One Small Step For Me..

One giant leap for Dart...

Today was Dart's first lesson - oh the excitement that his training is getting under way. It will be a long road over this summer but it has begun. My breaker/natural horsemanship trainer, Mark, came around since we couldn't get Dart back onto the float to work with him. All up we probably spent 30-45 mins with breaks every 5 mins.

He is remarkable today; so quick to learn which is exciting considering he has spent the last 18 months in a 300 acre paddock with old mares and cattle left to their own devices. He is 3 years old this month so I think he has had a good youth so far.

Mark started today moving him off the carot stick, tap him on the shoulder, making him yield to the pressure which he picked up straight away, leg yielding left and right. Standing there I couldn't help but be proud and start making plans for the future based on 45 mins of ground work today - knock on wood. He went onto walking him on a circle which is when the shoulder taps came into play when he decided to stop or drop off the arc, quick tap and squeeze of the rope and he was back.

Every 5 minute break was proceeded by a deep breath and lick and chew of Dart's lips, he is a thinker, must be the warmblood in him. Mark then began changing rein to the right where we got some resistance to change but we eventually got him to get on the right arc, moving in a constant circle. Repeating this action Mark then asked for the trot, Dart picked up a bit, head up, smelling the clouds, falling to walk, stopping, repeating the small taps with the rope on the but to get him going again.

To end the session Mark gave me the keys and had me walking backwards on a large circle, standing on a diagonal from his shoulder with the rope and the stick guiding his shoulder, should he fall in from the circle. He passed with flying colours, following my 'circle' with starting turning into ovals and rectangles and began to go all over the shop really. I better grow that eye in the back of my head.. Following me he stopped, walked on again all from my movements, without any pressure needed from the rope or the stick.

A job well done for our first lesson together and I have now been charged with writing up notes about our session to prepare for tomorrow's lesson. I'm happy with my baby and hopefully I will be able to get some photos or video in the next few days for you all.

Until tomorrow :)

Jess|x

Every Equestrian's Worst Nightmare

In the aftermath of shock that was the death of Showjumping star Hickstead, Blas Lago's Northern Hector's death was not treated so gently.

Upon feeling Hector collapse beneath him whilst preparing for the Grand Prix, Lago, his rider of 15 years was rushed away from his best friend to gather his thoughts and have a strong coffee - only to hear from someone they just saw the pet-food truck drive away. One of Australia's top ten dressage horses had become dog meat.

After Hickstead's death was pronounced there was an FEI post-mortem as of the FEI Veterinary Regulations. Hector - competing at an FEI event - was entitled to the same treatment as Hickstead received. Unfortunately these regulations were not at adhered to, worse still they were refuted by officials on the ground which saw him taken to be processed - without any consultation of Lago.

For such a personal matter to happen in the eyes of the public and regulations that should been maintained to be so blatently is ridiculous and an illegal act.

Click here to read full article..

Jess|x

Baby Dart Is Home

Reebok & Dart together. 

Dartanion is home safe and sound. At least he was until we had to get the vet out yesterday as he sliced his heel. It was only a superficial wound and the vet simply cut away the proud flesh but there is no pain and he is a happy camper in every other way.

He is the most relaxed youngster ever, he always comes up to you in the paddock to say hello. He has grown a child like obsession with Reebok - I think Reebok likes the attention honestly. They bonded when we went to go get him from agistment.

Rion and Dart are still getting there. Dart was meant to go to the breakers to get some work done but being a stubborn young man refused to get on the float.. It's something I have to work on with him this week.

And did I mention that he is huge! The vet thinks he could get to 17hh or 17.1hh.

And the man himself

Jess|x 

River Swims

It has been 4 years since I last took Reebok to the river close to my house for a gallop and swim. I miss it down there, so serene, so naturally beautiful. You always meet friendly people, if there are any at all and the water is always so warm and clean.

The water was a bit deeper in most places than last time so we just trotted around. I think he rolled about 20 times, he has never gone done in water while I have been on him but he is only teeny so it wasn't bad. I love taking him down there, he gets to see new things and get exercised in a more exciting way. Its fun for the both of us. I have never taken Rion down there but next time I want to take both of them. I have a feeling that Rion will absolutely love it! A sandy gallop track that runs for miles -- for a thoroughbred I think that is the dream. I'll have to work him beforehand or I may not be able to stop him.I feel a few pig-roots and bucks coming on.

Dad can't deny he loves the pony! 

 

Jess|x

Today's Escapades

Today was the best ride we have had for a while. Getting back out there definitely feels great and now that HSC is over I can ride more and more and more and more.. An exciting prospect, I assure you.

We did some jumping grids and then ended with a larger oxer. I have missed jumping. Hopefully next weekend I can get to my coach's place to get some real jumping in and a reminder in how to ride. It has been 4 months since I have taken him over there.

