Helensville SJ Day 22nd March

Helensville had their Adult SJ Day on today so took Cobs down.

Did the 70, 80 & some of the 90 round.

70 was going great until Cobs put this HUGE leap over the 2nd part of the double and I got unseated and fell off...again LOL!! 80 he did really nicely but knocked the last fence so we had a rail. Was pleased with him though as he tried hard & I just got the completely wrong stride.

90 started off well however I screwed him up something chronic over fence 3 (he literally had to climb his way over it) so I circled before fence 4 and then we had a run out on fence 5...may have had something to do with the fact I wasn't riding him at all LOL! I then represented over fence 5 and then called it a day. I didn't want to do the double with how I was riding him - our first 90 round so didn't want to knock both our confidence.

Very pleased with him though - he tried really hard & thats all I can ask for. Just have to find my stay on button now...

Photos:

70cm

80cm

90cm

More Photos of our 90cm round from Leanne - thanks Leanne :)

Dressage Lesson with Karley 21st March

Karley came down to help us with our dressage again. After riding in a GP saddle for so long I find I ride quite short in my dressage saddle and have my knees quite bent so we did some of the lesson with no stirrups....didn't last long as it freakin hurt!

We then took my stirrups down a hole & it felt much better. Just need to work lots on putting my heels down etc...bad habit again!

Cobs was great - heaps straighter than he has been for a while as I am continually checking my contact in the outside hand. Fingers crossed that habit goes quickly.

We then did some lengthened strides....I have found the right button for it so now its just a case of preparing him correctly for it and making sure there is a definite before & after trot. We will get there - at least he is now willing to go forward so obviously his feet are all okay now.

Photos:

Woodhill Sands Training SJ Day 14th March

We went down to Woodhill Sands today for a little training SJ & SH day they had on down there. As I was busy in the afternoon we only went down for the morning SJ.

Cobs was awesome :) Warmed up really well and we got through to the jump off in the 70cm. Unfortunately I lost my stirrup over one of the jumps & got unbalanced and fell off....how embarrassing! I waited until the other competitors had finished & went did the round again and he was so good. Actually jumped better than he did the first time so I am glad the fall hasn't knocked our confidence.

We did the 80cm as well and dropped a rail. I buried him into a few fences but he jumped his way out very nicely & confidently. His whole attitude to jumping appears to have changed and there was no silly business after the fences or anything.

We got 3rd equal in the 80cm as there were only two clear rounds in the jump off so that was nice.

Thats it for us competing wise for a little while I think. There is a little SJ day on next Sunday I would like to go too so will aim for that.

Photos from the 80cm round:

Twilight Dressage 12th March

Well just to carry on with the whole shoes/foot drama that has been our life for the past three months Cobs pulled a back shoe off this morning. I made the decision to still go to the Twilight Dressage as its on sand and quite frankly we needed the outing!

Our first test was 1.1. Unfortunately as soon as the judge beeped her horn it started to rain - we don't do rain, we melt...so the test wasn't fabulous. Was still happy with it though as he could have thrown his toys out the cot but was pretty good. Obviously we weren't straight at all as our bum kept going towards the rain LOL!

Then our next one was 1.4. Was actually pretty happy with this test. He tried hard - was a little flat but thats okay. Was just happy that I got two nice sane tests out of him considering its been ages since we have done anything.

We ended up 7th in the first test & 2nd in our second test so that was nice :)

Centre Line 1.1



Free Walk 1.1 (in the rain LOL!)



Centre Line 1.4



Trot Left 1.4



Canter Right 1.4



Speedy Canter Left 1.4

Lesson 11th March with Karley

Karley managed to squeeze us in for a lesson which was fabulous - we have issues going straight at the moment so was great to sort out what the hell I was doing wrong.

We had it down at Woodhill Sands which was great as I am competing there a few times this week. Not that it really mattered as Cobs was really settled down there.

As it turns out I am not holding enough contact with my outside hand hence why he is swinging all over the show. Was a good lesson but I get very frustated that things can go so backwards so quickly.

Fingers crossed we can have another one in a few weeks just to get us back on track :)

Getting back into it...

Have been riding back a week now and things are going well.....we are in dire need of lessons so looking forward to when my instructor can fit us in.

He is jumping well & we are back up to doing 85cm easily so happy with that. Fingers crossed we will get some x-country practice in soon as we haven't done any for so long. Aiming to go to a practice night in the next couple of weeks.

Here are some photos from the past week - nothing exciting at all!