This week went by pretty quickly – time seems to be flying so quickly it’s kinda scary. The Kyra clinic was very educational to watch, I love how hands on she is with the riders. She is always right there, every step, explaining or physically showing you where to place your legs or hands which is something I really admire in a coach.
On Thursday, we ran through the PSG in preparation for our class on Saturday and it went really well. On Friday, Jan went to Denmark so I took an easy day and took Vitall through the forest to clear his head to prepare for Saturday. The chiropractor also came and he was pleased with Vitall’s muscle development and said I had done my homework well. I have been stretching Vitall after every ride and it is really making a difference. He noticed that his back muscles have really improved behind the saddle. One thing he noticed was that his chest muscles were a bit tight and sore because he is using them in a new way. His advice was to make sure I stretch him really gently and not to pull the muscles which can cause a tear.
We left at 8 am for Falkenburg, it’s a two hour drive north along the coast which is a very scenic. We were only staying at the show for one day which meant the horses had to stay on the truck all day. Vitall was not a happy camper and got really stressed out and tense. This is a good lesson for me to know that in future I have to make sure to get him a stall. The test went Ok. We got some 8s and some 4s. The weakness I need to work on is our centerlines. The trot out after the half he sometimes canters and those are stupid marks to throw away. In the 8m voltes he tends to swing out and run through my outside leg as a result of being stuck on the inside rain. Over the next few weeks, I am going to work on those simple little things to tighten up my marks for the Swedish Championships at the end of the month.
Jan did well riding Okeanus 1017 in the SB1 test and placed 2nd. He only had a few minor mistakes but he wasn’t concerned. He explained that we come to these shows as part of trial and error to see how the horses react to different things and different show environments.
This show was the first time in my life that I have competed without having my parents present and I was proud that I managed without them. I am so used to having them there for moral support because I tend to get nervous. This time I was so calm I kinda scared myself! While I still prefer having my parents with me, riding is something we all share as a family, at least I now know I can go through it on my own.
