2018 round up and plans for 2019!

[milliepops]

I love these threads! i find it so useful to reflect on the last 12 months and it's nice to have a little daydream about the year to come, plus it's so lovely to read about everyone else's achievements. I know a few HHOers have had a rough time recently so hoping this might give a little light relief?
Here's the link to last year's https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/2017-round-up-and-onto-the-next.756913/

I'll kick off...

Kira has had just the most mindblowingly amazing year. I really never ever thought she would be a horse like this, it really highlights to me virtually every time I ride her, that you just can't tell what they are capable of unless you try. I still wouldn't choose a 14.2 welsh cob for a competition horse, but jeez she has really outdone herself!

We started 2018 having just qualified for PSG and consolidating the advanced work, before finally taking the plunge in April. It's been difficult to get to the point where we have a mistake free test but I think we're nearly there, and with the exception of one horrible ride under the meanest judge on the planet she has scored in the 60s for all of the PSGs we've done even with errors scattered here and there we finish 2018 having got her first Inter1 under her belt (got another planned this weekend ) and beginning the higher work with 1 tempis getting easier and some on the spot piaffe steps.

In addition we had Winter and Summer Regionals Welsh Champs, Home International, BRC Music Champs all at Medium/Advanced Medium, then our Area Festival at PSG and finally the Native Champs at AM and PSG. It was the year of championships all fantastic fun, she has been a complete delight to stay away with and I feel immensely proud that she has developed into the pony she has. She still has to fight her instinct to just run away and hide but she tries so hard for me, it's an utter privilege to ride her.

It's fair to say Salty has been on the back burner as I seem to have not stopped with Kira since about July It's a little frustrating, having one horse accelerating away and the other feels like she's going nowhere by comparison, but actually she has learnt quite a bit on the quiet... today we had a good ride with a grown up way of going, reasonable lateral work, even the newly installed travers coming along convinvingly (even if we have still lost left canter ) Plus I feel like I have got to know her a lot better, I know more how she needs to be ridden - which is very different to my natural style - and I feel a LOT more confident at this end of the year that i can sit out her naughty antics when they come.

She has done a few shows but now BD have changed the rules again I will probably not take her to any more until she is ready for Novice/Elem when she has more to think about and we could put the points to good use. Slight mountain to climb before that, as she needs to learn how to concentrate in company I will need to dig out the brave pants for that. Or else get someone else to ride her
No recent ridden pics but here's the ginger twit doing her usual thing in the field recently

Millie's 2018 continued as 2017 left off... living the life of riley in the field. She and her field buddy look like yetis this winter but they are both sound and happy which is wonderful.

We need to wrap up the year by moving house and yard, and when that is done...

Plans for 2019... again I always hesitate to draw up detailed plans because life throws so many curve balls. But loosely, hopes and wishes for next year would be for Kira to have some confident outings at Inter1, have a go with our PSG music somewhere, maybe think about doing a small tour champs qualifier. To continue her training, trainer has muttered something about Inter2 as a target for the end of the year - who knows. But if you don't aim for it, you definitely won't get there No dates are ever set in stone but it would be nice to think it could be *possible*

And Salty - must get her out for some lessons to get both our bums kicked! I need to get my act together and get her out competing in the spring. I don't think it will be much fun for a while but I do think she will be quite good at the lower levels when she gets her brain on the job. no idea whether she will have the quick wittedness to be an advanced horse but that doesn't matter for now.

Oh! and I need to do my lorry test so I can drive the Big Truck

Over to you!

 

[SEL]

Great read MP - I'm just aiming for a horse with working legs in 2019!

Love that photo of you with Kira. I think there's something very special about taking a feral little welshie and getting her to levels where it seems (to an outsider) to be dominated by glamorous warmbloods. Really looking forward to following your adventures with Salty too. I always like the fact that you don't pretend everything is easy!!

 

[Michen]

2018 has been an amazing year for us, in april I was being led over tiny fences by my instructor and by October we were flying a 90 HT. By December we were flying hedges out hunting but unfortunately ended in a fall at the smallest fence when he pecked and resulted in a broken ankle for me because I landed on my feet!

Had surgery last night to have it screwed and if I’m honest I’m feeling a bit gutted. Won’t be properly riding fit for 6 weeks min and even then I highly doubt I’ll have full use of it for a long while. so that’s hunting really over for us as by then I’ll be wanting to do some dressage and S.J. for for event season prep. Also had so many nice hunting plans for Xmas eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day etc and have been blessed with a horse that’s a truly wonderful hunter.

Anyway... no point whining as what’s done is done and I am grateful that a) my horse is ok and b) it could have been a lot worse.

2019 I would love to get consistent at BE90 (inc dressage!) and maybe even have his other rider take him around a BE100 or two.

 

[scats]

I’ve had a rough year really. Polly’s diagnosis of PSD and poor prognosis for recovery was a bit rubbish and then the stress with Diva being unwell and finally having to say goodbye to her was absolutely horrific. I have never felt in my life felt so devastated about losing a horse (no disrespect to any of my previous horses, of course, but Diva was young and we had fought so, so hard)

But then buying Millie was a fantastic decision and in a short space of time I have gone from sitting on a rather reluctant wooden spoon to having a sweetly schooled and smart little horse who really enjoys her work and has been out and done well at a few local competitions. I’m looking forward to continuing her training next year and seeing how we get on.

