May - A Profile with Deborah Carr-Davidson

Following my previous diary entry, all the girls and I set off for the long journey to The Winter Championships at Hartpury; Valla, me, Bramble and my good friend Debbie Stevenson. My husband, Colin stayed at home to look after the other horses, dogs and cats. Debbie is worth more than her weight in gold, she is my unpaid personal assistant, my groom, mentor, photographer, test reader, equestrian fashion guru and puppy sitter. Debbie takes most of the photographs for my diary, she is always there to share my successes and as a shoulder to cry on when things don’t go as planned.

After a five hour drive we arrived at Hartpury and gave Valla time to settle in before I exercised her. She was full of beans with the busy atmosphere and a crowded warm up arena caused her to become tense and very unsettled in canter. I remembered what I had learnt in my training, and worked her through her suppleness exercises. The following morning I got up at 6am to take her on the arena walk, I could still feel that she was tense and on her toes, but when I warmed her up for the test she had relaxed and was calm and listening to me. After a good entry up the centre line in her test, she started to run out of steam and lost impulsion. I felt that there was no petrol in the tank and I could not produce the sparkle in her paces which I know she could produce. She never put a foot wrong, but I think she was starting to feel tired from the previous day of travelling. Loss of marks for her medium paces gave her an overall percentage of 64%, which put her just one mark out of the top 15 places we were aiming for. I was disappointed, but as Debbie pointed out I can try to qualify again next year with help from my Look4horses training bursary.

After a long journey home and a few days rest, I then had a training session with Patsy Bartram. I had a lesson on Rhapsody, who has taken a back seat lately. We worked on his basic movements required at medium level, including lateral work in trot and canter. Patsy was pleased with his suppleness and the contact we were achieving, but he needs to be more in front of the leg and not make me work so hard. We finished with some flying changes, which I need to work on this year to move him up to advanced medium level. Rhaps has his own way of producing a flying change; he leaps in the air several times, eventually landing on the new lead. But they have improved recently and my aim by the end of the year is to compete him in an advanced test, and so I can achieve my ambition to compete in top hat and tails.

Patsy felt my session with Louise Broom had improved my position, so the help I have had from my training bursary is paying off. Having the sponsorship from Look4horses has made me focus on my aims and put everything I can into achieving my goals. I want to do my best, to show how grateful I am for the help my sponsors are giving me.

My aim this year is to qualify Valla again for the freestyle to music championships, at novice level and also at elementary level. As I am representing Look4horses I want to give a good performance in the arena. Alan Tulpin of Freestyle Music Design is working on providing me with a bespoke music arrangement. The quality and professionalism of the music arrangement, which Alan will supply, will improve my overall freestyle performance and increase my artistic marks, to help me achieve my goal.

I have also started on some ridden work with Bolero, including some hacking out with another horse for company. My aim is to have her ready to compete by the end of the year and I will have some training with her in a few months time. Having three horses to train this year is going to be hard work and I would like to thank my sponsors, Look4horses, for the help they are giving me towards this.

April - Training Update and a little bit of shopping too

Having the Look4horses training bursary has given me the opportunity to try some new trainers. I had a lesson from British Dressage judge Jo Graham, who firstly just assessed me riding Valla whilst working in. Jo worked on Valla’s suppleness, firstly in front of the saddle by neck bending whilst keeping Valla’s body straight and then with leg yielding exercises. As a result of making Valla suppler, she was able to step under more with her hind legs and come up in front.

