SSM
Well-Known Member
Well it's a week late, but it has taken me that long to dry out!!
So I'm off to Show Camp, pulled her out of her field at 2pm to load as the rain started - she loaded 'okay' set off and it threw it down the entire way down to Keysoe - past accidents, floods, the works!!!!! I drove behind hubby with Bumble Dog as he needed to go home and wanted my car
It is very interesting observing how your ned travels, and has inspired me that I can drive her myself - she wedges her bum on the back bar on the passenger side and herringbones across to the drivers side, so that she can look out of her front window and behind her - misses nothing but travels beautifully!
Settled her (all of 1 minute to put a hay net up
) met loads of the lovely Show Ring forum people who where there then went to pitch my tent in the brief respite from rain - yes you read correctly I was in a tent
Hubby gallantly put the tent up, but more of that later. Bumble Dog by this point had turned from a white fluffy dog into a rather soggy brown mud coloured dog! Hubby used this as a good excuse NOT to camp with me for the night but to return home to clean up BD and retire to his nice fluffy bed!!! There were two other campers with me, Lands (from HHO) and Pandora (seven months pregnant!!!!!!) we settled down in our tents and it started to rain again!!!! Had the best nights sleep I have had in ages!!!
Monday am gave Donkey a bath in the rain!!!, well it is Show Camp and she needed to look her best!!! Wandered back to the tent and to my horror in the wind that had suddenly whipped up one side had collapsed and the poles seemed to have twisted on closer inspection, yes in the rain, what guy ropes that had been pegged down had been pegged down at funny angles so tent not secure!!!!! Finally managed to sort that out, although could not work out why poles were twisted but it was time for my confirmation lesson. Was given great advice on how to make her stand and have presence for the judge and then we were given a lesson on quarter marking and sharks teeth of which I am now an expert as I am doing them every night on every horse on our yard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After lunch (not impressed by the College food) it was time for ridden lesson, four in our class and I realized that I was the weakest link I am not the strongest or most elegant rider but did learn a lot from the lesson however afterwards went off and had a little weep out of frustration at my lack of ability. Designer Browbands came along and persuaded me that I needed to part with my hard earned cash on a Beagler (said like that in case hubby reads this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Went back to the tent, and yes youve guessed it was still raining!!!!! Worked out that the inner tent was not attached to the outer tent, hence the twisting, so sorted that out. In the evenings we all meet in the canteen with lots of alcohol and talked horses all evening it is bliss being able to go and check on your horse last thing at night before crawling off into your tent
Tuesday was Show Day prep as if for a show and then you have a lesson from a ride judge and lesson on your personal show. So I rode the Donkey for Jo, who immediately picked up on how lazy my girl is the Donkey is on race horse mix I give in! Jo then got on her pointed out what she is looking for as a judge (dont have your sets of reins crossed whoops) and then really put Donkey through her paces including quite a few strong canters and gallops along the sides to make her work she was puffing poor girl!!
After lunch, all prepared for my next lesson I got as far as trotting her across the school and she was wonky back to square one, not hopping lame but not right I was so upset that when I had put her away, removed her plaits etc I went off and had yet another weep this was the one session I wanted to do. That evening, boy did it rain flooded the car park, the yards and lapped around our tents but somehow they remained dry inside! (Photos to follow) Being so frustrated by her wonkyness there was only one thing to do, drink!!!!!!! So downed rather a lot of wine, talked drivel then announced that I was Pished and apparently took myself off to bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Woke Wednesday morning with a stinking hangover, at least it was not raining!!! Hoping the Donkey would have unwonked I tacked her up and went off to my morning lesson, I swear the instructors heart dropped when she saw me (better not post this bit on the other forum!!!!!!) After ten mins it was apparent that Donkey was not lame but not right so much to the instructors joy I shuffled off back to the stables, sadly we did not get to do any workers but there is always next year (If I am allowed back!!) I had a wonderful time despite the weather it really never stopped raining and my wonky Donkey met and spent time with wonderful people, I think Donkey really enjoyed herself, her stable was in the middle of a block where lots of people stopped to chat and she just hung her head over the door and joined in every conversation!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In fact I think Donkey enjoyed it so much that she decided that she was not going to come home 2 hours (in the rain again) to load the stinking cow (well that is what I thought of her at that point) she went in the trailer but would shoot straight back out with help and a rather strong bit we eventually got her in I had wandered off to see if I could beg a lift in a lorry, hubby was suggesting I rode her home! So to everyone who braved her tantrums (especially FMM) she is scared of nothing or nobody - thank you so much!! (this problem is in the process of being resolved)
Sorry if this is long, but I am off to post my pics!
