Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Looking to Wairarpa SJ and SH Championships

Thats my next show and it's on this weekend coming. Should be a different one because Kim and I are also doing the showhunters as well as the jumpers. Fun times. It has been really frustrating lately because things aren't coming together that well. The weather has been sucky lately and none of the horses are getting enough work. Kate needs so much schooling to build strength and Connie is locking up in front of the fences and running me a bit deep. I managed to have a tiny jump school yesterday over a small crossbar where I just circled her away from the fence whenever she got strong and once she popped over she actually jumped in a pretty nice shape. Mostly because she didn't poke her nose at in front of the fence and run down to it.

Connie is probably still a little unhappy about me changing her bit from a rubber straight bar to a metal eggbutt mullen mouth, but she was chewing through a bit a month and it was costing me a small fortune. She does brace against this one a little more when she is cross but then works very softly and evenly in it when she isn't. So it can stay for now. The bracing in front of the fence would probably happen in either bit anyway. I'm glad she is excited about getting to the fence and doing her job but it bugs me that I haven't had the opportunity to school this issue out and it's the end of October. I want to move her up at some point but she wont move up until her jump improves. She really isn't that fit so she only has 4 starts in the upcoming show. I really wanted to maybe do 1.10m on Kate here but I just haven't had enough saddle time on her. Still they are both lovely girls so i can't really complain.

Oh and the very worst thing is that i have discovered I have gotten really crooked in my riding. Way to much weight in right hand side. I think it's from when I sprained my left ankle last December and i have been "protecting" it ever since but it's getting worse and worse. It's most apparent on Connie because of her flat round back- the saddle slips- but now I know i'm doing it i can feel myself trying to do it on everything I ride. Bad Becky. Still now I know I can fix it and already Connie i much much straighter and picking up the right lead better so thats something I guess. It's just frustrating that It got this bad before I noticed. The curse of no lessons.

2 comments:

  1. Good luck with the show!
    Did you try Connie in one of the leather bits? Though, I guess she would chew through that pretty quickly too. I am interested in them but they are not yet allowed for dressage, so will have to wait for rule changes.

    Don't forget you're not allowed drops/flashes in the show hunter ring! (Gets me everytime. You can have a pelham or standing martingale, not a drop? Weird.)

    Enjoy your weekend in the Wairarapa.

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  2. Yes I have tried it and she hates it. It's too thick for her little mouth.

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