I then booked a training session with Margot Tiffany, as she had recently judged Valla at Northallerton, so I knew she would have some good advice for me. I soon felt that we built a good two way rapport, with me feeding back to Margot what I was feeling, especially when it was going well. Margot initially worked on me getting Valla in front of the leg, by riding forwards and back within the pace and through transitions. Once I had Valla pushing from behind we worked on suppleness, starting with the walk. On a circle I had to push Valla’s quarters out, first with inside bend, then with outside bend. Margot explained that this made her work over the back as she stepped under her body with the inside hind leg. This is especially important with a mare, as they tend to be long in the back. We then did some canter poles, which was a first for Valla, unlike her mother, who is a good jumper, she has never shown any aptitude for jumping in any way. After a few unsure moments, the canter poles helped Valla become more uphill and use her back in the canter work. We then worked on getting her to shorten the trot but keeping the hind legs quick, so that Valla worked up into self carriage. Margot made the same comment as Paul, in that Valla is a big young horse and her strength to carry more weight behind will take time to develop. Margot said Valla had a lovely trainable temperament and said that she had enjoyed the session; which I took as a nice complement. I booked another training session with Margot, just before going to the Winter Championships.

The following day I gave the horses a day off out in the field where, especially Rhaps, they enjoyed getting very muddy.

I set off to spend some of my hard earned cash buying some navy jods to match my Look4horses jacket. I couldn’t decide between the dark blue checks or the lighter blue, so I bought both. A new girth for Valla and a blue diamante collar for Bramble. After all, a girl cannot have too much bling. And she is a ‘Celeb’ now she has been in the Equestrian Plus Magazine.

April - Assessing my rider position

After our training sessions with Paul Hayler and Patsy Bartram, I decided to test our progress at Northallerton Equestrian Centre. It was a windy day and the test was outside. But Valla behaved beautifully and won the Novice Open class with a score of 67.9%. The venue has a nice friendly relaxed atmosphere and Bramble was even given a broken sausage from the nice lady in the café.

The training I have had recently, thanks to Look4horses, has certainly helped to improve Valla’s overall way of going and this was proven by the increase in our percentage, compared to the percentage we achieved in February, before our training.

Although we had a successful day, I felt our performance in the arena has been inconsistent for the last few months. Willerby Hill Competition Yard, kindly accepted a late entry from me for the following weekend. We had a day of rain there, but luckily the venue has two indoor arenas and a covered warm up arena, so we didn’t get too wet. Valla was very calm and obedient, except for a break in the counter canter, and she won both tests. I felt the work I have done in my training has helped with her suppleness.

My aim now with my training is to work on improving our marks, so that the good marks are more consistent throughout the test. Paul Hayler came to the area again in March and I took Valhalla on both days. On the first day we worked on the scales of training. Valla has a good basic rhythm and I need to maintain this and take care not to push her too much so that she loses balance and rhythm. I need to maintain the impulsion and take care to encourage her to push from behind and come up in her shoulders instead of just going faster, which pushes her onto her forehand. I also need to be aware of not asking for too much bend, as this allows Valla to load her weight on to the outside shoulder, which then prevents her from coming up in front.

On the second day, we ran through the test which I am doing at the Winter Championships. Paul said it was good, but to take care not to rush the tempo in the trot, so I can keep her balanced and pushing uphill.

Having the training bursary has given me the motivation to really work on my position. Patsy has noted in my training sessions that I do not always sit level and tend to carry my head to the left. If I am not sitting with my weight distributed evenly, I cannot expect my horses to be straight. As a consequence of these observations, I arranged a Rider Assessment session with dressage rider and sports physiotherapist Louise Broom. The rider mark in a dressage test is important and if I can improve this, it will help my aim to achieve a higher dressage score. Thanks to look4horses, I have the funds available to help pursue my goal. Louise assessed my riding position using computer technology and a pressure sensor on a mechanical horse, called George. The computer screen clearly showed that I was putting more pressure on my left seat bone. Louise also assessed from the video of me sitting in trot and canter that I need to work the position of my pelvis independently from my upper body. I tended to tilt my pelvis forward, push my ribcage backwards and hollow my lower back.

