Dressage lesson take 2....this time in the sun!

Thankfully there isn't too much to report on this time, apart from I ache like a (kids turn away) b***h!

After trying for hours and hours to put into practice what Amy got me to do last time I felt like no matter how hard I tried there was no way I could predict Ceaser's spooking and deal with it before he had chance to explode. Thankfully just as things were getting a bit on top of me again, Amy was due to come and give me another good kick up the bum!

Last time Amy worked Ceaser in for me and I got on once he was warmed up. This time it was the other way round and I worked him in so she could see from the ground exactly what he did when warming up, why and how. She noticed that due to his age it does take a little longer than horses half his age to warm up. She recommended I spend roughly 10 minutes walking, before thinking of moving into the trot and then working on building up to the canter.

I'll try to talk you through the warm up process so you can get a better idea of how things worked.

As soon as I started to walk off Amy noticed Ceaser was tight through his back end and our walk was quite choppy. She asked me to free the reins a little and let Ceaser walk a little slower to enable him to step under and through more. To me it felt like he was taking a long stroll on the beach at snail pace but Amy said the change in the overall picture was immediately noticeable. Luckily Mark was on hand to video all this for me and I agree, after watching it back it makes all the difference! She said he steps under lovely in his walk and has quite a nice walk when I allow him to! As predicted she then asked how we scored in our tests for our walk. Of course we don't score very high for our walk and I've always put it down to him having a bad walk...and "that's why" she said. So next week at Royal London i'll be putting our 'new walk' to the test! I must remember, although it doesn't feel like it's taking me anywhere, it is and it looks nice!

Amy said that because Ceaser takes a little longer to warm up than other horses we will need to focus a lot of attention on getting him supple, bending correctly and working through his back. Once we had moved up into the trot we spent a lot of time on flexing left, flexing right and getting him supple on both reins. All this entails is riding just slightly off the track and making him flex left for a little while, whilst keeping in a straight line, and then to the right. In between bursts of doing it i'll make him work properly, then flex a little. It really is a great exercise and great to do in walk, trot and canter!

Next up was the "trusting Ceaser" part, which to be quite honest, in the last few weeks I haven't been! His energy levels are on fire because of how fit he is feeling, the feed he's getting and the supplements he's having which has meant lots of spooks, bucks and high-maintence pony tantrums! Amy said I am holding on to him a little too much, which is causing him not to move forward and stretch through his back into his outline enough. She thinks he is built very short across his back and neck enough already, so when I don't allow or encourage him to stretch for the outline he gives the overall picture of a little coiled spring.

Much more "open" and more free in the outline.

Before....Appearance of a short neck!

So, the next 20 minutes were spent working on getting me to allow him to move forward and free and him accepting the contact and working through his back and stepping underneath a lot more. For a short time he spent a few laps around the arena with his nose in the air - especially whilst some school ponies and children were walking past, but as soon as he accepted and softened I could immediately feel the difference. Amy said again the picture looked a million times better and the illusion was that i'd gone from riding a 14.2hh to a 15.2hh horse. She also said that it would help me with his spooking because I would be able to feel him tensing suddenly if he was going to and his head would come up just ever so slightly, allowing me to react quickly enough to catch him before he could do anything.

Amy does it much better!

We repeated the flexing left and right and opening him up in the canter as well and again almost immediately I could feel the difference in him. Mark also commented that from the side lines it looked a completely different picture to our previous ride.

It really is amazing the difference just a small change in your riding makes and the noticeable change in both the appearance of Ceaser and I. I finally feel like I have found an instructor that knows what they are talking about and speaks some sense - with a vast amount of knowledge. I'm definitely looking forward to our next lesson already!

In total we had spent 30 minutes doing all of the above exercises and so Amy said that was our warm up and I should aim for that when I ride.

Next it was her turn to get on and do some serious riding, which is amazing to watch. The difference in him with someone on his back that is a fantastic rider is quite something. One day i'll be there I suppose, but for now I'm having fun trying!

View Post

Introducing the new riding school horses....with a twist, plus Ceaser update!

What a stressful few weeks I have had, it has been absolutely crazy. When Dad agreed we needed some bigger horses for the riding school and it was time to look for some I didn't realise it would be so difficult.

