Ola amigos

Everytime I get on here I seem to be saying that I have made a return.. trend forming? I think so..

Alas, I have been kept away form my horses for quite some time now. My last competition was the 9th of July. I travelled 6 hours north to have to come home early with a lame horse. Such is life in the world of horses. Although, I think it could have been an elaborate plot on Rion's behalf to go home.

We had a few troubles, with his rearing in the warm up, once in the ring though he was a star and we almost posted 2 clear rounds on the first day had it not been for my pilot error that led me to take a fall. Nothing hurt but my pride and a nasty bruise on my hip. I couldn't have expected anything else considering my preparation was limited no thanks to school work which haunts my every move. School and the HSC will be a distant memory after the next week and a half! I couldn't be more excited. I have been riding the past few days since our last comp and everything had just clicked for me. I have my yearling, Dart coming home in the beginning of December.

He has grown so much! The warmblood is really showing in him now, his chest is widely set and is standing at about 16.3hh. He will be 3 when he comes home and he still has some growing to do, should be a strapping lad when he finishes spurting up, and out. Myself and my coaches are going to start him in January/February which gives me some time to play and get to know beforehand.

Here is a photo of him the last time I visited him which was in July, on the way home from the competition with Rion: Since then he has bulked out quite a lot. 

kisses for mum 

When I should have been studying instead I was making this video from the last few days of Rion and I

Enjoy :) 

Watch this space, I don't intend to be kept away for much longer. 

Jess|x 

I Miss the Early Mornings..

Early mornings, late nights; ah how I have missed this. Last year I would get up and ride before school nearly every morning, come home of an afternoon and ride another horse, come in late. It was great. Still is. Yesterday was the first day I rode before school this year, its such a wake up call in the crisp air, I love it.

Rion has been a fairly good boy this past week. I have done mostly flat work exercises I learnt from my George Morris clinic this year. The exercises work on moving the horse off the leg to come onto a true contact. The importance of the leg was engrained into my mind from that clinic I will never forget their importance again. The main exercise I love and use with any horse I ride is to use shoulder fore/in then change to haunches in and then straight and repeat. It really gets the horses working, accepting the contact and moving laterally which is always good. I always use it in my warm-ups at a walk then move onto a trot.

Pippy (my friend’s horse I’m competing this weekend) has been doing well. There is little I can change in the week I have her before this weekend but I have been doing the above exercise to get her forward and in front of my leg and off the forehand. Yesterday afternoon I set up three jumps on the arena for her; a cross, vertical and oxer. The vertical was a turn back then 6 stride dog leg to the oxer. She was jumping so well. She has a tendency to run and get quick, as ponies do sometimes, but I just sat quiet, holding with my stomach and such a light contact. The waiting distances definitely do her a world of good. She has such a spring in her jump she doesn’t need to be fast or even overly forward as she has a tendency to be.

That’s all until I post from day one of competing :)