 

[scats]

Sorry to hear about your fall Michen. Hope you aren’t too sore x

 

[SEL]

Ouch Michen - what a shame. Another set of lovely photos - he's changed so much from when you got him.

Scats - I've really felt for you this year. So pleased to hear Millie is turning out well.

 

[milliepops]

Great read MP - I'm just aiming for a horse with working legs in 2019!

Love that photo of you with Kira. I think there's something very special about taking a feral little welshie and getting her to levels where it seems (to an outsider) to be dominated by glamorous warmbloods. Really looking forward to following your adventures with Salty too. I always like the fact that you don't pretend everything is easy!!

I remember many years where I was just aiming for a sound horse, hopefully 2019 will be your year
And it's not easy! none of it is easy. But some of it is loads of fun, that's what keeps us all coming back, right?

Ouch Michen - what a shame. Another set of lovely photos - he's changed so much from when you got him.

Scats - I've really felt for you this year. So pleased to hear Millie is turning out well.

agree! Boggle has turned out to be such a star, that is absolute pants timing for you Michen but in a way it's nice to be itching to get back on, it shows what you 2 have achieved this year?

And I second the sentiment, scats x

 

[JFTDWS]

I don't think I posted last year. I probably planned to spend the year playing polocrosse with Skye, and to do some fun stuff with Fergs and Dae.

Well I did do a fair bit of polocrosse training with Skye - we did some demos at Writtle and Milton, went to umpire at Pony Club arena tournament, went to a local tournament, some training at the Webb's yard in Kent and a tournament in Rugby. I also did a load of coaching for the PC and introduced maybe 100 kids to the sport (though not all single handedly or to any level).

Then I decided that neither the mare, nor I, were enjoying it anything like enough, and we needed something different to play at. I started barrel racing instead...

Which is always a good laugh. She also went out to do some indoor TREC and managed a perfect PTV score (plus full marks for slow canter and some marks for fast walk...), winning her class.

I also got her out hacking solo - which is mostly what we do now. She'd hacked once before I got her, in company. I spent some time ponying her from Fergus, and now she's a lovely, sensible solo hack.

Looking forward, I'd like to do more TREC with her (I'm eyeing up the novice horse winter league!) and get her doing some western stuff - for barrel racing / games, but also for other stuff too. She has epic roll backs and sliding stops...

I'd like to do some more work on her schooling and get her out to some dressage competitions, though I'm not overly fussed about level / scores as she's not exactly built for it. Also planning on doing some work on her jumping - she's keen and sweet enough, but not a natural, so not looking for anything stellar. Plus more hacking, and maybe a full trec if we can - I haven't had a horse I could do a full solo trec with since Jasper, and that's been a while!

Fergs and Dae have been mostly hacking, doing the odd bit of trec, and Fergs has introduced about a dozen people to polocrosse too.

 

[Wheels]

I didn't partake last year because M and I were only just starting our journey and I had no idea where we would be going.

I loosely planned to do a few dressage comps and some very low level jumping which we have done and M happens to be pretty good at.

I have now found a very good classical flatwork instructor and a showing coach I'm very happy with. I intend to find a pure SJ coach between now and the spring because M loves his jumping and I think could be pretty good at it

My main goal for 2019 is to qualify for Dublin show in the Connemara performance hunter class.

But otherwise just want to have fun continuing with our varied routine. Will probably do a novice and aim for elementary dressage at some point but that's not a top priority at present

 

[TheMule]

Good post! So many great things achieved by 'normal' people with 'normal' horses

My 5yr old hasn't been easy and we've had setbacks, but I'm pleased with how we're going into 2019

This time last year she started a little school work and learnt to jump.



We set our sights on an event in May, she jumped a couple double clears at 80/90



We had a couple of green blips and then unfortunately an innocuous slip on the flat left me with a brain injury and some nerve damage which rather set us back! We are now back up and training hard.

 

[LeannePip]

I've not been around much this year but since I started the one at the beginning of the year, wanted to join in with the updates!

Last year i wrote:
2018
- I'd like to get round a 90 again, and maybe un park the step up to 100. :O
- Learn to Halfpass! Aside from changes, this is my most favorite thing to watch. I'm a complete dressage new'b and have only competed properly to Novice (unless you could my instructors schoolmaster dragging me round an Ele about 5 years ago!).
- Put together a DTM.
- Get to the Blenheim EC again.
- Have fun!!
- I love following everyone's blogs/ diaries so maybe i'll be brave enough to start one of our own . . .

