Don't be a prick

Recently Henry seems to have really taken that next step in our training. Through our lessons and at home on my own I have been working hard and heightening my expectations of Henry. I have also started to trust my own ability and know that I am doing the right things even when Henry is being resistant.

Consistent weekly lessons have made a huge difference along with additional clinics and dressage rallies. The extra time away from competitions has also given me plenty of time to hone in on little things and make them better, rather than having the focus on being completion ready. It took a while to change my mind set but I have, and it’s been nice to enjoy the ride a bit more and not stress about if we will get a perfect test etc.

 Change is usually one of those things that happens so slowly over time that you don’t realise things have gotten better (or worse) until you really look back. I have been mindful to keep perspective a little bit more recently and to notice the changes in our training more. Our lessons lately have been really tough, Bec has been pushing us to step up and it has meant that I haven’t felt there have been any improvements. By keeping the recent past in my head I can compare it to now and can see the improvements we have made.

Henry has been fresh recently. The weather has suddenly gotten cold, and wet weather has made riding harder so Hen has had some time off. He thrives best in a routine but he’s been ok with it up until last week. I have been feeding him up a bit, I am asking him to work harder and while he looks ok, he needs more condition to build muscle. The cold, time off and extra feed has made him fresh and very reactive! We tried to go for a bush ride the other day and didn’t make it to the bush, instead I hopped off after some rodeo moments and walked home. No point trying to get him to have a nice relaxed ride out when he’s like that so we went home and worked.

 He’s been fresh since, though much more manageable. He doesn’t buck or rear, he throws himself about and gets very light in front (I have no idea what it looks like but it feels dumb, so glad he doesn’t make a habit of it), but I can nip it in the bud by keeping him forward and flexed to the right. He has been much more like his usual self since but is still being very reactive to certain aides and things happening behind him.

This sums it up perfectly!

Our ride on Monday night though was one of the best we have had just about ever. He worked beautifully at dressage club, then jumped at home on Sunday. He was great on Sunday but I need to remember to ride more forward and package the energy better. He wasn’t using himself as well as he can because I was allowing him to be underpowered. I haven’t jumped at home in ages so it was a useful lesson in realising my errors and know what I need to do differently. Monday though had moments of magic!

 I rode on the flat on Monday and really focussed on getting him forward and staying there. Once we had that I added in laterals and loops, practiced transitions and halts on the centreline. The transitions were all great! I have struggled to have him round and off the leg in the upwards transitions but yesterday they were all great. The halts were square and he was responsive to going sideways. He was still over reactive when I closed the outside rein to keep him round. I have been getting so much better at riding inside leg to outside hand and using the outside rein effectively. Henry was less than impressed at the outside rein preventing him from resisting the contact and slammed the breaks on instead. I think this is partially him being reactive and partially me asking wrong, probably pulling back instead of closing it. That something I still struggle to find the difference in, pulling vs. closing/turning. I often end up pulling back too much.

 Overall Mondays ride was really great, I could really get the feel for self-carriage more and more often, the buttons were all there and within easy reach and it felt amazing. I feel like I have change my attitude towards him a bit, and have been expecting a lot more. I am being a lot more aware of when he is resistant or not responsive enough and have been sharpening up my responses to that. It’s hard work for both of us but the results are showing. I think he’s built up more top line recently too and he is getting so soft and lovely to ride.

 This week is going to be very wet. It’s getting to these few weeks we have every year where I wish I agisted or had an arena. Wet weather makes riding at home very tricky. I would love to just go out in the bush but I honestly don’t know how productive that is going to be given the reaction Hen had last week. He needs his brain kept busy and that’s harder out there.

 I have found an indoor arena to hire close to home and am contemplating hiring it once a week to give us somewhere dry to ride. It will add an extra expense but I fight running out of light with the other options I have available to me. We will see! Hopefully next year Henry will be even more settled and I will be able to hack him out even if he’s feeling fresh. He is so much better this year again, but that tricky, hot thoroughbred brain can work against us sometimes!