The 12 days of Christmas...2014 memories. The 6th day of Christmas

When thinking of what I could do for this years "12 days of Christmas" theme on my blog, Mark and I came up with several ideas for what you guys as readers would enjoy reading and what would seem dull.

In previous years I've focused on products that I would recommend using on your equine and canine friends, and the posts have always been well received. However, this year it's safe to say my blog has taken a very different approach. Ceaser's fan base has gotten considerably larger in comparison to previous years, and with the new addition, Ziggy, people seem to be coming to me to find out just how that loveable grey is getting on. Add this to the surprise Mark and I have coming up for you on the 13th December and we decided why not do a post every other day where I pick a favourite photo that means something to me and reflect on the memories I gained from it.

On the Sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: "No you're not stupid!"

Firstly, I want to apologise for my lack of posts last week. Unfortunately I was hit with the flu bug and once again ended up in hospital with sinusitis. Anyway, I'm on the mend now thankfully and starting to feel more human again!

May - BD Senior Camp. Ceaser loving the posh life!

This photo signals lots of happy memories for me, but also some memories I'd rather not relive! It was the weekend of the British Dressage Northern Region Senior Camp and Mark and I had looked forward to taking our new lorry away for weeks. We had got a tent and were all ready for a weekend of camping.

The first night I was really apprehensive about meeting everyone and fitting in but everyone was super lovely and Mark ended up getting rather merry on too much wine with a friends Mum. On our way into the tent he fell over the guide-rope and didn't realise at the time he had pulled it out the ground.

That night we had some of the heaviest winds we had experienced all winter and spring, along with awful rain. Needless to say at 3am in the morning I was woken up by an almighty bang with what was the tent almost falling down one side. Mark blamed it on me, saying I hadn't put the tent up that side properly, but I can promise you now - that's the side he fell over! Anyway at 4am he was outside putting the guide ropes back in so we could get some sleep!

No one from camp still lets us forget our tent experience!

I had a fantastic weekend and Ceaser and I both learnt a lot. I went away feeling much more positive than I arrived. The test riding with Andrew Fletcher was brilliant and when he asked me my goals for the summer I felt stupid telling him, until he told me I needed to speak up because they were achievable - especially with ceaser! I don't think I had ever smiled so much as I did that day. We got almost 70% in the Novice test riding and I was thoroughly on cloud 9!

We went home with lots to work on and adamant our plans for 2014 were going to be fulfilled.

So guys, don't forget this week to live a lot, laugh a lot and love a lot. Focus on the good and forget the bad.

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Dressage to music - October

After a recent decision to have a few weeks off from competing in any Novice test I decided to just go out and try to get my qualification finished for the Music Championships.

After trialling just doing one test at the Area Festival we realised this worked much better than doing two tests. By doing just one I could warm up properly for 40 minutes and I wasn't faced with a then grumpy pony who before the second test thought he should be finished.

Warming up went well for the music class. It was the first time in about 3 months I was going to ride to my music, let alone the test - so I was a little apprehensive about things, but a nice positive warm up set us in good steed.

To start I walked for 15 minutes, ensuring to stretch and flex on both reins, to both the left and right. Towards the end of the walk whilst still on a loose rein I asked for some small leg-yield and half pass steps to gently encourage the hind legs to come underneath and start working properly.

After this I picked him up a little and asked for a more forward walk in the contact and then picked up trot. My new instructor - whilst old one is on maternity leave - suggested I do lots of transitions to stop Ceaser getting bored and anticipating what was about to happen, but ensuring with each transitions he stayed in the contact - something we sometimes struggle with. If he didn't then I quickly flex left and right and ask for it all over again.

We had also been working on the dropping of the poll during the canter transitions which is often our biggest mark looser, so whilst warming up I do some work in sitting trot, then rising, then sitting and so on, eventually leading up to the sitting trot and then canter transitions immediately. I don't know but this works and it's really helped with the loss of balance and contact through the trot to canter transition. My instructor thinks Ceaser may get a little 'upset' when I put my leg on to ask for canter when not warmed up enough, but whatever his reason, this new way of working seems to work perfectly and the tantrums when first asking for canter have completely gone.

So, in the trot I do lots of shoulder-in along the long sides, gently encouraging the hind legs to come underneath a little more. When I get the feeling I've got it, change from shoulder-in down the long side, to leg yield across the diagonal and so on, thus giving him some variation in what we're doing and keeping his mind active.

One I've got this we then ask for canter, but more like a medium than working. My new instructor also thinks I don't push on enough in the canter and every canter is more of a collected than anything, so lots of work lately to push open the frame, encouraging his knees to come up. Once I've got this the medium canter looks and feels much better and like he's taking me somewhere.

After this I gave him a five minutes rest and then picked him back up, this time slowing everything down and encouraging him to open his frame a little more and stretch into the contact rather than hollow into it. The plan with only doing one test is to keep him warming up right until it is time to go into my test as when I allow him a few minutes to walk it takes another few minutes to pick him back up.

The test started well, however I wasn't given chance to put my hand up properly for my music to start, so the beginning was a little rushed, but we managed to catch up and slow down again. Everything seemed to go well and I was pleased with the effort compared to the few previous tests we've done. Ceaser really seems to perk up when it comes to the music classes and both of us appear to enjoy them far more than anything else.

After watching the last couple of tests and with 6 in it, I expected to be pulled in roughly 3rd - the middle of the field, however I was gobsmacked to find out we had won the restricted section with just shy of 67%! I was absolutely thrilled to bits with the comments about the test we produced and especially pleased with getting 7's for all transitions - something we had spent a lot of focus on in the previous lesson with my instructor. Had it not been for the judge not really liking our music then it would have been a 70+ test, but sadly you can't please them all and those who know me and the reason my music is what it is, will know there's no chance of me changing it anytime soon.

Not so long ago things were getting difficult with Ceaser and he was becoming more and more reluctant to go forwards. After extensive chats with my vets and back lady we couldn't find anything on the outside wrong and we weren't overly worried about anything on the inside being wrong. So it was suggested I spend more time hacking and jumping to see if he was simply bored, as he would behave when we went elsewhere for a lesson, but not at home. Now his routine has completely changed; we hack at least twice a week, jump twice a week and school as and when I get time. I have a lesson elsewhere once a week, so if that's our only schooling session then so be it. I've finally got my happy-go-lucky pony back that is enjoying work much more. But more on that another time, just please make sure you vary your ponies work - it's so important to keep their mind stimulated and stops them getting bored and stuffy, just like Ceaser was beginning to.

 To conclude, I couldn't have been more pleased. One test and one red rosette with a decent score to accompany it. Overall a fabulous day out which left beaming!

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