Its been a crazy crazy year; on the eventing front we were unable to overcome the deamons from last year and after 3 abandoned events, 1 XC Elimination, 1 Withdrawal after SJ and a retirement XC we decided to leave it be and called it quits on that for a while very sad about it but she's such an amazing horse there's so much more we can enjoy doing

Dressag'ing has been unreal; She won her arena at the RC Intermediate qualifiers we then went to the finals where she won again so is now a BRC National Champion Later in the year we got a chance ride at the BRC Nationals after one of the qualified team members had to drop out of the test riding team, We trucked up to Lincoln in their place and aside from my mum breaking her arm on the way there we had an amazing weekend and finished 3rd individually - had i not forgotten one of the give and retakes we would have won! We've actually only managed to get to a couple of other tests outside of RC and she was great in her first 2 elementries. At home she's going better than ever and is making huge steps with the medium work (and half passing ) which is so exciting

When we gave up on the eventing, my friend persuaded me to join BS to keep us busy. Rubes took to this like a duck to water and won the BN on her first time out, we then went to a 3 day show at Cherwell (might aswell do it properly!) and she was great every day, clear in 3/5 classes and just 4 fts in the other with a couple of rosettes and some prize money. Then on my birthday she jumped 2 double clears and won both the BN and Disco in huge classes at Cherwell She's now got all her BN and Disco double clears so thats given us something to aim for and she'll be stepping up to Newcomers week after next hopefully Shes jumping between 1.20 & 1.40 at home so theres so much more in the tank which is very exciting

* Unfortunately we didn't get to go to Blenheim again as our team got balloted out :'(
* We also did a DTM for the RC - Which the less said about that the better
* I have started a blog, but been so busy lately i have been awful at updating it
* We did have LOADS of fun, so, overall mission accomplished

The icing on the cake was being awarded the RC 'Best Competitor' award at the AGM for consistency across the disciplines

For 2019
* Continue the FUN!
* Jump BN & Disco second rounds
* Double clear at Newcomers (Maybe a 1.20? )
* More Ele's under our belts (Maybe a medium!?)
* More championships and away shows
* Keep working hard and playing harder!

 

[Michen]

I've not been around much this year but since I started the one at the beginning of the year, wanted to join in with the updates!

Last year i wrote:
2018
- I'd like to get round a 90 again, and maybe un park the step up to 100. :O
- Learn to Halfpass! Aside from changes, this is my most favorite thing to watch. I'm a complete dressage new'b and have only competed properly to Novice (unless you could my instructors schoolmaster dragging me round an Ele about 5 years ago!).
- Put together a DTM.
- Get to the Blenheim EC again.
- Have fun!!
- I love following everyone's blogs/ diaries so maybe i'll be brave enough to start one of our own . . .

Its been a crazy crazy year; on the eventing front we were unable to overcome the deamons from last year and after 3 abandoned events, 1 XC Elimination, 1 Withdrawal after SJ and a retirement XC we decided to leave it be and called it quits on that for a while very sad about it but she's such an amazing horse there's so much more we can enjoy doing

Dressag'ing has been unreal; She won her arena at the RC Intermediate qualifiers we then went to the finals where she won again so is now a BRC National Champion Later in the year we got a chance ride at the BRC Nationals after one of the qualified team members had to drop out of the test riding team, We trucked up to Lincoln in their place and aside from my mum breaking her arm on the way there we had an amazing weekend and finished 3rd individually - had i not forgotten one of the give and retakes we would have won! We've actually only managed to get to a couple of other tests outside of RC and she was great in her first 2 elementries. At home she's going better than ever and is making huge steps with the medium work (and half passing ) which is so exciting

When we gave up on the eventing, my friend persuaded me to join BS to keep us busy. Rubes took to this like a duck to water and won the BN on her first time out, we then went to a 3 day show at Cherwell (might aswell do it properly!) and she was great every day, clear in 3/5 classes and just 4 fts in the other with a couple of rosettes and some prize money. Then on my birthday she jumped 2 double clears and won both the BN and Disco in huge classes at Cherwell She's now got all her BN and Disco double clears so thats given us something to aim for and she'll be stepping up to Newcomers week after next hopefully Shes jumping between 1.20 & 1.40 at home so theres so much more in the tank which is very exciting

* Unfortunately we didn't get to go to Blenheim again as our team got balloted out :'(
* We also did a DTM for the RC - Which the less said about that the better
* I have started a blog, but been so busy lately i have been awful at updating it
* We did have LOADS of fun, so, overall mission accomplished

The icing on the cake was being awarded the RC 'Best Competitor' award at the AGM for consistency across the disciplines

For 2019
* Continue the FUN!
* Jump BN & Disco second rounds
* Double clear at Newcomers (Maybe a 1.20? )
* More Ele's under our belts (Maybe a medium!?)
* More championships and away shows
* Keep working hard and playing harder!

You guys are just awesome xxxx we really need to meet for a hack or something! I think Boggle and Ruby would get on

ETA when im riding again in the new year!

 

[Leo Walker]

Its been such a weird up and down year. It got off to a crap start when I went blind in one eye in Feburary and started 9 months of hideous eye stuff. By March I was over the schok and back out driving again. I started working on getting Leo super fit. My May he was fit enough to do a marathon

And off we went to our very first, very low key driving event. He found the whole thing a bit confusing but he tried his heart out for me. We were 4th, out of 4 and deservedly so. I came home with an idea of where we needed and set about getting us there. He worked his little socks off for me. A month later we went back and he nailed it! The first event we knocked pretty much every cone down. The second one we didnt By that point I think Leo had realised my depth perception wasnt great and would correct me on approach if I was wrong. Its an amazing feeling to be totally at one with your horse while you are so physically removed from them.

