Judging

I know I'm digressing here from my training of Tallic, but I swear it's still relevant!
Over the last 3 or 4 years I've been asked to judge at some events, from the Woady Yaloak EFA Horse Trials (including Black Saturday, but that's a whole story in itself!), to pony club HT's, and recently the Palomino Dressage Day at Ballarat, and the Rokewood PC Beds series, where I finally judged a HRCAV test. These have all been as an 'un-official' judge, some of the sections I've judged have been Open, and some have been Un-official or Training. I must say, the sections that I've judged where there has been a grading system in order have definitely been easier to judge. I've also preferred the HRCAV test, they seem to have a fluidity to them that some of the other tests haven't (and don't get me started on the Pony Club tests where riders 'rise here, sit there' blah - what a nightmare for the judge!!)

Some of the things that have struck me from sitting at 'C' as opposed to 'on the horse' are:

• the rudeness of some riders who arrive late! What is with that? There's usually no apology and a certain arrogance that accompanies such behaviour. I will admit in taking great delight in being able to crucify one such rider who had his horse so badly over-bent throughout the test - thanks for making it so easy for me 'rude boy'!! I was even able to quote the level's requirements and that "horses being pulled into a frame and over-bent should be severely penalised" - poor horse.


• a nicely presented horse and rider combination is just that - nicely presented. I don't feel inclined to mark up, but I do appreciate the effort the rider has gone to. I think it's great when the club running the event offer something special for such effort, as was done at the BEDS comp I recently helped at. Obviously a lot of thought went into how to organise this award and it wasn't too hard for the judge and penciller to accomodate. (Cruiser and I once won an 'encouragement award' and I was really chuffed to win this. Sometimes when you're sitting at 'C' you see something that you'd like to commend/encourage/congratulate, even though they might not be likely to place on the day. This is one way to do so.)


• babbling to the judge...... it doesn't matter how nervous you are, try not to do this! Be polite, state your name etc then listen to the judge. They don't need to know what you ate for breakfast! And you really shouldn't be too personal with them, take your lead from them.


• "A, enter at working trot" - okay, this is it, time to start your test and make a first impression. So, breathe, make sure your line is right, and off you go. DON'T go in if you've somehow ended-up in the wrong place/horse just stumbled/broke stride or rhythm etc, do ANOTHER CIRCLE! Give yourself a fighting chance!


• Don't rush the salute - I swear some riders didn't even do a salute - what's with that! Hold a 4 second halt, drop your arm (it doesn't have to resemble something you'd offer the Queen), but make a decent effort of it! Then, get yourself sorted before you trot off. Yes, this does need to be practised, you cannot expect your horse to perform this properly if you never practise it. Halt, put the reins in one hand (and your whip if you have one), drop your head and arm, lift your head, put the reins back, breathe, then proceed....


• Ride the corners - I'm not expecting the lower levels to go deep into the corners, but everyone should ride them! They're an opportunity to get your horse together, they're there to balance and round, they're there for a change of direction, so DON'T JUST SIT THERE! It doesn't matter what level you're riding, be mindful of the corners. There's no excuse for throwing your horse around them unexpectantly - prepare!


• FORWARD - yep, the F word. One of the differences between a good score and a poorer one. A big difference between a test that is a pleasure to watch and one that is just 'so so'.


• Clear clean transitions - quite a lot of tests have a mark for just the transitions, might as well practise them hey. They should be forward, whether they are an up-ward or down-ward movement.


• L O N G R E I N W A L K is just this. It's not a stroll in the park, it's the chance to show the judge how well your horse performs this movement! It's amazing how many tense, jammed-up horses finally relax when asked to do this movemnt. Unfortunately most went back to being jammed into a frame as soon as the rider got to the other side, but it was nice to see them being able to move for this bit!! TEACH your horse to stretch its nose forward, TEACH it how to lengthen and loosen its walk, TEACH it how to lower from the poll then ALLOW IT TO DO SO. It's a co-efficient mark, make the most of it!


