Whilst I generally like to keep my *ponies in good condition I feel you cannot keep a horse at its peak 24/7. They always need a spell mentally and physically at the end of the season I tend to give them a holiday of about 4 weeks. Mainly as it for the past few years as coincided with Uni/Post grad exams.
With some luck I may have finished studies, so hopefully we can make use of the winter break -. I don’t know what it is but we seem to be slightly cursed with something fairly bad happening to one whilst on their break. Anyway so holidays now = winter…end of season this year, they can stay in light work but trail ride and beach.
Work started Mid Dec – I like to use these off season periods to train something new, that may cause a few issues if I was to teach when we are showing every weekend. Last year E learnt flying changes, picked them up rather quickly. Though I should have started a little earlier as we were still a bit keen to show them at every opportunity. Like Here. Nice one E…should have smiled and gone with it…but I’d prefer to contain the self-expression.
Fast forward nearly a year and tempi changes are happening. E is one of those “I want to dance” types and finds them fairly easy, being on board I have to work on sitting up, counting correctly (naturally I get a bit hung up of this) and not interfering. I appreciate dearly of both J & E that I can teach them something, then they “schoolmaster it” back to me.
This summer we have been a little confused about lateral work to a certain direction and lacking forward, 2 weeks in and we have *got* it. Now just a matter of suppleness and flexion. Both working with that and shortening/collecting the trot and canter to later prepare for higher level work.
Riding early this morning the aim was along with the above, to work on being a little more responsive to the aids, both upwards and downwards. This evenings ride I went sans spurs, need to use legs a bit more and rode mainly long and low doing basic lateral work and practice walking. If your time poor I find a collected walk without anticipation is one of those hard things, we finish work and head goes straight down to stretch. So lots of practice collected walking now, just a matter of making the time for it.
So yes I rode my pony twice!! Canberra is coming up in about 7 wks and we need a decent amount of fitness. Compared to last year when E kept falling asleep again the stable door, which need to be pushed in, to open….he effectively locked himself in….wishful thinking to prevent that! LOL!
So above you have work wise to prepare for big show. Next post will be all the other things 🙂
I saw these gorgeous photos on Supreme Products Facebook even Olympic gold medalists do shiny faces and quartermarks.
Yep, she is my idol….though that was confirmed before she was famous, the picture of Ardenhall Royal Secret has been a favourite of mine for years! I came across the mare when looking for pics of E’s relatives. For those not into the riding ponies, she is now owned by Whitemere stud and progeny include a number of highly succesful LJS/Kolbeach/Whitmere
*Well really horses yes, but seeminly as galloways and one being RPSBs and the other just scraping into pony dressage height they make good ponies 😉
Gallops & Garlands 