2nd week of June plans

After two lovely years at my current yard, I've been faced with some hard decisions and made the call to hand my notice in and move yards. It's perfect in that it's close to home and I've made so many friends, but the hacking has now become extremely dangerous and I've nowhere that I can work with Rabbit, so I went to view my new yard at the weekend, started to put the wheels in motion for moving and organising bits and bobs.

Despite 3 culls of excess horsey stuff that I didn't use/no longer had need for - I'm still left with quite a bit to move! Luckily the new yard have very kindly said I can slowly move things over to my new stables so it's not too much to do in one go :)

First thing on the agenda is to sort out the boys new field - they've got 3 whole acres to themselves, so I've been out buying various electric fencing supplies (and helping my friend with her electric fencing too!) as there is no way they're having the entire 3 acres in one sitting.....I'm also going to brush up on my catching skills as I'm pretty sure that when their hooves touch the grass for the first time (even in their restricted paddock), there's no way I'm getting near them with a headcollar for a few days 🤣
 
Well I managed to pull off my very busy weekend without falling asleep at inappropriate moments!

Green TB was very chilled for her competition. We even manged a short canter on loose reins in the warm up. She was a bit more backwards going into the jumps than she usually is, but then the jumps were more colourful, etc... She did jump everything put in front of her but unfortunately, we had a pole down. I think she picked up an insect in her ear as she suddenly started shaking her head between the jumps and her left ear was held weirdly to the side. I'll stick a fly veil on next time to avoid that kind of mishap.
 
Titchy Pony said:
Well I managed to pull off my very busy weekend without falling asleep at inappropriate moments!

Green TB was very chilled for her competition. We even manged a short canter on loose reins in the warm up. She was a bit more backwards going into the jumps than she usually is, but then the jumps were more colourful, etc... She did jump everything put in front of her but unfortunately, we had a pole down. I think she picked up an insect in her ear as she suddenly started shaking her head between the jumps and her left ear was held weirdly to the side. I'll stick a fly veil on next time to avoid that kind of mishap.
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Well done Green TB!
 
Reacher said:
Well done Green TB!
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Thank you!

The aim is to start getting her riding school ready (for more advanced riders for now) over the summer. We've also got to somehow make her attractive to ride by said riding school riders as she rather spectacularly and publicly dumped one of my instructors. My other instructor has been known to struggle with her being overly fizzy as well, but he believes she's a fundamentally nice horse who needs her issues working through (the usual teeth and feet) then it's training and finally experience that she's currently lacking. She'll get there is given the chance. The horse she's supposed to "replace" arrived at the riding school as a 17yo, having already evented to a decent level and done some riding school work. Even as a 20 yo she had moments (winter jollies) when she wasn't rideable by most people. I think it's only fair to give Green TB a bit of slack, she's only 8yo at the minute.
 
Realised I didn’t report back on Beryl going to Cheshire show!

Managed to not miss any of my classes this year 🤣 and actually had an easy drive in, not sure how I managed it really! Beryl was super cool, started off a bit overwhelmed and bouncy but settled and gave her first ride judge a lovely trip round 🙌🏻💕.

6th in Novice Riding horse and 1st in the Ridden part bred Arab mare class 💕.

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Plus one that shows how bloody beefy she is despite being half Arab 🤣.
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Though I was sad to see how down entries are even for the HOYS classes!
 
A belated (and long, sorry! ) write up on my 11 mile fundraising ride for charity last weekend.
1st leg:
We parked in a field in the centre of the village after a 2 hour drive to get there, having been stuck in a cycle race for about 25 miles. Mr Reacher was driving and getting tetchy.

The route was out of the village and up a track up the fell. There were lots of marshals, including ones at junctions helping us cross over the road.
I decided not to wear hoof boots, but took a front pair with me just in case. The track was a bit stoney but we picked our way.

I caught up 2 young girls in ponies, we all pulled over to let a group of horses overtake, mr H wasnt pleased. I overtook the girls.
The route then went parallel to the track , it was a bit soft after the recent rain.
The route then turn off away and went steeply up the fell, near the top there was a canter , with a photographer taking our pictures.

