Our second hunt of the season was even better. We hacked to the meet at Harry's local, the Three Horseshoes in Thursley, and started off on Thursley Common which was great as it's sandy - the ground was still very wet. We stayed out all day, until about 3.30 or 4pm, did lots of galloping and a bit of jumping, and quite a bit of wading through wet, muddy, marshy land. Amazingly I wasn't too stiff next day. Harry is so good you just need to sit and enjoy the ride.
But now there's no hunting! The snow has put paid to any sort of riding and Harry has had 10 days of loafing around his field, stuffing himself with hay. Now it's thawing and I'm hoping to ride at the weekend - need to get fit again, so we can hunt again!
Fingers crossed!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
First hunt of the season!
Harry and I have our first hunt of the season - and absolutely love it! I always forget how thrilling the first sight of hounds is - Harry seems to agree! I also always forget about getting Harry in, scraping the mud off him, plaiting, boxing and actually getting to the meet - and that fact that, although I don't actually feel nervous, my bowels disagree!
But we make the meet on Ranmore Common with no problems. I gulp down a stirrup cup while Harry stands like a lamb, eyes wide and shining, taking it all in. Then we're off, trotting down the road like the clappers! It's been raining for what seems like weeks so the going is wet and slippery, and one rider has a fall on a steep turn in some woodland even before we jump into the first field!
We hare around the common, up and down hills, through bushes and woodland. It is really, really muddy. At one point we're galloping towards a right turn with extremely deep going, and coppiced trees on either side. Harry spots a very narrow gap between trees and alters course to avoid the mud. "No!" I shriek. I have a morbid fear of getting my knees caught. He swerves, and hits one of the saplings chest-on. It falls like, well, a falling tree, and we stop dead. Harry takes a few deep breaths, steps sideways, and gallops on!
After three and a half hours of this, we call it a day and head back to the car park with two other riders. My adventures are not over. By the time we reach the lorry, Harry has bonded with his two new mates and refuses to load. It doesn't help that I stand limply on the ramp, pulling at him weakly and saying "pleeeease get on, Harry." When I finally remember all the advice I have heard and read about loading ie look where you're going, say it like you mean it, don't get in front of the horse etc, he gets on and tucks into his haynet, no problem.
We head for home, knackered, but happy. Roll on the next one!
But we make the meet on Ranmore Common with no problems. I gulp down a stirrup cup while Harry stands like a lamb, eyes wide and shining, taking it all in. Then we're off, trotting down the road like the clappers! It's been raining for what seems like weeks so the going is wet and slippery, and one rider has a fall on a steep turn in some woodland even before we jump into the first field!
We hare around the common, up and down hills, through bushes and woodland. It is really, really muddy. At one point we're galloping towards a right turn with extremely deep going, and coppiced trees on either side. Harry spots a very narrow gap between trees and alters course to avoid the mud. "No!" I shriek. I have a morbid fear of getting my knees caught. He swerves, and hits one of the saplings chest-on. It falls like, well, a falling tree, and we stop dead. Harry takes a few deep breaths, steps sideways, and gallops on!
After three and a half hours of this, we call it a day and head back to the car park with two other riders. My adventures are not over. By the time we reach the lorry, Harry has bonded with his two new mates and refuses to load. It doesn't help that I stand limply on the ramp, pulling at him weakly and saying "pleeeease get on, Harry." When I finally remember all the advice I have heard and read about loading ie look where you're going, say it like you mean it, don't get in front of the horse etc, he gets on and tucks into his haynet, no problem.
We head for home, knackered, but happy. Roll on the next one!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Harry the show cob!
It's our local riding club's Open Show, so I bathe Harry three times in two days, plait him the night before and put on a rug with a neck cover - he looks so cute, he must be in the running in the cob class!
Even better, he is still pretty clean on the day of the show. Then we see 'the opposition' - an immaculate piebald cob and rider, picture perfect and with the manners of an angel (the cob, I mean). However, Harry is really good in the ring, we're pulled in second, and I try to keep some distance between us and the perfect pair - we look so dirty and hairy in comparison (both of us). Harry gives the judge a good ride, so we stay second, and I'm very pleased, especially when I find out later that the winner is a HOYS qualifier.
Next up, working hunter. There's really nice jumping course, including rustics with live tree branches intertwined in the wings and a bank to jump off. This causes some problems, but I warm Harry up vigorously, then do the course in a very smart canter - hunting pace I think they call it - and we actually go clear. Hooee!
