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Going from Strength to Strength
We took Data to the British Dressage Summer Regionals at Frys in East Yorkshire and were delighted with how he went.
Data was in great shape and was placed seventh in his section with a good score of 67.29%. We were all extremely thrilled with his performance, especially his owner Judy Bettinson.
We got some lovely comments from the judge, her words were… ‘This combination will go far, a very promising partnership’. I was over the moon with these comments and proves all the hard work is worth it.
The weather stayed nice too and Judy, Data’s owner supplied the picnic for the day which was divine with lots of lovely food and drink.
Zeus is going from strength to strength and we are busy competing him steadily to gain more experience.
He still has his moments and he decided he would test my ‘stickability’ a couple of times in the warm up but thankfully I stayed on board.
However he was very good during his test and was placed sixth in his Prelim class. I was very pleased with him and so were his owners Bernie and Kevin.
Catch up again soon!
Harriet
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From Dressage Arena to Pony Club Camp
August 2, 2010
DATA took part in his first ever medium test this month. He came second at the Riding Club Area dressage competition with a score of 62%. We were all really pleased with him and we are now very excited that we will be competing at the National Riding Clubs Championships in September.
Zeus is also going from strength to strength and his owners are very pleased with him. Since he went to his first competition he has really improved dramatically which I am really pleased with. It is also very rewarding that all my hard work and patience is paying off!
I have been really busy for the last couple of weeks teaching a group of pony mad youngsters at Pony Club Camp which has been brilliant. They have definitely kept me on my toes!
On Tuesday the group I was teaching wanted to take their ponies for a hack so I borrowed a horse and we all set off. They said it would take around 40 minutes, and they assured me they knew where they were going… but two and a half hours later we were still out, lost on the North Yorkshire moors!
Apart from that little escapade the week ran very smoothly and everybody rode very well and all the horses went well.
On one of the afternoons my sponsors, NAF, came along to talk to everybody about supplements and other products from NAF. Craig, the area representative brought along some sample products for people to have a look at and it was a great opportunity for people to ask questions about their horses and ponies.
One of the sample products that was passed around the group was Ice Cool, a cooling leg clay for use after strenuous exercise, but some of the boys came up with a better use for it …. WAR PAINT! Within minutes their faces were covered in tribal like clay coloured stripes!
I was also lucky enough to be invited to the Pony European Championships at Bishop Burton College and was able to watch some of the show jumping classes there which was fantastic. It’s great to have a huge championship taking place at one of my local venues.
I am now getting ready for the British Dressage Summer Regional Championships held at Fry’s Equestrian Centre in just over a week’s time, this will be the first time I have competed at the regional championships so I am really looking forward to it. Let’s hope we put in a good performance!
Happy Riding!
Harriet
Read MoreJumping a Related Distance with Harriet Morris-Baumber
July 29, 2010
Here EquestrianClearance.com sponsored event rider Harriet Morris-Baumber explains what a related distance is and how it should be jumped.
“A related distance is when two or more fences are built more than two non – jumping strides apart. When fences are closer than this they are called doubles or combinations,” explains Harriet.
On average, a horse’s stride is 12 feet (3.6m) long and a pony’s stride 9 feet (2.7m). But when pacing out related distances remember the factors which could lengthen or shorten a horse’s stride:
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A horses stride will shorten if going away from home, uphill slightly, if the area is confined (i.e. Indoors) or if the going is deep and sticky.
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His stride with lengthen if he is going towards home, if he is travelling downhill slightly, if the jumping area is unrestricted or if the going is perfect.
When walking the course and a related distance you need to follow a set pattern.
I always measure distances from the first jump to the next, where there is a related distance involved. When the distance is related I measure from where the horse lands to where I want him to take off.
That is always in multiples of four of my strides, because four of my strides make one of the horse’s strides, which is roughly 12 feet.
So for example if the distance between two fences measure 20 of your strides, the horse will take four strides in between, remembering to take off 2 strides for landing and 2 for taking off.
Here Harriet advises the best way to tackle a related distance.