The jumping grids work well with Rion's brain. He gets a bit hot and the bounces build his energy up but I had to remember to squeeze and just allow and not let him run through the hand as he tends to love doing. All in all though we had a good ride with no muck ups from either of us.

The past couple of days I have just been doing flat work with Rion. Neither of us have loved that and I think I have to come to accept that he will never do good dressage. So now I lay all my hopes and dreams on Dart. He is a bay so I have a good feeling about him.

In other news, I get to bring home my yearling in 3 weeks - so close! We are going to spend the weekend with him getting him on and off the float. Getting him accustom to it before we take him on the 3 hour drive home.

Here is a photo of Rion and I from today:

Over and out

Jess|x

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 

It seems I have made a return..

However small and insignificant it may be I have made a return to competing. I still have difficulty in finding time completing school and balance my study with riding, without any thought of competing. On the 6th of March I competed at my last interschools competition in the 1.20m jumping. I have also been to my coach's a few times in the last month or so which has given me the motivation which I have been lacking this past year.

Rion gave me some trouble in the warm up, which i expected nothing less than the usual rearing and racing thoroughbred brain to show itself. It was our first show in quite a few months, from being a fool in the warm up he went into the ring to complete a perfect round, if only me, as the pilot didn't shift the balance we had on a short turn to a vertical in the air; causing him to drop one rail. Not to worry, pilot error so he was rewarded for that round. It is amazing the difference between his behaviour in the warm up and the ring. In our second round he was great again though another pilot error was my micro management into the double whereby he just said no and refused, I don't blame him at all, I gave him nothing to go on. I should have kept my pace up and just waited for my distance. Alas, I am rusty and this competition was a learning experience for us.

In our first round, in good form

His reward after our first round..

Our third round was another good round though Rion had started to tire, I don't fully remember but we dropped 1-2 rails. It may have been a partnership mistake in this round. I had a good day and the feeling of being out and competing again was so invigorating. The fact that I have also been to my coach's place to ride and have lessons has also increased my motivation, to ride and compete. I have missed it but had lost the memory of what it felt like. My lessons are never boring, Rion is either a complete gem or is producing his customary rearing behaviour. When I get off and feel dizzy and the next morning when the lactic acid in my legs and shoulders is present I feel the most alive and remember what it is like to live for my horses; not just live in seeming contentment.. How I have been wrong.

My last lesson Rion showed no ill behaviour until we introduced the water jump. As a part-time eventer who has no second thought at jumping into water and as a show-jumper having no problem jumping a liverpool; introduce a water jump, well that changes everything..Long story short we managed to get him over it whilst riding though he still didn't like it when we put the wall infront of it, so we lunged him around and then through and over the jump. Surely, he had no problem with it and we had to stop him from jumping it when we just wanted him to look at it.

Our second round.

As a goal I have to do more ground work with him, pushing him off my leg, or hand depending whether I am in saddle or on the ground. He needs to respond to my leg and know that go, does, in fact mean go! He, and I have become complacent in our time off and it is time that I gave us both the kick start that we need. Like I said, I have found my motivation again and during this coming week, as my exams end, I will be able to put my efforts to good use and actually work with Rion again.

Our next competition is on the 2nd and 3rd of March. 

JESS | x

George Morris Clinic

It has been almost a year since the clinic and I can't believe I haven't posted about the great George Morris and my 3 training days with him.In January this year I spent my 3 best equestrian days in the heat of the Australian summer at a Clinic with Mr Morris.
At first I thought that he would not be a fan of my crazy thoroughbred, with his racehorse tendencies to rear, which there was no shortage of at the clinic. However it was quite the opposite, George was a fan of my "easy and straightforward jumper" as he soon became the 'teacher's pet' in my group which very much came as a surprise to me. Each day our lesson began with flatwork, using it as an aid for our later jumping exercises. The flatwork was tiring, as expected. George's goal with us was to attain perfect straightness in our horses, to achieve this we were made to start in shoulder in up the track, then into haunches in and again into straight, repeating the exercise around the arena.

Each day we began with new exercises, all focusing on the straightness and later implication on our jumping.Our jumping began each day with small grids, getting larger and more complex each time. George's favorite exercise was 3 jumps in a loose 'z' formation on the arena, the point was to continue what we had begun in our flatwork, bending in the air and making the horses listen to our aids, we would go down through the 'z' then half turn back to reverse the order of the jumps. George used this exercise with all the groups at the clinic as a warmup for the later courses and grids. It is an exercise that I have implemented into my jumping warmups.

The hardest part of the clinic would have been our flatwork and jumping warm up without stirrups. The flatwork was all fine, that I am used to but as soon as the jumping began I forgot the importance of my legs again and Rion went up in the air on yet another racehorse rearing spree. As much as I didn't want him to show his bad side to George but he helped me greatly in avoiding and getting out of the situation; stating that "this horse will teach you equestrian tact," and indeed he has.

