Spooky lesson!

[racaille]

It's blowing a flipping gale again and it is set to be like that for another week (the Mistral blows for one, 3 or nine days ) On Friday I walked P down to the arena knowing I was in for a difficult lesson as the wind always makes him jittery. At least I had made sure there was nothing to fly around, unlike at all the clubs I've ever been to where you are often brained by a flying bucket!

Ol P was spooky at first and took me by surprise by taking off up the arena for no good reason and then did it again when my coach arrived. But then he settled down into some really good work - E and I were flabbergasted. Unfortunately after he'd worked for a while I let him stretch and relax and we never really got that concentration back.

I've just done a half hour with him today (still the wind) and he was great. This time he did have a look but then settled down and tried hard. I am currently working on me (everything ) but I was also asking him to concentrate and hold himself up properly while being soft in front. There were times when we both got the hump but generally he tried hard and I have a great big grin on my face.

My coach wants me to have a go at a baby dressage comp on April 26, ooh er I now have to choose which test to do ....

[pboy]

That's great Rac! I think it's good to practice working in the wind and working through the spookiness - you never know what conditions you'll have at a competition so it pays not to be a fair weather rider. At least that's what I was telling myself during my windswept ride earlier

And yay for the dressage comp!!! What are the options for classes out there?

[racaille]

Well Pboy, it is quite complicated as I can choose the level and the type of test. In some ways Club 2 Grand Prix would suit him as he is good at lateral work but there is also a small amount of counter canter which he would find hard on left lead. The lower level Club 3 might also suit him as he is quite good at serpentines. The Préliminaire tests at both Club 2 and 3 have a lot of 'floating inside rein' and I'll have to see how he likes that.

Basically I will talk it over with my coach and see what she thinks ... although I know she wants me to go for the higher level and show off his lateral work to gain points, knowing he will lose them elsewhere, such as he will open up in left canter.

If this sounds in any way posh, don't be fooled. I am crap, my dear old horse is an aging rando horse and we will just do it for fun!

[pboy]

Well it sounds a lot more complex than anything I'll be attempting with Indio at our first competition! I'll do either a prelim (very basic walk, trot, canter) or novice (as per prelim but with some 'show lengthened strides', smaller circles and teeny bits of counter canter plus rein-back in a couple of the tests) to start with. And I'd only do novice as I'm so so bored of prelim! The dressage trainer I had in London said we could do elementary (one level above novice, I think it has leg yield and I'm not sure what else) but Indio's canter is too weak to get decent marks, but TBH I'd be over the moon to get through an elementary as I've never done one!

Small steps and all that...I think the French system probably has lateral work a lot earlier than our system if it's based on the 'French school' of the Cadre Noir etc. I find that French / Spanish trained riders don't see lateral work as a big deal, whereas the German system seems to introduce it a lot later with more emphasis on extending and collecting first.

[racaille]

I think you are right about lateral work here in France, that and things like rein back are tackled quite early. Stuff like rein back are useful out hacking too (on virgin territory in the mountains!), Ol P has got me out of trouble more than once with his ability to go straight backwards if asked!

But of course I am doing everything backwards: if I'd had my present coach 11 years ago Paco would have learned all the basic stuff as a youngster (and me too )

[brigadier]

It will be interesting what you go for, echo what you are saying re rein back etc, its taught late here but I always incorporate it as a basic, not much but enough to give that flexibility when you need it but not too much that it be used as an evasion. Of course Harriet is very adept at it but not when I want it!! Good luck and see if someone can film you??

[fleabitten]

Sounds like a good lesson, as the others say, it pays off to work in different conditions! Cant wait to hear how you get on at the dressage, test choice sounds a bit complicated!