Dressage at Devon Preview

Shannon, groom, and Silva Martin, September 2009.

It's that time of year again: Dressage at Devon! Tomorrow I'm taking two young horses to the show. Uma is owned by Laurie Cameron and is a big, grey five-year-old mare. I love her: she's a beautiful mover. She had a foal and was broken in late, and because she has come so far I am going to take her in a materiale class.

I am very excited to say that Fendi is back in action. He cut his leg in the paddock so I chucked him out and let him get over the trip from Australia - some horses take a long time to acclimate and he was one of them. He's back and I have high hopes for him. He's also still for sale.

Jeff will compete in the CDI in the small tour and hopefully he will appreciate the arena more than he did in Saugerties! I've been working really hard with Jessica Ransehousen to turn him from a 20-hand horse into a 16-hand horse in the arena. He'll show Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Sealord will be showing Fourth level. He's been doing really well in the PDG but I felt he was still a bit green to do that level at this show. In fourth level he feels confident now. He should be great - and he may be the only Thoroughbred competing here. I'll bet he's the only ex-racehorse!

Concorde, owned by Jeff Anderson, has gone up the levels so fast and has been winning at Prix St. Georges. He is also doing Fourth level at Devon. He's a really good competition horse and is even better at shows than at home.

Wish me luck!

-Silva

Sunday at Plantation Field

Densey and Ron Juvonen, Silva and Boyd Martin. Photo by Amber Heintzberger

Minotaure du Passoir did fantastic this weekend - we jumped clear and he's looking like he might be prelim horse of the year for 2009, which has been a goal of Amy's and mine. He's got a couple more events on the calendar and I'm really pleased with him.

Remi (pictured at right) had one of his best dressage performances yet with a 45 and was as fast as he's gone around a three-star cross-country course yet. He show jumped well - they had a downhill combination with two verticals which is kind of his bogey so we had a couple rails but I'm pleased with him.

Shatzi has been going advanced but I just put her back to intermediate because she's a bit green and has been overjumping, so I will let her chill out the rest of the season.

Rock on Rose should have won her division but I had trouble getting her in the start box yesterday, which cost us about 30 seconds.

Neville's back in business and will do advanced at Morven.

Otherwise I rode sales horses in the prelim - Double Exposure has been going well but unfortunately I came into the coffin a bit quick and came off the side. Figaro is proving himself and I think I'll do a couple more prelims with him but my guess is he'll get sold in the next couple of weeks.

-Boyd

Cross-country at Plantation Field

Boyd on Shatzi W Photo by Amber Heintzberger

Boyd and Remington XXV are in second place going into the show jumping for the CIC*** at Plantation Field. But first he is taking on several fellow competitors in the bareback puissance jumping competition - starting at 4'! Be sure to cheer him on in this unusual and exciting event.

Stay tuned for more news from the event, and check out the live results here.

Plantation Field Dressage

Photo of Boyd and Remington courtesy of SJB '09

I had a pretty good day eventing at the Plantation CIC International horse trials in Unionville, PA. I am riding Remington in the 3 star, Rock on Rose in the Advanced, Shatzi W in the Intermediate, Minouture Du' Passoir in the CIC 1 star, Neville Bardos, Fernhill Figaro, Double Expose in the Preliminary.

All of the horses did well yesterday in the dressage. Today will be a tough day, as the cross country course looks like a real test.

Click here for real time scoring!

Join Boyd for the Bit of Britain Course Walk at Plantation Field

Be sure to join Boyd for the official Bit of Britain cross-country course walk at the Plantation Field CIC***, scheduled tentatively for 4:00pm on Friday - the first 50 people to show up get a free T-shirt from The Outback Trading Company!

Jump Clinic With Boyd: Novice Drop Fence

This is a great picture of a rider jumping off a Novice looking drop.

First thing first, the horse looks keen and forward thinking, and the rider really looks like she knows what she is doing... it’s a good start. There is not that much wrong with the whole look of the picture.

If you wanted to be really perfect, I would have the rider’s upper body position a bit further back. If she could take her shoulder blades and have them a few more inches towards her horse’s tail, it would make her a lot more secure if the horse stumbled on landing. If there is going to be a fall here, it will be over the horse’s shoulder, the stride after she lands from the drop. To help with this she could lengthen the reins about four more inches. This would mean that she would land with longer reins, but she would be more behind the motion.

I would also maybe suggest that the rider has her eyes up a little higher. Try not to look at the ground, but straight ahead.

And finally, I would maybe ask for the rider’s leg to be a touch more forward, and her heel pressing down a little more.

The basic rule of thumb here is: try not to get your horse to leap of the bank or drop, but rather dribble off the edge. Any fall that occurs her, is over the front of the horse, so stay back!!


-Boyd

Bid on Lessons with Boyd and Silva at the USEA Area II Training 3-day Auction

Click here to check out the USEA Area II Training Three-Day Auction website.
Be sure to bid on lessons with Boyd and Silva as well as other great stuff!