A very good friend of mine, Katie sent me a variety of links to a wide range for sale. It was rather difficult deciding which ones looked worth a view and which ones didn't. However we finally found a dealer that had a wide range in stock so we decided to go and view a few at a time with the hope we would surely find two we liked!

After trying about 8 horses in total, we finally picked the two I wanted, made an offer and agreed they would be delivered that weekend.

On the day they were supposed to arrive and after promising to clients they were arriving, we were phoned by the owners to be told they had decided they wanted more money for the pair - which of course we couldn't offer.

So, back to the drawing board I went and by chance I clicked on Facebook to have a 10 minute break from Pony searching, when I came across two black Irish cobs for sale. They looked fantastic and although were described as a little green, I decided to phone the owner on the spur of the moment.

Needless to say, they both arrived the next day after a 4 hour journey for a weeks trial. Some called me crazy for handing over a large amount of cash "just like that" for two horses I knew nothing about. I knew their owner seemed genuine and I knew they had both been in the UK for a short time after being shipped from Ireland just weeks before.

Two days after they arrived we decided to hack Buster and Rosie out to see what they were like. Our hack was going fantastic and the "cobs" were proving to be hits with us all. They weren't phased by anything spooky out hacking and walk, trotted and cantered in the open spaces with ease. Unfortunately though on our way back from the hack a car flew around the corner down a quiet lane, causing us all to come to an abrupt halt. Ceaser and I ended up behind Buster and the shock of the abrupt halt and Ceaser up his bum caused him to kick out and get my foot quite harshly.

I won't lie, it bloody hurt. Katie was worrying and wanting me to get off and walk back, but to be quite honest if I'd have gotten off I don't think I would have been able to walk back. Thank goodness I can trust Ceaser as all I could do to help the instant pain was take my foot out of my stirrup and walk back with only one stirrup. As I got back to the yard the pain was unbearable and trying not to cry I jumped off and someone took Ceaser back to his stable for me whilst I hopped to sit down.

Getting a firemans lift to the car from Mark!

Katie phoned Mum and I phoned Mark and after a good telling off from Mum that "Ballet would be a much more safer hobby for me to participate in", Mark took me off to A&E.....again. I should buy shares in the place.

Anyway, 2 and a half hours later, with a rather swollen foot, I hopped out of A&E with thankfully no breaks but a pair of crutches I had to use for the next 7 days. Needless to say I lasted 2 with the blasted things and instead took to walking on my heel. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to ride for 7 days but after 6 I got itchy feet (haha...excuse the pun) and got back on - much to Mark's annoyance.

After a check up today I have finally been given the all clear and told that where Buster kicked me is where quite a few nerves in your feet aren't covered by muscle, so it would be painful to receive an injury there.

To be quite honest I am just so thankful he didn't accidentally get Ceaser as the news could have been so much worse. I am just grateful I took the blow rather than my boy. I don't know what I would do if he had been kicked. I don't at all blame Buster as he has shown no attempt to kick out again and I believe the shock from the car flying round the corner caused him to panic.

So.... Introducing Buster!

Buster is a lovely 15hh, 5 year old, black Irish cob with one white sock. Although green he is proving to be a fantastic confidence giver and all rounder within the riding school. Buster will walk, trot, canter and pop a fence when asked. His manners are impeccable and in just two weeks of owning him, he has already improved a tremendous amount. I cannot wait to see the transformation in this boy and I am sure he is going to be a lovely show prospect.

Rosie.

Rosie is a gorgeous, 15.2hh , 7 year old black Irish cob with four white socks. On the day Rosie arrived I told my friend there was something special underneath all that hair and how right I was. When she arrived Rosie was very unfit and struggled to canter a circle. In just two weeks she is proving to be a fantastic little show horse and I have claimed her as a project for dressage. She will stay in the riding school for a while as I believe it doesn't harm any horse to work in a riding school for a while, but then I hope to be able to compete her. I have my eye on this little mare as I believe she will go far. She is a responsive, forward going ride that requires very little contact to work on the bit. Again, like Buster, although she is green she is very willing and so eager to learn. In just two weeks she is showing great promise on the flat for dressage but also for the riding school.
I have taken over schooling her now and I cannot wait to keep updating you with her progress.


