September/October Goals and autumnal musings

[greenholmeshandy]

As no one else has started this one in the series I thought I would oblige! I have been quiet on here following a blinding revelation...I don't enjoy doing competitive dressage and have no idea what I was doing it at all! This might seem negative but its not, its the most positive line of thought I have had in ages!

I attended a Fell Pony training camp in the heartland of Fell Ponies, Cumbria in July. We did trec schooling, general schooling (for dressage and shows) and jumping. I have not done trec for two years with Shandy Pony. Her little ears when she saw the trec obstacles set out - these are like western trail obstacles, so there was an s bend, narrow corridor, rein back and a mock ditch. She did the S bend herself I just sat there, it was the first thing over 4 years ago now that she ever did right with me and my goodness was she happy to do it again. I don't jump, Shandy hasn't been trained to jump, I told the instructor at the start when asked that my goals were to stay on top and not die! By the end of day 1 we were jumping a course of jumps and had established walk to left canter. We also had a great time in the schooling sessions.

The last day had a choice of clear round jumping or dressage comp. As soon as I done my dressage gear I had the familiar feeling of being sick and shaking and made a right mess of the test, all through nerves. It brought it home to me that much as a I love schooling the dressage arena isn't really for me.

So we are reverting back to trec and warmed up with a nice flat pleasure ride over 11 kilometres as practice and I was very pleased with Shandy's behaviour. Courtesy of all the schooling she actually listens to me now, though I did have to dismount and lead her when we got though a very scary farm yard with lots of flapping mesh only to meet a hidden stealth pig - disclosed when it went "oink', other than than much better than my last "pleasure ride' five years ago when Shandy was so stressed she knocked my husband over at the start.

I did my first trec in two years last weekend. This comprised of a 11 km orienteering route, with trec you have to go into a map room, copy the route onto your map without using tracing paper - all by eye. Then you orienteer around it and there are various checkpoints along the way but you don't know where they are so cannot cheat and take short cuts. it was a lovely area all rolling hills and I managed to navigate round with only a few minor bloopers. unfortunately I was very ill that night with what has turned out to be the onset of a virus and almost packed up and went home.

I am glad I didnt as the second day was control of the paces - not great as I was somewhat spaced out, then the trec version of a cross country course which was 16 obstacles laid out along about 2 km Course with 11 minutes to get round. By now I felt really ill but Shandy was a little star, she pricked her ears up and cantered from obstacle to obstacle keeping an eye out for marker flags and judges, all I had to do was tell her what to do at each obstacle.
The obstacles included a path crossing (in and out fence), large log higher than Shandy's knees which we cantered up to at speed, then slowed to a trot and then Shandy at a walk daintly stepped over it (!), narrow corridor, down into a stream and jump out, big crossing, rein back and various lead obstacles. I managed to miss one out so was eliminated from this phase but the beauty of trec is you can opt out of obstacles, get eliminated from a phase but still complete as placings are all based on total points accumulated in each phase.

I was very proud of my pony as she really concentrated on doing her job and helping me out and I found orienteering over strange country much less stressful than navigating a dressage arena! I will still be doing dressage schooling as it was noticeable to me and others that we are much more efficient now at trec obstacles as I can shorten her paces, control her shoulders etc.

Plan is to do winter indoor trecs (obstacle and control of paces), maybe some mini clear round jumping and some horse agility (dog agility but with a horse!).

[greenholmeshandy]

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[greenholmeshandy]

Just realised that there is an existing thread so added to that one - please ignore this one!

[Chisamba]

i was just going to tell you that cause i enjoy your posts