Lesson Recap - 8/8/2024: Pre-show Prep

 Pyro and I are entered in a dressage show this weekend, so all of my focus has been on making sure we're both prepared. We're entered in the Training Level Test 1 Opportunity both days of the Indiana Dressage Society (IDS) Indy Dressage Fest. We've done this test A LOT, but I feel there's value in polishing it before adding more skills. 

Our last attempt was at the IDS schooling show in May

Last show, I didn't set Pyro up for success as well as he needed, and I battled a lot of show anxiety. He was unsettled in the buggy, isolated ring 3 of the Hoosier Horse Park, and I locked down on his back, blocking him from moving. 

Making a great first impression on the judge

In the past 3 months, I've made a better plan for preparing him and myself for the next time we enter the ring. He travels so well that I kind of took it for granted that he would just go out and ride like he does at home. I need to give him more time to take in the show grounds and become bored with it, so he can bring his focus back on me. He IS only 5 and in his second show season after all.

At least the judge said we were well turned out 😅

The panic attacks I had leading up to the show also spurred me to talk to my doc and make some changes to my anxiety medication. I'm happy to report what we tried has made a HUGE difference in my mental health and ability to cope with stress. Hooray for better living through chemistry!

Baby horse was good in spite of me

While every adult ammy wants to bring home a pretty ribbon, my goals going into this show are to execute my plan for preparing Pyro to do his best in the ring and managing my show anxiety. I want to add another layer of experience to our partnership, with a focus on building a horse I'll enjoy for many years to come. 

Starting to look like a dressage horse

Side note that I played musical bits with Pyro this week, trying to decipher if he'd be happier with something other than the HS KK Ultra we've been using since he's be so fussy with his mouth. (Gotta love changing critical pieces of tack a couple days prior to showing.) After the initial introduction, the Happy Mouth straight mullen loose ring seemed to be a winner. He was less fussy, reached to the bit more, and was more accepting of my aids. This really improved his focus too and made for some nice work. 

The winner, along with a couple other options

Focused and more steady

This improvement had me feeling really positive going into my lesson. To start out, I ran through my test for Coach JT. She had a couple tips to improve my riding of some movements, such as bending him into gathering up the reins after the free walk. I was concerned that the bouncing around in the contact he was doing was a problem, but she assured me that at this level, the judge is looking for acceptance of the bit (which we had) rather than being on the bit 100% of the time (which leads to the steadiness I noticed we sometimes lacked). 

The bit made a huge (positive) difference in our contact

The biggest improvement she wanted us to implement was slowing down our tempo, both in trot and canter. I've always tended to rush a bit, feeling like my horse gets behind my leg when I start trying to slow down. She had me work through the posting trot, standing for multiple beats before sitting for multiple beats, feeling out what my body had to do to make Pyro think about breaking to the walk. He found a lovely, relaxed trot on his own while I wasn't setting the tempo for us. 

Similar to the relaxed trot he found during lunging

It turns out I was unknowingly bracing with every post, keeping my legs internally rotated and knees pinched every time I sat, which didn't allow me to sit deeply. If I externally rotated my legs enough to remove the pressure of my lower thigh and knees, I was able to really sit and wrap my calves around his barrel. This was the feeling that made him think walk. When I applied that opening of my hips through externally rotating my legs every time I sat while posting, also making sure not to leg him on when I rose to the top of my post, we slowed our tempo to a trot where he was relaxed throughout his body and steady in the contact. Hooray!

No pictures from during the lesson, but he was able to step under himself with more relaxation

This lightbulb moment for my proprioception was huge, and I'm sure it'll take some practice and awareness to override my old muscle memory. With all of these tools and plans in my pocket, I'm actually feeling relaxed and excited (in a good way) about showing Pyro this weekend. This is a very new feeling, but one I'm sure I could get used to. 

Shiny boy after his bath and trim

I look forward to bringing the party to the horse park and providing a show recap after this weekend!

Stay clean-ish please!