Queenbee
Well-Known Member
Well I dragged him out of his three month holiday at the begining of April, our target destination a county show (Royal Cornwall). You all watched his progress, gave me tips, pointers and suggestions when time after time I came on here asking for advice or posting about his progress. Over his holiday he had lost weight and topline, turned into a muddy yak. You really arent the only ones who doubted my sanity! So many times I didn't think I would get there, not least last Saturday when it felt like I was holding a stick of dynamite at the end of a leadrope having gone to our first show for a practice. So with a bit of tweaking to our plan, we went a day early to allow him time to settle in. This was not without its scary moments either. We were going in YO's three week old box with living, which the day before we set off decided to have a computer hissy fit and lose all indicator function! Thankfully this was all fixed, but I dont mind saying that at times I did wonder whether I was being sent signs! This entire journey was all done very publically, and whilst I tried to trust my gut instinct with ben and how to handle things, I also worried about making a complete gaff and letting him down and having to share that... not that letting him down privately would have really been any easier for me to swallow.
I would like to state that my pride in ben was even more magnified by the fact that at his first show he had 2 calmers and couldnt cope, whereas he put up with everything on wednesday and thursday with nothing in his system.
Wednesday
Im not sure if you are aware of this but there are (I found out on wednesday) two 5 o'clocks in a day
For anyone who knows me personally they will know what a shock this was to me! I got to the yard, loaded up and suited and booted benjamin up after bringing him in from the field, he looked the dude that he is, and behaved like it too, striding straight up the ramp. We set off at 7.15 and arrived at 8.40 making really good time, he traveled really well and I could watch him through a video link which was great for me as im really nervous about traveling horses.
Gates opened at 9am and we drove in, parked up and went to find his stable. He was stabled over with the showjumpers which was actually really nice, it was set away from too much hub bub but with enough to ease him into things, my edt was there with his son and all their horses so I knew lots of people around me. We had to pick a crop of orange mushrooms from the stable but made sure we got em all before bringing him up, giving him a haynet and water and letting him chill. He unloaded fantastically well and was calm and relaxed despite other horses and horseboxes and a completely alien environment around him. Once stabled, Aunty G and I went for a good old stonk around the show ground, I grabbed a nice bacon and egg bap, we poked around the stores being set up for bargins and went to see my friends charolais bull.
After a couple of hours to settle in, I went and took him to the collecting ring to lunge him off, at home he will try and fall out through his shoulder on one rein when he comes close to the edge of the school, here though he had no edge to cling to as the ring was so big and he did some lovely work in walk trot and canter on both reins... we then meandered back (a few whinneys and snorts on the way) getting a good look at everything. Then I popped his bed down and left him to it for a few hours giving him a huge hug. I amused myself, making some great new friends out of our neighbors, and toddling off to see some friends down with the cattle. Everyone was so bloody nice, completely take back any preconceived ideas that I had otherwise! The trainer I sent him to to be backed was there and it was lovely to chat with her and have her know we had made it less than a year after she backed him!
After a g and t I went and saddled him up, I was so lacking in self confidence earlier when I lunged him that Id asked Aunty G to come with me... She told me not to be so silly, that I could handle anything from him and not to stand for any funny business. Having seen his behavior earlier I felt much happier about riding him but this time she came with me unbidden and just sat and watched... it was lovely, I rode him round the walk ways a few times, once around the jumping warm up area then down into the warm up ring, he had a couple of flighty moments as I took him into the warm up ring on one side... just emu horse, so she suggested I take him all the way around to the other entrance to the next door ring which did the trick. By the time we were there he was much better and within a minute I had some fantastic work out of him, a couple of rein backs and a few halts and he worked so well. He was doing a bit of halt to trot and trot to halt... my boy felt better schooling in this arena than in the arena at home. He even wanted to canter although I didnt want to risk a slip as it was his first time on grass and no shoes.
During the afternoon I cleaned and oiled the bridle, about five times just to be sure it was clean Using a tooth pick on the holes to make sure they were clean and a micro fibre cloth on the metal. (I was on fire!)
Once back in the stable his essentials were topped up and i went back to have a cuppa followed by a couple of g and t and a catch up with next door. Bath time happened at about 5.30, he was scrubbed from top to toe, I even scrubbed his hooves of any ingrained gunk!, by 6.30 my baby boy was fed,bathed, chalked, tail plaited, legs bandaged, hoddied and rugged for the night.
When I returned, the neigbors provided me with a fantastic barbecue... never had such a fantastic and much appreciated feast! Sadly I was just too exhausted to have a post work G and T but a cuppa was flipping nectar.
By this time my feet were throbbing and I was walking around without shoes on to cool my tootsies.
When I went to do his 10pm check my heart burst, he was asleep in his stable and I had the most precious moment when I crept in and sat on the floor with his head resting on my knee as I fed him his haylage. I lifted his nose to my mouth and gave him such a kiss... I was so proud of him.
