Beauty aka "The Beast"

[happilyeverafter]

I'm part of a contest on ARF about winter projects and such, mine is kind of not really serious, because the title is

"from backyard pony to dressage pony extraordinaire!"

Anyway, I figuerd I'd start one of these and put all my entries in here too.

That way you guys can watch us progress as well.

[happilyeverafter]

UPDATE: January 14th 2006


My dressage lessons start on Friday, January 27th! I also think I'm going to be doing a clinic with Ruth Koch sometime in February.

I rode today and Beauty was AMAZING. She didnt spook at all, and was really good working around the poles (she is terrified of them).

Turning her and manouvering around the arena is becoming SO easy. She is such a great pony to ride!

Very very proud- she is now picking up a frame on her own, and holding it for a couple of seconds. Other then that, she rarely tosses her head anymore, and goes around really calmly, relaxed and happy.

I didnt get any pictures today, but I am hoping I will get some more soon!

[happilyeverafter]

Update: January 21st
I rode this afternoon with a couple of my friends.

Beauty was really really good. She didnt spook at all and we even rode down in the "scary end" of the arena.

Today we worked on her canter which is alright, but I find she leans a lot to the inside and doesnt use her hindend very much.

Working on her canter is my plan for February/March. I'm planning on doing lots of transitions, circles, changing direction, simple changes etc etc.

[If anyone has any suggestions how to work on her canter that would be great].


There is a dressage outreach clinic on feb 11/12 with Annaliese Farber, so I'm hoping to go in that and get some help.

Our show season is set to start in May this year (usually it doesnt start until Canada Day Weekend) so I'm hoping that will give the Beast and I more opportunities to get our and about.

Also- there are 2 dressage championship shows planned for september and october so hoepfully we will make it into those as well!

Wish us luck!

Gill and Beauty

[happilyeverafter]

Okay so I decided to get those pictures up and running so you guys could see progress


These are from the last week of November:


Not too shabby- if I could just get my eyes up! (but she's sooooooo pretty! )


Oh relax your head silly Beast!


My favorite picture of all time! Yay poners!


Our crazy canter...oh my

[ January 25, 2006: Message edited by: **Happily Ever After** ]

[happilyeverafter]

Update: January 28th
I rode the Beast today, but only for like- a half hour?

Regardless, she was amazing.

Two minor spooks, which were really more like "oh wow whats that?", so they didnt really bother me at all. Her trot was really nice and comfortable today, and she was responding really well to my aids!

Only worked her w/t because I didnt have much time, but she was really really well behaved!

Wooeee!!


I would've gotten pictures except everyone who was there was riding (all 4 of us ), so no one could play photographer.

Will try again for next weekend! Promise!

[happilyeverafter]

UPDATE: February 11
I had a lesson today Whoopeee!! My first official lesson in over a year! Wow.

Anyway- I rode the Beast with my friend and her pony. We did w/t/c work and then she started doing trotting poles while I started working on leg yeilding (Beauty doesnt do poles/jumping...she is terrified of it!)

My leg yeilding went alright. We practised both directions, going from 1/4line to the track and the track to the 1/4line, at walk and trot.

Beauty did really well! She was much straighter when we were going towards the 1/4line instead of the track- but that is something I will work on, on my own time.

Pony was also doing a lot of framing today! Yay!!

Her canter wasnt too bad. It is sooo hard because she gets very wound up and really unbalanced.

I found that when we were doing leg yeilds, I'd put my leg on to ask her to move over and instead she would go faster. Jess had me half halting and flexing with my reins and such and that helped. We still need to practise tho!

If I can get her canter going nicely, then we might be able to do level 2 dressage tests come summer time! That would be really exciting, as I was expecting to only be able to do the w/t ones for 90% of the season.


My friends were taking pictures during the lesson, so when they get the pictures online I will post them

[happilyeverafter]

I decided to post some pictures from when I first started riding the Beast, so you guys will be able to see what progress we have made in almost 10 months:














Keep in mind these are OLD! hahah we dont suck that much anymore

[happilyeverafter]

UPDATE: Pics from yesterdays lesson!

Thanks k.bowen!!! Beauty is (guesstimated) at 10 or 11 years old. She's my baby girl so of course I think she's gorgeous too

haha

Anyway, here are the pics:







[ February 12, 2006: Message edited by: **Happily Ever After** ]

[happilyeverafter]

wow those cantering pics above are crazy ahha

Here are the rest:





and my personal fave:



I'm so proud of pony- I hope you guys can see the difference in from just a couple of pictures.

Perhaps I'll get someone to take a video next week!

[happilyeverafter]

UPDATE: Febraury 18th 2006

Well, our dressage career is well on its way

Today I rode the Beast for 45 minutes.

Our coverall arena was ripped in a recent windstorm, so it was fairly windy and scary in the arena, but Beauty only spooked once! I was so proud of her

During our ride we did walk and trot (no canter, I didnt want to take a risk with the scary arena), and we also practised our leg yeilding and turns on the forehand.

Our leg yeilding wasnt very good today I think that is something my coach is going to have to help me with!! We got a couple of really good steps, but I need help getting her more consistent.

On the other hand, our turns on the forehand were absolutely awesome! She is really catching on quick!

We did 6 or 8 TotFH and by the end of it she was doing really really well.


Looking for suggestions now-

What is the best way to be teaching lateral work...I mean, in what order? I'm guessing leg yeilding is a good place to start, as that is what my coach started me on, but what things should I start practising when I'm not in a lesson?

[Becca]

wow.. Beauty i swear is a CLONE of my baby jackie mare here. too bad my pictures turned out blurry/black i'll have to post pictures on saturday or something to show you how much they look alike!

[Sarah]

Looks like things are going well

[beauradical]

She;s so cute and stumpy, and furry and pretty and cute again. good luck!

[happilyeverafter]

UPDATE: March 18th 2006
Okay, so after not riding for nearly a month I *finally* took the Beast out for a ride.

I was assuming she'd live up to her name and be pretty rotten, but she actually surprised me.

She was incredible!!!

We did w/t/c with no problems at all. No major spooks (a couple of little things but really nothing so bad I actually remember them!) and nothing -otherwise- that was particularly bad.

She did a lot of head tossing today when we were halted (/trying to work on turns on the forehand) but I'm not really worried about that because I havent ridden her in forever so she's probably forgotten some little things like that.

Her ground work needs some refreshing, but again, nothing I'm concerened about.

Today was weird tho- I was asking her to turn on the forehand and instead she side passed 3/4's of the way across the arena. It was very very cute

I shall have to start riding her western a bit..she is actually very good at it!

I dont have any pictures of us riding, but I do have a couple of her out in the snow, so I'll post them later

[happilyeverafter]