There are four other clears, so we enter the ring for the show judging phase, and Harry starts to get bored. Walk and trot, fine, canter – "do I have to keep doing this?" I get very red in the face, and we end up in 4th place, but I am delighted. It's the first time we've ever gone clear and got anywhere near the placings in a working hunter class.
Now if I could just improve my turnout by about 2,000 per cent!!
Even better, he is still pretty clean on the day of the show. Then we see 'the opposition' - an immaculate piebald cob and rider, picture perfect and with the manners of an angel (the cob, I mean). However, Harry is really good in the ring, we're pulled in second, and I try to keep some distance between us and the perfect pair - we look so dirty and hairy in comparison (both of us). Harry gives the judge a good ride, so we stay second, and I'm very pleased, especially when I find out later that the winner is a HOYS qualifier.
Next up, working hunter. There's really nice jumping course, including rustics with live tree branches intertwined in the wings and a bank to jump off. This causes some problems, but I warm Harry up vigorously, then do the course in a very smart canter - hunting pace I think they call it - and we actually go clear. Hooee!
There are four other clears, so we enter the ring for the show judging phase, and Harry starts to get bored. Walk and trot, fine, canter – "do I have to keep doing this?" I get very red in the face, and we end up in 4th place, but I am delighted. It's the first time we've ever gone clear and got anywhere near the placings in a working hunter class.
Now if I could just improve my turnout by about 2,000 per cent!!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Eventer's special
Harry and Red and Jane and I have an evening lesson with Fiona, our trainer, who is an eventer - and she builds us an Eventer's special course in the school!
First we try a corner, a bit like a parallel, but at one end the poles rest on a single barrel, forming a long V-shape to jump across. First we do it right in the middle...Harry is cool with this, as is Red. The we try it much closer to the narrower, pointy end of the corner. Harry charges into it with his usual enthusiasm, I lean forward - and he swerves a bit, half jumping the barrel. It's a good thing there wasn't a flag on it, or we'd have taken it with us! Once I have reminded myself to stay upright and riding forward until we get to the fence, we are fine.
We try a dog leg - two angled jumps with a loop between them. I have to wrench Harry between the two as he's not that quick on his feet - not pretty, but he jumps tham. Fiona points out we could have made the loop much bigger, and jumped much better - we try that, and she's right! We tackle a stile type skinny fence, and then a course - great, great, great. Finally we do a water tray under a jump – no worries, though Red has a good look right into it before jumping it.
We have to stop because it's going dark. Brilliant fun, and with just a few poles and wings!
First we try a corner, a bit like a parallel, but at one end the poles rest on a single barrel, forming a long V-shape to jump across. First we do it right in the middle...Harry is cool with this, as is Red. The we try it much closer to the narrower, pointy end of the corner. Harry charges into it with his usual enthusiasm, I lean forward - and he swerves a bit, half jumping the barrel. It's a good thing there wasn't a flag on it, or we'd have taken it with us! Once I have reminded myself to stay upright and riding forward until we get to the fence, we are fine.
We try a dog leg - two angled jumps with a loop between them. I have to wrench Harry between the two as he's not that quick on his feet - not pretty, but he jumps tham. Fiona points out we could have made the loop much bigger, and jumped much better - we try that, and she's right! We tackle a stile type skinny fence, and then a course - great, great, great. Finally we do a water tray under a jump – no worries, though Red has a good look right into it before jumping it.
We have to stop because it's going dark. Brilliant fun, and with just a few poles and wings!
Fabulous sponsored ride
We take the trailer to the Hamptons sponsored ride and, hallelujah, Red has settled! It is a fabulous course – they're right when they say it's 10 miles of glorious Surrey countryside, the views are stunning. And as we go fairly late in the day, we have this beautiful estate to ourselves most of the time.
Some of the jumps are quite big, (well, to us) at a good solid 2ft 6ins or so. I miss a few of the biggest ones near the start, then as Harry gets his jumping boots on we try some bigger ones, and he does them really well. Red is calm, too - no bucking or shooting off. He has a great jump and flies some of the fences in great style. Harry hardly ever stops cross country, but at one biggish, solid hedge, he swerves away several strides from it - he seems scared of a large, white-painted tyre that forms one of the jump's wings. "I'll just have a look at it" I say to Jane, luckily - the hedge has a great big drop on the other side. We take the smaller option, just a little step down.
