Cavblacks
Well-Known Member
Hi All!!!
Hope everyones well and had nice weekends!
On Thursday me and two friends who I ride at the Cavalry with flew out to Ireland to stay on the Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan for 3 days and 3 nights and a total of 9 hours riding!
This was our lovely Stable Mews Cottage:
Friday morning started with a flatwork lesson with the yard manager Helen, she was a fab instructor and I had a lovely chestnut mare called Jane who went beatifully. Helen was a great instructor, was straightforward and funny too with her comments. We were sent off after an hour saying "I think you bunch will do better XC!!!" HAHAHA
We then went XC!!! We had a great tour guide in Dermot, who worked out we could all ride pretty quickly and after about 15 mins just starting taking off with us in tow! The XC is just amazing there, you can ride for 2 hours and not pass the same place or jump the same jumps. There were literllay hundreds of jumps, made out of allsorts and I jumped my first drops! I didnt see the drop was even there till I was over the log that preceeded it! Worked out pretty fast to lean BACK!
Dermot took us for long gallops up hill, through fields of BULLS!
through a river, jumped into the lake, out of the lake, over tree trunks brush fences and on the GALLOPS! WOOPPEEEE!!!
On the XC rides I had a wonderful bay horse called Micky, we has 12 and owned by Dermots Gf's sister. Honestly, if i had anywhere to keep him, I would have offered him the dosh there and then! Even when my riding was dodgy he still flew everything happily. It was nice because you could tell these horses all loved their jobs.
On the Saturday we also had a SJ lesson indoors with Marianne. I rode a TB called Teddy who was approx 16hh and jumped beautifully, we went up to about 3ft I think on a little course. Great fun!
There were a couple of flat hack thrown in too, I rode a HUGE ID called Solomon, who was nice and steady but when pointed at a hill to gallop up he knew his job!
The best thing about it all was how much my confidence grew, at some of the XC fences had I had time to think about it I would probably have wimped out but Dermot was ace - he knew our capabilities and therefore just kicked on whenever he came across a combo of fences and we followed before you even knew what you were doing! This was good for me because it meant I just sat tight and kicked on and before I knew it Id jumped everything and anything! I came back with a huge grin on my face everyday!
Here's the rest of the pics:
Whisper - the horse my firend had for XC:
A cute little childrens pony (check out the forelock!):
My faithful Steed Mickey! :
In the lake, we did all the steps behind in and out! :
With Dermots horse "releieveing" himslef behind!:
The three of us on the hill we'd just galloped up:
We had a follower one day:
The Castle (only £23k to get married here ladies
)
After a flat hack on a nice grey called Blue:
Walking through the woodland:
The yard:
Hope everyones well and had nice weekends!
On Thursday me and two friends who I ride at the Cavalry with flew out to Ireland to stay on the Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan for 3 days and 3 nights and a total of 9 hours riding!
This was our lovely Stable Mews Cottage:
Friday morning started with a flatwork lesson with the yard manager Helen, she was a fab instructor and I had a lovely chestnut mare called Jane who went beatifully. Helen was a great instructor, was straightforward and funny too with her comments. We were sent off after an hour saying "I think you bunch will do better XC!!!" HAHAHA
We then went XC!!! We had a great tour guide in Dermot, who worked out we could all ride pretty quickly and after about 15 mins just starting taking off with us in tow! The XC is just amazing there, you can ride for 2 hours and not pass the same place or jump the same jumps. There were literllay hundreds of jumps, made out of allsorts and I jumped my first drops! I didnt see the drop was even there till I was over the log that preceeded it! Worked out pretty fast to lean BACK!
Dermot took us for long gallops up hill, through fields of BULLS!
On the XC rides I had a wonderful bay horse called Micky, we has 12 and owned by Dermots Gf's sister. Honestly, if i had anywhere to keep him, I would have offered him the dosh there and then! Even when my riding was dodgy he still flew everything happily. It was nice because you could tell these horses all loved their jobs.
On the Saturday we also had a SJ lesson indoors with Marianne. I rode a TB called Teddy who was approx 16hh and jumped beautifully, we went up to about 3ft I think on a little course. Great fun!
There were a couple of flat hack thrown in too, I rode a HUGE ID called Solomon, who was nice and steady but when pointed at a hill to gallop up he knew his job!
The best thing about it all was how much my confidence grew, at some of the XC fences had I had time to think about it I would probably have wimped out but Dermot was ace - he knew our capabilities and therefore just kicked on whenever he came across a combo of fences and we followed before you even knew what you were doing! This was good for me because it meant I just sat tight and kicked on and before I knew it Id jumped everything and anything! I came back with a huge grin on my face everyday!
Here's the rest of the pics:
Whisper - the horse my firend had for XC:
A cute little childrens pony (check out the forelock!):
My faithful Steed Mickey! :
In the lake, we did all the steps behind in and out! :
With Dermots horse "releieveing" himslef behind!:
The three of us on the hill we'd just galloped up:
We had a follower one day:
The Castle (only £23k to get married here ladies
After a flat hack on a nice grey called Blue:
Walking through the woodland:
The yard: