Gamebird
Well-Known Member
Poor little Dumally the 4yo has heard about all the reports from the clever younsgters on here - especially from his name-a-like Kirstyhen's Mally - and has been begging me for some time to write one for him. Last night I obliged, but it crashed my computer and I lost the report, along with the will top live. However he's badgered me again this morning so here I am!
I entered him in a walk/trot test for his competition debut last weekend while he was still out on his hols sunbathing in the field. He got a pretty rapid 30 minute makeover, 4 days over work then bounded up the ramp into a friend's lorry along with her horse whilst I went off to pick up Jerry. His companion horse was on an hour before Dumally so when I arrived I found him stood on his own on the lorry fast asleep as he'd finished his haynet and couldn't think of anything to do other than sleep!
. He was equally donkey-ish (sorry, docile
) under saddle and whilst no-one could mistakenly call what we did in the ring 'dressage' I had no complaints about his behaviour 
This week has been all about jumping. I hadn't jumped him when I broke him in as I didn't think he was strong enough so this week he's had one jumping session on the lunge and two under saddle. I threw all the scary fillers at him (not literally!
) on the 'start 'em young' school of jump training and he just trotted up and lobbed over all of them, including the paddling pool we use as a water tray
.
That accomplished yesterday he went to a hunter trial
. In mitigation I'd like to mention that I did have a lead horse arranged but they jibbed at the last moment and we really did just trot most of it.
Practice fence:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrsGamebird?feature=mhum#p/a/u/2/8tlbf_jfJFs
Wobbling a wee bit early on in the course:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrsGamebird?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/PL5i3SZaY_I
Then this happened
. But bless him, he just stood and waited whilst the pony faffed about at the half-coffin then popped it himself 

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrsGamebird?feature=mhum#p/u/3/XMvaQCjSwPI
Cute, huh?
Then got got a bit more confident:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrsGamebird?feature=mhum#p/u/1/QzvrjbF6Y9w
We went around again after a wee ice-cream break and he was much less wobbly and even jumped some of the middle sized fences
, which he jumped much better as they weren't quite so insultingly small.
Pic of him looking lost in my Fugly-sized trailer:
And for the Fugly fans he's looking even more donkeyish in his temporary new home. I've moved him to a place with a fold yard to continue his convalescence. When he looks over his gate he can see for about 15miles so he's not bored. Except that he's mostly too busy eating to look at the view!
I entered him in a walk/trot test for his competition debut last weekend while he was still out on his hols sunbathing in the field. He got a pretty rapid 30 minute makeover, 4 days over work then bounded up the ramp into a friend's lorry along with her horse whilst I went off to pick up Jerry. His companion horse was on an hour before Dumally so when I arrived I found him stood on his own on the lorry fast asleep as he'd finished his haynet and couldn't think of anything to do other than sleep!
This week has been all about jumping. I hadn't jumped him when I broke him in as I didn't think he was strong enough so this week he's had one jumping session on the lunge and two under saddle. I threw all the scary fillers at him (not literally!
That accomplished yesterday he went to a hunter trial
Practice fence:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrsGamebird?feature=mhum#p/a/u/2/8tlbf_jfJFs
Wobbling a wee bit early on in the course:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrsGamebird?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/PL5i3SZaY_I
Then this happened
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrsGamebird?feature=mhum#p/u/3/XMvaQCjSwPI
Cute, huh?
Then got got a bit more confident:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrsGamebird?feature=mhum#p/u/1/QzvrjbF6Y9w
We went around again after a wee ice-cream break and he was much less wobbly and even jumped some of the middle sized fences
Pic of him looking lost in my Fugly-sized trailer:
And for the Fugly fans he's looking even more donkeyish in his temporary new home. I've moved him to a place with a fold yard to continue his convalescence. When he looks over his gate he can see for about 15miles so he's not bored. Except that he's mostly too busy eating to look at the view!