• HALTS - most tests have at least one halt in them, many have two or three. You do need to practise these. They need to be neat, they shouldn't be hurried and they shouldn't be messed with. I saw quite a few riders mess-up a halt, try to repair it, and make it worse. I know, it's a split-second decision, but, generally, the riders who tried to improve the halt usually made it worse. My advice on this one, you messed it up, get over it and move on. Try to make something else in that movement exceptional to make the judge have to give you back that point!! Do the training somewhere else.


• RESISTANCE - yucko. The head-tossing I saw in some of these tests - aaagh! What are you doing riding a dressage test if you and your horse are having this going on? Now, there's resistance, and there's RESISTANCE. The riders who are nagging and fighting their poor horse need to get some serious help. It shouldn't be happening, and we don't want to see it. If the judge feels compelled to get a rubber stamp made for you, you should be ashamed.


• NAGGING - oooops, how did that happen? Do you even realise you're doing it? At the last comp, Donna (my trusty penciller) and I witnessed several riders who were spurring their horses EVERY SINGLE STRIDE. Obviously something has gone wrong in the training. If you find yourself pushing every stride, find a trainer and instructor who can help you un-train it.


• JABBING - riders jabbing their horse continuously - SEE ABOVE


• FINAL CENTRE LINE - entails a fair bit doesn't it? At least one turn, maybe two, or possibly a 1/2 10m circle. Make sure you ride whichever one you're supposed to! No good throwing away marks doing 2 nice turns when they were supposed to be a 1/2 circle. Get your line straight - if you over-shot or under-shot the centre-line, fix it by the halt! You'll lose more marks if your halt isn't where it's supposed to be (same with making it at the correct marker, know your test!) The actual halt - prepare it, ride it and do a proper salute!!!!! Doesn't hurt to smile and give your pony a nice rub either (but gee I hate the horse slappers, rub, rub rub....)

Well, I haven't ridden a dressage test in a couple of years now, but I can honestly say that my stint sitting at C instead of on the horse's back has certainly been informative and educational. Hopefull writing these things down will help me with my training as well as with my future tests.

Catch-up

Wow, i have been slack with the blogging haven't i? i just read my last entry and realised a fair bit has happened since then.

• Took Tal to the June mid-week rally and shared a poles lesson with Nicole (Jeff instructing). I hadn't worked him for a week, but that didn't seem to worry me, not sure why i think i should get a good ride on a green-broke horse without actually working him?!


• Ian Milne decided to see how Tallic would react if he cantered Mickey past us. i'm glad i wasn't on, because the reaction was a spin and some passage. I swear there must be arab in that bloodline somewhere - put the tail away Tal! (I don't think Ian even looked back to see what the reaction was, so not sure what the point of all that was, bloody stirrer)


• got Tallic reasonably settled and went to mount. He didn't stay still, so not happy about that. Will do some mounting work. Walked around ok, fairly well-behaved, we were doing loops and changes of rein and bend, good activity.


• Trot work - hmmm, not quite sure when he started mis-behaving, but was doing the don't go and don't turn stuff. bit naughty/disobedient and even throwing in the occassional buck (some bigger than others, enough to make me growl at him etc)


• Jeff reckons he gets bored easily, otherwise interpretable as 'tunes out' or 'has left the building', so, lots of changes of direction required, need to turn him before he's decided he's not going that way. my timing needs work, but he doesn't give much of a warning.


• Bit of a feral session really, probably the naughtiest he's been, but also the most pressure he's been under.


• when leaving, i could hear a helicopter coming and tallic became very tense and went to do a run-off. i decided to go back into the sj arena. once there i was able to just stand and scratch his withers as it passed overhead (thougth the damned thing was gonna land in the grounds - bloody idiots). Joe stood with Jeff and was fantastic.

Arranged with Jeff to get lessons at home and have him ride him for me and see what's going on.

Next chapter.....

Too long between blogs???

