Solitaire Dressage Camp

I had another great weekend working with some of the Solitaire Riders and would like to extend special thanks to the team at Higgidy for supplying us with delicious quiches to help feed the riders and their supporters! Special thanks to Tracey at Midway Media for the photo shoot and live lesson filming- do contact Tracey to discuss professional filming at your event.
Here are some rider reports in their own words...

Nicola Crowther "A thoroughly enjoyable weekend , set in the beautiful surroundings of SolitaireHQ. A very worthwhile exercise for myself and Basil as he learns to cope with training in different environments, we gained a lot at the time and obtained plenty to work on until we meet again in a couple of weeks at Addington."

Rachel Crook "This was the second time I'd brought 6 year old Indy to Alison's yard and I was very pleased how settled she was and how quick to knuckle down and work.
We have been working hard at home to get Indy more forwards and responsive to the leg using some of Alison's exercises plus increasing the amount of oats in her feed. Alison very quickly noticed Indy's increased willingness to go forwards into a contact as we warmed up so we decided we would start some exercises to teach Indy simple changes, required for elementary level.
Working first on a 20m circle we did multiple trot canter trot transitions insisting firmly on an immediate reaction to the aids for canter. We found this hard to start with until Indy had some encouragement from my schooling whip coupled with much shorter reins. She soon understood I meant business. We then moved onto a harder exercise where we cantered a half 10m circle on one rein trotted a few strides then cantered a second half circle on the other rein. Although I had to use as much leg as I could muster, to my surprise Indy managed to do the exercise correctly albeit not prettily and it felt like a real achievement.
To finish the lesson we worked on getting medium trot strides. I needed to educate myself as to what these feel like on Indy as she is very different from Sebastian whom I have ridden for over ten years. Alison videoed us to convince me that we were actually producing some medium trot strides. I have now got to practice how to get them at home and trust Indy to deliver.
All in all a very good hard working lesson which resulted in a very hearty appetite later for both me and the horse"

Helen Francis "What a great time both myself and horse Rose Petal had at the Solitaire Camp. It really suits us that we can have 2 lots of intensive training sessions per day -we learn more in one weekend than we do all month at home on our own.
I feel ready for our next challenge, competing at the Pet Plan Area Festival, which before the weekend was a bit of a daunting prospect. We even touched on rider nutrition often overlooked by many riders as an important part of their competition preparation. We need good nutrition as well as our horses! Plus it's easier to achieve than you think with new handmade produce such as Higgidy quiches ( which were yummy! )
Thank you Alison and the Solitaire Team."

On Location

We have had a busy few weeks with Freddie playing his part modelling with Vivian Chang. Fred also travelled with us to the Higgidy Quiche headquarters where we collected essential supplies for the second Solitaire Dressage Camp. We stopped off at the beach too though Fred was not impressed with the waves. By the time we returned home to prepare for camp Fred retreated for a well deserved nap!
I enjoyed our beach walk and as luck would have it found an old penny, this struck a chord with me- my grandfather had collected old pennies and the odds of stumbling across one on a stony beach particularly when I was not looking would have been long - a poignant moment bringing with it fond memories.

Ten things we miss about you...

Darling Archie, no more pain my boy, we are all grieving and holding on tight to the wonderful memories and character you shared. Miss you madly.
1) miss you pattering around the house to signal morning and making eye contact , tilting your head wagging your tail.
2) miss you sharing the chair, ears up waiting for the day to begin.
3) miss you sitting by the washing machine telling us its time to go outside and hang it on the line , the grin on your face as you mooched about setting up diversions for Fred to chase rabbits or toads or other mischief.
4) miss you bouncing a ball asking us to play
5) miss you waiting by the door whilst we do morning stables and your excitement when we come back in.
6) miss you in the car, your GPS telling us if we make a wrong turning and oh how many journeys you knew and travelled with us- listening to Bryan if you got fed up, stopping along the way if you spied a park or w you fancied...
7) miss you explaining to Fred that everything would be ok no matter what and giving us the same reassurance - a heavy weight on your shoulders at times I know - thank you little man
8) miss you woofing in a car park to guide us back when we forget where we parked
9) miss you on the yard at evening stables and bouncing along at last walk before bedtime
10) miss you everywhere all the time - you are cherished and loved and here still in our hearts- we have been growing flowers and you have pottered around the pots sniffing and waiting for flowers-a poppy bloomed this morning cue more tears though the desperate feelings are less sharp and the happy warmth and courage you gave me is returning just as though you were here, snuffling reassuring letting me know all would be well. Miss you Archie x

