Recent content by skybluepinko

I believe that dressage freestyle is in the big stadium in the main town, whereas eventing dressage is in a small stadium - therefore not as many tickets available?

Does anyone know how quickly the tickets for the eventing dressage and SJ sold out?

Mine usually goes on the walker pretty naked - no boots or rugs. When it starts to get properly cold and wet, I put an exercise blanket (either for warmth or a waterproof one) with a flat surcingle - nothing that could possibly catch on anything. I reckon regular rugs rub when they're...

I'm wondering what are the good events to take kids and husband to. Ideally with some side-shows that are not horse-related, like dog agility or bouncy castles. Or country fairs that run alongside?

I have one rescue dog who has been very aggressive to other dogs since she was a pup (she was taken from her mother when she was 2 weeks old, apparently, then abandoned 2 weeks later, so I can't blame her entirely!). We have seen behaviourists, worked very hard on training, but we just can't...

Just wondered if anyone had had a similar problem. My mare is always quite a quick jumper cross-country, but she's neat and safe. However, yesterday I took her to a BE100 and she dived at a few of the smaller fences, throwing herself over really quickly - and it was a little bit scary! I'm...

My mare's the same. My instructor has been really helpful on this (especially as I quite like being towed into a fence!) Whenever she gets too excitable, he makes me halt on the approach to a fence, sometimes rein back, then to a few transitions on a circle. Sometimes I'll do this three times...

Sounds like a cool horse! I bought an ex-eventer with a fused bone spavin, and he was supposedly fine to jump. But he never really liked it - he did go round novice BEs, but he'd put in unaccountable stops and finally threw in the towel altogether. He just seemed much happier sticking to...

Re FEEL - isn't the whole issue that the less experienced riders can't learn the "magic feel" unless they are taught, which probably means using a watch? The average grassroots rider probably does only 10 events a year, so it will take years of trial and error to "feel" the right pace, given the...

What about allowing riders to wear stopwatches at the lower levels, but having minute markers on the course so they can learn to judge pace under competitive circumstances?

I noticed that lots of the riders at the Grass-roots championships were penalised for going too fast - up to 22 time-faults. Does anyone else think riders should be allowed to wear stopwatches at that level to stop them doing all they can to be under the optimum? Or was the time just very lenient?!

Does anyone have any experience in trailer breakdowns and can recommend which company gives the best service?

My mare went through a terrible phase in the winter of 2009/2010 of tying-up chronically. We think sugarbeet was the major culprit, but it took us a while to work that out because she didn't tie up the year before and was on sugarbeet then. However, since we've eliminated it, no more problems...

Have you thought about going to see a sports psychologist? Worth the expense if it works! I've heard really good things about the riding ones...

I've thought long and hard about this, and eventually settled with a trailer. I reckon a lorry would be steadier to drive, but a trailer is more versatile, and cheaper. I often go to events, stable my horse and stay at a B&B - much easier if you can just unhitch your car! Also, you don't have...