Weekend Plans :)

[GinaGeo]

A brilliant friend came up to visit so the horses and I have been showing her some of our wonderful local countryside.

We went for a whoop and gallop round the woods on Friday evening. Got absolutely drenched. But there’s something incredibly good for the mind about cantering round the woods (slightly faster than intended as the horses were having a jolly good laugh too ?), with the summer rain stinging your face and soaking you through. It makes you feel completely alive and we laughed, soggy, all the way back to the lorry.

And yesterday we got up for an early start to get over to Chatsworth before the hoards for a ride I’d mapped out. It was absolutely stunning. Some steep descents, friend is from Cambridge and did think we were slightly crazy, but the horses were brilliant. And the views were breathtaking. The boys both loved exploring and I cannot believe that this ride is 45minutes from me, only costs the parking and I’ve never done it before. This country really is so beautiful.






And then took Pod and mum and her pony for a spin. Nearly lost mum in some bracken.




I’ve got the bug a bit now and have some more rides mapped, just need to make the time to do them ?

 

[ycbm]

I have finally bought a horse/dog sensible 4x4 so was all excited to go to the feed shop and stock up on bedding/feed and have them pack it in a suitable car rather than a mini/fiat 500

I see no mention of a baby needing this new car ?
.

 

[ihatework]

Working again this weekend but was supposed to be heading down to Upton with Bob on Wednesday but in typical Bob fashion he's pulled a sick note! Hasn't been quite right since Bicton and wasn't improving so off to the horspital on Thursday to find a hairline fracture of the cannon bone! So an easy two months on the walker and being hand grazed and then back to scan again but that's the season done!
It could be worse, so fingers crossed for a speedy recovery!

Bugger ?

 

[ycbm]

Working again this weekend but was supposed to be heading down to Upton with Bob on Wednesday but in typical Bob fashion he's pulled a sick note! Hasn't been quite right since Bicton and wasn't improving so off to the horspital on Thursday to find a hairline fracture of the cannon bone! So an easy two months on the walker and being hand grazed and then back to scan again but that's the season done!
It could be worse, so fingers crossed for a speedy recovery!

Thank heavens you noticed! Fingers crossed for a good outcome.

 

[scats]

Hacked our new route yesterday and Millie loved it. Took the lead and marched out, didn’t bat an eye at the traffic or anything, apart from a couple of spooks at people in gardens. It’s a nice circular route too.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I see no mention of a baby needing this new car ?
.

Oops forgot about that whole baby thing!

 

[Alibear]

Well done those having good weekend and best of recuperative luck for Bob.
My lessons were all cancelled, Thursday due to rain and then Amber came out a bit stiff, checked over and verdict is she's tweaked herself in the field (judging by the skid marks in it, this is likely) so she's going to have an easy week/10 days. She's enjoyed a massage this morning and already seems to be improving.

 

[nikkimariet]

Hectic week with some 20 hour days where I didn’t get home before 8pm most nights thanks to training in Bham… So a chilled weekend was in order.

Fig is feeling better and has done 2 walk hacks without incident. Good to be back on him!



My friend and (equine) physio had a joy ride on Rooni and was full of praise. He felt a bit behind me as had one eye on our next door neighbour suspiciously furtling in the dividing hedge but he was 100% behaved and just friend did say he still felt super forward so I guess it’s what you get used to!





And trust Rooni went out for a quick early morning jump.





He was super duper and we both enjoyed it.

 

[ihatework]

Managed to get to Barbury to do my spying with good effect ?

Then Turnip did some adulting today whilst the 5yo did his bestest water baby impression

 

[Wishfilly]

Sounds like lots of good outings have been had this weekend!

Been dodging showers here, but managed two decent rides in my (hopefully) new saddle. I'd like to get a longer hack in, but we've done a decent schooling session and a few steepish hills, and it seems good so far!

Pony has also been excellent since he's not done much since Easter when we started having issues with his last saddle.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I had a great weekend in the middle of the show ring. I think I only upset 1 person judging on Saturday but when they are being nasty to their 3yo child and their 4yo pony in a lead rein class they are getting dropped and told exactly why. But apart from that the kids classes weren't too bad. There was one awesome wee 3yo who started the day at 9.30am in my first class and finished the day in my last class and championship at 5.30pm who smiled, giggled and chattered away all day long! All of her classes were on the lead rein but in the final championship she was my reserve and so I sent the champion off for a lap of honour on the instructions to trot nicely as the wee one got the lead rein off and got to trot round by herself. Fair play to her and the pony! They loved it! My Champion got to do her canter lap and blast out of the ring for her own enjoyment after.