On approach to a related distance, the horse must be well balanced, on his hocks and in a rhythmical, bouncy canter.
As you approach, it is important that you are looking for the fence, so that you can set your horse up and keep the approach straight whilst keeping him between hand and leg.
As the rider you must stay in balance, keeping a contact throughout. It is your job to maintain rhythm and impulsion throughout the line of fences. As soon as your horse lands, he must pick up his rhythm and balance again as soon as possible and you may need to put in a half-halt to recover the impulsion, and get him back and concentrating on the next fence.
Related distances are a test of your horse’s training and his ability to adapt to different striding patterns and should be a part of your training at home so that the horse is happy to adjust as necessary without resistance or loss of rhythm and balance.
At a show, you should watch a couple of horses jumping a related distance to see how it is riding although you must be aware that not all horses have the same striding as yours. A related distance will not ride well if the horse makes a mistake at the first part. He will land either too far in or too short which makes the following distance either too short or too long.
This means that you must not over-ride so that you interfere with the rhythm or balance. It’s all about being accurate and in control in order to keep straight and your horse moving through the fences.
For all your essential horse gear and competition equipment, visit www.equestrianclearance.com
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A First Dressage Outing For Zeus
ZEUS went to his first dressage competition at the weekend and behaved really, really well.
I was so pleased with how he coped working in with all the other horses. He did a nice test and did everything I asked of hi.
His halt was super at the end… not one bit of fidgeting! His walk was really good, very settled and didn’t jog, all his transitions were good too, for a young horse who has only been in ridden work three weeks I was delighted especially as he finished fourth in his class.
Data was very good too he was third in his novice test and was second in the elementary. I was very pleased with him and as it was my first competition with him I learnt a lot about how best to warm him up and how he reacts in a competition environment.
Working horses at home is never the same as when they go to a competition so it was a great opportunity to have a ‘practice’ before the riding club team competition next weekend.
I have had a new girl start working for me part time, she is going to cover weekends and help Vikki in the yard when I am away competing. Rachel is currently doing her GCSEs and is going to be a great addition to the yard.
It was great to see some rain in the last few days and it was a very welcome sight as the grass was starting to look a little brown and the ground was getting very, very firm. Hopefully the grass will turn green again and the ground should soften up in time for my next competition.
We have started painting our stables which is a mammoth task and somehow there always seems to be more walls than you think! So the horses are playing musical stables at the moment while one by one we get each stable painted.
Happy Riding!
Harriet
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Competing in the Heat!
It has been so hot the last few weeks that keeping my horses comfortable and happy has been paramount.
I went show jumping at Port Royal with Snowy, he jumped a lovely clear round in the 1.20m class, but it was so hot that I decided to save him for another day and not wait around for the jump-off. Whilst it is good for horses to get used to competing in different weather conditions and all types of ground, if they are going well, and it is not an important competition it is best not to overdo things and leave on a good note.
I had a lot of horses waiting to be ridden at home so I came home early to carry on schooling and getting the yard done.
The Sunday just gone, I headed to Aske Hall with Snowy to compete in the Open Intermediate class. We got 35.9 in the dressage and were clear across country, however we incurred time penalties and then had a fence down in the show jumping which put us just out of the placings. He went very nicely for me and coped extremely well again in the hot weather.
Following his post Bramham holiday, Sultan is back in work. He has appreciated his little break and is ready for his next adventure. I haven’t decided where we will head next, but watch this space to keep up to date! The aim is to go to Osberton 2** at the end of the year.
Zeus is going well still and appears to be settling in and has also stopped trashing his stable which is a relief. Some horses take time to settle and it is very rewarding to see him relaxing and enjoying his surroundings.
Data is busy learning his half pass ready for the Riding Club Elementary team dressage competition in a few weeks.
On a non horsey-note I had a fabulous time in London last Tuesday as we were invited to a charity dinner in the Long Room at Lords Cricket Ground, a room steeped in sporting history. The event was in aid of Children in the Phillipines, to get them off the streets and give them an education. It was a very worthwhile cause and a lovely day.
Well that’s it from me until next week!
Harriet
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