superwibble
Active Member
Friday was very rainy, I got a call from my sharer asking if I had moved the grooming kit, the head collar or the poo picking bucket. I drove straight down the field but it was obvious they had been pinched (I am sure its coincidence that some travellers had set up an illegal site down the road) my poor sharer was drenched and set off in the rain to ride the back to the yard whilst I informed the field owners about the theft.
Mischief was delighted to come in and I put both beds down, sorted out hay and water and tried to clean him up as best as I could with him being soaking wet.
After a restless night the alarm woke me at 4.30. I staggered to get dress make a cup of coffee in my travel mug and ventured out into the dark to drive to the stables. My sharer and her mum were there already.
I backed up to the trailer (the first time I have towed with the Mitsubishi). It was then the nerves set in and despite hooking the trailer up loads of time I got it wrong and the jockey wheel came unthreaded. We managed to lift the trailer onto the ball hitch and re thread the jockey wheel.
We groomed and tacked up and put their travel rugs on and then loaded up (so different I had spent 3 hours trying to load mischief in my lorry in February, he loaded himself into the trailer this time).
I got out the sat nav and plugged it in only to discover the cigarette lighter hole didnt work (since found out there was a second one that does work) My sharers very lovely mum agreed to show us the way and drove in front of us all the way there.
We got to the lane and usually my sharer has gone in the top gate, half way up the hill a very large horse lorry came towards us telling us the gate was shut and we had to back up. It was a single track road with banks either side. I tried really hard but was struggling to keep straight especially as the Mitsubishi is much longer than my old range rover. A very nice lady tried to help and kept saying left hand down, right hand down etc but we werent making much progress.
A very nice chap then had a go and agreed that it was the hardest vehicle to reverse that he had ever driven (he suggested I sell the trailer and get a lorry, lol!)
Eventually at 7.10 we pulled in (the hunt started at 7.00 but seeing as so many people had gone wrong they delayed the start)
In a panic we unloaded and got ready, my mouth was dry and my upper lip was sticking to my teeth. I felt sick and despite retching managed not to adorn the grass with a memento! I have never been hunting before and was decidedly nervous!
We got on and I attached my point 2 air jacket (I actually felt a bit annoyed as it doesnt look half as nice wearing any kind of protector but since it was less than 7 weeks since I fractured my neck it was the only sensible thing to do). We had time for a few photos before we set off. My sharer has hunted before and her mum gave her a lecture on staying with me and making sure I was okay (she is 15 bless her!)
We set off at the back with a chap and his son (I am guessing about 7 years old on his pony) and less than a minute later the pony galloped off down the road with the boy screaming like mad. Eventually someone managed to catch him and his pony and a very nice lady put him on the lead rein from her horse so his dad could go off with the rest of the field.
Mischief was very excited and cantered whilst everyone else was trotting. We then stopped and I thought this isnt so bad after all! That was until Mischief decided to rear! I had no whip and had not got much of a contact on the reins so booted him and shocked him into standing still!
We had been told to put a green ribbon in the tails but this seemed to scare other people more than a red ribbon and no-one would come near us! So I reverted to telling everyone it was for me instead of the horse.
I have to say that it was a pleasure to watch the hounds work, I have no idea what was happening but it was a fantastic sight to see them respond to the hunt staff. Whilst standing around we saw a stag, a fox and a hare.
At one point there was a ditch, you had to slide down a bank, jump a log at the bottom and clamber up the other side. I wimped out and galloped to the end of the field which still require us to jump a small ditch. We followed 4 others and we suddenly realised we had lost the field. This involved us galloping everywhere; I loved it apart from Mischief putting his head so close to the ground his chin was scraping up mud! I felt I got my mojo back after a long gallop up hill. We stood at the end of the field as we had spotted the whipper in and didnt want to disturb the hounds. Suddenly the field came round the side of the hedge!
I had a lovely chat with a woman on a beautiful bay cob, it later turned out her dad lives in the lane I keep my horses in and we had met before but didnt recognise each other.
There were 61 out and it was a great adrenalin rush galloping with that many people. I was also impressed with the range of ages and horses. A few had horses that were cantering on the spot constantly. Mischief decided half way through to sound like an asthmatic but it quickly went back to normal and instead he started foaming everywhere!
Before I knew it we were back at the lorry park. We untacked and I managed to lose the keys to the truck! After 20 minutes searching they were on the grass, phew. We didnt stay for drinks as sharer needed to get back so we drove home.
I then mucked out, cleaned out the trailer and manually topped up the field water. By this time it was 2.30 so I headed home for a shower, a large cup of tea and a jacket potato!
All in all it was great I loved hooning around. I do need to sort a different bit out; I am hoping to try a Cheltenham gag if Kis Vihar can make me the cheek pieces for my lovely bridle. I rode this time in a Dutch gag with double reins, the rubber ones on the snaffle and the plain on the last ring, neither helped at all we had no brakes and I had to use the back of Colly to stop a lot of the time!
Colly was a star and my sharer had a great time, he really perked up and she said it was lovely to be on a sane pony who stood still, he loved his gallops and was strong but thats something she is used to and enjoyed.