Today I was probationary judging so I was watching, observing and asking questions.

 

[scats]

Fitness work tonight around the fields- lots of trot and canter.

 

[racebuddy]

We have been away with horses and dogs xx chilling in the spa lots of prossecco and walking keeping my steps in ? horse had a few days off chilling in the field did however lunge him last two days as was just looking bit fresh coming in ?? nice to have chilled few days away ,

 

[Chippers1]

Buzz was brilliant yesterday we finally went clear! He absolutely towed me out of the start box and over the first few jumps, then down the steep hill, with me going 'excuse me can you slow down a bit we have to jump too' haha. He really enjoyed himself (to the point where he almost bucked me off in excitement in the warm up, he's only bucked about 3 times the whole time i've owned him!)
Unfortunately for Buzz his fast is never quite fast enough poor little legs so that will be our next part to work on now that we know we can go clear but still pleased to come in at 11th place - 30 seconds too slow! I was just so pleased with him though, what a good boy.

 

[MrsCentaur]

What a weekend! We were lucky enough to spend it at Pony Camp (for adults) and ticked off so many firsts with the whooshy armchair-dragon - first cuddles at midnight, first pole clinic, first attempt at Le Trec (first jump… over the tarpaulin ‘water’!), first bath, first hack out in company and first solo wander through the woods. The little coblet was brilliant - satisfyingly boingy for my ADHD brain but safe and responsive and I think that he was having fun too! I’m getting better at riding him with my seat rather than hanging off of his mouth and he is starting to respond very well to that when we are out at the front of a ride (keeping him behind even the bigger and more athletic horses is a work in progress though and as for moderating his paces in line with a steady cob or a smaller pony - forget it ?).

All in all, lots of lovely comments about him from the instructors despite my being told off for giggling my way across the poles (“HOW DO YOU EXPECT HIM TO SLOW DOWN WITH YOU SQUEALING IN HIS EARS” ???).

Not bad for a pony who has only been home for three weeks! As I whizzed around in circles on the Trec field, I looked at the many beautiful, talented and well-schooled horses and thought about how I wouldn’t trade my bonkers cob for any of them. He is delightful and I am tremendously happy.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Will do a full camp report when I’ve got the proper photos to go with it, but all things considered, other than getting in a right stress when other horses left him (even if there were other horses in sight), Pepsi was pretty much a star! Beach rides, flatwork, sj, xc… plus at least 2 people quite keen on stealing him off me ?

Finished the weekend with a bang when he launched us both into orbit over a big XC fence (yes, someone caught it on camera) and I came out the side door… Very much feeling it today, and definitely a new hat required, but could have been much worse. Thankfully everyone was amazing, sorting pony out while I got myself together.

 

[southerncomfort]

What a weekend! We were lucky enough to spend it at Pony Camp (for adults) and ticked off so many firsts with the whooshy armchair-dragon - first cuddles at midnight, first pole clinic, first attempt at Le Trec (first jump… over the tarpaulin ‘water’!), first bath, first hack out in company and first solo wander through the woods. The little coblet was brilliant - satisfyingly boingy for my ADHD brain but safe and responsive and I think that he was having fun too! I’m getting better at riding him with my seat rather than hanging off of his mouth and he is starting to respond very well to that when we are out at the front of a ride (keeping him behind even the bigger and more athletic horses is a work in progress though and as for moderating his paces in line with a steady cob or a smaller pony - forget it ?).

All in all, lots of lovely comments about him from the instructors despite my being told off for giggling my way across the poles (“HOW DO YOU EXPECT HIM TO SLOW DOWN WITH YOU SQUEALING IN HIS EARS” ???).

Not bad for a pony who has only been home for three weeks! As I whizzed around in circles on the Trec field, I looked at the many beautiful, talented and well-schooled horses and thought about how I wouldn’t trade my bonkers cob for any of them. He is delightful and I am tremendously happy.

Great Post! That sounds like a lot of fun!

 

[WelshHoarder]

Having survived the small child’s birthday party (although they did gang up on me at the end of the water fight), we dragged ourselves up and out early yesterday for a local jumping show.