You have probably noticed the two new ones look exactly like Sooty! It is rather uncanny of how we now have three very similar looking horses. Many of our clients cannot tell them apart yet - we like to confuse!

**

I am finally pleased to be able to report that I think I have found the right bit for Ceaser. But boy does that pony have expensive tastes! One of our full liveries has allowed me to try their Neue Schule bits and so far he seems to be loving it.

Ergonomically designed, curved and lozenged, the Neue Schule offers a warmer, softer metal with a very high copper content which promotes salivation, mouthing, acceptance and communication.

I will keep you updated with his progress in this bit, but I am hoping we have finally cracked it. Our dressage results this weekend will show us the end result!

View Post

Introducing the two new riding school ponies!

Wow! It feels good to finally be sitting down and have the opportunity to blog and give you all an update on what has been happening in this neck of the woods!

A couple of weeks ago we suddenly realised how busy our riding school was becoming, which begged the question of whether or not we had enough riding school ponies to go round all the lessons. Without even a second thought I decided no we didn't and so the search began for two new additions to join the "Hundleby Equestrian gang". I love pony shopping and have to admit have quite a fetish for it.

To involve the riding school children I sent out a message to them all asking them to keep an eye open for ponies for sale suitable for the school. Within an hour I was bombarded with roughly 40 horses for sale adverts and so my search began!

Five horses in I was stopped in my tracks by a lovely looking 14.1h cob cross gelding called Guiness. At just 5 he was described as being the perfect gentleman but young enough to still have plenty to learn. Of course I had to view him and after a rather quick phone call I was booked to see him the next day. He was only an hour up the road from us so I asked two of our young liveries if they wanted to come along and try him as well. Need I have bothered asking? Of course they wanted to come!

As soon as we arrived I was greeted by a lovely, sweet pony that immediately pushed his nose into my face and back down again. What a sweetie! After the three of us had had a ride on him I was smitten and could see bags of potential. He was still very green but most importantly seemed to be very willing, even when asked of something he didn't quite understand.

After a quick phone call, I couldn't resist in pulling the deposit I had ready out of my pocket and offering his owner a deal. Need I say that he arrived "home" two days later!

However, whilst horse searching I realised that all black cobs with white feathers were called Guiness so I changed his name to Sooty - which was a pony who I learnt to ride on at the age of 6. Guiness reminded me so much of Sooty, even when I very first met him, so Sooty seemed like a fitting name.

Since arriving home Sooty has proved to be a good buy and is already very popular with the majority of our clients! Despite only being five himself he is teaching many of our younger clients to ride; including my good friend Katie who can be nervous. His talent and ability never ceases to amaze me and each task we ask of him is never too much. His willingness to work is so lovely to witness and already after just a few weeks he has settled into being a riding school pony. I cannot wait to watch this young pony grow and am sure we have yet to witness the best of him - he just keeps on getting better!

Pony number 2!

Pony number two comes in the form of a lovely 14hh Gypsy piebald cob called Splash. His name suites him down to the ground and although he is very quiet natured he has bags of character!

Our newest member of staff, Sam, chose Splash and what a good buy he was! We purchased him from Leicestershire and are so pleased to be able to keep in touch with both his old owner and loaner.

Splash is very different to Sooty and more for the nervous/novice riders to gain confidence on. He is also five but a little greener than Sooty in the school, however a more quiet hack and general ride. Splash is very good for those wanting to build confidence as nothing will phase him and he genuinely doesn't have a bad bone in his body.

After just a week of being on the yard Splash is also proving to be popular with many of our riding school clients. He has one of the biggest and fluffy moustaches you have ever seen so is already known on the yard for this!

Splash is also showing to have huge potential and I am sure will go far. Like Sooty he will pop a course of fences with ease and whatever you ask of him he will try his hardest. He also seems to be enjoying life as a riding school pony being pampered and loved by every child (and adult) that meets him!

Personally I feel we have been very lucky with these two and I cannot wait to see them both grow in confidence over the next few months.

We are now on the look out for another riding school pony that is about 15-15.2hh. I am sure finding another won't be as easy as it has been with these two boys. They are both fantastic and get on tremendously with one another.

View Post