Oooooops, I've been slack again haven't I? I'll have to do my best to fill in the gaps.
I missed the second mid-week rally due to the crappy weather. Nicole and I decided we weren't interested in getting soaked, even if the lessons are really good value!
Also missed the May rally, partly due to the poor weather forecast, but also because I really wasn't in the mood for riding because dad had been admitted to hospital due to his pesky brain tumours. I think I need to be in pretty good emotional and physical state to venture out on a young horse.
Nicole and I had also taken the horses to see Don Hoffmann again the day before. It was Tallic's 3rd visit, so he would've been able to be ridden, but it was Joe's 2nd turn and he was meant to have a few days off. At least I wasn't letting Nicole down by not going, even if I had mis-led her thinking she'd be able to ride him.
The visit to the horse chiro was an interesting one. Tal did pretty well with his loading and picking up Joe, but there was no sign of Don when we arrived. Turned out he was running pretty late (one rude woman had brought him 5 horses to work on when she'd booked-in one!), so it was an almost 2 hour wait for him to arrive. We decided to walk the horses down to the arena and do some ground work rather than just leave them tied to the float. They were both a bit silly about it all; there's a bit to see there, bit of a spooky arena really, and horses running around. Lots of jumps for them to look at and work around too, and both boys thought the cypress trees were yummy. tal's breath smelt pretty good after a few chomps!

When we finally got home, many hours later, Tallic was trying to get off the float, shoving his arse backwards into the breeching doors. So glad I don't have to rely on chains! He got plenty of slaps on the rump, but he didn't particularly seem to care. When I got home he was doing the same thing. I decided to make him load and un-load multiple times. I have been getting someone to stand in the float with him so I can shut him in, which I know is cheating, but I thought it would be ok until he got used to the whole floating thing. Anyway, I was able to put him in and out of the float by myself, so that was really good.

hmmmm, since then?? Well, I can recall riding him in the arena while Nicole was riding in the ry, and Jenny was there. Back track a little bit...I'd been lunging him in side-reins a bit, getting him going forward properly and doing nice transitions into trot, not grumpy resentful ones. Back to the riding, he was doing ok, but still getting stuck and not going forward or turning when he wanted to stop or get to Joe. Pretty typical young horse behaviour I suppose, but not very productive or obedient!!!! I discovered that when he is refusing to turn, if I put the whip onto the offending shoulder, he went back onto the track and got on with business - so friggin obvious when i stopped to think about it, that's what he'd been taught to do - derrrrrrr. I'm a bit thick sometimes, but it is all a bit new to me, been a looooong time since i've had to train a completely green horse. He also needs a damned good kicking when he stops and bucks/pigroots. It helps if I'm ready for it and he doesn't actually get to stop, I think my timing is getting better and his obedience is improving. We just need to do more of it all.

In this last week I've managed to ride him Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Sunday Nicole and Joe were here and I started by lunging him in the arena (I'd shortened the side-reins and had the proper lunge whip as Jenny had suggested previously). He hadn't been worked for a while, so I thought it'd be a good idea to lunge over the poles in the area I wanted to ride him. He was pretty spooky at the neighbour's end, due to the friggin crazy mutt that likes to jump out or nowhere and rush them at the fenceline. Greg was working on a car there, and his re-appearing had Tallic a bit worried. Anyway, at one point he too off on me and got all the way down the other end before going onto the grass and falling down on his haunches. At least that made him stop, I'd been just about to lose him. Silly bugger. I did a bit more work then decided to ride him. Nicole and I rode at the other end, and I managed to ride circles around and away from Joe without too much resistance, so not a bad result in the end.

I then hopped off him and gave Nicole a mini-lesson, she's still finding she gets stuck when she doesn't have someone to tell her what to do. It was the best session they've ever done!! I think Don has helped Joe heaps, he's really softened and seems able to stretch out and move so much better.

During the week I rode Tallic in the round yard (T and W) after doing some AEBC style ground work. I didn't want to have to lunge him, I just wanted a short session. The stupid mutt was next door, that's why I opted for staying in the ry. We worked on smooth snappy transitions, preferably without him trying to bite me (little spoilt shit - by the way, Don announced to me he was spoilt, think he might be right! how did I manage to muck that up so grandly - geeeesh) Rode him after about 10 mins (I really do have to work on my fitness, I was pretty tired from the running). Had a couple of bouts of pigrooting when I asked him to go forward, but I growled at him and did some repeated short sharp kicks, seems to work. He surprised me with one where he was actually trotting and did it, that was new!