Baby Welshie still finds jumping very exciting, and small person can still get super nervous when leaving the ground (even though he’s the one who asks to do the jumping classes!), so we went with the aim of doing the tiny x-poles clear round off lead, and then playing the other classes by ear. Bless them both, after a lovely neat clear round to start with, he also managed to do the x-poles “proper” class off lead, although an unlucky miscommunication resulted in 4 faults in the first phase, so no placing. Lead rein went back on for the 20cm and 30cm classes as he was feeling a bit wobbly by then, and the warm-up arena was bedlam with one kid ragging her little pony around, over the jumps the wrong way, hotly pursued by a herd of other young kids on foot all screaming so there was nowhere to get Blaze properly settled back down on her job again! Still managed a double clear for 3rd in the 20cm class and then another 4 fault round in the 30cm.

The big win though was the smiles, and two rounds off the lead rein - he’s more than capable, he just needs to believe in himself, so it’s definitely giant steps in the right direction

 

[RachelFerd]

We had a reasonably successful trip to Buckminster. Had heard reports the day before about terrible ground, and they weren't unfounded but didn't consider it ridiculous to run because my chap is now quite experienced at novice. The ground was a drying wet clay, so rather gluey and my chap would have probably preferred it sloppy wet rather than sticky wet.

Nonetheless, he put his best foot forwards (or at least tried to) in the dressage for a 31.8.... got totally stuck in the mud jumping through the double in the showjumping to end up with 3 down - which is disappointing on his record as he wants to be far more careful than that... but just one of those things.

With a bit more pace behind us in the XC I wasn't so worried about the going and he popped round quite happily for a clear with 3.2 time. Ultimately ended up 12th of 30 dressage starters, so not at all bad - but one less pole down in the SJ and he'd have been well into the top 10... that elusive top 10 novice finish is starting to get a bit exasperating - we're 11th/12th/13th/14th all of the time!

Hopefully this works for a video of him going through the water:

https://fb.watch/v/eOOQYLtRe/

 

[southerncomfort]

Having survived the small child’s birthday party (although they did gang up on me at the end of the water fight), we dragged ourselves up and out early yesterday for a local jumping show.

Baby Welshie still finds jumping very exciting, and small person can still get super nervous when leaving the ground (even though he’s the one who asks to do the jumping classes!), so we went with the aim of doing the tiny x-poles clear round off lead, and then playing the other classes by ear. Bless them both, after a lovely neat clear round to start with, he also managed to do the x-poles “proper” class off lead, although an unlucky miscommunication resulted in 4 faults in the first phase, so no placing. Lead rein went back on for the 20cm and 30cm classes as he was feeling a bit wobbly by then, and the warm-up arena was bedlam with one kid ragging her little pony around, over the jumps the wrong way, hotly pursued by a herd of other young kids on foot all screaming so there was nowhere to get Blaze properly settled back down on her job again! Still managed a double clear for 3rd in the 20cm class and then another 4 fault round in the 30cm.

The big win though was the smiles, and two rounds off the lead rein - he’s more than capable, he just needs to believe in himself, so it’s definitely giant steps in the right direction

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They are just adorable together!

Love the big smile. ?

 

[Xmasha]

Having survived the small child’s birthday party (although they did gang up on me at the end of the water fight), we dragged ourselves up and out early yesterday for a local jumping show.

Baby Welshie still finds jumping very exciting, and small person can still get super nervous when leaving the ground (even though he’s the one who asks to do the jumping classes!), so we went with the aim of doing the tiny x-poles clear round off lead, and then playing the other classes by ear. Bless them both, after a lovely neat clear round to start with, he also managed to do the x-poles “proper” class off lead, although an unlucky miscommunication resulted in 4 faults in the first phase, so no placing. Lead rein went back on for the 20cm and 30cm classes as he was feeling a bit wobbly by then, and the warm-up arena was bedlam with one kid ragging her little pony around, over the jumps the wrong way, hotly pursued by a herd of other young kids on foot all screaming so there was nowhere to get Blaze properly settled back down on her job again! Still managed a double clear for 3rd in the 20cm class and then another 4 fault round in the 30cm.

The big win though was the smiles, and two rounds off the lead rein - he’s more than capable, he just needs to believe in himself, so it’s definitely giant steps in the right direction

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what a great report, love how happy your son is. Plus thats one stunning pony

 

[WelshHoarder]

They are just adorable together!

