Worried1
Well-Known Member
Well obviously we didn't win as I wouldn't be writing this i'd be in the pub getting hammered!
But after a bit of a shaky test at Hickstead I was a bit worried about how Diva would behave especially at a championship when the atmoshere can really light a horse up.
Well she was fanbloodytastic
from start to finish. It was our first overnight competition with her and she was so chilled and easy to do.
Took nearly 3 hours to get there but it was a straight journey with no hold-ups. Sis met us there and had got her stable all ready. So as soon as we arrived she took her off for a leg stretch so I could pop her haynet in and sort out her dinner and get her rugs ready.
Tucked her up in bed and she was absolutely fine. Slept badly due to nerves for OH and the fact there was one noisy horse who sounded like it had tried to escape all night!
Fed her at 6.45 and mucked out and set her fair then went off to get washed, dressed, have some breakfast and hand in her biography form.
Came back and OH helped me get her ready so she could have a wander round the indoor and outdoor warm-up and get a feel for the place. She was absolutely fine, didn't look at anything and was really chilled and relaxed. Popped her back and left her with a haynet while OH helped a client who was competing in the pony class.
Came back and started plaiting up and getting her ready and decided that I was going to give some calming paste a try just to see if it made a difference. The others went off to atch some of the classes but I was so worried she would rub out her plaits I sat in her stable with Casper our dog reading some magazines. Diva was convinced I had poisoned her with the paste and just kept culing her top lip for about an hour.
Tacked her up and put her boots on and OH eventually appeared just as I was bringing her out and got on.
She warmed up like an old pro and didn't look put of place at all. Most of the other horses at one point had a funny 5 minutes and there were plenty of people being led or lunged. She was her usual Miss Chill Pill and looked really great.
She went in and looked fab, we all shouted whip in case OH forgot to drop it but he didn't and she did an accurate and fluent test with no silliness or spooking.
We were thrilled with her. She is a nice, free moving, accurate paced horse who doesn't have the flashiness of some that were there today but I can honestly say I wouldn't have swapped her for any of the other horses I saw as she was so easy and sensible. Her trainability is amazing and she is so generous (Hickstead was a blip
) she always tries her heart out for you.
She scored 6.44 and finished around 14th, which when you consider she was given a wildcard as she didn't qualify is brilliant epsecially as she beat some very nice horses.
She had an hour out in the field when we got back and is now in her usual bedroom sporting Ice tight leggings for no other reason that I'm paranoid and she has had a hectic 24 hours!
Knackered but thrilled!
Will post some pictures tomorrow
x
But after a bit of a shaky test at Hickstead I was a bit worried about how Diva would behave especially at a championship when the atmoshere can really light a horse up.
Well she was fanbloodytastic
Took nearly 3 hours to get there but it was a straight journey with no hold-ups. Sis met us there and had got her stable all ready. So as soon as we arrived she took her off for a leg stretch so I could pop her haynet in and sort out her dinner and get her rugs ready.
Tucked her up in bed and she was absolutely fine. Slept badly due to nerves for OH and the fact there was one noisy horse who sounded like it had tried to escape all night!
Fed her at 6.45 and mucked out and set her fair then went off to get washed, dressed, have some breakfast and hand in her biography form.
Came back and OH helped me get her ready so she could have a wander round the indoor and outdoor warm-up and get a feel for the place. She was absolutely fine, didn't look at anything and was really chilled and relaxed. Popped her back and left her with a haynet while OH helped a client who was competing in the pony class.
Came back and started plaiting up and getting her ready and decided that I was going to give some calming paste a try just to see if it made a difference. The others went off to atch some of the classes but I was so worried she would rub out her plaits I sat in her stable with Casper our dog reading some magazines. Diva was convinced I had poisoned her with the paste and just kept culing her top lip for about an hour.
Tacked her up and put her boots on and OH eventually appeared just as I was bringing her out and got on.
She warmed up like an old pro and didn't look put of place at all. Most of the other horses at one point had a funny 5 minutes and there were plenty of people being led or lunged. She was her usual Miss Chill Pill and looked really great.
She went in and looked fab, we all shouted whip in case OH forgot to drop it but he didn't and she did an accurate and fluent test with no silliness or spooking.
We were thrilled with her. She is a nice, free moving, accurate paced horse who doesn't have the flashiness of some that were there today but I can honestly say I wouldn't have swapped her for any of the other horses I saw as she was so easy and sensible. Her trainability is amazing and she is so generous (Hickstead was a blip
She scored 6.44 and finished around 14th, which when you consider she was given a wildcard as she didn't qualify is brilliant epsecially as she beat some very nice horses.
She had an hour out in the field when we got back and is now in her usual bedroom sporting Ice tight leggings for no other reason that I'm paranoid and she has had a hectic 24 hours!
Knackered but thrilled!
Will post some pictures tomorrow
x
