So 3 days off due to sodding snow that came AGAIN was not ideal.
I hate snow. I work for the emergency services on the front line for a start so snow = a death defying 40 mile commute which I really HAVE to make because with me, all the people who crash don’t have anyone to call.
My car is not suitable for snow, it’s a convertible and I love it but it’s built for warm sunny days, not snow.
Then the horses can’t go out. I’ve tried everything to stop snow balling up and after I read an article about balled up snow resulting in fractured pedal bones I gave up trying.
So they get mad.
Then you can’t ride because again, snow balls.
Then when it finally melts everything is soaking wet AGAIN. What is it with this winter?!
To be honest, in a way it was good as it forced me to keep Lexi in for 3 days as she’s got some nasty mudfever which didn’t want to shift. I’ve even had the vet..twice...for antibiotics as it developed a bit of a secondary infection. Then as she hates being in she starts to not eat...all good fun. It’s almost there though and yesterday the vet said we have to balance the legs with her gut as if she doesn’t eat much that will trigger her ulcers and so on and so forth.
Anyway I digress.
I managed to ride Tuesday - if I can say one positive beyond totally unrestricted turnout on my yard, it’s that our school is quite deep and actually very rarely freezes. So I managed to school Tuesday.
I hate schooling the day before a competition because I feel it has to be perfect and then obviously it goes wrong. Combine that with 3 days box rest and there you go. Actually she wasn’t too bad. She’s a bit stiff to the right at the moment but she has physio due on Tuesday so I think she’s likely a bit tight.
I got to the yard with tonnes of time spare then ended up running late as I had a pellet delivery which almost ended up with me meeting my maker under a tonne of pellets.
I then set off. We arrived in time and I tacked up and warmed up. I didn’t have quite enough time warming up as I was loitering by the full warm up instead of just forcing my way in.
First was elementary 40. One of the simpler elementary tests in my opinion. She went very sweetly in my opinion up until I managed to ride into a dressage board, in walk no less, pull it into the arena which resulted in a leap and a canter and a lost stirrup and ALMOST a rider on the floor.
We very coolly put ourselves back together and finished the test. I thought it was a pity as she actually produced a nice test.
Next was elementary 57. I prefer these types of busier tests and I find she tends to go better. I was pleased. I fluffed up my canter serpentine a bit as I had a mind blank how to ride it but she did her simple changes correctly. There is also a cross over the arena from E to B in canter with a change through trot. With the numerous canter to walks in this test, I knew we would struggle a little here as she can sometimes suck back and try to go directly to walk. We managed it but it wasn’t the most beautiful of movements.
I was pleased with the test. I felt it was one of her better BD tests.
We found we came third in the first test on 67% which I was thrilled with given the dismantled arena but only a 62% under the other judge which left us 6th. I was a bit disappointed with that mark as it’s her second worst Mark literally ever and the test felt good. However there were a couple of tests which were marked significantly lower which I felt looked respectable enough. That’s how it goes with dressage!
My membership now expires and I was pleased to end on that note.
I might renew sooner than the winter, just depends on money and show opportunities. Eventing is still my summer love.
Now it’s time to perform a sun dance as we’re meant to be eventing on Sunday which is also my birthday!
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