Our next 'Getting started in Dressage' show is this next Sunday! (15th May). If you are looking for a friendly, low key event, to come and have a fun day out, or to move up a level, then this is for you! Our relaxed rules mean that you don't have to wear show gear (but you can if you want to), or ride in a snaffle bridle, you can be bitless, bareback, western or whatever you like! Classes this show are - 1) Intro B (walk and trot only) 2) Intro C (tiny bit of canter) 3) Prelim 18 4) Novice 27 5) Elementary 44 (the easiest one!) Entries are £10 per class, (we still have one or two spaces available for our horses at £20/class) forms on the website or you can message me on here and do paypal or bank transfer. Times will be posted on Friday, and entries close on Thursday morning. We have a lovely encouraging judge, gorgeous rosettes, will provide a caller for you and generally be around to help if you need it. It's a really fab day! x

Due to an unforseen cancellation, we have 2 places available on our intensive course this weekend 'Getting Started in Dressage'. You can bring your own horse or ride one of ours, and the weekend costs are all inclusive (all tuition, accomodation, meals and keep for your horse) x

Getting Started in Dressage (Intensive Course)

Events Calendar

All Inclusive, Two Day Intensive Dressage Training Course with International Biomechanics Coach, Denise O'Reilly. 16th/17th April. £245 with own horse / £285 with a school horse. Call Denise 07814 286988 to book or with any queries. http://www.horseridinglessonsuk.co.uk/index.php?page_id=4&event_id=361 The jam-packed weekend will focus on how to get started in dressage, covering all aspects from what to cover in your schooling at home, riding tests and also what the marks and comments mean. Price includes stabling, hay / haylage, B&B, lunch and evening meals.

Results for yesterday's Dressage Show... INTRO A RIDER HORSE % SCORE COLL PLACE Brenda Sunley Angra Z 69.78 160.5 71 1 Daniel Bates TDS Puzzle 67.82 156 67 2 Joanne Taff TDS Jet 67.6 155.5 67 3 Norma Sherratt TDS Belle 66.95 154 67 4 Mo Dawson Gypsy 66.3 152.5 67 5 INTRO B RIDER HORSE % SCORE COLL PLACE Chloe Gentle Charlie Chalk 72.82 167.5 73 1 Hannah Myers Vic 71.3 164 74 2 Thomas Gentle Charlie Chalk 70.65 162.5 72 3 Brenda Sunley Angra Z 70.21 161.5 71 4 Jane Moore Belle 68.69 158 69 5 Roz Dennis TDS Puzzle 68.69 158 69 5 Joanne Taff TDS Jet 67.39 155 67 7 Nicole Phillips Rio 67.17 154.5 68 8 Mo Dawson Gypsy 66.73 153.5 67 9 Sky Bate Benny 66.52 153 67 10 Meg Elston TDS Secret 66.52 153 67 10 Amanda Wilkinson TDS Lottie 66.52 153 67 10 Rikcia Davies Rio 65.86 151.5 66 Vicki Hallet TDS Meg 65.65 151 66 PRELIM 7 RIDER HORSE % SCORE COLL PLACE Charlotte Harris Liza Dolittle 74.5 149 61 1 Melissa Mills Shiloh Hit 73.5 147 62 2 Samantha Webb Supernova 72.5 145 61 3 Norma Sherratt TDS Belle 68.5 137 56 4 Hannah Myers Vic 68 136 58 5 Imogen Arundel TDS Puzzle 67.75 135.5 53 6 Kirsty Nicholson TDS Lottie 66.75 133.5 54 7 Vicki Hallet TDS Meg 65.75 131.5 54 8 Nicole Phillips TDS Meg 65 130 52 9 NOVICE 24 RIDER HORSE % SCORE COLL PLACE Nicky Danbury Taf 72.69 189 68.5 1 Samantha Webb Supernova 70.19 182.5 66.5 2

Dressage Show

The morning of our first 'Getting Started in Dressage' show of 2016 has arrived! According to BBC weather we should all stay dry - even Nicky Danbury! We have lovely new rosettes, cake, our super judge Jane Ratcliffe, and a great team waiting to help you. Good luck everyone! Lets have a fab day enjoying our horses. xx

