Daughter and Dolly - getting ready for our first outing!!!

JFTD said:
This is such a happy reading thread, you sound so excited! I completely agree regarding parents and spoilt brats at shows - the "this pony is rubbish" attitude makes me consider homicide. Normally it has more to do with the brat not being able to ride! Always good to go to a nice, friendly show with as little of that nonsense as possible. Hope you have a great time and all goes smoothly - you've certainly planned well enough!

Re leather headcollars - the reason you're meant to travel in them is, as you say, so in a disaster situation they break - I prefer to travel mine in leather. If you're worried about it breaking at the show (which is reasonably unlikely - it does take a lot of force - I speak from experience watching my brat break his expensive Christmas present last year :o lol) then just take a nylon one to swap into when you get there / between classes?
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Thanks!

I know for sure that this show is lovely, so I'm really looking forward to it. It's a perfect one for her to start off at.

Leather headcollar is sounding good. You should see the lovely one I bought too! All swirly embroidered - Dolly looks a treat in it!! Brown leather with brass clips, and I bought a long brown leadrope with gold threads running through it. Gorgeous! OMG never thought I'd be so chuffed with stuff like this!!!!

God help her if she breaks it!!!!! :p
 
redmone said:
Thank you!

I've said recently, that her smile (and Dolly's!) makes the money well spent!!!

Daughter is 10. WOW though - your daughter - first jump at 4 1/2 that's FAB!!!!

:D
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I think there is a lot to be said for those kind of smiles hey!

I was very impressed with the jump, I wasn't there at the time just saw the pic that hubby took! When I asked her about it and how well she'd done, she calmly responded, "but it wasn't a big jump"!!! Nerves/balls of steel that one, I guess it comes from having a Royal Marine for a daddy!! She was off the leading rein on her last lesson but back on it for the most recent one. I think my first jump was around 7 at a Pony Club rally!
 
redmone said:
Awwww I completely agree with you!!

I wondered last year, when I could see that daughter was getting bored playing toys and games with me, how we would spend our time together in the future. She's my only child, and I think I need her as much as she needs me (probably more now actually!). But I didn't consider this when buying Dolly.

So I'm so pleased that having Dolly has brought us together so much, at exactly the time most children are probably moving more towards their friends than their parents. Don't get me wrong, I actively push her towards her friends (lovely girls that they are) as she's a shy one, but Dolly has given her confidence beyond belief.

I love the time we spend together, and that I'm "useful" in her life!! I can't imagine life without ponies, and someone said to me a while ago, "what will you do when daughter doesn't need you anymore". And I said........

GET MYSELF A PONY!!!!

Dolly = Best thing we ever did! :D

:D:D:D:D
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If your daughter continues with horse she will always need you - mine is 20 now and our horse time is our quality time together - riding out (I have my daughters outgrown 14.2), doing chores or at shows - she cant drive the lorry. It makes me still feel a useful mummy.

Also - as well as your daughter learning self confidence, discipline and hard work, I think being a horse mummy teaches us some good lessons, such as letting go (nearly) and allowing our kids outside the disinfected cotton wool lives so many live - not to mention practical skills such as trailer towing, lorry driving, plaiting, clipping.
 
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how fab for you and your daughter!! yeah, having some responsibility for an animal that size helps with everyones confidence, mine has rocketed ever since i got my lovely loan horse! good luck at the show, you will have a fab time and remember its just fun fun fun!! i actually find getting my horse clean as can be for shows quite theraputic, especially seeing the end result when im in my best show gear and all my piebalds white patches are sparkling and her tail isnt an afro and shes lovely and trimmed i feel really proud to have her (not that i dont when im not at shows of course!) on the day you will probably be the proudest mom on earth, weather your daughter gets placed or not (in fact you probably already feel that way) so good luck
 
Lovely update:D

How are YOU getting to the show? I would take my car behind the trailer/lorry. Then you can nip home if you've forgetted anything and, more importantly, have everything ready the night before in your car.

Preparation is the key to a stress free show. Have EVERYTHING ready the day before. Tack, equipment, food, water, clothes, money etc. If you're taking your car too, have it all packed. Have pony bathed and plaited for before teatime (nothing worse that still scrubbing at 9pm the night before)

The ONLY thing you should need to do in the morning is a quick sponge of dirty patches (if required), headcollar on and into box. No last min haynet filling or water filling. No paniced tack cleaning.

I decide what I need by visulising the day, from top of head to bottom of ponies toes, what i'll do from first thing ( sponge pony, load, unload, tie up, enter classes, tack up, get dressed etc etc) and write a list based on that.

