MizElz
Well-Known Member
Went to a riding club training session last night - our first ever! I'd put us down for the 'Intermediate' group, which I started panicking about when we were watching the first session in case five Grand Prix dressage horses came off the lorry for our one! But it was fine; I think we fitted in pretty well, and the instructor is one of those amazing people who can tailor a session to suit every single person, regardless of whether they compete at Prelim or Advanced level, or if their horse is 4, or 14. I felt I got so much out of the hour; more, dare I say, than from the one to one tuition I have had with my instructor. Ellie went the best she has ever gone, IMO, and considering the fact that we have done nothing competitive or even on the schooling front since September 07, I thought she cope fantastically. I never knew either of us could do shoulder in.....
We then had a bit of a scare when we put her on the trailer. She loves to rub her head on things; unfortunately, her headcollar got caught on the breast bar catch, and she panicked. Mum had not yet managed to get the ramp up, and Ellie was scrabbling so much she almost came out under the tail bar! The headcollar snapped very quickly - a testament to the absolute necessity of having a leather headcollar, I think. No harm was done (two very kind RC ladies lent me a hammer and nail to punch a hole in the broken headcollar) but if my headcollar had been made of nylon, my horse would have broken her neck.
We've always had leather headcollars anyway, due to horror stories about nylon ones; however this is the first time we have truly experienced their benefits. Please, people, take note, and dont ever use a nylon headcollar - it isnt worth the risk to your horse's neck.
Oh yes, and the funniest moment of the night was when we got back; my brother uses his quad bike to reverse the trailer into our yard, as the Shogun has the turning circle of a boat
He was jumping up and down on the hitch, trying to get it onto the tow bar, and panicking that it wouldnt go. I bent down to have a look, and said, quite spontaneously:
"You silly git, you've forgotten to take the knob off your ball!"
We then had a bit of a scare when we put her on the trailer. She loves to rub her head on things; unfortunately, her headcollar got caught on the breast bar catch, and she panicked. Mum had not yet managed to get the ramp up, and Ellie was scrabbling so much she almost came out under the tail bar! The headcollar snapped very quickly - a testament to the absolute necessity of having a leather headcollar, I think. No harm was done (two very kind RC ladies lent me a hammer and nail to punch a hole in the broken headcollar) but if my headcollar had been made of nylon, my horse would have broken her neck.
We've always had leather headcollars anyway, due to horror stories about nylon ones; however this is the first time we have truly experienced their benefits. Please, people, take note, and dont ever use a nylon headcollar - it isnt worth the risk to your horse's neck.
Oh yes, and the funniest moment of the night was when we got back; my brother uses his quad bike to reverse the trailer into our yard, as the Shogun has the turning circle of a boat
"You silly git, you've forgotten to take the knob off your ball!"
