If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail…
…or so the saying goes, so with our first Intro of the season at Tweseldown fast approaching this Sunday I have been preparing like mad!
My preparation includes…
- Pacing out 1 stride doubles until I know the “feel” for 7yds
- Practising tricky sections of the dressage test, working on straightness, rythm, collection, and nice square halts.
- Sorting/testing out my XC/SJ bit and being happy with it
- Jumping on grass with studs and new bit
- Organising my boots, bandages, drink containers, and general gubbins for the day
- Ironing shirts and stocks
- Making sure I jump in new XC hat silk before the event (more of a superstition than anything!)
- Timing my dressage warm up so I know how long to allow
- Visualising my dressage test, and crucially remembering it!
- Pulling Soap’s mane in prep for plaits on Sunday
- Cantering in a bouncey SJ canter for 3 mins with 1 stride trot changes to teach Soap to keep in a consistent SJ canter
- Washing, tack cleaning and plaiting etc still to do the night before
Soap’s preparation includes…
- Eating
- Drinking
- Farting
- Staring into the middle distance
I’ll let you know how we get on…