We came second and I couldnt have been more proud of him. Plans were put in place to do our first affiliated trial in August and everything was going swimmingly. And then it wasnt. I still cant pinpoint when, but at roughly this time Leo started doing weird things. He tried to jump through a solid hedge/tree line while in the carriage, carted me at the next event, and then topped it all off by bolting and smashing the carriage up.

On reflection I pushed him too hard. He would have walked through fire if I asked him to, but he either physically or mentally, most likely a combination of the two, couldnt cope. He would flick from lethal to completely and totally safe in the blink of an eye. Not often, but when he did it wsa dangerous. After the carriage smashing accident he couldnt be driven again, I tried to see if he would settle into ridden work and the answer to that was NO! so we tried retirement. He wouldnt have that either. He was always a fence jumper, but he started jumping out of his stable and just being an absolute menace. He came very, very, very close to being PTS, but had a last minute reprieve.

He now lives with a friend of mine and lives the life of riley. He lives out, does next to nothing other than be spoilt and fussed and do the odd pony ride for the kids. He has 2 little girls that dote on him. He has completely chilled out to the point of bone idleness, which is a bit of a change from the sharp busy little pony I had. It absolutely broke my heart letting him go and I miss him every single day. I dont think I will ever have a horse like him again, he loved me to distraction and just wanted to be with me. He used to run over screaming his head off when I pulled up in the car. But as hard as it was, letting him go has been the making of him. It wasnt healthy for him to be like that, and once he went, he did settle and hes a happy little horse now.

And so along came Bobbie. Not broken to drive, not really what I said I wanted either but my friend nagged me to see her, I did, loved her personality, realised she would fit my carriages and harness and bought her.

[imghttps://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/39065503_10155900138248667_5865108400550969344_o.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr3-1.xx&oh=79a2b77b5998dd23e431499ab76672e3&oe=5C6BE58D][/img]

Put her on a diet, gave her a make over and started work

In the meantime she grew about 3" and outgrew my carriages and will now end up in horse classes not pony Got her almost driving and life went horribly wrong again! So shes out in a huge field with a little settled herd doing enough to keep her ticking over. I am hoping she will be driving properly by the end of the yard. Plans for next year are:

Do at least one indoor trial, although most likely a visit and dressage only as they stop in April
Compete over the summer at unaffiliated outdoor trials
Compete in the club class at our local affiliated trial in either August or September

Whether any of this is realistic or not I dont know. Until I get her driving properly I wont know for certain whether she will do what I want to do. I'm pretty sure she will and I've put the ground work in, but driving is such a funny thing and some dont take to it. She will drive one way or another but it takes a special sort of horse to have enough about them to gallop into water with a carriage attached, and keep going at 15kms an hour for 12kms, yet be quiet and obedient enough to do a sensible dressage test, all on voice commands from the driving seat! We shall see!

 

[mavandkaz]

I have had a great year with my boy (a few lows as well) and we have achieved more then I ever thought I would, let alone in the space of a year.

At the end of last year we started out on our BD adventure - I never planned to do it, having bought him as a bombproof hack. Found a great instructor who really instills a belief that we can do anything. So the winter was spent going out at novice level.


Had planned to do some jumping but a broken saddle around Easter time put an end to that. So cracked on with the dressage and did our first elementary, something neither of us had ever done before - winning his first 2.

So the end of the summer became quite busy with novice and elementary area festival first rounds, and novice area festival finals



Then we went to the TB associate champs, the first ever stay away show for the both of us. Competed in the novice and elementary, coming 5th in the novice.

We haven't done much since as he hasn't quite been 100% and is finding the lateral work tough. But straight lines are fine so we have started back with the jumping. After having a complete crisis of confidence in the summer, I am finally beginning to enjoy it again, and had a great time last weekend at a competition



Plans for next year:
- Continue with the elementary. I'm aiming for area festivals again, but instructor is talking about regionals.
- make our medium debut (never in a million years did I think I would ever say that)
- crack on with the show jumping.

 

[LeannePip]

You guys are just awesome xxxx we really need to meet for a hack or something! I think Boggle and Ruby would get on

ETA when im riding again in the new year!

Yes definitely! As long as Boggle is happy to be the grown up, Ruby is not the happiest of hackers

 

[Bernster]

Ooh I do enjoy these threads. Sorry to read that some folks have had a mixed year and really hope things improve next year. Fab reading what everyone’s been up to though.

I was obviously a bit down as this is what I wrote: I feel a bit sad as we kinda did more in 2016 than we did this year. I focussed on the be80 for the Wobbleberry Challenge and we did do lots of training and got more comp experience but I didn't complete it due to a late jumping confidence issue

I'm aiming for it next year instead but am more aware of how up and down training, and confidence, can be. I'm going to add another goal and make sure we continue doing fun rides and stuff which I really enjoy and not get too caught up in training for one thing.

Pleased to report that I’m coming out of this year in a much better place. Didn’t do the BE80 and not sure if I ever will but not beating myself up about it and instead have done what I set out to do - Have lots of fun! F continues to be a little superstar and I hope we can continue our training and outings next year.

No specific aims yet other than trying to do more hunts as he’s fab fun to hunt, maybe try some team quest or more dressage unaff stuff aiming for a local low level champs., and continue work on our jump training and confidence. And generally just enjoy my lovely horse and have fun times with horsey pals.

