Happy New Year!!
2009 already and so much to look forward to. First of all, the really exciting news is that I have been awarded the BAPSH Training Bursary for 2009. This will enable me to increase my training sessions with Adam (Kemp) and prepare the horses for the Winter Regionals and hopefully, qualification for the summer regionals.
The final tally for Winter Regional qualification is
Jugador XVIII - Novice Open and Novice Freestyle
Fulminante-Cen - Elementary Freestyle
Centauro II - Medium Freestyle
Orfebre - Advanced Medium Freestyle, Advanced Medium Open and PSG Freestyle
7 tests, 4 horses, 3 days........whew! Lets hope weather has improved by then!
So what is the plan? Well, the horses stopped competing at the end of November, but that didn't mean a holiday - far from it! Over December and January, we are working hard, and visiting Adam weekly, 2 horses at a time, working on the weaknesses and developing the strengths.
Jugador (Hugo) is young, rising 7 and quite green. He is working at elementary level, competing novice. He is working mainly on his transitions, especially the downward ones where he can sometimes come against the hand. Being entire, and typical of the breed, he has a big front, and uses this against me rather than bring the hind leg under. We do hundreds of transitions daily, always working on staying light and taking weight behind to improve the balance.
Fulminante (Anthony) is rising 8, working at medium level. The big breakthrough this month has been to put him in a double bridle - grown up boy! This has helped his carriage, and also the straightness, especially in the canter.
Centauro (Toro) is 11 and is working at PSG, competing Medium and Advanced Medium. He only arrived last July, and most of the work has been to make the changes secure. However in the last couple of months, it has been apparent that he has a tendency to tighten in the neck and back, and this really had to be addressed in order to go on. Lots of stretching work, and adjusting the neck carriage, is finally paying off and I can really feel him drawing into the rein now.
Orfebre (Chico) is working on the Grand Prix movements, but he is so naughty, even now! We are finally getting pirouettes weithout spin, and the one time changes are a slow process. As we are not out competing at the moment, I am concentrating on these two things as we can have some rather messy days without any worries. Working on the collection in the canter has been the key.
I hope to be able to share some of my training with you all through this diary over the year ahead.
