Training Day 18: We're Official EGB Horse and Rider!

I jumped off for the down hill bits. Some we ran down together

   A faster ride than normal today. Now that Blaze is back in work she is very happy and subsquently full of beans, so we upped the anti today. We did walk trot and canter. Choosing long, but slightly gentelr hills to trot and canter up and along the top as well as a couple of steep ones at a walk.

   We did it completely bareback again and it look a little longer thani would have liked for me to 'go with the flow.' To start off with I kept coming off my balance point and found that i was having to put alot of energy and focus into my fluidity. Usualy my body flexes and moves with the horse and my balance is bang on, always moving with the horse in what ever direction and at what ever speed they do with ease. It's all very natural, I dont think about it, i just do it and we feel like one being. Its been a LONG while since iv ridden Blaze bareback and so this wasnt the case to start off with but my half way found i was trotting down hills, cantering along tracks and walking up near vertical slopes WITH Blaze easey peasey. Just by lifting my focus point up I felt myself come back on my balance point, and when I truely was sat back on my balance point my lower back rounded (not hollowed) my seat was anchored onto Blazes back, my hips and lower back flexed and moved with Blaze, my legs stopped bracing and the tension in my upper body disappeared. Once again using what the Parelli programme has taught me and using it as a set of diagnostics to work out which part of the equation was broken and needed fixing. Focus!

"Focus gives your Feel. Focus and Feel give you Timing. Focus, Feel and Timing give you Balance." -Pat Parelli

   When we got back Blaze was still blowing so we played some circling game at the walk when we got back to help bring her heart rate down before we called it a day.

EGB Membershhip Stuff!

   The ground it firming up nicely and so come first March i'll be able to put into place a proper training resigm! Including Hill work (like we've been doing,) Fartlek Training, Freestyle and Finesse (Schooling for those not Parelli,) Online play, and some long trail rides, a few hours long, that will incorporate all sorts of terrian and all 3 gaits, like a mini EBG Pleasure Ride. Let just hope that we're not due another 40 days and 40 nights of rain!!!

All of mine and Blazes Endurance GB registration stuff has come through the post so once again we are OFFICIAL members of Endurance Great Britian and the Offa's Dyke EGB group which is our local Endurance GB group that covers Hereforshire, Monmouthshire and Gwent.

   Me and Blaze have now officialy been upgraded to 'Open' (Intermediate) Level, its printed on all our registration stuff, our membership cards and our master card which is so exciting! Blaze's medal should be arriving in the post soon!

   Iv had flick through the Offa's Dyke Rossette and Trophey catagories and me and Blaze qualify to go for a couple of those too, so if we work hard and fingers crossed we might win one or two of those too!

         

Also I need to contact The Offa's Dyke group secretary as I want to know if me and Blaze are still entiteled to the rosettes that we were eilagible for when we competed in 2005. These being the Pandora Rosette- Presented to horses completeing atleast 240, 320 or 400 km in the currant season. Blaze clocked up 248 kms in just Competetive Rides alone, thats excluding Pleasure Rides! And the Junior Rosette- Riders aged 15 completeing any 3 EGB Rides. Well I was 12 and completed 7 EGB Competetive rides and many more EBG Pleasure Rides!