 

[Michen]

Yes definitely! As long as Boggle is happy to be the grown up, Ruby is not the happiest of hackers

He’s a perfect hack just very jolly!!

 

[nikicb]

Lovely thread MP, and great to read about the ups and downs everyone has had this year.

2018 has been a tough year in some ways, but I'm so happy with the progress we have made. Cassie is now able to focus for a whole lesson. There has never been an occasion since I have owned her where she has done anything outright naughty, but she spent an awful lot of time with her hooves firmly in her ears blocking out instructions and believing she knew best. This year we qualified for and attended 3 area festivals at prelim, and one at novice. We qualified for and attended the Midway Champs at Hartpury at both prelim and novice, averaging 66 plus % for the prelim classes over the weekend. We qualified for and placed at both prelim and novice for the Associated Arab championships in Solihull, and we qualified for and placed at Regional Quest championships for both prelim and novice at Wellington. We have also scored plus 70% 3 times in the past couple of months, and the icing on the cake is that we have gained our points for the Winter Regionals at prelim proving that we are able to go out and consistently achieve scores in the high 60s.

Goals for next year include Winter and Summer Regionals at prelim, Area Festivals at Novice, and getting out at Elementary. We also need to make our proper music debut at Novice, and potentially Elementary. We'll continue with the in hand work, pole work and water treadmill sessions along side our ridden sessions, as cross training is so important for strength, suppleness, fitness and variety.

A few favourite pictures from the year.....

 

[Accidental Eventer]

I didn't comment last year, but I didn't have any really solid goals other than to go out, do all the things and have fun. I took 'do all the things' well into the extreme and the horses and I have had a total of 54 outings including lessons, clinics, training days and competitions (54 that I kept track of, there have been a couple of extras!). I am so thankful for my supportive Hubby who goes along with my plans with very little complaining!

Throughout the year I really struggled with confidence although I didn't realise until I had a break through lesson recently which helped change my perspective. It meant at the time my achievements and results weren't received as enthusiastically as they could have but looking back I am just so thrilled with what we did!

Both of the horses have progressed massively, Coolie and I improved our dressage significantly to the point where I am aiming at an elementary test early next year. This was never a goal for me and it seemed completely un-achievable. We placed in so many competitions, won 2 rugs, came home with Dressage Champion from a competition, got really consistent training at 105 XC and SJ, and pretty much had the best year of our lives. It's a shame I didn't realise at the time, but I am celebrating it now!

Henry has been a huge challenge for me. We started out the year with a massive low, I had an accident with him that saw me in surgery on New Years Day. I fractured my skull, had to get my ear sown up and the rest of me was feeling like I had been trampled by a horse (maybe because I had been
). 17 days after that happened I was back in the saddle and pushing forward. We started out with lessons, and I made huge progress with a new and wonderful coach. We got jumping, and attended his first competitions, and he has placed at all of them! He proved himself to be calm and level headed in busy atmospheres, but I continued to struggle with anxiety and fear.

I got him out in the bush, and he hacks all by himself now. We jumped his first XC jumps, and recently I dug deep and rode through something I didn't want to do with the encouragement of my coach and since then we have been totally unstoppable. I still get a bit nervous but it's NOTHING compared to how I felt and I can see a way forward. He is jumping out of his skin, his flatwork is really coming along and I am starting to consider his first eventing start next year! He is such a lovely little horse and now I have gotten that through my thick skull I am super excited!

Next year I want to do a bit less... but appreciate what I do more. I want to continue enjoying my horses, get Coolie up to elementary, event Henry and make the most of the time we have













PS sorry the pictures are so big!

 

[oldie48]

Great posts and some great pics!
My goal was to so some 3x and 4x changes with Bisto and consolidate the work we'd done to date so it was more consistent with a view to perhaps getting out to a competition if I could manange both my nerves and Bisto's. In January I moved him into a double which made him a lot easier to ride once I got my knitting sorted out but although my trainer could do the 3x and 4x it wasn't easy to keep his canter collected enough so I never managed it but we were doing some really lovely work and I was very proud of how far we'd come. I lost him, as you know , just over five weeks ago and still feel the loss very keenly.
Rose has been with me for just three weeks, bought in a rush because I felt so lost! She is lovely and I feel very lucky. My plans for 2019 are to get her fit and properly muscled to do her job and to put some BD points on her myself as I've never really ever got going with BD. Also to get hacking out confidently on the common, up in the Malvern Hills and on my local TROT route so she stays fresh and happy. And just to enjoy every minute that I have with her!

 

[Ambers Echo]

Great post and beautiful pics of beautiful horses.

MilliePops it has been brilliant following your progress this year. It is clear how hard you have had to work for all you have achieved. I agree with SEL about the effort being obvious. And seeing hard work pay off is inspiring.

Michen what a rubbish end to the year. Roll on BE Season!

Scats I am so very sorry about Polly & Diva And very glad you have a lovely new horse to bring on next year.

Mule that was quick learning! She looks awesome.

LP – it’s a shame eventing didn’t work out but she’s amazing on dressage and SJ so that sounds really exciting. What a great year!

LW sounds like it’s been a really tough year for you. But ending on a more positive note with plans for Bobbie. Fingers crossed for a successful safe and healthy 2019

Love these sorts of posts: It's good to reflect on the year just gone and plan/dream about the year ahead.