Thursday Nicole and I rode together again. Did ground work in the arena, even though mad-mutt-Major was there, I just stayed up the other end while brave Joe used the whole space! Mary came home not long after I'd got on, so I hopped off and had a little chat and checked out her cute puppy, then got back on to do some trot work (Nicole made me!) I'm really pleased I did, we need to just keep doing this stuff.

Gave Nicole a lesson after this, and they were pure superstars! Best work ever, looked like a level 3 combination at some points - look out world!

Oh yeah, Tallic is still teething, so I think some of his munching (on reins, lunge reins, whips and me) could well be to do with that.

boundary riders unite!

Nicole and I had another go at 'boundary riding' again today! Joe has been treated by Don Hoffman and can't do arena work at the moment, so it was a good opportunity for the two of us to have a little paddock ride.
I did a bit of 'join up' with Tallic in the yard before catching him today, I'm trying to work on our relationship, I'm quite fed up with him being narky at me. I feel like he resents my presence, and for a horse that is waited on hand and foot, he can just cut the crap!! I'm guessing he just sees me as a feed and comfort source, and the sooner I'm out of his way, the sooner he can get on with what he wants to do. Well, that's going to stop. He copped a slap on the mouth for trying to take a chunk out of me earlier, and he doesn't seem to resent that, so I'm starting to realise I just have to be a bit more assertive and demanding of him. A bit like getting him on the float and the riding I did at rc yesterday, less defensive and more assertive.

• I think he is finally realising that being brushed in the chest and girth area is no longer going to hurt him. There's probably a bit of history and memory to get over, but he's a smart cookie, he should figure it out!


• Didn't bother doing any ground work before getting on him today, just walked across the paddock a bit with Joe, backed him, forwarded him and prepared to get on. We'll need to practise that so he doesn't wander off, but not too bad.


• Sat there for a moment then went for a walk.


• Concentrated on keeping the contact correct, keeping my elbows and just riding him like a 'growed-up' - and it works!!!!! I'm trying to make sure I keep my right shoulder and right hip back too, I'm sure I've somehow developed an un-eveness there that is going to take some working on. Nicole reminded me a couple of times about elbows, so that was very handy! I was closing my fingers properly on the reins too, something else I've been failing to do since having him broken-in. For some reason I've been riding with my elbows out and my fingers open - geeesh, thank goodness I'm sorting that out sooner rather than later.


• Anyhoo, we walked for a little while then did some trot work, basically trotting up and across the incline (can hardly call them hills can we?), then walking, maybe going across the diagonal and trotting again.


• I think we rode for about 45mins like this, and it went really fast. Both horses were well behaved and focussed - a big success! Tallic was keeping a lovely frame most of the time, and correcting very easily, so nice and soft. Might be overbending a bit at the trot (at times) so I'll have to start pushing him out a bit more. Did do sitting trot some of the time to maintain his softness and roundness. His contact has improved out of sight!

Another successful day at riding club!

Photo credit to Pete Foley - again - thanks!

Well, what can I say, if I keep celebrating my riding club rallies with champagne, I might become an alcoholic!! So, none of that this time, I'll just have to get used to things going well (I HOPE).
No Nicole and Joe as co-pilots today; being Easter Sunday Nicole decided to stay home with the family, so Tal and I ventured out all by ourselves for the very first time. (Tal has been out on his own, but I haven't!)

• He loaded beautifully this morning. Darren stood in the float for me to 'play catch', and on he walked - what a champ! We had a good trip in and I un-loaded him by myself as well. (I might add that I hooked the float on by myself again too, but Darren took it out of the shed. It was as I approached Napoleons that it occurred to me that I had not removed the jockey-wheel and I was a bit worried that Darren might not have checked-out my handiwork before driving off - aaagh. So, I pulled over as soon as possible, but of course he'd removed it - PHEW! I won't be doing THAT ever again!!)



• Tallic tied-up to the float nicely and I was able to go and have a quick 'nervous one' before I had to quickly get saddled-up and into my poles lesson. Jill turned-up on her boy in time to hang-out while I bridled him and led him into the SJ arena. It's been so nice having such support and she again offered to 'block him in' if needed - luckily it wasn't.



