End of June Analysis

It's been some hell of a week kids. Gogo is the only thing in the world going well at the moment. But she is oh-so-satisfying to just get on and forget about the rest of the world.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


June Goals:

1) Complete our AEC qualification requirements (one more event, obtaining a completion with no XC jump penalties)
SUCCESS!!! I consider this the greatest success of them all. Not only did we complete our AEC qualifications, but we went above and beyond by winning our last event at Groton House. I really can't believe our luck so far. I keep not wanting to say that because I'll jinx myself!!! The opening date for the AECs is at the end of this month, and we're all set to enter now that we have all our scores. SO. EXCITED.

2) Start to introduce new dressage concepts to her, and continue to ask for more moments of collection
Success!! While I'm not quite at the point of asking for more collection within a gait just by asking for it, I can do certain exercises and movements that develop it on its own, and it comes to us in increasingly long moments. She's getting stronger and more supple in both directions, and we really are getting some amazing moments. I've also reintroduced the concept of reinback to her, as well as walk pirouettes, which are difficult so far but she's starting to get the idea more and more. She's done it all before, of course, when I introduced it all to her as a youngster, but now it's time for finesse. And when the crazy trainer got to her, things like reinback became enormous sources of fear for her. Any backwards pressure on the reins - any contact at all really - sent her into a rearing panic. Now, we work on it a little bit every day and praise her lavishly, and she's come SO far.

3) Start fine-tuning our gallop speed and fitness via GPS
We've done the best we could with this. I've really only been able to use the GPS twice now, and once, it couldn't keep a signal. The other time that we did get to use it - and just barely, because it's been raining so much - I was interested to find that I was spot on for my 470mpm, but I was WAY slow for my 350mpm. Weird! I sped up a little bit, and have a better feel for it now. You'd think I could rate a regular canter by now, seriously!

4) Continue ironing out the kinks in our Novice test - transitions, freewalk
Working on it, always working on it! Our transitions have really sharpened up, and our freewalk isn't quite there yet but it's coming. It will take a long time, that's for sure!

5) Continue to strengthen and improve my position over fences, on the flat, and during gallops - there is always more to work on!
As I sai, there is always more to work on! But I think I've improved tremendously in my gallop position. However, my position over fences has faded a bit. I've been ducking and letting my leg swing, something that I thought I had eliminated. Apparently, I just haven't been practicing enough. More dilligent work is in order, I feel!




July Goals:

1) Place Top 5 at the Area I Novice Championships (my real goal is to WIN them, of course, but I know that that is a pompous goal to make and that I'll jinx it if I do!)
2) REALLY focus on my position over fences - stop that leg swinging and upper body ducking!
3) Continue to fine-tune our gallop speed and fitness via GPS, and, if possible, work at higher speeds over XC fences (not really a goal for this month, but definitely for next)
4) Continue ironing out the kinks in our Novice test - transitions, freewalk - and continue to work on more complicated Second Level movements (and develop collection further!)
5) Figure out exactly what I want from the month of August, our last large span of time before the AECs in September


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Boy I am exhausted. The mold guys came and found that there is a significant amount of damage to the apartment, so they need to gut it, tear up all the carpet, and completely replace a wall. Which sucks, because now Shannon and I are not going to have a place to live for a little while. We're thinking about borrowing someone's camper and live in that for two weeks, but man that SUCKS! Stupid handyman, flooding the house! My mold allergies are OUT OF CONTROL, and I've been sleeping on the couch (VERY poorly), and am completely mentally and physically exhausted. Couple all that with Alex problems, and my entire life is pretty much crap at the moment, except for Gogo. She's an excellent way to stay happy and sane in a trying time like this.

But life is still beautiful, no matter what happens to us all.