Love the big smile. ?

Aww, thank you - the smiles definitely say it all

 

[WelshHoarder]

what a great report, love how happy your son is. Plus thats one stunning pony

Thank you! She’s only just 5, still learning her job but loves every minute of it - typical baby Welshie a lot of the time, full of sass and opinions, but with a heart of gold

 

[nikicb]

Lots of great reports! Sorry to hear about the sicknotes, and the failed vetting AE.

I went away with family to Cornwall for the weekend, so Maddie spent a few days at our trainer's yard being hacked and schooled by our trainer's daughter who is an advanced rider. We did a test riding session before I brought her home. My confidence was a little wobbly today, mainly because I haven't really ridden over the past two weeks, as she had time off after her flu jab. Also Maddie had had her 'buttons' tuned up over the weekend, so was more 'reactive' than when I last rode her. That's definitely a good thing as she can be a little lazy - I just need to learn to feel comfortable with the extra energy/reactivity. Anyway, despite a break in one of the canters (because I stopped riding her!) which earned us a 4, we managed to score 69.375% so not too bad all things considered. Onwards.....!

 

[milliepops]

I had another really useful lesson today ahead of the mass exodus. horse leaves tonight Tokyo-bound and then trainer will follow shortly after. Groom and rider already gone. It's going to be very quiet! I can't wait to watch them on the TV although i am obviously rooting for team GB I'll be waving the flag of singapore too

Anyway, we've topped up our list of homework exercises which will keep us going until everyone gets back. Today we started looking at the exercises in the Inter 2 test that we can already do, there's still a bit of a hole in the passage moves but probably 75% of the test is within reach. after my experience of nailing down all the available marks in the Inter 1 I am keen to do similar at the next level, and get some of the test moved into the "comfort zone" category rather than that "arghhh it's all happening too fast" category!!

So looked at taking apart the half pass to canter piri lines, and also tweaking the trot zigzag to make it I2 quality instead of small tour-ish. Good stuff. Very very hot and sweaty, although it's not hot-hot today it's very humid so I'm pleased with how Kira kept on trying. It's hard work when you're 14 hands square.

Pic from walkies yesterday, cooler in the trees

 

[shortstuff99]

Had a great lesson on Monday! The Spanish potato is finally starting to relax (after 10 years ?). I'm now having to work on controlling the shoulder even more. Going for a low key competition again on Friday, just to help her getting out and about. While I don't think she will ever have the temperament for FEI competition I love riding her anyway. Only got rained on a little bit!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Had a great lesson on Monday! The Spanish potato is finally starting to relax (after 10 years ?). I'm now having to work on controlling the shoulder even more. Going for a low key competition again on Friday, just to help her getting out and about. While I don't think she will ever have the temperament for FEI competition I love riding her anyway. Only got rained on a little bit!

Only 10 years? That's not bad. ??


My favorite trainers are the ones who, during a lesson, tell me "he must relax" in my head I'm like, duh, I've been telling this horse this for 4 years ? But they also give no advice on how to get him to relax ?‍ the good ones do ?

He's actually quite relaxed now though...usually.

 

[shortstuff99]

Only 10 years? That's not bad. ??


My favorite trainers are the ones who, during a lesson, tell me "he must relax" in my head I'm like, duh, I've been telling this horse this for 4 years ? But they also give no advice on how to get him to relax ?‍ the good ones do ?

He's actually quite relaxed now though...usually.

My main issue with trainers with her is that they insisted she must go slow! Which is fine but that would wind her up more. Instead I have had to ask for 10% slower and then another 10% slower to find the relaxed point.

She's a good egg really, and it feels good when you finally get it!

 

[Chippers1]

I bought another photo of everyone's favourite jump, just because Buzz looks a bit more enthusiastic this time although needs to sort his legs out, just shows that he doesn't put the effort in over smaller heights

 

[Breagha]

We went along to a local show. I competed in my first ever working hunter competition (only 50cm) and first jumping comp ever. We took 2nd place so was really chuffed. My husband did the 90cm working hunter, unfortunately took both skinnies down (work is needed in this area) but still managed to come 3rd.

Then onto the riddens, mike was in the cob type class where and he won it, then I was in the coloured ridden where I also won the class. So for the first time we got to go into the championship together. Mike and Murphy then went onto take ridden champion and then reserve supreme champion. He is on fire this year.