My first riding club camp. By Roo, aged 4. Very long but with photos!

ecrozier

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Well, last week on Thursday mum fetched me and my older brother J in from the field as normal, and on went the travel stuff. I'm quite a seasoned traveller for my age and as soon as the boots come out I like to make it known that I'm rather keen to go and see where we are off to this time by waving my legs around to make it easier for the boots to go on - can't understand why mum doesn't think this helps?!
So on the lorry we went, me and J and our other friend Babe. We were on the lorry for quite a long time but I don't mind as there is always stuff to eat and things to watch out of the window.
Eventually we stopped and we came off to find a big field with some funny flimsy looking small stables - I don't mind though as I quite like stables - again, like lorries, there is generally stuff to eat.
We hadn't been there long before I was fetched out of the stable to meet a nice lady from Spillers who gave me some treats and put me on a black thing that apparently told the humans how much I weighed! I was given a gold star apparently as I got a condition score of 5, whatever that means. J says that means I won't get extra food, which is a bit of a shame.
Then tack appeared and mum seemed a little nervous - something to do with me being big and young and in a strange environment! Can't imagine why, I didn't think it was at all scary. Someone chucked her on board and off we went with 7 other horses for a hack! Bit exciting but I managed to restrain myself and only did a little bit of bouncing. We went to a huge field with lots of weird looking obstacles, never seen anything like that before. Some of the other horses were jumping them but I didn't have to - altho mum got very overexcited when I went through both ponds (she calls them water jumps) and over a ditch and up and down a bank. I thought it was all a bit pointless, of course I will go over how else do I get to the other side?! Doh! But she was pleased as has never asked me to do any of that before and apparently the first few times she asked J he wouldn't do any of those things. But then he is an arab.
So, after dinner and a good nights kip, tack was back on and we went in a big building like our school at home but twice the size and with a roof! Again mum was pleased as I led the others in without spooking. We did quite a lot of trotting and cantering but I was happy as the lady in the middle said I was good for my age and had a nice rhythm.
Back in stable for a bit of a kip and then she appeared again with the jumping boots! Now I have only worn those twice before but have got the hang of this jumping lark. Mum thought the stuff we were being told to do (by a man in the middle of the school this time) were a bit beyond me as we haven't done much cantering in the school but she needn't have worried - I looked after her. Even when the man sneaked a back pole up to make a x pole a spread when mum wasn't looking, and that was the first time she told me to canter at a fence....wheeee!! My friend Scarlett was in the same lesson and both our mum's were very pleased at the end! I was absolutely shattered by this time, so went straight to bed and only woke up for dinner.
Photos of jumping:
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The next day I had a nice lie in, and then got to spead some time in a little pen and munch on some grass/catch some rays. Then yet another set of boots and tack went on and we went back to the big field with obstacles in. They wanted me to jump a wooden thing and I didn't really get it, I was scared it would hurt if I hit it with a leg so I jumped it really high....
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And I think mum was quite pleased she had stayed on! But going that high was scary too so I didn't want to do it again. I was quite tired generally after staying away etc so mum said I could just do the bank and water again (which is actually quite fun it turn out!) and then go to bed. She says we are going somewhere with smaller ones that I can step over another time so I don't need to be scared of them.
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ANyway, the next morning she put my special (dually) headcollar on cos she had found some really small XC jumps and we went and walked over those and trotted over them - as long as she runs in front I don't mind doing them. But thats how we learnt to go through water on the puddle at the yard so I am sure I will be brave enough to do the obstacles soon.
Then we all came home and I got a nice big dinner, and this afternoon I am going on holiday with my much older sister for 3 weeks to a place with loads of grass....I can't wait! And just so everyone knows how handsome I am:
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Thanks for reading, Mum says she will gladly take any constructive criticism but not to make too much comment on the XC photo as she says she knows that was a bit of a poor jump!
 
I love your report, you should think of writing!!! 'But then he is an arab.' made me roar out load as I remembered how mine used to close his eyes at water jumps. Brilliant, and what a nice baby!
 
Super job! very impressed with the water! I'm off to my 1st camp with my 8year old (broken last oct - so really about 5)
In sept! Cant wait! :D
Thanks for the fun post = keeps me thinking its going to be fun! :D
 
THanks guys :)
KateKnights, have a brilliant time - be prepared for one shattered 4 year old though by the end! I was riding two (took both Roo and my 14 year old J) so I racked up about 12 hours of riding over 3 days, coupled with camping....am still a bit achy today!
J's report to follow, waiting to be emailed some pics tho!
Mel, you won't see Roo at the next one as have decided he can have a little holiday now but may well bring J and do some jumping classes!
And Mik, yes, that sounds familiar! When I first had J he hadn't done much jumping/XC and he is to this day the ONLY horse our RC instructor (15+ years experience, evented to Advanced, BHSI) has failed to get over a ditch. However now, 5 years on, he sails over anything, ditch, water, whatever. However he still WILL NOT canter into water, he will trot in slowly, looking very suspicious, and if safe, canter out. However, he will jump in off a step!?? No idea how that makes sense, but as Roo said, he is an arab! So funny having such a different youngster, he's not one for taking a lead from another horse but if I go in/over, will follow quite happily. J however trusts only himself and could,'t give two hoots if I go in first. If he doesn't think its safe, there is no convincing him! Happily, he now feels XC is within his remit most of the time!
 
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