 

[showjumpingharry]

First "report" so bare with me! And apologies for the amount of photos

Started the year with a lame horse and no real aims for the year, so my very lovely instructor very kindly lent me her supercob Lightening to do BYRDS intercounty teams on. We were selected for the Cornwall team and competed at bicton coming 10th individually and third as a team.
I was also very lucky to be offered Gem on loan (Some may know of her, her owner is spottyTB on here), and we have had a fantastic season together, qualifying for BRC nationals and went up there to represent our riding club in sj and dressage (we are trying to forget that test though) and came 10th and 8th with our team in the 70 and the 70 style. We've also done the WHP at Stithians with 4f, PC camp, Gem's very first BD points and gone clear in our two 80 HT this year ))

My other horse Harry has come back into work and is now being ridden by my younger sister, and the baby Exmoor (Bella) that she rides grew up and went to PC camp and did school teams
Bella ^^^

Sorry the photos are huge, I have no idea how to make them smaller

2019 goals:
more county whp, BD (hopefully start the year at novice and do a couple of elementaries at the end) and some ODEs at 90 and maybe 100 for Gem. I also want to qualify for Lincoln again
Bella will do some pc and showing with my sister and her owners grand daughter
Harry is going to have four working legs, then do pc and some BD and showing

 

[Chippers1]

I didn't do one last year as I wasn't regularly posting so I will do one this year -
I started off the year with some slow work as Buzz was coming back into work after having 5 months off with a ruptured tendon, which he did two months after I bought him!!

Unrelated but also related, I met my boyfriend early January and he became a huge support and cheerleader for us so I started to have more thoughts about getting back into competing properly rather than just pootling around and doing the odd SJ or hunter trial.

Unfortunately it was around Feb/March time when I discovered I had lost absolutely all my confidence with jumping! It was weird because if I set up a grid or canter poles then a jump I would happily do a 90cm but a single fence on it's own of any height over about 50cm cross pole would have me a quivering wreck. It was mainly a fear of striding and getting the take off wrong. I was fortunate that my old pony was such a superstar he would jump of any stride at any height and I didn't really need to do anything so to have a horse that now needed telling when to go (or would stop/run out) was such a knock. He's also one that takes his confidence from his rider so you can imagine it was a pretty downward spiral!

I decided the best thing to do for this was to get out there. I bought myself a cheap lorry (which then ended up being mega expensive - more later!) and started at 60cm local shows. The first outing I was entered for the 60 and 70, it's only 10cm higher right? After almost vomiting before the 60 we got round, and got a 5th!! Super pleased. Onto the 70….disaster!! All confidence gone at the HUGE jumps, after a few stops at some scary fillers I retired even though I was allowed to carry on, I was too scared.

After that I decided to go to a 'confidence xc' clinic at Eland lodge. I used to love XC and was always much braver at it. Got on and was petrified!! The instructor was so mean ha ha she made us jump everything on the 70 course and a few of the 80s. I was so scared but I think it helped. It was definitely not what it was billed as though! I have a fear of steps xc and I was made to go up and down them multiple times. I think there was only one jump we got over on the first attempt! Looking back at the photos I rode awfully, so tense.

Anyway…moving on I had a good lesson with an event rider for SJ who got me round a course, clear, for the first time with fillers and that was a boost. I started entering small shows again, only sticking to 60cm and lower and gradually we started to improve. I discovered Buzz loves xc (again though I need to be 100% committed to the jump) but he will generally fly round. We won some local working hunter classes too and even got reserve champion!

I then had to take a two month break off competing due to said old cheap horsebox that needed extensive welding and although I jumped still at home and improved (we're lucky to have a SJ field, WH field and xc course on our yard…if horses aren't in there grazing!) but it's not quite the same as the competition atmosphere. When the Buzzmobile was finally back up and running I managed to get out to xc where we had a skid into a bigger jump and he went a bit backwards again with a knock in his confidence. Which affected me too unfortunately! We did manage a few more but he wasn't happy. Slowly built up again (with the box in AGAIN for a broken water pump…it always broke when I'd pre entered something!) and took him out to WH. Unfortunately I didn’t realise that he is affected by wormers and it was a bit of disaster. I entered the class I thought his height was (exceeding 143cm) which was 75-85cm and we were eliminated at the second jump. He was very very quiet (which was commented on!) so I should've noticed really. He also had the same issue after his vaccinations early on in the year so I should've known really! Also turned out he's 144cm with shoes so could've done the 143cm class that was smaller! But again I didn't know this after last year with him being on box rest. So the most recent was SJ last weekend and the weekend before. 70 and up to 75 - we went clear in the 70 and had one pole in the 75 but I was so pleased as the course was pretty scary! He also was his normal self pooing all over the place.

This is so long I'm sorry but it's a story of ups and downs. It feels like we are finally coming together as a team. His flatwork is coming on in leaps and bounds, I was so excited to do a flying change the other day and that I could control him from my seat! I'm not the greatest rider and I don't enjoy schooling really so I'm so proud of how we've done with this. When I got him he'd not been worked correctly and couldn't leg yield and didn't know how to go backwards at all, even at gates! I'm just so pleased how far we've come and got over the fear. I remember our first hack, I got 50m down the road then came back, I was too scared! Took him out for 3 hours the other day…on my own! We're jumping at home easily over 80s and sometimes 90s (uprights only at the moment, oxers still scare me!) but the fact I can jump a 90 upright in the field on its own with no grid is just amazing.

