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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

El Sueno Show Part 2

7/29/2015

 
Part 1

My ride times were fairly late in the morning which is always nice. I was able to take Speedy for a good walk in the morning followed by a rather scary lunge. He always insists on being hand walked before the sun comes up. It's a good thing I am an early riser.
Picture
I braided differently for this show. It actually lasted longer this way.
At this venue, I always hand walk him around the cross country field. Once I am tired of jogging with him, I grab my lunge line to let him play. To make the footing soft enough, the facility spreads composted manure. This makes the top layer pretty soft, but unfortunately, there had been a massive amount of rain the week before. Under the fluffy top layer was a soaked layer of clay; I didn't know that until later.

Speedy was cantering around really nicely on a long line when all of a sudden his hind legs shot out from under him and his whole body hit the ground, even his face. He scrambled back up to his feet with a really surprised look on his face. My heart sank. He looked fine as he walked off, but he was super muddy. The ground was soft enough that he wasn't injured on the surface, but all weekend I worried a bit about a strain. There was no need to worry though; he was fine.
Picture
Hanging out with Paolo. He belongs to another student of Chemaine's. They rode a 4th Level Freestyle that was FANTASTIC!
I warmed Speedy up with Chemaine coaching. We went through the exercises from the day before, and Speedy felt great. He was listening and rounding up without being particularly heavy or resistant. I was excited and feeling pretty confident. My first test was First Level, Test 2.

When the judge rang the bell, I entered at A and suddenly had a different horse. Speedy's energy oozed out of his body and he became a wet rag. It took all of my strength to push him to X. The whole test rode that way. He was very obedient, but excessively sluggish. If I had taken my leg off for a single moment, he would have come to a screeching halt.

Chemaine later said that the test was super steady, but lacked any kind of thrust or forward thinking energy. The judge gave us a 61.406% with the comment " ... ride more ground covering strides in lengthenings." Ya think?! Every remark had that same tone - needs more. She was completely right. Click thumbprints to see the judge's scores and remarks.
My second test, First Level - Test 3, came after the very next rider. Chemaine's advice was to rev him up a little on the outside of the court before I entered at A. I got a little "more" out of him, but the second test rode much like the first - steady, but with no wow moments. We earned a 60.735%. 
The second I put Speedy back in his stall to untack, he took a HUGE pee. Aha. That explained the sluggish behavior. Speedy is NEVER behind my leg at a show. The second he enters at A, he is always excited and happy to be there.

I was a teeny bit disappointed in our effort, but knowing why he was a pile of molasses makes me feel better. My goal was to break 60% for each test that we rode, and we did that. The judge was quite fair in her assessment; she wasn't generous or stingy. I think she did reward Speedy's methodical steadiness though. Had he been more energetic, those 6.0s could have easily been 6.5s or even 7.0s.

Later that evening, I was able to meet up with Sarah of Eventing in Color for dinner in Camarillo. We've been friends for a while now, so our visits are always about catching up on what's happening in life. We must have had a lot of sharing to do because dinner lasted three hours! The waiter was patient however, and no one kicked us out before we were ready.


Day two tomorrow ...
jenj
7/29/2015 12:49:49 am

Oh man I have so been there... my horse was "lame" for both of our second tests at our last show. Both times, as soon as we took him back to the stall, he peed for like 5 minutes!

If you have any luck teaching Speedy to pee on command BEFORE you ride, please share!

And congrads on breaking 60% both times! Well done!

Jamie
7/29/2015 01:08:55 am

I've heard that grooms at the racetrack will train their charges to pee on command by whistling every time they DO pee, & I think treating too.. haven't tried it, I'm not around my guy enough when he pees! :/

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/4/2015 04:54:45 am

Thanks! This is the first time he's ever done this. One time, he actually stopped right in the front of the judge (while we doing our warm up around the outside) and peed in front of her. That was embarrassing, of course, but I'd rather he pee than not!

Jamie
7/29/2015 01:07:04 am

These gray Arabs... Mine did the EXACT same thing at our show a couple weekends ago.. he even went so far as to buck in our test, & he's not a bucker at all. We went back to the trailer, & he took an epic pee... seriously dude.. do it before! :)

Bakersfiedl Dressage link
8/4/2015 04:55:13 am

Agreed!

Austen link
7/29/2015 02:05:54 am

Oh man. I've been there, too. Pig had to pee constantly at our last show and it really screwed us up. Poor horses, they just can't focus when they have to pee!

Interesting to see that First level test with the halt at X ridden. That's kind of a deceptively tough movement. Easy to get seriously dinged there as the judge at C can see everything!

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/4/2015 05:00:28 am

This was the first time I'd ridden that movement in a test, and I realized a few things that definitely make it look harder than it is.

1. You have to turn before you get to B. The test makes it sound like you turn AT B, but that's not quite right.

2. Getting a square halt as you cross the ring is harder than it looks!

3. Trotting off from that halt is also tough if your horse is not prompt and really in front of your leg. We're definitely working on shortening the amount of walk steps he's taking.

4. It's hard to keep straight to E when your horse knows he's turning left. Speedy is so smart that he figured that movement out in about 12 seconds. Now, I have to mix it up and turn right (instead of left) occasionally so that he quits leaning to the left!

Teresa link
7/29/2015 10:01:08 pm

Ahh- the dreaded "I have to pee". Poor speedy. but I would be thrilled with how consistent and steady he was.

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/4/2015 05:02:11 am

I was, Teresa. When I watched the video, all I could see was a real steady eddy. In reality, I was gasping for breath as I squeezed out every single stride. I'd rather that though than riding a spooky wild child!

Sarah link
7/30/2015 07:40:44 am

Oh boy how scary when they totally wipe out!! Glad he was okay though. =) And I enjoyed having dinner with you!!

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/4/2015 05:07:04 am

I am STILL worried about it! Every time he takes a mis-step, I ask, is that because he fell?!?!?!

One rider had to scratch because her horse did the very same thing but wasn't as lucky as Speedy. On Sunday morning, Suzi had someone out there with the tractor working that area over REALLY well to keep it safer.

And dinner WAS so much fun. I can't wait to hang out again - hopefully soon. :0)

emma link
7/31/2015 02:51:38 am

my mare went through a bizarre phase wherein she had to pee immediately after every ride... seems to have passed tho lol. anyway major congrats on the scores - especially knowing you've got more horse in the tank than what the judge saw

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/4/2015 05:04:27 am

Thanks, Emma. I am happy to have started First Level in the 60s. I think our scores show that we at least have a decent grasp of the basics of the level. :0)

Tracy link
8/2/2015 11:01:00 pm

Sometimes brilliance isn't in the cards, but isn't it great to know that even when you both aren't 110% "on it" that you've come far enough to be steady and consistent, getting scores above 60%?!

Bakersfield Dressage link
8/4/2015 05:10:27 am

While brilliant horses get the best scores, they are also unpredictable. I don't mind ho hum as I know what I am going to get each time out. We aren't ever described as brilliant, even on our best days, but that's okay as I really prefer being consistent. So you are absolutely correct - I love that we can go out there no matter how we feel and still get a satisfactory score. :0)


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
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    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
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