At the top I caught up 3 teenage girls on 14.2-ish ponies, with 2 brave mothers accompanying them on foot. Mr H was rather worked up, we caught one pony and the mums and I asked if I could walk with them, to keep mr H happy, they kindly said yes. The other 2 girls were on faster ponies a bit ahead. I had a nice chat with them.

We walked along a top of an escarpment (?) for a while then got to the 2nd canter . The 2 faster ponies went on ahead, I said I’d wait until they got out of the way, then I would canter. Mr H went like a champagne cork out of a bottle.
One of the mums ran ahead a little way, and watched me set off, when she caught us up she said it was very funny, watching my ‘clinging on for dear life’ face.

After the 3rd pony and 2 mums caught us up it was a downhill walk back to where the shorter and longer routes separated. It was a bit boggy, Mr H was quite riled that I hadn’t let him race the ponies and was rather tetchy.
The ponies decided to take the short route home, I said thankyou for letting me walk with you , and set off on my own on the next leg.

To be continued!
 
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2nd leg
Mr H didn’t complain as he left his new friends and strode off across the moors . This leg followed some existing paths and at times branched off piste, a track through the heather and bracken had been made by a quad bike. The markers were actually pretty good. There paths were popular with walkers which is probably why the ride was diverted off them in places. (Also in some places the outward and return legs were quite close together, though as the moorland doesn’t have many landmarks I didn’t always recognise where I was backtracking.)
There was another uphill canter , then at the top we turned back downhill towards the lake and ended up at the viewpoint and had our photo taken overlooking the lake.
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From here it was back downhill, the first stretch was pretty steep and I zigzagged some descents .

After a while we could see horses in the distance , mr H stalked them for about the next half hour . We crossed back over a shallow stream, as i felt I was holding him back a lot going downhill, I decided to give him responsibility for his own legs, and gave him the reins. He went through the stream…. then cantered up the other side, I had to hurriedly take up the reins again!
At one point I realised I was on a path but the flags were higher up the hill, I felt mr H wouldn’t be impressed at climbing back up so we followed the path, he kept his eye on the horse in the distance, and after 10 minutes or so we got back to the flags.
After more downhill we ended up near the bottom of the track we started out on and as we got to the gate at the bottom we caught the horse in front up. We have been stalking you for ages , I said. I’m surprised you didn’t catch us up sooner, she said.
Mr H felt that horse was boring so marched off leaving it behind. We were back on a tarmac road which took us back into the village.
A marshal helped us across the junction, I said how much I’d enjoyed it. We got back to the right hand turn into the car park, there was a constant slow stream of traffic so I indicated right, mr H gave the oncoming car a hard stare and it stopped to let us cross. Got back to the car where Mr Reacher was sat in his deck chair looking for us to appear from the opposite direction to which we came.
 
Been back at the long reining yesterday. I really have to get on him asap, some life events meant I couldn’t and I’ve just been struggling with consistency as I’m away again for a week now on a ranch trip in Wyoming.

He doesn’t seem to mind being picked up and put down though, lovely little chap that he is.


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Was going to look at an Irish cob but I've decided against it as he looks a bit too green. And my partner point blank refused to hit the motorway on a Friday afternoon to view it with me (he has a good point tbf).

Anyway seller says they will get partner to work on it and I can view it next week. It will probably be gone by then but if it is, it is. I'm not 100% certain about it and the ones I've been to view I was, so that nagging voice in my head is something i should listen to.

Going for my weekly hack Sunday, can't wait!
 
Quick update on BD Tuesday. First test was tense and I went wrong but still won my section as only Bronze rider 🤣
2nd test was much better, smashed qualifying scores and also won. Came 2nd overall which I'm delighted with as against silver and gold riders.
It was first time I've taken him to this venue, first time on my own and I had to plait which mini Nicnac always does does for me. Not pretty but they stayed in!
Menopause brain not great at remembering 2 tests tho 😕
 
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