• I did a bit of ground-work (after Marianne, the instructor has ascertained my plans for the lesson, which included her assisting my mounting when the time came). Mounting wasn't quite as easy as it should be, he was quite fidgety and he did a few laps around the blok that Marianne had grabbed for me. We'll have to work on that.



• So, off we went, joined in with the others, and as they were ready to trot before I'd actually gotten on, we just did a couple of laps including over the poles grid and we were ready for a trot. I started and the others followed.



• He's pretty good on the right rein, but his left rein was woeful. Marianne offered some great instruction to help me here, and we all stopped for a little while to discuss position and we did some turns on the forehand to demonstrate the moving of the horse around a slightly raised inside rein and moving the quarters across with the inside leg. Tallic and I did a great job!! This did in fact set us up for better left bend and it improved a lot more when I started doing sitting trot. The main thing is for me to remember to ride properly, ie: bent elbows by my sides, bum underneath me, and if I ask him to turn, he has to bloody well turn! I have to keep the pressure on until I get what I asked for and then ride forward again. Once I started doing that, his acceptance of the bridle improved immediately and I got out of the pull and grab situation I had found myself involved in. I KNEW what was going on wasn't good, but I think I was in a bit of a tense frame of mind and I'm SO out of practise that I just wasn't using my head to ride.



• We were working on his better rein again, and the others were starting to put together a bit of a jumping round, so we were basically going around and staying out of the way. I began using the jumps to ride around, kind of doing big serpentines to change bend/flexion and rein. Because I'd started sitting trot, and keeping my elbows, and softening as he did etc, the changing of rein was working quite well.



• There were a few times that Tal put the brakes on and pig-rooted, but I got him going again and then brought him down for a little break. I'm pretty sure he is doing this when he is tired, so my timing is very important.



• He wasn't perfect in this lesson, but the good news is that we coped with and handled things ok. He had a few little baulks at the new grey pony stallion, but nothing out of control or too scary (even for chicken me!), and he had a few funny jumps and canters over some poles, but again, we got through it. I probably need to relax and not be too hard on him if he does this. I've got to remember that he's not Cruiser and he's not going to take off bucking when this happens.

All in all, another successful day out. This was the biggest ride I've given him since the day I collected him from the AEBC. He stood beautifully at the float over the lunch break, and I took him for a little walk over to the SJ arena with Donna and Angel for a munch on some grass. Donna helped me load him, not perfect, but not too bad either. Good trip home which included a stop at the servo for gas. I left him on the float for little while when we got home because he's in a bit of a rush to get out when we arrive, but he did ok. Yay us!

PS I chose not to do an afternoon lesson because I felt neither of us are fit enough and I wanted to have a positive day out.

Back to Don

Nicole and Glenn were so impressed by what Don had said and done with Tallic that they decided that Joe deserved a treatment too.
After finally ascertaining that Don was going to be in Ballarat again, I booked in with the Doodts for Tal and Joe to go and see him. So, off the boys went, together again....
Joe got to go straight in when we arrived, and I was very happy to see Tallic so well behaved and cool about standing at the float by himself. There wasn't a 3 ring circus going on this time, so quite dull for him really. (That changed when one of Corri's daughters came flying up the driveway on a gorgeous grey horse!)
Joe's treatment went fairly similarly to Tal's, Don picked the lot! He didn't get anywhere near as many needles as Tal, and Nicole must have something I don't cos it only cost her $60 bucks.......but then it was our turn.
Tal was just having his adjustment this time, no needles, and it all went swimmingly.
Off home again, job well done.

solo in the paddock

Nicole couldn't come and join me in my paddock ride today (as we'd planned), but i was a good girl and went for a ride anyway. I managed to time it so that Darren was available to 'supervise'. (He had his lunch and cuppa while i rode and even managed to take photos)

Tallic was a bit stirred-up, there was a bit of wind, and he really doesn't like wind. Things weren't going too bad until the pony next door decided it was time for a bit of a romp and a gallop, and then Tal decided it was all too much and had a little 'take off' on me. I was pleased it was over in a few strides and back under control, but i called it quits soon after.