So, everyone left after camp and it was just us and two other riders that were staying for regionals after the camp. I was toying with the idea of asking Mark to drive us home, but with camp ending late Sunday and then us due to ride early Tuesday morning in our regional class Mark thought there would be no point. How wrong could we be!
Ceaser started off rather relaxed and I wondered what I had been fussing about. He was older now and stressing that other horses had left him was a thing of the past…….was it?
Apparently not.
Monday morning started off relatively well. Sue Carson had offered to give me 10 minutes in the arena helping with me some straightness and corner issues we were having. I was delighted at her feedback and comments and she kept telling me over and over that if I rode well he should get a 70% test - but it was all down to me. I was thrilled with that and was determined to go out there on Tuesday and do a bloody good test. Once I had finished we popped Ceaser back in his stable and off we went.One of the other riders had offered to keep an eye on Ceaser whilst Mark and I ventured out for lunch. I thought I had nothing to worry about but gave everyone there my mobile number - just incase - and instructions of where his chifney bit was - just incase!
As we were sitting down quietly for lunch my phone went off. "Pony rearing….help!" was all it said. With a quick 'come on mark we need to go' we were swiftly on our way but the 30 minute journey back seemed to take forever.
We returned to Ceaser in a right state. His stable was a mess, he had almost dug the entire doorway up from rearing up at his door and I was informed he was virtually coming over it several times. Hmm, clearly not over the whole "I've been left and I can't possibly be one of only a few horses" then.
In an attempt to calm him down we spent hours hand walking him, standing with him and just tying him up outside the stable so he could see. People started to arrive for the regionals and I honestly thought he would calm down once the place got busier again. Evidently not - it wound him up even more, which then wound me up and by this time I was about ready to go home and forget the regionals!
As a last resort I moved all of his bedding back into the stable he had been in during camp before I had moved him to be with the remaining horses. It had bars on the door and window so at least if he tried to rear in that he couldn't get his hooves over the door and hurt himself. He was that wound up by now I was considering having to rush to a nearby shop and buy some calmer - something I have never had to do with him!
As if by magic as soon as we moved him he started to calm down instantly. I don't know what it is was but it was like someone had flicked the calm mode button back on him. Honestly, thank goodness I know him so well!
And with that he settled down and started to finally eat again for the first time in 12 hours! Horses eh?
I checked him every couple of hours throughout the night to ensure he wasn't colicing through stress or getting wound up again, but thankfully he had a quiet night and I had a sleepless one. Where's the change there then!**
Tuesday morning started off quite well. I was due into the Novice test for my warm up class quite early on, so it was all systems go first thing. Ceaser warmed up rather nicely and I wanted to put everything we had learnt with Jo and Sue over the weekend into practice.
Our test ended up going well too. There were areas I wish I had ridden differently but I was so nervous to be at a regionals with an atmosphere I wasn't so used to that I rode the best I could I feel - and plus, that was only my warm up test!
We put (the now calm) Ceaser back into his stable, grabbed some lunch and a quick drink. By this time it was time for me to tack back up and get ready for my prelim regionals test. A mad dash was made to the Sheepgate shop tent as I couldn't find my spurs anywhere. Mark nor I are going to mention where we found them….. ever!
I spent lots of time suppling Ceaser for the regionals test and got him working long and low to begin with to get him working through his back and then picked him back up to work more uphill. Whatever Jo did to us over the weekend really did work as he felt fantastic - I was pleased with how he warmed up, especially given that there were horses flying past us in the warm up left right and centre. It really is intimidating in those circumstances being on a small pony.
Anyway, I was rather a nervous wreck riding into the arena but I tried to remember everything Jo and Sue had said. Sit up and enjoy it. Then I had Amy's words in my head that I needed to go into that arena and give the impression I deserved to be there and not to ride like I was apologising for being.
I was so pleased with how our test went. Honestly I couldn't have asked for more. We ended on 67.44% which I was thrilled with as everyone was telling me how fantastic that was for a regionals test. The winner ended on 73% so in reality we weren't that far behind. I know it's a few percent but one judge had us on 71% which had it only been that one judge, would have left us in about 4th place.I was honestly thrilled with how Ceaser went and couldn't have asked for more. He's not a big moving, naturally uphill warmblood so I think he did well considering he competition we were up against.
Once we had finished and took him back to the lorry he was a completely different pony; relaxed and as if butter wouldn't melt!
Onwards and upwards now - we have our area festival at Novice level in a couple of weeks which I am looking forward to!
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