After some exercises with Louise, which included work on ‘Zippy’, who is a model horse which moves like a gym ball as the rider moves their weight, I was reassessed on George. The screen showed that I was now sitting straighter and with my weight evenly balanced. Louise was amazed at how quickly I had corrected my position. She gave me exercises to continue at home, both on and off the horses. I must work on absorbing the movement of my horses up and down, by using my body like a spring and keeping my upper body still and not by moving my middle forwards and backwards, as I have been doing.

The next day I tested what I had learnt from Louise whilst riding Rhapsody. Rhaps felt amazing, I could not believe how well he went, just by me riding in the correct balanced position, but I had to concentrate very hard on what I was doing with my body.

It was lovely to receive a jacket and a saddle cloth from Look4horses. Since they arrived I have been wearing them for all my training sessions and at competitions. I have also had a short article printed in our local newspaper, which has a weekly Equestrian News page. My husband jokes that next time the phone rings, it will be Hello magazine!

Photo courtesy Louise Broom.

March - My training begins, first step working on suppleness

At last, after the weather caused cancellations of training, I have been able to utilise my Look4 horses training bursary. I have just been on a two day clinic with Paul Hayler. As Rhapsody is still building up to normal work, after his strained fetlock, I took Valhalla on both days. The first day we worked on suppleness with exercises such as shoulder in on a circle, followed by leg yielding out. I had to keep Valla stepping forward and under with her inside hind leg. This really paid off, and she started to really push from behind and swing through her back. I felt that we were both a little rusty, from not having any training for a few months, but Valla improved throughout the session.

The following day Paul was impressed with how well she was going right from the start. We did leg yield and shoulder in and then worked on Valla’s canter, with small circles and counter canter exercises. Valla worked well and I felt her really going forward in front of my leg.

The sessions reminded me to push for a little more and not treat Valla like a four year old baby anymore. She is very willing and stronger now and I should not be afraid to ask for more.

A slow start for January

February - January was a slow start with training and competitions cancelled due to the weather. I am lucky enough to have access to an indoor arena, so I have kept my horses working. But I have unfortunately missed having any training prior to The Regional Championships.

At the time of writing, Rhapsody has slightly strained a fetlock, so is in light work and his Regional Championship is on hold at the moment. The heat has gone from the joint and he may be fine to enter the Northern Regional Championship at Willerby Hill, as he has qualified for the Medium Freestyle to music, but I would rather forfeit the championship if I am not 100 percent certain he is fully recovered. He is a real character and a bit of a ‘live wire’ so he is not taking to ’light work’ very well. He more than likely gained the injury leaping about in the field.

Valhalla, who will be six in April, was entered for the North West Regional Championship at Myerscough, in the Novice Open Freestyle to music class. I have new music, a medley of Shadows tunes, so I plan to hire a local arena to practice my freestyle test to this music in a full size arena. I know the competition will be strong at the Regional Championship. I am working on improving the quality of Valla’s paces, which I hope the new music will help, as it is slightly livelier than the previous music I used for her last year. I need to ensure her transitions are through from behind, as she tends to shorten her steps in a downward transition, instead of stepping under with the hind legs.

I am booked on a Paul Hayler clinic. If Rhapsody is fine by then, I will take both my competition horses for training. If not, I will just take Vallhalla. Paul is coming again in March and Patsy Bartram, my other trainer, will also be visiting the area sometime in March, so my training will hopefully be back on track and I will be able to utilise my Look4horses training bursary. I have also started to lunge Bolero, who will be four years old at the end of July. I have found that a short 15 minutes lunge every other day is working well for her. She can be a little opinionated, so this keeps her attention and is helping her to accept her work as part of her routine, without putting any pressure on her. I did back her last year, so I am just keeping her ticking over until the spring when I will start on her ridden work.

I have also joined a Pilates class, to help strengthen my core stability. I am only 5 foot 2 inches so riding two large horses and all the work mucking out etc, takes it’s toll on my back. My osteopath recommended some type of other exercise to strengthen my back muscles and Pilates is recognised my many riders to help improve balance and position in the saddle.

So, hopefully both my horses and I will be fit and ready for the year ahead.