Summer keeps getting better at Solitaire HQ

I've had a brilliant few weeks. Jack and I returned to competition at Addington and Aston Le Walls and found our feet in the arena once again presenting show favourites M61, M69 and M75 which we both enjoy as it has clear patterns and gives us a chance to show the exercises we use in training at home. One or two oops moments with a super change after the half pass which I probably should not ride at home unless we are doing advanced medium however it was my mistake as I was thinking left rather than counter canter and Jack obliged. It was a simple mistake and he changed straight back when I asked him to. I am pleased to be back in the competition and hail, heat and horse flies did not stop me smiling.
We have been hiring a super horsebox through Stable Quarters Horsebox hire and not only is the box first class the customer service is unsurpassed and makes the whole journey run smoothly there is even a great radio and CD player so Jack has been chilling with Michael Buble and Bruno Mars - I watch him on the CCTV and he looks out of the windows enjoying the journey!
It's been a fabulous summer of sport so far and being a Rugby Fan the Lions Tour has had me on the edge of my seat willing them to claim the series. At the coaching camp at Solitaire HQ this weekend riders and supporters gathered in my lounge to cheer them on to a series victory before getting onto the series business of a goal setting workshop.
The visiting horses, Petal, Indy and Basil all made themselves at home quickly whilst Jack and Marmalade welcomed them with interest. I enjoyed seeing the horses develop in confidence and ride-ability as the weekend progressed. It was hot and so we worked for two short sessions on Saturday with the horses being washed down and retiring to the stables to relax in between. It worked well and all the horses offered improved work in the second session on Saturday and again on Sunday morning. Horses and riders worked hard and as a coach the sessions went quickly too though I'm tired today!
On Saturday evening I returned to the arena to give a ridden demonstration with Jack to show how I use my aiding system and to explain how I build and maintain my partnership with Jack. This was fun and Jack loved the attention, once the show and tell was finished I tucked him up for the evening with extra apples before joining our guests for a summer BBQ . It was a fabulous evening with great company. Back to training on Sunday morning with test practice and arena craft before a leisurely lunch then the riders headed home. Plenty of time to watch the tennis, enjoy Sunday evening stables and then thoughts turned to the following week with lots to look forward to and an overwhelming sense of pleasure at settling in and making plans.

Found at Waitrose!

Yum- I found the Innocent Smoothies Peach and Apricot and its delicious - a taste of Summer. Also picked up a Higgidy Quiche and Yeo Valley compote and noughties! Just got to find Cadbury Strawberries and Cream and the horsebox will be well stocked!

A few photos from Solitaire HQ May / June

Summer Fun in the Sunshine

Oh how I love the long days of Summer and the blissful evenings. Jack and Marmalade spend the day in the field before coming in and enjoying a little nap before I ride. The opportunity to walk out to the stables and tack up to go to the school or meander out for a hack is making this summer so special. Last night Jack and I went exploring after we had completed a schooling session and the country lanes stretched before us in the evening sun. Jack was thoughtful and swinging along in a rhythmical walk that made me smile and the only thing he was surprised by was the sun glistening on the lake just visible from the lane but he was grown up and polite about it and marched on exploring his new territory.
Jack has interrupted his day job of eating grass to model for the Equetech AW13 brochure. It was a lot of fun persuading him to pose alongside the model rather than trying to hog the camera. He was very attentive to the cameras and more than happy to walk between the equipment, lighting and flash. Proper professional poser!
Jack also has picked up a less desirable skill of pulling shoes off on the field - a habit that's trying my patience and I'm sure is pushing farrier Tim to his patience limits. As long as I can keep him wearing his dancing shoes my plan is to make our long anticipated return to competition!
On the coaching front it's an exciting time at Solitaire HQ with a Summer Dressage Camp and regular Dressage Anywhere filming / coaching days. I'm also busy helping my riders plan their competition schedule and training plans.
Meanwhile as a spectator there are lots of interesting events, The Lions Tour, The Global Champions Tour and closer to home The Wellington Premier League.

Warm Welcome to Spring

Today was glorious! Horses, humans and dogs all turned to sun worship and life felt good. We turned the horses out in the field without their rugs and I'm pleased to report they rolled and galloped and rolled before settling to eat and sunbathe- soaking up the precious feel good rays that make life sweet.
Tired but happy horses came in and basked in the evening sun streaming into the stables content just to be whilst I prepared their feeds. A blissful day for me to relax and recover from a physio session yesterday .
Work and training can wait for tomorrow - I took this photo of a happy Jack.

Fun filled week of training

I have enjoyed the last week training with Jack very much! We have always been close and this week has been varied with us hacking in the sunshine -a real celebration of surviving what has felt like a long winter! We have worked over poles in trot and mainly canter as Jack gets very excited at the slightest hint of jumping. Today we worked on simple trot canter trot patterns in a test size arena focussing on suppleness and expression in the paces.
I think that Jack is happy at home where we have a relaxed yet consistent routine and I feel positive and calm too in the saddle at least. I have a simple core stability and stretching routine and this is paying dividends to my sense of security, balance and symmetry in the saddle- thank you Phil Pask!
Today Jack and I found a new understanding and I was able to influence him in the transitions using my seat and back so that the feel I was given was of the magic mix of power and balance creating fluid light wow transitions. We both had smiles on our face and walked off on a long rein with Jack inspecting the new lambs, fledging almost ready to bloom daffodils and with a threatening gust of wind we returned to the yard. Safely undercover we shared a moment of triumph at being indoors when the heavens opened and delivered hail. I can't wait to ride again tomorrow :)

My Blog Revisited

Goodness it's hard to comment on how long it is since I last posted on this blog without falling back on cliches . So instead with a view to focussing forwards I thought I would talk about what's coming up in 2013.
Before I do that I must mention a few key events that impacted on Solitaire Dressage since I last wrote.
I moved from BFEC and on to a private yard, I injured my wrist in a non equine incident and following surgery in early 2012 I began the long road to recovering function. I lost my beloved mare McGinty's Dream and welcomed Marmalade to the family to act as  Jack's companion. I visited Greenwich and watched the Team Olympic Dressage with friends. At the end of 2012 we relocated to the area I grew up in and settled once more in a cottage with super equine facilities- here we are in 2013 poised to return to the competition arena.

In 2013 I'm training my horses for dressage competition and working with a super group of riders who enjoy flat work and jumping. I coach in Oxon, Bucks, Northants, Warks and London so do get in touch if you would like to train with me. I coach riders of all ages and abilities and really enjoy helping riders build a partnership with their horse. I work with leisure riders as well as competition riders and teams- I aim to make lessons fun and help riders progress.

I'm looking forward to reporting on our progress and sharing my news here and on Facebook via Solitaire Dressage. You can also follow me on Twitter as SolitaireDTM.