MaisieMooandCometToo
Well-Known Member
Ventured out to a riding club open show today with both Comet and Maisie in tow, planned to enter the BTO with Maisie so was in complete horror when I took her out of her stable at 7:30am to find all of her white socks black and poo stains across the entire of her one side. So much for all of the previous nights bathing and bandaging!!
4 rinses of shampoo later, one head groom furiously plaiting her mane and one innocent by-stander forced to plait her tail and we were half way to acceptable:
Having spent the best part of an hour attacking Maisie, I ran to Comet's stable to find an immaculate shiny pony so gave him a once over with a brush, picked out his feet and booted him ready to go (I would later be severely punished for side lining him!)
We arrived at the show, put in our entries and unloaded Maisie, leaving Comet to shelter in the trailer with his haylage. With a little bit of furious chalking (again from fabulous head groom) we hopped aboard and headed to the show ring. The horse section was rather well supported and the judge apparently county level- major eek. Hugely embarassing moment when judge had to do my girth up upon inspection of the underside of my saddle! But we came a very pleasing third. Here's part of the class (we're the coloured):
Moving on to Maisie's last class the beginner's showing we initially pulled in at second to last- very disappointing but after watching those before us I felt if we performed we may be able to squeeze into the placings. Now Maisie's only 6, had a year out with a leg injury and was never really schooled so is very very green but she was absoloutely fabulous. The schooling sessions finally came together, her transitions were relatively clean and her canter had control and balance and she even went into an outline for some of the trot work and we pulled in at 3rd!! Was incredibly proud of her as it was a fair size class with more experienced horses!!
Comet's turn came next with the equitation and from the moment I sat on him he was not happy. He tanked along in trot in the showing ring causing me to turn many a circle and then when walking out to perform his individual show gave an almighty rear, leap, buck and spin in the space of a second, throwing me clean onto the floor. Was very annoyed with myself (though lovely head groom said she didn't think anyone would've stayed on) but we were allowed to remount and carry on with the class (tres generous decision by the judge) and despite a very nervy round with lots of threats to buck from Comet we still pulled in 2nd!!
The working hunter was Comet's last class for the day and I was incredibly nervous after being thrown off by him (stupid as I've had him for 2 1/2 years!). The course was lovely and small with one incredibly skinny skinny and 1 jump with hay bales underneath. Comet went second, he tried to run out of the skinny, refused to jump it but ended up being walked through to prove a point. He then continued to jump fabulously and didn't even entertain the idea of looking at the hay bales (I should hope not, he jumped a hay cart at Cirencester!)!!! Incredibly nobody went clear and so me and two others were in joint place with 4 faults after the jumping. Comet's show was a lot more together and he only threatened to buck when I asked him to briefly open up!! We came 2nd again and I almost forgave him for throwing me!!
(They allowed the BP in light of my earlier tumble!)
Maisie was of course the superstar of the day but I do now feel a little guilty about the lack of attention I gave Comet and feel I should be cuddling him and making a fuss of him!! He did whicker to me when we got back to the yard and we had a little cuddle en route to the field so shall make up with him with a big grooming and cuddle session tomorrow. Silly D!
4 rinses of shampoo later, one head groom furiously plaiting her mane and one innocent by-stander forced to plait her tail and we were half way to acceptable:
Having spent the best part of an hour attacking Maisie, I ran to Comet's stable to find an immaculate shiny pony so gave him a once over with a brush, picked out his feet and booted him ready to go (I would later be severely punished for side lining him!)
We arrived at the show, put in our entries and unloaded Maisie, leaving Comet to shelter in the trailer with his haylage. With a little bit of furious chalking (again from fabulous head groom) we hopped aboard and headed to the show ring. The horse section was rather well supported and the judge apparently county level- major eek. Hugely embarassing moment when judge had to do my girth up upon inspection of the underside of my saddle! But we came a very pleasing third. Here's part of the class (we're the coloured):
Moving on to Maisie's last class the beginner's showing we initially pulled in at second to last- very disappointing but after watching those before us I felt if we performed we may be able to squeeze into the placings. Now Maisie's only 6, had a year out with a leg injury and was never really schooled so is very very green but she was absoloutely fabulous. The schooling sessions finally came together, her transitions were relatively clean and her canter had control and balance and she even went into an outline for some of the trot work and we pulled in at 3rd!! Was incredibly proud of her as it was a fair size class with more experienced horses!!
Comet's turn came next with the equitation and from the moment I sat on him he was not happy. He tanked along in trot in the showing ring causing me to turn many a circle and then when walking out to perform his individual show gave an almighty rear, leap, buck and spin in the space of a second, throwing me clean onto the floor. Was very annoyed with myself (though lovely head groom said she didn't think anyone would've stayed on) but we were allowed to remount and carry on with the class (tres generous decision by the judge) and despite a very nervy round with lots of threats to buck from Comet we still pulled in 2nd!!
The working hunter was Comet's last class for the day and I was incredibly nervous after being thrown off by him (stupid as I've had him for 2 1/2 years!). The course was lovely and small with one incredibly skinny skinny and 1 jump with hay bales underneath. Comet went second, he tried to run out of the skinny, refused to jump it but ended up being walked through to prove a point. He then continued to jump fabulously and didn't even entertain the idea of looking at the hay bales (I should hope not, he jumped a hay cart at Cirencester!)!!! Incredibly nobody went clear and so me and two others were in joint place with 4 faults after the jumping. Comet's show was a lot more together and he only threatened to buck when I asked him to briefly open up!! We came 2nd again and I almost forgave him for throwing me!!
(They allowed the BP in light of my earlier tumble!)
Maisie was of course the superstar of the day but I do now feel a little guilty about the lack of attention I gave Comet and feel I should be cuddling him and making a fuss of him!! He did whicker to me when we got back to the yard and we had a little cuddle en route to the field so shall make up with him with a big grooming and cuddle session tomorrow. Silly D!
