Horse&Rider’s Editor Nicky Moffatt
Anyone who owns a horse will be well aware of all the ups and downs it entails. Just when you think you’re getting somewhere, something falls apart and you have to take a big step backwards. Or, on a more positive note, just when you think it’s never going to get better, something wonderful happens and you’re on top of the world.
Well, last year was a bit like that for me and my Trakehner cross Hanoverian mare, Lucy. I have owned her for nine years, and we have had loads of fun together, working our way up the levels of dressage, with very few low patches – fingers crossed.
Last year, however, an accident in the school meant she had a few months off, With a sound horse once again, I was desperate to get back to my passion – the dressage arena – and I set about getting her fit enough to do so.
However, I also had another challenge on my hands. Pre-accident, Lucy and I had moved up a level in dressage – to Medium level – and I have to tell you, it was a huge shock! We had been doing quite well at Elementary, and I thought to myself “how much harder can one level up be?”…
The answer is, a lot! Our marks went down by at least two or three per cent and instead of finishing near the top of the class in the placings, we were finishing much nearer the bottom. Although I was keen to get back out competing, I was also dying to prove to the judges that my horse and I were capable of riding good Medium level tests!
The first outing was a disaster. It rained heavily all day, and when I went into the indoor school to ride my test, I couldn’t hear anything apart from the rain beating down on the roof! I was sure I’d heard the bell to signal the start my test, but I hadn’t, and we were eliminated. I was allowed to continue through my test, and Lucy was calm and obedient, but we didn’t get a score, so I was no closer to knowing whether we were going to ‘wow’ the judges with our comeback.
Two weeks later, I hacked Lucy through a muddy bridlepath to our local dressage venue . I got some strange looks from walkers, I can tell you, and I think people were impressed with the effort I’d made to go for a hack! I rode my test, and was relatively pleased with our performance, so leaving a friend to check my score, Lucy and I set off for home.
“63.5% and you were joint first,” my friend said. I couldn’t quite believe it! A few days later, I took Lucy out for a hack and she came home lame.
You just never know with horses!
Tags: arena, dressage, mare, medium, Trakehner cross Hanoverian
