Here is the icky video of my icky intro test. It is very clear in the video is as in PANIC mode! Look at my posting! And I know the left leg looks longer then the right, but I couldn’t put any weight in my right stirrup or put my heel down! I hate this video, but I had to post it because I am hoping someday I can look back on it and see improvement. I don’t want to be one of those “rainbow and flower” blogs where everything is always perfect. This ride is anything BUT perfect. I am being brave and posting it though. This was without a doubt a low point in my riding. Poor baby horse had to put up with me! He is such a trooper! And so was his owner considering I was yelling at her in the warm up because I was FREAKING OUT!
The judge was talking to people post ride so I had lots of time to go and warm up around the show ring. At this point I had a baby horse who was looking every which way but straight ahead. I was so frazzeled by the warm up ring I wasn’t even trying to get him focused. I was just happy to be out of the damn warm up ring. Looking back now I will say that my baby horse was a SUPER STAR. At the time I couldn’t see it, but now I can. When he would pass something that would make him nervous, like the judges stand, he would just slow himself back down to the walk and look at it. He never spooked at ANYTHING. He was totally ADHD, but he is young and green and so what! So while I should have been thrilled at the time, I was way to far gone into my own head to see what a good pony I had.
When the judge rang the bell to start my test all I wanted to do was keep Texas in the ring. I had little else on my mind. I was still a wreck. And because I was still a wreck I didn’t ride like I normally do and so I had a pony who was tense also and who didn’t feel the need to bend. My walk/trot test was pretty bad. I admit it. All you need to do well in walk/trot is to have a steady forward moving horse. I didn’t have that and I knew it. About half way through I already knew I wasn’t doing well so I RELAXED! Go figure that as soon as I relaxed I was able to ride better and as soon as I started to ride just a little bit better my fat spotted pony started to go just a little bit better.
Halfway through the test we were starting to trot in a better rhythm and that made me VERY happy. So happy in fact I FORGOT TO WALK AT C. Oops! The judge rang the bell and as soon as she did I yelled back that I knew where I messed up. So I went off course AT WALK/TROT!!! And so I got 2 points off and an error. All well. Now I really had nothing to lose so I rode the rest of my test much better then the 1st half. It still was an UGLY test, but it was my fault he went so poorly so I can’t really blame anyone else but myself. Everyone starts somewhere so if this is my starting point with the fat spotted pony then I really don’t think I am doing that badly. I can ride better then that no question, and that fact is a very good thing.
Texas’s owner had to run and tack up her horse as soon as I finished so the Young Rider and a few others went to help her. I was in a MUCH better frame of mind coming back from the test then I was going into it. The Nice Local Trainer stayed to help me warm up for the second test and reminded me that my fat spotted pony was totally on the forehand and we needed to rock him back. So I warmed up some more, but in order to save enough horse for the next test we didn’t do a ton. I was much more relaxed and confident going into my training 1 test. I had stayed in the ring for the intro test and that was my big goal. We had shown. We did it. I was
One of the judge’s comments to me in the intro test was to relax at the free walk and let my horse stretch down. I was much to tense that time around, but I knew I could do it this time. She also said I needed to work on my circles, and if I wanted to make my goal of a 7 on circles I needed to pick it up a notch. So by the time my name was called to go in to the ring again I knew we were going to be fine. I had already shown and stayed in the ring. What more could I ask for?
To Be Continued…
Okay, from someone who is admittedly not a dressage rider, I thought you guys looked pretty good! He’s a baby, afterall
I can’t wait to see your training level test!
For a baby horse, he’s wonderful – you’re very lucky to have him (and he’s very cute, too)! Sounds like he did very well for you even though you were nervous. It’s great that you were able to finish better than you started, as well. Looking forward to the next installment!
That was great! I saw some great moments about half way thru when he started to round and your stretchy walk started. Things can only get better and the performance anxiety will lessen. Rock on!