Good luck. Don't let it stress you an. It really doesn't MATTER if you forget something like a hair net or jodhs clip Or tail guard. All you really need is the essentials (pony, all tack, daughter, riding hat and boots. Food and money)
 
Kallibear said:
Lovely update:D

How are YOU getting to the show? I would take my car behind the trailer/lorry. Then you can nip home if you've forgetted anything and, more importantly, have everything ready the night before in your car.

Preparation is the key to a stress free show. Have EVERYTHING ready the day before. Tack, equipment, food, water, clothes, money etc. If you're taking your car too, have it all packed. Have pony bathed and plaited for before teatime (nothing worse that still scrubbing at 9pm the night before)

The ONLY thing you should need to do in the morning is a quick sponge of dirty patches (if required), headcollar on and into box. No last min haynet filling or water filling. No paniced tack cleaning.

I decide what I need by visulising the day, from top of head to bottom of ponies toes, what i'll do from first thing ( sponge pony, load, unload, tie up, enter classes, tack up, get dressed etc etc) and write a list based on that.

Good luck. Don't let it stress you an. It really doesn't MATTER if you forget something like a hair net or jodhs clip Or tail guard. All you really need is the essentials (pony, all tack, daughter, riding hat and boots. Food and money)
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Good advice - over the years we have turned up at shows and rallies minus reins, girth, boots (did dressage in wellies!) and once managed to forget the whole bridle!
 
Magicmillbrook said:
If your daughter continues with horse she will always need you - mine is 20 now and our horse time is our quality time together - riding out (I have my daughters outgrown 14.2), doing chores or at shows - she cant drive the lorry. It makes me still feel a useful mummy.

Also - as well as your daughter learning self confidence, discipline and hard work, I think being a horse mummy teaches us some good lessons, such as letting go (nearly) and allowing our kids outside the disinfected cotton wool lives so many live - not to mention practical skills such as trailer towing, lorry driving, plaiting, clipping.
Click to expand...

I have loved horses all my life and my daughter got involved properly when she was 8 years old when she was bought her first pony, its been a wonderful upbringing for her and she has learnt lots and lots of wonderful skills because of it.

It has also kept our relationship together and she is like yourself Redmone my only daughter, there have been times we have argued, laughed and cried but mainly it has been great fun. Her horse has seen her through GCSES, A Levels, break up of boyfriends, the death of her beloved father due to a long battle with cancer, i seriously don't know whether she would be the same loving, caring sensible girl she is today without her involvement in horses.

Over the years it has cost me a fortune but i don't begrudge one penny of it, my daughter is now 19 years old and is starting University in Sept, we are keeping her horse as he is such a dude and i am having a wonderful time riding him but already she is talking about when she will be coming home to her main man xx

From your posts i don't need to tell you to 'make the most of it' as you sound like you are, just enjoy.
 
windsorblue said:
This time next year you'll be telling us all about their first Pony Club Camp!
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She wants to go to Pony Racing School next summer :eek::eek::eek:

And guess what. She did the gooey big eyes thing on daddy, and he bought her racing silks - let her design them on the internet and they've been made and received!

Wait til I post pics of her in them!!! :D
 
Tillypup said:
I think there is a lot to be said for those kind of smiles hey!

I was very impressed with the jump, I wasn't there at the time just saw the pic that hubby took! When I asked her about it and how well she'd done, she calmly responded, "but it wasn't a big jump"!!! Nerves/balls of steel that one, I guess it comes from having a Royal Marine for a daddy!! She was off the leading rein on her last lesson but back on it for the most recent one. I think my first jump was around 7 at a Pony Club rally!
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If you're anything like me, probably best you weren't there! :eek::D

What a little star she sounds!

Daughter did her first jump a few years ago, but it wasn't intended!!! :eek:
 
Magicmillbrook said:
If your daughter continues with horse she will always need you - mine is 20 now and our horse time is our quality time together - riding out (I have my daughters outgrown 14.2), doing chores or at shows - she cant drive the lorry. It makes me still feel a useful mummy.

Also - as well as your daughter learning self confidence, discipline and hard work, I think being a horse mummy teaches us some good lessons, such as letting go (nearly) and allowing our kids outside the disinfected cotton wool lives so many live - not to mention practical skills such as trailer towing, lorry driving, plaiting, clipping.
Click to expand...

I do quite a bit of recruiting at work, and have said recently that there's nothing like horsey people for hard work. Makes them totally employable, and understanding of the link between hard work and reward. So many skills it teaches, which are so valuable and so rare in society now.

I like being a useful mummy! I'm the jump putter upper at the moment, and still the bridle fitter, because Dolly does a giraffe impression every time daughter has a go!!! She's fine with other ponies, and the saddle on D, but Dolly totally takes the p where the bridle is concerned :p:D

My plaiting is questionable, and I've never clipped but I can trim whiskers!!!!