Anyway, plans for next year is to do a BE80!! It's always been my ambition (I didn't realise there was a lower height limit! My 13hh pony would've flown round…) I'm thinking maybe Norton Disney in October time. I went to spectate at the most recent one and it looked do able. I need to get out and do some more hunter trials, probably start with Eland 70cm then the 80 (I have jumped most of the jumps after all!) and some more 80 SJs. I have a couple of clinics and lessons coming up - arena eventing clinic on sat, we will go in the water!! (he hates water jumps, bit of a stumbling block!) then I think I'll start doing some 70 and 80 SJ classes on the same day so we'll have been round the course once. Oh and dressage!! My worst discipline, I just don't do it, so I need lessons and a few comps before the BE80.

Here are some of my favourite pics from our various outings. The first one with the cross pole in the corner was in April and took about half an hour of convincing to go over. The pig jump is 95cm!! Some of the xc fences are easily 90 too. The picture that is my avatar is 1.05m. What a difference. The flat work one probably looks terrible to everyone but is much different to when I got him! Also a sneaky pic of out win at WH






Sorry pics are so big!

 

[Snowfilly]

My year has been hit and miss. George the Clyde is now on first name terms with the local vets, been christened 'sicknote' and cost a fortune. We only made it to 2 shows, neither of which were harness or long reining ones so lots of our practise was wasted. At one show, he was 'too old fashioned' and dead last; at the other he was 'how amazing to see a proper old fashioned heavy' and second to an awesome old shire mare who won at national level. As well as the three shows he was lame for, we lost two to rain and typically he was sound for both of those!

So I'd like to get him fit and out a bit more.

School horse wise, I started off just wanting to jump a bit. Back In the spring, I was offered the ride of a young mare on working livery and we went from her first ever course to coming 4th in the 1.00m. I fell in love with her in a way I haven't with any horse since my old boy died 8 years ago, and cried for a solid fortnight when her owner sold her; she went to a friend of hers so my offers to buy were never going to work.

Since then, I had lessons on 9 different horses, rode and won a novice dressage test, rode another 3 horses for jumping from 60- 1.05, embarrassed myself in an adults gymkhana, enjoyed a fun ride with cross country fences and still got a ridden showing show next week.

I would love to find another horse to build a bond with and compete the same one more often. Realistically, I'm not in a position to buy again and my work is too weird for me to be a decent sharer, so it's going to be more school horses and hopefully seeing if we can't do some summer shows.

Big dream of mine would be to ride a hunter trial or ODE this year.

 

[muddy_grey]

Some ups and downs for people, but lovely to read peoples stories. 2017 ended on a big low for me but 2018 has more than surpassed my expectations, which were admittedly pretty low

My contribution to last years thread was:
"We are now 2 weeks post ddft surgery with a 50/50 prognosis. So 2018 is about walking, lots of walking and hopefully ending the year sound."

2018 definitely started with lots of walking both inhand and then road hacking. L was surprisingly well behaved, though we did need to be led at first. She was allowed out in a pen in April and then by summer was in full work and living out in a full size field!
Last week we jumped 90cm which felt like a huge milestone. And she is SOUND!!!!!!!

Making plans for 2019 still seems a bit scary, but here they are:
Jump full courses at home
Venture out to a few SJ comps
Hack out with 2 other horses (honestly this will be a challenge!)
Try to lunge her without convincing myself she looks lame
Stop worrying and crack on

 

[ihatework]

Millie pops surely takes the HHO achievement award! Michen crap about the ankle

I’m not sure I really had any real aims for this year apart from to sell the carthorse (which never happened!).
I’ve just gone with the flow really, done a lot of homework with the big fella behind the scenes and then handed over the reins to someone competent to see if he was worth running on a bit. We couldn’t really have asked much more of a big green horse under saddle less than a year. He went out Eventing 3 times and an arena event to start and had 2 wins, a 3rd and just out of placings in his 100.

Decided to stop his season early and give him a break & a wind op as he has shown me enough to want to run him next year. He is now 4 weeks into walking and I have moved him into a competition set up for next season. I’d love him to be ready for Gatcombe 1* (or should I say 2*S) but that’s fluid.

On an exciting note my coming 3yo is booked in for 8 weeks boarding school after Christmas. He is short, fat, ferel and looking quite sharp so best he learns a bit about life sooner rather than later! Where has the time gone?

 

[rosiesowner]

I've loved reading all these responses to this thread. There's been some great stuff achieved at all levels. At the end of 2018, I wrote:

• Start out affiliating at Novice
• Then make the move to elementary within a few months
• Keep up with my positive mindset stuff
• Once we've got our own transport (Not long now
  image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
  !!!) get out to plenty of clinics and lessons
• Get to Petplan areas at Novice (Elem would be the ultimate goal!)

Sadly, it hasn't gone to plan for a number of reasons! But here's our years round up anyhow... Apologies if the photos come out massive!