Yesterday Mischief heard the next doors dogs and started going mad whinnying and running around, me thinks he enjoys hunting!
Mischief was delighted to come in and I put both beds down, sorted out hay and water and tried to clean him up as best as I could with him being soaking wet.
After a restless night the alarm woke me at 4.30. I staggered to get dress make a cup of coffee in my travel mug and ventured out into the dark to drive to the stables. My sharer and her mum were there already.
I backed up to the trailer (the first time I have towed with the Mitsubishi). It was then the nerves set in and despite hooking the trailer up loads of time I got it wrong and the jockey wheel came unthreaded. We managed to lift the trailer onto the ball hitch and re thread the jockey wheel.
We groomed and tacked up and put their travel rugs on and then loaded up (so different I had spent 3 hours trying to load mischief in my lorry in February, he loaded himself into the trailer this time).
I got out the sat nav and plugged it in only to discover the cigarette lighter hole didnt work (since found out there was a second one that does work) My sharers very lovely mum agreed to show us the way and drove in front of us all the way there.
We got to the lane and usually my sharer has gone in the top gate, half way up the hill a very large horse lorry came towards us telling us the gate was shut and we had to back up. It was a single track road with banks either side. I tried really hard but was struggling to keep straight especially as the Mitsubishi is much longer than my old range rover. A very nice lady tried to help and kept saying left hand down, right hand down etc but we werent making much progress.
A very nice chap then had a go and agreed that it was the hardest vehicle to reverse that he had ever driven (he suggested I sell the trailer and get a lorry, lol!)
Eventually at 7.10 we pulled in (the hunt started at 7.00 but seeing as so many people had gone wrong they delayed the start)
In a panic we unloaded and got ready, my mouth was dry and my upper lip was sticking to my teeth. I felt sick and despite retching managed not to adorn the grass with a memento! I have never been hunting before and was decidedly nervous!
We got on and I attached my point 2 air jacket (I actually felt a bit annoyed as it doesnt look half as nice wearing any kind of protector but since it was less than 7 weeks since I fractured my neck it was the only sensible thing to do). We had time for a few photos before we set off. My sharer has hunted before and her mum gave her a lecture on staying with me and making sure I was okay (she is 15 bless her!)
We set off at the back with a chap and his son (I am guessing about 7 years old on his pony) and less than a minute later the pony galloped off down the road with the boy screaming like mad. Eventually someone managed to catch him and his pony and a very nice lady put him on the lead rein from her horse so his dad could go off with the rest of the field.
Mischief was very excited and cantered whilst everyone else was trotting. We then stopped and I thought this isnt so bad after all! That was until Mischief decided to rear! I had no whip and had not got much of a contact on the reins so booted him and shocked him into standing still!
We had been told to put a green ribbon in the tails but this seemed to scare other people more than a red ribbon and no-one would come near us! So I reverted to telling everyone it was for me instead of the horse.
I have to say that it was a pleasure to watch the hounds work, I have no idea what was happening but it was a fantastic sight to see them respond to the hunt staff. Whilst standing around we saw a stag, a fox and a hare.
At one point there was a ditch, you had to slide down a bank, jump a log at the bottom and clamber up the other side. I wimped out and galloped to the end of the field which still require us to jump a small ditch. We followed 4 others and we suddenly realised we had lost the field. This involved us galloping everywhere; I loved it apart from Mischief putting his head so close to the ground his chin was scraping up mud! I felt I got my mojo back after a long gallop up hill. We stood at the end of the field as we had spotted the whipper in and didnt want to disturb the hounds. Suddenly the field came round the side of the hedge!
I had a lovely chat with a woman on a beautiful bay cob, it later turned out her dad lives in the lane I keep my horses in and we had met before but didnt recognise each other.
There were 61 out and it was a great adrenalin rush galloping with that many people. I was also impressed with the range of ages and horses. A few had horses that were cantering on the spot constantly. Mischief decided half way through to sound like an asthmatic but it quickly went back to normal and instead he started foaming everywhere!
Before I knew it we were back at the lorry park. We untacked and I managed to lose the keys to the truck! After 20 minutes searching they were on the grass, phew. We didnt stay for drinks as sharer needed to get back so we drove home.
I then mucked out, cleaned out the trailer and manually topped up the field water. By this time it was 2.30 so I headed home for a shower, a large cup of tea and a jacket potato!
All in all it was great I loved hooning around. I do need to sort a different bit out; I am hoping to try a Cheltenham gag if Kis Vihar can make me the cheek pieces for my lovely bridle. I rode this time in a Dutch gag with double reins, the rubber ones on the snaffle and the plain on the last ring, neither helped at all we had no brakes and I had to use the back of Colly to stop a lot of the time!
Colly was a star and my sharer had a great time, he really perked up and she said it was lovely to be on a sane pony who stood still, he loved his gallops and was strong but thats something she is used to and enjoyed.
Yesterday Mischief heard the next doors dogs and started going mad whinnying and running around, me thinks he enjoys hunting!
