Kallibear
Well-Known Member
This year I'm the principle for our Common ride. The ride is normally in May but due to strangle in the area we decided it was safest to postpone it - so we had the ride day last weekend.
Now Toby is a typical welsh cob (despite being a X breed ) : an overly dramatic big girls blouse.
Far too sharp for his own good and can be really silly.
But he's found his calling in life - as a Common riding horse :
As the principle horse, he needs to carry the flag. So I've been practising for weeks and he was fine, if a little wary as he doesn't really 'do' flappy nosiy things.
But on the last practise on friday night I nearly went and ruined it all
Walking round the field to finish, after having a trot and a short canter with the flag, when my foot clips the electric fence. Horse understandably spooks sideways and stupid me DROPS the damn flag onto the electric fence Whole fence shakes, flag flips over and smacks the poor horse on the belly and he completely freaks and bolts. I flip off the back, sauntersault and hit the ground hard. 
Horse even more freaked out (can't deal with people falling off) and takes 20mins to catch after I manage to get up. And 2hrs to allow the flag near him again So I ache all over and he hates the flag. Great. However, for some reason, he's perfectly happy with it once it's actually on him? Oh well, fingers crossed it all works out the next day ........
Sat morning rolls up and he's woken up in his field to have his legs washed. A terrible start to the day for Toby, who believes he'll dissolve in water. Cue much hysterics before standing as far away from me as the rope would allow, eyes closed and shaking, whilst I ignored him and scrubbed his legs clean.
Job done. Moved on to mane plaiting, a good brush then a rug chucked on and I depart to go off and be sociable at the pre-ride meal (and take a handful of painkillers).
An hour and a half later Toby is horsenapped from his field by A (whom he only knows a bit) tacked up and shoved onto a trailer to be taken to the start of the ride, where I was waiting for him.
I LOVE having a groom: Nice lunch, lift up to the start point and arrive to a fully tacked up, re-brushed, coat shined and sparkling horse all ready to go
After all his drama of the morning and the night before I was expecting a very stressed, hyper horse. Eh, nope: apparently he was fine to catch (can be funny about new people), stood like an angel to be tacked up and pampered, loaded perfectly, unloaded quiety and stood calmly eating his haynet. Are you SURE you brought the right horse?
Got on and he's still being very good. I'm suspicious now.........
Stood quietly whilst everyone else faffed about:
Had a bite to eat:
Even had a nap!:
What's wrong with you Toby? You're being awfully good!
And ready to go:
Off we set (still being very good!)
Over the hills we went. Had a lovely gallop in the stubble, manageing to over take quite a few people (he's only just got the idea of going fast in company ) and down to the boundries on the other side, where we picked up the flag.
After his fright the night before I was worried he would panic but the girl handing it up was very quiet and slow and once on he was happy. So off we set again:
The flag itself is big and heavy and is a right PITA in the wind - thank god Toby behaved himselve because I often couldn't see where I was going!
Then it was the all important drinks stop, provided by the neighbouring towns ride principles.
Toby doesn't think much of Drink Riding:
And got bored waiting for people to organise themselves so set off on his own
Then it was over the hill again in a different direction and up THE steepest hill imaginable at a canter. I cannot beleive he managed to get all the way up at all, never mind in canter! Without breaking into trot! - at one point he was cantering so slow I though he was lame. At the very top of the hill we had a photostop oppertunity but he was so knackered and sweaty (and he desperatly needed a pee but had stage fright ) that I didn't bother.
Then it was back down the hill and normality reserted itself. Despite having just cantered half a mile up what is known as 'Heart Attack Hill' (for good reason!) he bounced all the way down to the lunch stop
Bounce bounce bounce
Spook at the the picnic-ers:
Bounce bounce bounce.
Gerrroff - I want to bounce!
Bounce bounce bounce
ooo, people with a camera. *POSE*:
Temporary cease in bouncing whilst everyone gets confused as to where we're meant to be going.
