Unaffiliated Dressage @ Watt Meadow

Venue: Watt Meadow – Shareshill
Discipline: Dressage (Unaffiliated)
Test: Prelim 13 Judge Paul Stringer
Percentage: 62.5% Place: Not Placed (11th)
Discipline: Dressage
Test: Prelim 14 Judge: Paul Stringer
Percentage: 65.83% Place: 5th

ScabbyDonkey

Felt a bit mean pulling Finn out today – I haven’t really ridden much in the last week or so as I’ve been über busy at work.  Clipped her yesterday and the ‘scabby-donkey-syndrome’ looks worse than ever – all up her neck.  Anyway – she was bathed in dermolene and covered in Sudocreme last night and looks much better this morning…….  Fairly sure this is an allergic reaction to the Flowers of Sulphur – so have stopped this and will treat the skin for  a couple of days – if she’s no better will get Sue to have a look at her.
She felt ok working in – but it took a while to get her going forward confidently.  A couple of people commented on how lovely she was – but no-one mentioned anything about her scabby-donkey affliction!!!
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Prelim 13 – I thought that the test was not too bad – but the judge had other ideas. The judge’s comments were: “Lacking straightness at start of test through a lack of engagement of the hind quarters.  This did improve as the test progressed and you finished with some nice movements.  Let’s have the same from the start of the test please!”  One of the comments he made, that I was marked down on, was that my transitions on the circle were early.  The instruction for movement 3 is: [in  working trot]:  ‘A’ circle left 20 metres diameter and before X working canter left.  The instruction for movement 13 is: [in  working canter]: ‘C’ circle right 20 metres diameter and before X working trot.  I took this to mean anywhere on the first half of the circle before X; it seems that he was expecting ‘just before’ X.  Must ask Harry for his interpretation……..  
Prelim 14 – The judge’s comments were: “Active paces for which you have to give credit.  Tendency however, to come onto the forehand in the canter, or avoid the contact by tilting/swinging the head.  You worked round this and showed some pleasing work.”  Have never had comments about Finn’s head tilting or swinging – need to watch this then!  I did put the flash back on her as I had a comment in a previous test (Weston Park) about her opening her mouth – and I did feel she was resisting against this – so will remove it again……