Times for Sunday's Getting Started in Dressage Show... INTRO A TIME RIDER HORSE 09:30 Daniel Bates TDS Puzzle 09:37 Amie Foster TDS Jet 09:44 Brenda Sunley Angra Z 09:51 Mo Dawson Gypsy 09:58 Norma Sherratt TDS Belle 10:05 Joanne Taff TDS Jet INTRO B TIME RIDER HORSE 10:20 Brenda Sunley Angra Z 10:27 Mo Dawson Gypsy 10:34 Joanne Taff TDS Jet 10:48 Jane Moore Belle 10:55 Sky Bate Benny 11:02 Cara Goodey Ralph 11:09 Nicole Phillips Rio Break 11:25 Chloe Gentle Charlie Chalk 11:32 Roz Dennis TDS Puzzle 11:39 Meg Elston TDS Secret 11:46 Amanda Wilkinson TDS Lottie 11:53 Rikcia Davies Rio 12:00 Thomas Gentle Charlie Chalk 12:07 Vicki Hallet TDS Meg PRELIM 7 TIME RIDER HORSE 13:00 Vicki Hallet TDS Meg 13:07 Norma Sherratt TDS Belle 13:14 Imogen Arundel TDS Puzzle 13:21 Kirsty Nicholson TDS Lottie 13:28 Charlotte Harris Liza Dolittle 13:35 Melissa Mills Shiloh Hit 13:42 Samantha Webb Supernova 13:49 Nicole Phillips TDS Meg NOVICE 24 TIME RIDER HORSE 14:15 Samantha Webb Supernova 14:22 Nicky Danbury Taf

Still taking entries for Sunday's 'Getting started in Dressage' show. You don't need to have show gear or even your own horse - everyone can take part! Let me know if you would like to come x

Fun show going ahead! Now a 12 noon start to get the better weather. x

Hi all, obviously not the weather we were hoping for today! Looking at our options, I think the best thing is to postpone the start of the show until noon. The rain should have stopped then, so at least the classes in the arena can go ahead. I am dubious about the clear round, as I think the field will be too wet (poor Kieron spent around 4 hours moving jumps for us yesterday too!). What we could do though is open the clear round another day during the holidays? I will man it and give rosettes etc. Please let me know below if you are planning to come, as if there is not many people, we should cancel. x

This week's Dressage Snippet - How good are your links between movements? How much does the 'balance shift' needed by your horse affect his fluency, rhythm, straightness and outline? Time to get just a little more precise with this one now, no matter what your level. At a basic level try these exercises - 1) Trot /canter/ trot on a 20 metre circle (I am always checking the quality of this one, and always find things I can improve on) 2) From rising trot, go sitting for 15 - 20 strides, then rise again. 3) In trot ride a 15 metre circle at A or C. On completion of the circle you should have a (short but significant) straight line followed by a corner. 4) In Canter, ride a 20 metre circle and then go large. Make a transition to trot after one complete lap of the school as you are on the long side. To do these exercises really well is difficult! I think that no matter what level you ride at, you will find that all of these challenge the horse's balance. The key is to have the ability to slightly shorten and if necessary slow) the horse's steps to enable them to cope with the shift to their balance. As you ride these exercises, notice whether the horse tends to become unbalanced more front to back, (hollows / comes against the hand / loses energy or rhythm) or more side to side (head tilt / falling in or falling out / becomes uneven in the contact, possibly pulling on one rein and leaving a 'loop' in the other). Develop the half - halt by thinking shorter steps that stay active. This will be a huge help whenever the balance is disturbed 'front to back'. If the horse comes strong into the rein, actually walk for a couple of steps to rebalance him. Take time, and allow the horse to learn slowly. Don't expect too big a change overnight. If the horse primarily loses straightness, imagine the wither like a sharks fin sticking up - it must stay upright and not drift to the left or the right. If it drifts one way, use a nice elastic feel on the rein on that side, to move the nose a little that way, whilst indirect pressure from the rein against the wither takes the wither the opposite way - eg. horse falls onto right shoulder, the right rein has an elastic feel plus pressure towards the wither and the nose should go a little to the right whilst the wither goes a little to the left, re - straightening the horse. The rein should never cross the neck, but it can be helpful to think of neck - reining to get the idea. Check the quality of the rhythm, outline, straightness and fluency after a few corrections, and see if it has improved. Remember it is your responsibility not the horse's to prepare early enough! Have fun with this one! x

jessiexbetty

⇢friends share secrets, that's what keeps us close⇠

jessiexbetty

※breath, eat, sleep, wake up and do it all over again until one day, it's just not as hard anymore※