Off boucing again - having bounced his plaits out:
Then, thank god, it was lunch stop.......
Now Toby is a typical welsh cob (despite being a X breed ) : an overly dramatic big girls blouse.
Far too sharp for his own good and can be really silly.But he's found his calling in life - as a Common riding horse :
As the principle horse, he needs to carry the flag. So I've been practising for weeks and he was fine, if a little wary as he doesn't really 'do' flappy nosiy things.
But on the last practise on friday night I nearly went and ruined it all
Walking round the field to finish, after having a trot and a short canter with the flag, when my foot clips the electric fence. Horse understandably spooks sideways and stupid me DROPS the damn flag onto the electric fence Whole fence shakes, flag flips over and smacks the poor horse on the belly and he completely freaks and bolts. I flip off the back, sauntersault and hit the ground hard. Horse even more freaked out (can't deal with people falling off) and takes 20mins to catch after I manage to get up. And 2hrs to allow the flag near him again So I ache all over and he hates the flag. Great. However, for some reason, he's perfectly happy with it once it's actually on him? Oh well, fingers crossed it all works out the next day ........Sat morning rolls up and he's woken up in his field to have his legs washed. A terrible start to the day for Toby, who believes he'll dissolve in water. Cue much hysterics before standing as far away from me as the rope would allow, eyes closed and shaking, whilst I ignored him and scrubbed his legs clean.
Job done. Moved on to mane plaiting, a good brush then a rug chucked on and I depart to go off and be sociable at the pre-ride meal (and take a handful of painkillers).An hour and a half later Toby is horsenapped from his field by A (whom he only knows a bit) tacked up and shoved onto a trailer to be taken to the start of the ride, where I was waiting for him.
I LOVE having a groom: Nice lunch, lift up to the start point and arrive to a fully tacked up, re-brushed, coat shined and sparkling horse all ready to go
After all his drama of the morning and the night before I was expecting a very stressed, hyper horse. Eh, nope: apparently he was fine to catch (can be funny about new people), stood like an angel to be tacked up and pampered, loaded perfectly, unloaded quiety and stood calmly eating his haynet. Are you SURE you brought the right horse?
Got on and he's still being very good. I'm suspicious now.........
Stood quietly whilst everyone else faffed about:
Had a bite to eat:
Even had a nap!:
What's wrong with you Toby? You're being awfully good!
And ready to go:
Off we set (still being very good!)
Over the hills we went. Had a lovely gallop in the stubble, manageing to over take quite a few people
(he's only just got the idea of going fast in company ) and down to the boundries on the other side, where we picked up the flag.After his fright the night before I was worried he would panic but the girl handing it up was very quiet and slow and once on he was happy. So off we set again:
The flag itself is big and heavy and is a right PITA in the wind - thank god Toby behaved himselve because I often couldn't see where I was going!
Then it was the all important drinks stop, provided by the neighbouring towns ride principles.
Toby doesn't think much of Drink Riding:
And got bored waiting for people to organise themselves so set off on his own
Then it was over the hill again in a different direction and up THE steepest hill imaginable at a canter. I cannot beleive he managed to get all the way up at all, never mind in canter! Without breaking into trot! - at one point he was cantering so slow I though he was lame. At the very top of the hill we had a photostop oppertunity but he was so knackered and sweaty (and he desperatly needed a pee but had stage fright
) that I didn't bother.Then it was back down the hill and normality reserted itself. Despite having just cantered half a mile up what is known as 'Heart Attack Hill' (for good reason!) he bounced all the way down to the lunch stop
Bounce bounce bounce
Spook at the the picnic-ers:
Bounce bounce bounce.
Gerrroff - I want to bounce!
Bounce bounce bounce
ooo, people with a camera. *POSE*:
Temporary cease in bouncing whilst everyone gets confused as to where we're meant to be going.
Off boucing again - having bounced his plaits out:
Then, thank god, it was lunch stop.......