In January we went out for the first time in absolutely months to do a couple of tests. We were both very tense as is reflected in this photo. I rode like a lemon but she mostly behaved with only a couple of unintentional rein backs.


Then, a few weeks later at the start of February she spooked and reared and fell into a fence while I was hand grazing her in the evening. Ripped up her off fore and so commenced eight weeks of box rest which felt like an eternity. FINALLY, I had got back on her and she was getting fit again and we had been enjoying a little bit of jumping when I got kicked by a horse at work and broke my leg.

You can see the hoof print and where it was starting to swell here! He got me from about a foot away and as I was bent over just missed my head. I was very lucky.


Summer was hard because I couldn't ride and couldn't find anyone to exercise Chills so she had an extended holiday while I attended lots of physio appointments and did my best to be a good patient! Then I got back on board in October and spent a few weeks hacking out to gain some fitness back for both of us! Eventually, when rising trot wasn't too painful we began schooling. In the time I'd had off I'd had my 20th birthday present, my first ever trailer and our key to getting out and about!

At the end of October, to celebrate finally being properly back on board I had my absolutely great bloke (who I met just after breaking my leg and who has cheered me on throughout the whole process) take some photos of us. I nearly fell off and broke my other leg



Since then we've just been getting out and about to hacking, arena hires and had a couple of lessons. We also competed for the first time since everything that had gone wrong happened and managed a 4th and a 5th and got two lovely shiny gorgeous rosettes for our efforts. Every rosette means something with Chilli, because we've had to work so hard to earn them! My previous pony was a rosette machine and, though it makes me sound bad, I'd gotten far too used to coming home with one! There are no guarantees with this mare, which has made me appreciate the smaller results even more




For 2019 my priorities have changed slightly. With dad's recent diagnosis he absolutely comes first and we will just be competing as and when we can. I'd love to do some Quest though, and just ENJOY it, as time with Chilli is going to be my me time and outings are time mum and I can spend together. Really, all I want to do is stuff my pony's face with carrots and continue to love riding her, maybe with a few lessons and competitions thrown in there too.

Good luck for 2019 everyone!!

 

[Chippers1]

Every rosette means something with Chilli, because we've had to work so hard to earn them! My previous pony was a rosette machine and, though it makes me sound bad, I'd gotten far too used to coming home with one! There are no guarantees with this mare, which has made me appreciate the smaller results even more

Exactly this, I always really appreciate any placing with Buzz now and i'm always super proud if we get a rosette, because I know how much work we've both put in to get there. My old pony was the same, a rosette machine so I got used to it too. And similar, no guarantees! My BE 80 aim for next year is to literally get round without being eliminated, don't care about how many faults, just want to get round!

 

[chattygoneon3]

Thank you for posting everyone, I am loving this thread!
Whatever level you are at or whatever ever discipline you are doing I want to wish you all the best for 2019.
To those of you that are broken or have broken ponies/ horses here’s to a speedy recovery.

 

[SOS]

I never posted last year... 2018 has been full of extreme highs and lows.

Started the season hunting L and getting towards our first ODE together, having bought him, my ‘dream horse’ in October. All going well then went to our first ODE and got eliminated SJing and he started stopping when jumping. Investigated and found his saddle was pinching, we fixed that and had my horse back overnight.

Did my first ever BE, started at 80 which proved to be a bit silly for a horse of his size and capability so moved straight up to BE90. He gave me some lovely days, always clear XC and we were growing in confidence. He took me to Windsor and we jumped there, and just generally we were having a fantastic time. Attending clinics/small comps or eventing most weeks.



I really grew to trust him and often travelling and competing alone he became my reliable friend. Note, when he came he had some issues on the ground including being unsettled in the trailer if left in there when not actively travelling. This resolved completely, another huge achievement.

On the 1st of July he went lame. Only slightly lame in front, more so on a circle. Nerve blocks, xrays inconclusive so on the 1st August he had an MRI done on both front feet. The MRI showed an extensive tear to his DDFT despite only being 1-2/10ths lame. I was gutted but vets were positive that he may come back to light hacking. PTS was discussed but opted to give him a chance providing his lameness did not worsen at any point. So over the past few months he has been box rested, barn rested and is now out barefoot in a field for the foreseeable future. To any bystander he looks sound as a pound.



I was left with no riding horse, a situation I had pictured as my worst nightmare the year before. I had the hunters to bring into work over the summer which helped a little. My mother then kindly offered to help me buy another horse. It took several months to find something, many lame horses looked at, many false adverts and a failed vetting, but I found a horse I really liked, she passed the vetting and now she is mine.

She is greener than I wanted but very pleasant under saddle. Went hunting a few times and had great fun. She has some major ground issues that we were not informed about but with my experienced yard and professional help she is improving. I’m excited for the future with her, T.


I would like 2019 to:
• Resolve Ts ground issues
• Event T at BE80 and work towards BE90
• Have her hacking out more confidently
• Begin hunting again on her (this season or next)
• For L, to stay ‘sound’ and enjoy his time in a field

It’s hard to remember how great the positives were when we had such extreme lows. Other aspects of life also seemed to fall apart and become very difficult shortly after his diagnosis and I have struggled to get through it. However I am seeing more clearly now. I’m hoping next year will be more level all around.

Horses eh!... what a rollercoaster.