# More Tandem Fun!!



## MiniHGal (May 25, 2011)

Hi all,

I wanted to share with everyone my last big show for at least the next year. Starting in June, I begin my last year in vet school--the clinical year. Obviously, there is no way I will be showing during clinics, so this is, temporarily, the last one for a while!

We went Intermediate Tandem VSE at the Vineyard Classic CDE in Woodland, CA. It was two weekends ago, but I've been quite busy...so you are getting the pictures now. It was a three day CDE, so pretty busy (and long)!

Dressage was good. The girls were pretty nice and forward. Because they are very different in style, type, and movement strengths, they can be difficult to synchronize, especially for walks and collected work. Peeks can collect down to nearly a piaffe...Fas finds collection much harder. Fas has a huge walk, Peeks has a very nice, rhythmic, correct walk, but not nearly as big. But, somehow, we pulled it off and got a 48 in dressage, with a "Just wonderful" on judge comments from one judge!

A note on our 'turnout'....yes, I am 'mixing metals' because the Comfy Fit breastcollar works better than the California soft collar for the tandem wheeler--shorter length to the trace buckles from the front of the horse. But, it is a CDE, and I was using it for more important reasons than presentation. Plus, if you shine up the brass really well, it gets harder to tell which is which! 

Thursday warm up. Peeks just floated out there in front. Since it was warm up, I like to ask my horses to stretch and work through their backs for the work out. I don't drill too much once I have them working nicely. Peeks is doing a lovely example of what I like to work on for warm up.







Friday dressage:

Working trot.






Lengthened trot. This was just after I finished undoing Fas from Peeks' leader rein (she caught her bit over the rein). I had to do some fancy rein handling to get that undone, stay on track, and get them to lengthen across the diagonal! I'm not sure what my groom heard, but it probably wasn't pretty.  That rarely happens to us, but is a risk when using a liverpool (or other shanked bit) that doesn't have a slobber bar (which come with their own risks). I did not have success in finding rubber tubing to substitute, but that would have helped. Peeks thought that meant she was really supposed to stretch. But then you can see that her front end is elevated--a true lengthening.






Collected trot.






After dressage is done, going up the driveway to go back to the barn.






Unfortunately, I have no pictures of marathon. But, it was a lot of fun. Only in one hazard did we have a tandem moment, when Peeks backed off just enough that I couldn't 'speak' to her, and Fascination decided that she had had enough of following somebody else around. But we sorted it out and had speedy times for the rest.

More in next post!


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## MiniHGal (May 25, 2011)

Cones!

Gate #1:






With a very ambitious leader. Peeks was extremely forward for cones, and every once in a while she got a little too much in draught.






Through a serpentine.






And at the end of the event...whew!






A close up of Peeks, because she is just so happy getting to trot out front and do none of the work (well, not true, she pulled up some of the hills).






I hope you enjoyed our adventure! Of course, we came home with the blue in our class....but that isn't the point of showing an intermediate tandem!

Thanks!

Breanna


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## Margo_C-T (May 25, 2011)

Outstanding, Breanna---just outstanding! I came to the 'world' of CDE late, so for a variety of reasons I will never be a competitor, which makes it even more of a joy to be able to enjoy it vicariously through the likes of you! What a great job you've done training your 'girls' to be the 'real deal'! Congratulations, and thanks for providing us all with the pleasure of following/viewing you and them!!

Margo


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## CZP1 (May 25, 2011)

What wonderful pictures! Peeks moves like a Grand Pre horse. You look wonderful and congratulations on your dressage score. Thank you for sharing.


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## Performancemini (May 25, 2011)

That is BEAUTIFUL!!!



My husband's retired team (pair?-he did AMHR Draft Team) would have been wonderful to work with toward the CDE events. We tried (at home and then one parade) doing Tandem (a bit 'jerry-rigged' here and there)



. 'Course we needed some help-probably would have had you shaking your head.



The CDE driving would be very interesting to get into too. We may attend the meeting of a fairly local club here. Love the photos!


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## targetsmom (May 25, 2011)

LOVE the photos - thanks for sharing. Peeks is gorgeous!!


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## Marsha Cassada (May 26, 2011)

Inspiring!!


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## hobbyhorse23 (May 26, 2011)

They look awesome Bree! You know what I think of the girls and I already drooled over these photos on FB but I liked hearing more of the competition story. It's a crime that we won't get to see any more of them for awhile (and Fas maybe never if you retire her?)



You will always be my mentor!

Leia


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## MiniHGal (Jun 1, 2011)

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the comments. 

We'll see what I end up doing, but I may not be driving Fas competitively much any more. I just won't have the time, and she competes at a very high level to continue to do so into her 20's.

Performancemini--I've done the jerry-rigged way, no worries! My first tandem, actually, was my QH/Paint and Fascination...talk about mismatched!  CDE is a lot of fun!


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## ClickMini (Jun 1, 2011)

Breanna, you are an inspiration. What stellar work! This is artistry in harness. How old is Fascination? And Peekaboo? Good luck in your final year of vet school, of course you will shine!


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## 3bays (Jun 1, 2011)

Very nice! You look very elegant and your team is beautiful. I belong to a driving club and have been going to some CDEs as a spectator/volunteer. I havent seen any minis compete yet. Somewhere int he back of my mind I can envision my mini and I trying this....lol I have my hands full now with my driving Standardbreds but CDEs arent out of the question for me and my lil guy. Its a long way down the road.....but who knows! Loved your photos, thanks for sharing.


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## MiniHGal (Jun 2, 2011)

Hey Amy, Fascination is 16 this year, and Peekaboo is 13 (if I remember right). They're growing up!

Oh, just something I remembered to mention...this marathon was a 14 km long one (Training was definitely shorter!) and pretty rocky...I have conventional nailed on steel shoes on Fascination in the front, and Peeks is wearing EponaShoes that are glued on in the front. Both have rims of glue (SuperFast) on the hinds. The other small horses at the CDE (shetlands and minis) didn't have hoof protection and seemed just fine. But Fas wears her feet down very fast, and Peeks is pretty sensitive to rocky areas.


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## RhineStone (Jun 2, 2011)

Very nice. (I am finally getting caught up here.) I love to see a well done turnout with a capable driver!







MiniHGal said:


> That rarely happens to us, but is a risk when using a liverpool (or other shanked bit) that doesn't have a slobber bar (which come with their own risks). I did not have success in finding rubber tubing to substitute, but that would have helped.


National Bridle carries surgical tubing, but I don't know if that would be inflexible enough to keep a rein from getting caught. Maybe if it was pulled tight and really stuffed on the shanks so it didn't pull off overly easily. Otherwise, what about a thicker piece of fencing wire or the like?

Myrna


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