So I'm off to Show Camp, pulled her out of her field at 2pm to load as the rain started - she loaded 'okay' set off and it threw it down the entire way down to Keysoe - past accidents, floods, the works!!!!! I drove behind hubby with Bumble Dog as he needed to go home and wanted my car
Settled her (all of 1 minute to put a hay net up
Monday am gave Donkey a bath in the rain!!!, well it is Show Camp and she needed to look her best!!! Wandered back to the tent and to my horror in the wind that had suddenly whipped up one side had collapsed and the poles seemed to have twisted on closer inspection, yes in the rain, what guy ropes that had been pegged down had been pegged down at funny angles so tent not secure!!!!! Finally managed to sort that out, although could not work out why poles were twisted but it was time for my confirmation lesson. Was given great advice on how to make her stand and have presence for the judge and then we were given a lesson on quarter marking and sharks teeth of which I am now an expert as I am doing them every night on every horse on our yard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After lunch (not impressed by the College food) it was time for ridden lesson, four in our class and I realized that I was the weakest link I am not the strongest or most elegant rider but did learn a lot from the lesson however afterwards went off and had a little weep out of frustration at my lack of ability. Designer Browbands came along and persuaded me that I needed to part with my hard earned cash on a Beagler (said like that in case hubby reads this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Went back to the tent, and yes youve guessed it was still raining!!!!! Worked out that the inner tent was not attached to the outer tent, hence the twisting, so sorted that out. In the evenings we all meet in the canteen with lots of alcohol and talked horses all evening it is bliss being able to go and check on your horse last thing at night before crawling off into your tent
Tuesday was Show Day prep as if for a show and then you have a lesson from a ride judge and lesson on your personal show. So I rode the Donkey for Jo, who immediately picked up on how lazy my girl is the Donkey is on race horse mix I give in! Jo then got on her pointed out what she is looking for as a judge (dont have your sets of reins crossed whoops) and then really put Donkey through her paces including quite a few strong canters and gallops along the sides to make her work she was puffing poor girl!!
After lunch, all prepared for my next lesson I got as far as trotting her across the school and she was wonky back to square one, not hopping lame but not right I was so upset that when I had put her away, removed her plaits etc I went off and had yet another weep this was the one session I wanted to do. That evening, boy did it rain flooded the car park, the yards and lapped around our tents but somehow they remained dry inside! (Photos to follow) Being so frustrated by her wonkyness there was only one thing to do, drink!!!!!!! So downed rather a lot of wine, talked drivel then announced that I was Pished and apparently took myself off to bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Woke Wednesday morning with a stinking hangover, at least it was not raining!!! Hoping the Donkey would have unwonked I tacked her up and went off to my morning lesson, I swear the instructors heart dropped when she saw me (better not post this bit on the other forum!!!!!!) After ten mins it was apparent that Donkey was not lame but not right so much to the instructors joy I shuffled off back to the stables, sadly we did not get to do any workers but there is always next year (If I am allowed back!!) I had a wonderful time despite the weather it really never stopped raining and my wonky Donkey met and spent time with wonderful people, I think Donkey really enjoyed herself, her stable was in the middle of a block where lots of people stopped to chat and she just hung her head over the door and joined in every conversation!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In fact I think Donkey enjoyed it so much that she decided that she was not going to come home 2 hours (in the rain again) to load the stinking cow (well that is what I thought of her at that point) she went in the trailer but would shoot straight back out with help and a rather strong bit we eventually got her in I had wandered off to see if I could beg a lift in a lorry, hubby was suggesting I rode her home! So to everyone who braved her tantrums (especially FMM) she is scared of nothing or nobody - thank you so much!! (this problem is in the process of being resolved)
Sorry if this is long, but I am off to post my pics!