Harry flies the last few fences and finishes with his neck and chest covered in foam – I must stop using so much saddle soap on his breastplate. I give him a huge cuddle and lots of mints...he's such a star!
We mentally pat ourselves on the back as we head for home – our double cross country weekend could have been an exhausting nightmare, instead it was exhausting, but exhilarating!
Some of the jumps are quite big, (well, to us) at a good solid 2ft 6ins or so. I miss a few of the biggest ones near the start, then as Harry gets his jumping boots on we try some bigger ones, and he does them really well. Red is calm, too - no bucking or shooting off. He has a great jump and flies some of the fences in great style. Harry hardly ever stops cross country, but at one biggish, solid hedge, he swerves away several strides from it - he seems scared of a large, white-painted tyre that forms one of the jump's wings. "I'll just have a look at it" I say to Jane, luckily - the hedge has a great big drop on the other side. We take the smaller option, just a little step down.
Harry flies the last few fences and finishes with his neck and chest covered in foam – I must stop using so much saddle soap on his breastplate. I give him a huge cuddle and lots of mints...he's such a star!
We mentally pat ourselves on the back as we head for home – our double cross country weekend could have been an exhausting nightmare, instead it was exhausting, but exhilarating!
Hot cross country
Jane and I ride the hour hack to our cross country competition venue, in a further attempt to tire her horse Red out so he won't act up.
It's boiling hot, and we have to walk the course when we get there, at top speed – I look like a beetroot, and feel like a boiling beetroot! We have quite a wait until we go, and warm up gingerly. Because of this, I start to feel nervous, and transfer it to Harry, who swerves about a bit and does his 'Tasmanian Devil' act – opening his mouth, sticking his tongue out and snorting like a dragon. Red seems fine for a while, then someone finishes the course and shoots past him, whereupon he shoots off, too, and proceeds to buck and play up.
Happily, both horses settle down as they proceed round the cross country course. Red has just one stop, as does Harry - caused by me turning and talking to one of the jump judges, doh! I quite enjoy it, but resolve to only warm up fairly briefly next time so we stay calm and relaxed.
I lend Harry to a friend to ride back to the yard and feel relieved to be in a car going home. Cross country is great, but on a hot autumn day it can make you (and your horse) sweat like a pig!
It's boiling hot, and we have to walk the course when we get there, at top speed – I look like a beetroot, and feel like a boiling beetroot! We have quite a wait until we go, and warm up gingerly. Because of this, I start to feel nervous, and transfer it to Harry, who swerves about a bit and does his 'Tasmanian Devil' act – opening his mouth, sticking his tongue out and snorting like a dragon. Red seems fine for a while, then someone finishes the course and shoots past him, whereupon he shoots off, too, and proceeds to buck and play up.
Happily, both horses settle down as they proceed round the cross country course. Red has just one stop, as does Harry - caused by me turning and talking to one of the jump judges, doh! I quite enjoy it, but resolve to only warm up fairly briefly next time so we stay calm and relaxed.
I lend Harry to a friend to ride back to the yard and feel relieved to be in a car going home. Cross country is great, but on a hot autumn day it can make you (and your horse) sweat like a pig!
Trouble looming?
My riding mate Jane and I planned a v busy weekend... cross country training Saturday, Hamptons sponsored ride Sunday. Too much fun to miss, but quite tiring separately – knackering one after the other!
We have a lesson the Thursday before, and my cob Harry is really quite good – Jane's horse Red, really quite bad! He's a cheeky boy and has been bucking quite a bit recently. He bucks and naps in the lesson, and trainer Fiona says Jane must be firm with him and keep riding him positively forward. This she does for about 40 minutes, then Fiona takes over, much to Red's annoyance. 'We must work him hard before the weekend, and nip this naughtiness in the bud" she says.
The next evening, Friday, they both ride him again in the school to wear him out a bit - will it work on Saturday?!
We have a lesson the Thursday before, and my cob Harry is really quite good – Jane's horse Red, really quite bad! He's a cheeky boy and has been bucking quite a bit recently. He bucks and naps in the lesson, and trainer Fiona says Jane must be firm with him and keep riding him positively forward. This she does for about 40 minutes, then Fiona takes over, much to Red's annoyance. 'We must work him hard before the weekend, and nip this naughtiness in the bud" she says.
The next evening, Friday, they both ride him again in the school to wear him out a bit - will it work on Saturday?!
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