:D
 
aliceeventing131 said:
how fab for you and your daughter!! yeah, having some responsibility for an animal that size helps with everyones confidence, mine has rocketed ever since i got my lovely loan horse! good luck at the show, you will have a fab time and remember its just fun fun fun!! i actually find getting my horse clean as can be for shows quite theraputic, especially seeing the end result when im in my best show gear and all my piebalds white patches are sparkling and her tail isnt an afro and shes lovely and trimmed i feel really proud to have her (not that i dont when im not at shows of course!) on the day you will probably be the proudest mom on earth, weather your daughter gets placed or not (in fact you probably already feel that way) so good luck
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I totally know where you're coming from regarding the theraputic thing!! I work in an office 40 hours a week, and there's nothing like standing there brushing Dolly or doing her bed. I simply love it.

Never thought I would. I was always a hair nicely done, nails polished kind of girl in the past, but now I'm never happier than being knee deep in poo!! I've told the riding school they should bill me for the therapy it gives me (hope they don't!!!) as it helps me unwind so much.

I'm already the proudest mum on earth. I think daughter is such a talented rider (I know I would say that - I'm not claiming to be objective about this!!!) and I love the young woman she's growing into. She amazes me sometimes, as she's so small but so determined.

I truely couldn't care less how she does at these shows - I just want her to enjoy them and be happy. And of course, I want Dolly to be happy too.

:)
 
Kallibear said:
Lovely update:D

How are YOU getting to the show? I would take my car behind the trailer/lorry. Then you can nip home if you've forgetted anything and, more importantly, have everything ready the night before in your car.

Preparation is the key to a stress free show. Have EVERYTHING ready the day before. Tack, equipment, food, water, clothes, money etc. If you're taking your car too, have it all packed. Have pony bathed and plaited for before teatime (nothing worse that still scrubbing at 9pm the night before)

The ONLY thing you should need to do in the morning is a quick sponge of dirty patches (if required), headcollar on and into box. No last min haynet filling or water filling. No paniced tack cleaning.

I decide what I need by visulising the day, from top of head to bottom of ponies toes, what i'll do from first thing ( sponge pony, load, unload, tie up, enter classes, tack up, get dressed etc etc) and write a list based on that.

Good luck. Don't let it stress you an. It really doesn't MATTER if you forget something like a hair net or jodhs clip Or tail guard. All you really need is the essentials (pony, all tack, daughter, riding hat and boots. Food and money)
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We're following by car, with boot full of EVERYTHING!!!!

I'm going to try not to stress. The first show is a very low key relaxed one - no official dress code, or tack rules, so that'll be lovely. The second is at our riding school, so no worries there - will have everything we need to hand, and no travelling. The third one - well - we'll see!!!!

:D
 
Redmone, Not heard off you in ages, Very glad to hear that Dolly and Daughter are off showing.

I am chaperoning 2 girls (aged 8 and 10) to their first show next sunday and I have spent the day being dragged round tackshops by two very excited, whilst attempting to reply to texts from anxious parents :p

I always make lists as it helps me keep calm if I know that everything is written down :)

Re - loading. I just walk up calmly and confidently, non of this fussing about making horse step sidewards ect :)

Hope Daughter has a good show
 
Mahoganybay said:
I have loved horses all my life and my daughter got involved properly when she was 8 years old when she was bought her first pony, its been a wonderful upbringing for her and she has learnt lots and lots of wonderful skills because of it.

It has also kept our relationship together and she is like yourself Redmone my only daughter, there have been times we have argued, laughed and cried but mainly it has been great fun. Her horse has seen her through GCSES, A Levels, break up of boyfriends, the death of her beloved father due to a long battle with cancer, i seriously don't know whether she would be the same loving, caring sensible girl she is today without her involvement in horses.

Over the years it has cost me a fortune but i don't begrudge one penny of it, my daughter is now 19 years old and is starting University in Sept, we are keeping her horse as he is such a dude and i am having a wonderful time riding him but already she is talking about when she will be coming home to her main man xx

From your posts i don't need to tell you to 'make the most of it' as you sound like you are, just enjoy.
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Not much makes me emotional Mahongany Bay, but your post did.

Can't tell you how much that touched me. I don't know what to say - I'm so sorry for your loss, and I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me.

You sound like a fab parent, and no doubt, having you has made your daughter into the woman she is today.

I promise you, I make the most of every day with my daughter. Life's too short to fret over the unimportant. One of my biggest faults is that I'm overprotective - trying not to be now, but it's been difficult, which is why I think I struggled so much when we first got Dolly.

Love the thought of your daughter coming home to her dude! He's a lucky pony to have her, and you.

Thank you xxx
 
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