Dynamic Duo Does Dressage, Show Report, Dressage at Full Circle Horse Park, March 2019

The Show
Dressage
Full Circle Horse Park
Pell City AL, USA
March 9, 2019

Milton
Class 3 – 2019 USDF Intro Test A (Walk-Trot) – Adult, 1st of 3, 68%
Class 4 – 2019 USDF Intro Test B (Walk-Trot) – Adult, 4th of 6, 68%

Highest score: 8, halt
Lowest score: 6, free walk

Results will be available at FCHP > Shows

The Summary
Overall, a noticeable improvement since the show in October [For This I Cleaned My Tack?]. Dressage ain’t never gonna be his thing, but ain’t never gonna be my thing either. Ground person says we got 90% to 95% of what we had at the last practice session before the show [Pre-Flight]. Anything over 80% of practice is gravy.

Rider homework report. I can’t recall making a concerted effort to squeeze smoothly, I was too busy looking for the next place to go. He went, so I must have used my legs aids somewhat appropriately. He did not shut me out, so I didn’t need to take dramatic action. I succeeded in getting him to bring his nose in during the various working walks so that they at least looked different from the free walks. I was all about the short reins. I pushed him to the outside with my inside leg on the corners and circles. I got my geometry right except for one point when I asked for deep corner and then remembered we were still on a circle. Screech, course correction.

The Stories
As the second ride of the day (8:36, thank you very much), I had a chance to walk past the judge’s hut before the show started. Back and forth. Look at hut. Think about hut. Back. Talk to judge who is standing outside, moving while she can. Forth. Fellow drives up. Gets out of truck carrying a cooler. Milton is fascinated with the cooler. Ears on high alert. He follows the cooler from truck to hut. He is rapt. Food-level rapt. Fellow enters judge’s hut. Appears at the open front of the hut.

Milton, spooks to the side, briefly contemplates hissy fit: Holy hut, Batman. How did that happen?
~~~
Three-quarters of the way through our second first circle in our second test, I’m using my inside leg to push him to the outside.

Milton, objecting; Hey, I’m working hard here.
Me: Yes. Yes, you are.
Milton, going back to work: Okay, as long as we’re both clear on that.
~~~
As we came across the short diagonal toward E, Milton saw his ground person/header. Driving horses learn to go toward their headers [BTDT: Hello?]. That’s the person who stands in front of the horse at a halt, usually with peppermints.

Milton: I’ll go to him.
Me: No, you have to turn. That fetlock-high white planking is a wall.
Milton: If you say so.
~~~
Milton becomes enamored of a chestnut horse with a trace clip off in the distance. Whether it was the horse or the racing stripes, I have no idea. He is riveted by this horse. Even more so than the cooler. Ears higher than I have every seen them. Not spooking, just staring. Gets mad when I try to walk in a circle that makes him turn his back to his new love. I give up and let him watch. Horse walks off behind the barns. Every time Milton glimpses the horse, he stares. After the rides, I walk him over for a meet-and-greet. She is a Quarter Horse/Belgian mare. Friendly and adorable. The owner stops a few feet from Milton.

Mare: Hello.
Milton, looking off into the distance: Sure. Whatever. She’s okay. I guess.

The Scores
Needs more activity. Yup
Needs more connection. Yup.
On the right track, Yay.

Update
[Dressage Called on Account of Rain, Show Unreport #1]
[Cross Country Called On Account of Rain, Unreport #2]
[Roll Call, The Many Names of Milton, Unreport #3]
[Pre-Flight Check, Dressage at Full Circle Horse Park, March 2019]
[Dynamic Duo Does Dressage, Show Report, Dressage at Full Circle Horse Park, March 2019]
[Dynamic Duo Does Dinky Jumps, XC Schooling, Full Circle Horse Park, March 2019]
[Dynamic Duo Does Digital, Show Photos, Dressage at Full Circle Horse Park, March 2019]
[The Next Rungs On Milton’s Ladder Of Success]
[Anxiety Dreams, A Sure Sign That Show Season Has Started]
[The Letters of Dressage]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott