It's a funny old game....

Trundled off to Pachesham again on Sunday...was my Mother's Day present to myself...happily it was a lovely day and both bears came along to support without too much moaning!

N23 (not done that in ages) and N38 (which we have done a number of times now)

I just don't know what the problem with the Small Brown one and Pachesham is...he loathes the warm up with a passion. Not sure if it is the mirrors in odd places, the surface, the bank, the mahooooosive muck heap??/ Either way he always has a melt down,chooses a horse to be terrified of and sticks to his guns! Having had a couple of more successful warm ups at Priory, I foolishly didn't leave enough time to work through his little tantrum which meant he was wound up like a spring and my time was coming closer without one single sensible transition to canter under our belts :(

Coupled with a bunch of screaming middle aged women with their flyball team outing, literally screaming their heads off, dogs barking....did not for a calm boy make.
Still, we went in, made a pigs ear of it....medium canters were flat out gallops with llama style handbreak stops at the end, after which he just sat on my leg and refused to go forward,which meant we broke a couple of times and I wasn't brave enough to give him a reminder of the job in hand!Felt awful, looked worse. Fully deserved 59% and last place...

At which point I blooming well decided we weren't wasting our entry fee, and he could blooming well get over it, and get off my leg and get going!! Took an executive decision to do 2nd warm up in field next to arena....and smacked that little brown bottom. We had a short and meaningful discussion about the need for forward, transitions and listening...at which point he knuckled down.
N38 was at least calm, submissive and accurate for a change...he suddenly felt tired, so the energy wasn't there, but he at least tried to get going when I asked for more. Last centre line was weak and woolly as by that point we were both adrenalined out...but chuffed to bits with 66.1%...no placing, but a squeak short of 6thplace....and tons to work on, so pleased we went back in and did better...

Fairoak Grange next outing with the Team Timson massive....looking forward to a group outing and a giggle....new venue for us, so will be a good test...

Trit trotting in the sunshine

What a difference a month makes!

February is better left in the history books...a combination of a prolapsed disc,a broken rib, crazy work schedule and family trauma left me in a poor mental  and physical state,and definitely not ready for the regionals....withdrawing was a very hard decision, but with little movement through my right side, it was just not fair on either of us...fingers crossed there will be another day...

God bless my trainer, who is an absolute saint, for keeping the wheels on the pony based wagon at least...without him, we would just be sobbing in the corner of a stable somewhere!

The last time we braved the Priory we had to retire. Apparently there are monsters in the hedge! Quite possibly, but I definitely needed to man up and ride...something we have been working on for a good couple of weeks now.

Novice 34 is a new test for me,but we are better with lots going on,so I think it suited us. Being small means short arena tests are generally a bit more doable...60m is a LONG way on a 15.2hh!!!

15 minutes warm up was plenty as the indoor was a veritable sauna!!! A real turning point is that today he managed to contain his distress at working in with strange horses coming at him left right and centre!

Off we popped to the arena of doom...spookety spook, but today I was proactive and bar the odd snakey,giraffe manouvre we managed to get through it ok. Me being me was convinced it would be sub 60%, so was pleasantly surprised with 65%...our first ever Regional qualifying score...chuffed to bits, so a placing not important at that moment.

Let him have a break and a quick graze between tests as it was by now, tropical. Back in for 5minute kick up the backside and back into work mode, before N38. He has been in this arena before, and not had any problems...bar an initial spook at the killer rug over the fence, he settled quickly, worked rhythmically and managed the counter canter...huge pats! I came out chuffed to bits, which is highly unusual for me!!!

You can't imagine my delight to discover we had an almost identical score in the 2nd test, which I felt was much better...but different judges so a different eye...

over the moon covered it...popped him in the trailer and took him home...couldn't wait until end of class today...tidying up at home and the phone rings, my lovely friend Stephanie was charged with the job of collecting sheets...squeals of delight to discover we had come 2nd in both tests, doubling our points tally in the process and getting our first sheets towards regional qualification...

Clever, clever pony!!! At rising 7 it has taken him a while to settle and become submissive in stressful test situations....today I felt he was with me,and I was able to ride rather than take part in damage limitation

Pictures here...

Plan is to keep working on his strength and suppleness, while building in some more of the lateral work...lotsof hard work ahead...and lots of fun!!!