetting the contact and how pretty everything looked, as well as his spooking - if there was any!

From the beginning he was much easier as he had been the previous week and felt a lot more willing, with much less spooks. Whilst before I've been making an issue of spooks, my instructor wanted me to just ride forward and positive - even if we had spooks. It's really difficult for me not to get hung up on the spooks as I feel like we're never getting over the monsters outside the arena and so on, but actually when I make less fuss of a spook, he doesn't bother again - so maybe it doesn't have something to do with trying it on? Who knows.

It is safe to say I was considerably exhausted after both lessons but am really looking forward to putting all we worked on into practice! I'm enjoying varying Ziggy's work to ensure he doesn't become stuffy, but it's scary just how big he can jump!

 

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Lesson on both boys

I want to start this post by saying I hope you all enjoyed the Ziggy post. It's so much easier having everything out in the open about him as I'm sure it'll make him easier to understand when it comes to me blogging about our time together. 

As the days and weeks go on I find myself falling more and more in love with him and hoping he takes as far as Ceaser has and is continuing to. The aim has always been and still is medium level with Ceaser. Whether we get there is a different matter but Andrew Fletcher told me last year at camp to follow my dreams because there's no reason Ceaser can't make me achieve them - so I'm forever holding hope that by the end of 2015 we would have completed a medium. Anyway, let's see! For now we're in the here and now and at the moment we're having a bloody good journey. 

I'll start with Ceasers lesson as you can probably guess this went the best. I haven't got round to updating my blog and writing about the Arena UK Area Festival yet so you'll have to bear with me. Anyway - this was my first lesson since the Area Festival. We'd done a nice positive test with some obvious improvements and one judge absolutely loved us - giving us 7.0's and even some 7.5's for most things. We even got a 7.5 for the canter transitions which has never happened so I was pleased with that! 

My instructor began as she always seems to; by watching my video from competing and reading my test sheet. Some things she agreed with, some she said "what do they expect from a novice level test", but we know by now that some judges love us and some hate us - it's all taken on the chin. 

She felt we Still needed to work on slowing down. It was coming, we were definitely slower, but still not enough. And in becoming slower we didn't want him to get the coiled spring neck action again and become overbent which we had seen glimpses of in the Area Festival test. So, we spent a lot Of focus on asking him to slow but keeping that frame nice and stretched, whilst using those pesky hind legs a little more! He may be 19, but there's no reason to say his hinds can't work like a 9 year olds - they just take some warming up! 

So, after warming up it was time to drop my stirrups. It was something I had thought about and my instructor had mentioned. We needed to stop my legs riding up, but because I'm "all leg", it's difficult - so we tried dropping just one hole and wow what a difference it made! It no longer felt like that I couldn't sit up and use the tummy muscles!! And my leg finally were able to wrap around him so I could use my lower leg more effectively! It's amazing the difference a slight change can make! 

Anyway, once we had done that we focused a lot on getting the left bend as its Ceasers most difficult rein. My instructor wanted to eventually move up to getting a smooth transition into canter and a new way of doing so, without the tantrum and reluctance to go forward. So for a while we spent a lot of focus on doing more shoulder fore work and shoulder in down the long sides, then changing the rein and visa versa. I love this exercise as it really helps me to get Ceaser working from behind and those hind legs stepping under him more. 

Once we had done that we moved onto a circle at E and focused on slowing the pace and then lengthening. My instructor wanted me to slow the pace to almost a walk, but keep it a trot - so with lots of core muscle and a slight flick from the whip behind my leg, then gently push on to eventually a working trot again. At first I rushed the trot from slow to working, but what she wanted was me to slow, a few slow paces whilst still engaging those hinds and then one step at a time lengthen the stride and pace back out. It took us two attempts but we soon got it and I found it a really useful tool to slow around corners and on short sides, then lengthen on long sides. 

After this it was back on the circle to do the same, but this time whilst sitting trot, gently encourage a more left bend and then ask for canter. And Pop....he'd cantered obedianetly without the bucking! I couldn't believe it....with such minimal changes! Following this we did the same on the other rein and eventually came to cantering large. 

The canter felt bigger, more connected and in the mirrors looked such a different cAnter to what I'm used to from him! My instructor said it was definitely the best work she had seen from Ceaser since meeting him and I think the pictures prove this!

Thrilled to bits with this weeks lesson on him and am now looking forward to next weeks, and then competing the Friday after! 

Now...Ziggy.

Where do I start? Ziggy hadn't been ridden for 5 days prior to my lesson; because he was so difficult the Sunday before I had spent the week lunging him getting him to understand poles and blocks aren't scary! Don't ask.... I'll explain!

The Sunday before, I had just got back from competing Ceaser and the dark night was coming in. I knew I needed to ride Ziggy and quickly got him in from the field and set about tacking him up. He was ridiculously jumpy, which was annoying because I thought we were over this. He jumped at someone walking behind him and he had a tantrum about me picking his feet up. Maybe this should have been my sign not to ride? 

Anyway, I got on and he was difficult from the moment my bum touched the saddle. He was spooky, and every slightest noise around him made him fly 10 feet in the air. A livery came into the arena to ride with me and when her mum started to move jump blocks and poles around he was flinching at every movement - I honestly thought we were over this. I didn't want them to stop as he's got to get used to it, but after 15 minutes of flying backwards and forwards I realised we weren't getting anywhere and so got off and took him in. Que... A week of lunging with blocks and poles scattered in the arena!! 

Anyway, back to my lesson. I got on and at the beginning it was going well. He was responsive, coming down onto the bit nicely at times and seemed much less spooky than the previous time we had taken him there. Until....

Mark was sat at the gate and the instructor’s dog joined him. Ziggy took this opportunity to develop a sudden phobia of dogs and shot sideways.....into the plastic mounting block which had been sat there all along!! So basically he freaked himself out twice and ran off...twice!

I just gave my instructor 'the look', that this is what I'd had to deal with all week, so she told me to hop off, she was getting on!

I was quite excited at the prospect of someone else getting on. He had only had some of the kids at the yard sit on him and apart from that, me! He'd never had someone better on and someone that was actually good. 

My instructor said that he just seemed to be a bit green and not really sure of what he's doing. The basics are there and as soon as he's going forward he pops into the outline nicely by himself - so the main work is there, we now just need to develop it. When she asked for canter he popped in two flying changes which she said was good as it shows he has basic understanding of more, and we can utilise that when it comes to asking for the more difficult dressage moves.

She had him going lovely. He looked much better than what I had ever seen him go which was reassuring. And when he tried to back off she didn't make a fuss but simply nudged him on - which she told me to do now if he spooks. 

I think it's partly him having found his feet and testing me because he was fabulous for her, and although green showed more than he's ever done. I was so proud of him! 

She also said I couldn't expect him to be perfect after having a few days off and I need to be more consistent in his work. So slapped wrist for me and him....and this week were both going to try harder!

As we were finishing off my instructor’s saddler arrived and asked who Ziggy was and his history. She said he looked much bigger than what he actually was and she liked him. She also felt the saddle I have him in, which is Ceasers dressage saddle, might be restricting his shoulder a little. So, it looks like I'm finally getting a new saddle! 

Anyway that's all from me now - I've got another lesson on Sunday and so far *touch wood* Ziggy is behaving this week! 

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