Rico and I had another lesson with Heidi this week! We decided to go through the whole Intermediare II test to see what it looked like. I haven't ridden a test for practice in YEARS. On Rico, the last time I practiced a full test in a regulation court was in 2009. I usually just wing it.
We didn't exactly do the whole thing, we kind of broke it down and stopped part way through to address the problems in the second half of the first pi/pa tour. But in the end we did do all of the movements, along with a metric fuckton of piaffe, passage, and pirouettes. Poor tired pony got a shower and the promise of a light ride tomorrow night.
Let me go through it for memorization purposes.
1. A enter collected canter
X halt
XC collected trot
- We're sticking with left lead this time, and I'm not allowed to touch the right rein lest he change, the asshole
2. C track left
HXF extended trot
FA collected trot
- These are getting SO GOOD! We might actually NOT get a 5 on them this show.
3. A down centerline
DG 3 half passes, 5 m to either side of centerline, beginning/ending to the right
C track right
- Heidi said that this would be a 7 with the comment "needs cadence"
4. Between R and B transition to passage
- We're planning to transition early since Rico sometimes is a step late so we don't want an ambiguous transition after B
5. BV on diagonal in passage
- I WILL keep my leg on through corners, it's possible
6. Crossing centerline piaffe 8-10 steps, 1m forward permitted
- The last part is key, let him go forward because we tend to stop if he doesn't keep going
7. In/out of piaffe (transitions)
- Yep, a separate score for transitions which is a big fuck you by the FEI to my horse in particular since he's taken to leaping out of piaffe right now
8. From piaffe VKA passage
- Turning is key here, we need to make it through the turn still passaging
9. A piaffe 8-10 steps
- Samesies
10. A transitions in and out of piaffe
- Ugh
11. AFP passage
- Almost done...
12. PS extended walk
- Rico's favorite
13. SHC collected walk
- Cue panicking riiiiiiiight now
14. C proceed in collected canter
CM collected canter
- And the hellish canter work starts
15. MXK medium canter
K collected canter and flying change
KAFP collected canter
- I have to remember to do the change on the diagonal, not in the corner
16. PX half pass left
X on centerline
- These are the steepest freaking half passes! I never noticed on Leo since he could basically do the splits but Rico thinks they're insane!
17. I pirouette to the left
C track left
- This was downright GOOD today, oh my goddd
18. HXF extended canter
- Flyyyyy Rico
19. F collected canter and flying change
FAKV collected canter
- That's what I'll be saying about now, FAKV!!
20. VX half pass to the right
X on centerline
- This one isn't as bad, he's got a decent right half pass
21. I pirouette right
C track right
- UGHHH this movement is only pirouette-like at the moment. Goal: get through it and don't lose confidence for the 2s
22. MXK seven two tempis
- This WILL be a 7 if I can do anything about it. Which I can. I need to remember that.
23. FXH eleven one tempis
- This will probably not happen so I just need to toss in eleven changes somehow and hope that some of them are ones
24. C colelcted trot
MXK extended trot
K collected trot
- This fucking downward transition is always so bad, today he just stopped. I had to pony kick him into trot, which he did off the bit with his head way off to the left as he spooked at something.
25. CM collected trot
KA collected trot
(also transitions included)
- They just want to let me really feel the shitty transition in my score, huh
26. A down centerline
Between D and L transition to passage
LI passage
- This has got to be a good score, but we'll be so tired.
27. I halt
- IT'S OVER!!
Overall I'm VERY nervous. I'm feeling confident in most of the movements, but I'm 100% sure that the ones and the right pirouette will get us. We'll see how reliable the piaffe is in the arena. I feel like we might have overdone it this week to be honest. Today he was just so tired in the piaffe.
I was thinking about scratching, I'm having problems with my left shoulder/elbow from pull-ups, and I'm just feeling like a bad score might blow my confidence a bit. However, Heidi said that there's definitely a chance I'll score in the 60s and honestly, what's the big deal of grabbing a 58 at this level? It's still motherfucking Intermediare II. On a horse I trained myself. On a horse who had surgery four years ago for a career ending injury that he wasn't expected to come back from. It hasn't even been a year since our Prix St George debut. The fact that we COULD score in the 60s is good enough for me.
Whatever happens this weekend, I'm happy to have this wonderful horse back from those injuries and cantering up centerline. Hopefully this time he won't add two tempis to it...
Bahaha! "FAKV!" That made me giggle so hard.
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty, that a hard fucking test and you guys are champs for completing it without losing your marbles. After all, this is just your first attempt to see what happens, you know your horse has a lot more in him than he's able to show right now. Don't get disappointed! :)
Yeesh, I don't know how you dressage riders remember all of your movements! That seems like a really hard test, but you have an honest handle on where you might score and how Rico will react, which I think is a great idea. You do have a lot to be thankful for, I don't think scoring a 58 on this TOUGH ASS TEST is something to get down about.
ReplyDeleteLots of good luck!! :)
OMG I almost peed myself laughing over your comments about this test!!!
ReplyDeleteOn a serious note, this is a HARD-ASS test, and this is your move-up show. Go out and kick some ass - sure, you don't have all the pieces 100%, but that's fine - if you did, you'd be moving up to GP already! Keep your faith in your pony, and know that we'll all the cheering for you virtually!