By the time I got back Aunty G was in bed and my god it was all I could do to crawl into my sleeping bag, I was shattered, I really didnt know how I was going to make it out of bed the next morning especially since I couldn't charge my phone as the generator wasnt on, thankfully Aunty G is an early riser so I could rest well.
I would like to state that my pride in ben was even more magnified by the fact that at his first show he had 2 calmers and couldnt cope, whereas he put up with everything on wednesday and thursday with nothing in his system.
Wednesday
Im not sure if you are aware of this but there are (I found out on wednesday) two 5 o'clocks in a day
For anyone who knows me personally they will know what a shock this was to me! I got to the yard, loaded up and suited and booted benjamin up after bringing him in from the field, he looked the dude that he is, and behaved like it too, striding straight up the ramp. We set off at 7.15 and arrived at 8.40 making really good time, he traveled really well and I could watch him through a video link which was great for me as im really nervous about traveling horses.Gates opened at 9am and we drove in, parked up and went to find his stable. He was stabled over with the showjumpers which was actually really nice, it was set away from too much hub bub but with enough to ease him into things, my edt was there with his son and all their horses so I knew lots of people around me. We had to pick a crop of orange mushrooms from the stable
but made sure we got em all before bringing him up, giving him a haynet and water and letting him chill. He unloaded fantastically well and was calm and relaxed despite other horses and horseboxes and a completely alien environment around him. Once stabled, Aunty G and I went for a good old stonk around the show ground, I grabbed a nice bacon and egg bap, we poked around the stores being set up for bargins and went to see my friends charolais bull.After a couple of hours to settle in, I went and took him to the collecting ring to lunge him off, at home he will try and fall out through his shoulder on one rein when he comes close to the edge of the school, here though he had no edge to cling to as the ring was so big and he did some lovely work in walk trot and canter on both reins... we then meandered back (a few whinneys and snorts on the way) getting a good look at everything. Then I popped his bed down and left him to it for a few hours giving him a huge hug. I amused myself, making some great new friends out of our neighbors, and toddling off to see some friends down with the cattle. Everyone was so bloody nice, completely take back any preconceived ideas that I had otherwise! The trainer I sent him to to be backed was there and it was lovely to chat with her and have her know we had made it less than a year after she backed him!
After a g and t I went and saddled him up, I was so lacking in self confidence earlier when I lunged him that Id asked Aunty G to come with me... She told me not to be so silly, that I could handle anything from him and not to stand for any funny business. Having seen his behavior earlier I felt much happier about riding him but this time she came with me unbidden and just sat and watched... it was lovely, I rode him round the walk ways a few times, once around the jumping warm up area then down into the warm up ring, he had a couple of flighty moments as I took him into the warm up ring on one side... just emu horse, so she suggested I take him all the way around to the other entrance to the next door ring which did the trick. By the time we were there he was much better and within a minute I had some fantastic work out of him, a couple of rein backs and a few halts and he worked so well. He was doing a bit of halt to trot and trot to halt... my boy felt better schooling in this arena than in the arena at home. He even wanted to canter although I didnt want to risk a slip as it was his first time on grass and no shoes.
During the afternoon I cleaned and oiled the bridle, about five times just to be sure it was clean
Using a tooth pick on the holes to make sure they were clean and a micro fibre cloth on the metal. (I was on fire!)Once back in the stable his essentials were topped up and i went back to have a cuppa followed by a couple of g and t and a catch up with next door. Bath time happened at about 5.30, he was scrubbed from top to toe, I even scrubbed his hooves of any ingrained gunk!, by 6.30 my baby boy was fed,bathed, chalked, tail plaited, legs bandaged, hoddied and rugged for the night.
When I returned, the neigbors provided me with a fantastic barbecue... never had such a fantastic and much appreciated feast! Sadly I was just too exhausted to have a post work G and T but a cuppa was flipping nectar.
By this time my feet were throbbing and I was walking around without shoes on to cool my tootsies.
When I went to do his 10pm check my heart burst, he was asleep in his stable and I had the most precious moment when I crept in and sat on the floor with his head resting on my knee as I fed him his haylage. I lifted his nose to my mouth and gave him such a kiss... I was so proud of him.
By the time I got back Aunty G was in bed and my god it was all I could do to crawl into my sleeping bag, I was shattered, I really didnt know how I was going to make it out of bed the next morning especially since I couldn't charge my phone as the generator wasnt on, thankfully Aunty G is an early riser so I could rest well.
) After a cuppa, I went and watered, skipped out, replaced haynet and gave ben breakfast... then I saw his hocks!!!!!!
once in the warm up ring it took quite a bit of riding in before he worked well and focused but the fact is HE DID work exceptionally well and around all the other horses warming up, of which there were never less than 4 in the ring! 
but he got used to the gunshots and I praised the hell out of him for not trying to run away, we did yet more in hand practice, i glugged down a bottle of water, we smiled for my dads camera (well tried to smile
xx
Im so proud of everything he has dealt with in the last 12 months!
