AdorableAlice
Well-Known Member
Well, whose idea was that ! especially on the hottest of hot days. I was ready to quit just plaiting the pair up.
With Alice in a seemingly benevolent mood and Tim his usual 'whatever' self we loaded up for the short journey to the wonderful facilities of Stourport Riding School. For any of you in the Worcestershire/Glos/West Mids areas the indoor school and facilities at this venue are well worth a trip. The surfaces in and outdoor are perfect, parking is good, access is good and the cafe very good.
With not a murmour coming from the horses I started to wonder what Alice was doing to Timmy to keep him so quiet. They have never been out together before and I was really hoping Tim would not cling on to her. They don't graze together but being homebred they have been together a long time in the yard. They came off the truck totally soaked from head to hoof in sweat, bath number one commences and with Alice mortified at bathing in public without a towel for modesty and Tim, Nice But Dim announcing he was frightened of water and pulling back, we were off to a less then perfect start.
Alice was not remotely clingy to Tim, which I had been confident would be the case, she did however, have the hots for an Iberian type and fluttered her eyelashes at him. Tim, on the other hand, was convinced that Alice was his comfort blanket and was screaming like a banshee if he couldn't see her which was disappointing and embarrassing. He was ok in the warm up and both worked nicely.
Prelim 2 and Tim first to go, he went up the centre line squawking and trying to look behind him. Alice had been put in hiding before Tim started his test. A pony club kick in the ribs sorted Tim out and he did a fair test until the walk section, when he did quarters in and out, tripped up, tried to rub his face on his knee and stamped the ground in temper, earning himself a 4.5 for his efforts.
The very kind organisers had put the 2 horses following each other in both classes which made the day so much easier, especially in the heat and with Tim wound up he would not have coped on the lorry alone. Alice flounced into the arena next and decided everything was threatening and stopped going forwards. Pony club kick take 2 produced a buck and head toss, no mark for that as the test hadn't even started. They finished 3rd and 4th respectively and received bath number two followed by Tims rider having a bottle of water tipped over his head to try and cool down.
A board meeting was called back at the lorry and with over an hour to kill before P17 we decided to separate them and take Tim to graze. That really helped him relax and he stopped screaming so badly. Alice stayed at the lorry and devoured her own and his haynet. Both riders had lost the will to live in the heat and Tim's rider decided on no warm up, so it was tack on and straight in. Tim did a super test, no noise, concentrated throughout and even I was impressed. Alice came in and Tim remained silent, leaving the arena without a backward glance at her. This time Alice produced a good test. Bath number 3 and a struggle to get rider long boots off. We all agreed that whilst it looked like a bad idea initially with Tim getting upset, he did learn from the day and did improve as the day went on. He has to cope with having a companion on the truck and next time we will take Ted. Alice and Tim are due out together later in the month hunter showing.
There is only one photo as I was too busy hanging onto a wired Tim most of the day. The ice creams all round and we went home, boiled, exhausted but pleased with the pair.
With Alice in a seemingly benevolent mood and Tim his usual 'whatever' self we loaded up for the short journey to the wonderful facilities of Stourport Riding School. For any of you in the Worcestershire/Glos/West Mids areas the indoor school and facilities at this venue are well worth a trip. The surfaces in and outdoor are perfect, parking is good, access is good and the cafe very good.
With not a murmour coming from the horses I started to wonder what Alice was doing to Timmy to keep him so quiet. They have never been out together before and I was really hoping Tim would not cling on to her. They don't graze together but being homebred they have been together a long time in the yard. They came off the truck totally soaked from head to hoof in sweat, bath number one commences and with Alice mortified at bathing in public without a towel for modesty and Tim, Nice But Dim announcing he was frightened of water and pulling back, we were off to a less then perfect start.
Alice was not remotely clingy to Tim, which I had been confident would be the case, she did however, have the hots for an Iberian type and fluttered her eyelashes at him. Tim, on the other hand, was convinced that Alice was his comfort blanket and was screaming like a banshee if he couldn't see her which was disappointing and embarrassing. He was ok in the warm up and both worked nicely.
Prelim 2 and Tim first to go, he went up the centre line squawking and trying to look behind him. Alice had been put in hiding before Tim started his test. A pony club kick in the ribs sorted Tim out and he did a fair test until the walk section, when he did quarters in and out, tripped up, tried to rub his face on his knee and stamped the ground in temper, earning himself a 4.5 for his efforts.
The very kind organisers had put the 2 horses following each other in both classes which made the day so much easier, especially in the heat and with Tim wound up he would not have coped on the lorry alone. Alice flounced into the arena next and decided everything was threatening and stopped going forwards. Pony club kick take 2 produced a buck and head toss, no mark for that as the test hadn't even started. They finished 3rd and 4th respectively and received bath number two followed by Tims rider having a bottle of water tipped over his head to try and cool down.
A board meeting was called back at the lorry and with over an hour to kill before P17 we decided to separate them and take Tim to graze. That really helped him relax and he stopped screaming so badly. Alice stayed at the lorry and devoured her own and his haynet. Both riders had lost the will to live in the heat and Tim's rider decided on no warm up, so it was tack on and straight in. Tim did a super test, no noise, concentrated throughout and even I was impressed. Alice came in and Tim remained silent, leaving the arena without a backward glance at her. This time Alice produced a good test. Bath number 3 and a struggle to get rider long boots off. We all agreed that whilst it looked like a bad idea initially with Tim getting upset, he did learn from the day and did improve as the day went on. He has to cope with having a companion on the truck and next time we will take Ted. Alice and Tim are due out together later in the month hunter showing.
There is only one photo as I was too busy hanging onto a wired Tim most of the day. The ice creams all round and we went home, boiled, exhausted but pleased with the pair.
Well done all 