I can honestly say that this was the greatest clinic I have attended and am lucky enough to be attending another this coming January. A big thank you to Vicky Roycroft for organising the clinic, without her I would not have had the chance to meet the man himself. George is a master of his craft and thoroughly instilled the importance of the leg to us and also safety and correct care for our horses which he called 'cavalry'. I will definitely be writing a longer, more thorough post after the next clinic.

Click here to watch videos from the clinic.

David Green, Colleen Brook, George Morris, Team Brook riders and Vicky Roycroft 

We are back.. Slowly

I sit writing this on my bed whilst peering out into the greyness and rain at home. Impeding my ability to ride and also dampening my energy to go exercise my beasts. Instead I am studying and blogging, not as exciting in my opinion.

I have a bit of a break from riding, not having been riding much in the week prior to my leaving or a week since my arrival back in Australia Rion has had a good break which ended on Friday with our first ride, nothing special just some lunging and then I hopped on to do some lateral pushing off the leg, shoulder in, haunches in to get him back into theswing of things.

If this rain would go away my life would be much easier, I have to prepare for a small eventing competition next weekend where there is only one other competitor in my level so it will be a 1st or 2nd place for me :) The next real competiton will be Berrima on the 27th of November which will hopefully have some good weather. It is always a great event down there and I am hoping for some good results, it is enough time to get him fit and ready again. I will get the musculo-skeltal vet out a week before the comp, I hope, to loosen his muscles up before the dressage and open his big stride up. I am excited thinking about Berrima, I have hardly competed this year thanks to school. I have only been to two horse trial events, in total I think I have been to 6 or 7 shows this year, normally I am out every weekend or two at an event. School has been such a negative impact on my competition life, I really do hate that aspect of school, but it needs to be done so I can't complain too much, I am still riding at home and at training days.

Rion is in good shape after his break with a lot of energy so I have a lot to work with but it should be good fun. This rain should leave soon and then I will be able to take him out for regualr gallops and trots to get his fitness up again, and mine for that matter. Its amazing what French pastries can do :P It is meant to be spring here, with sunshine, rainbows and increasing heat, I feel severely ripped off. I have just started by website on horses which I will use as a blog on myself, as this is; as well as articles on health, training etc. So at least I have one pleasureable thing to do on this rainy day.

Serious work going on here...

Alas, we are on our way back to normal form, with only a few more shows left this year, I am looking forward to getting back into the circuit.

Silver Hills ODE

A good weekend with the horses. I have to thank my best friend for being my groom, made my life less stressful – that’s for sure. This was my first eventing competition for the year, considering that we did fairly well. The dressage left much to be desired, I need to get the musculo-skeletal vet out again and get Rion on the mend. Time to get the dressage saddle out more often I think. Pippy was in the intro class (80cm) and Rion was in the Pre-Novice (1.05m)

I was appointed yesterday as Pippy’s trainer; she will be staying at my place for a month. She tends to get nervous in her dressage, particularly in the warm up area. I have a month ahead of me to fill with work for both the horses. Time to go back to my sources and get some good dressage exercises. I love 101 Dressage Exercises, amongst the other 101 books, they are all great. She is such a great little jumper though, so much spring, very quick. We had a clear showjumping round though we did have two time fault which I’m not happy about. Something to keep in mind. We had a great cross-country round. Straight through the water, didn’t even look at a single jump and we were exactly on time, take a second or two. All good on the jumping front but my job is to improve the dressage. Bring it on I say!

Rion jumped well in showjumping though I made some rather stupid pilot errors, giving us three down, another thing I’m not happy about, being a showjumper I don’t like knocking fences when I’m out eventing. The x-c footing was good, not hard, just the right amount of give. At least it was before the freezing rain and hail bucketed down in the 10 mins before I had to start. In my min countdown to start he started to get more tense, he had been rearing in warm up, which is customary for him, though it is rather annoying, he started rearing 10 secs before start time. Mum couldn’t get near him to walk him in; by the time she did we were already 20 secs behind, once I got him out of the box I didn’t even bother starting my watch, we were behind time and the footing after the rain wasn’t worth killing myself over. I just took everything easy, kept forward and galloped only in the long stretches between jumps. I had to stop on course as my gaiters unzipped and was annoying the heck out of me. So on the time front I don’t even want to know how many penalties I got! He jumped absolutely perfectly however which I am pleased about.

Me and Rion :)

So overall I would say we had a good weekend, despite our flaws. Waiting on the musculo-skeletal vet to get back to us, then I could sort Rion out faster but until she does I will just have to keep doing the muscle exercises she gave me and massaging him my self. Well that’s all for now, over and out.

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 :)

For the Love of Horse

School has consumed me, eaten me up and swallowed me whole. I hate it. I have been to 5 competitions this year whereas, last year I would be competing nearly every weekend or two. I have lost muscle and gotten so unfit. I'm over it. I am fighting back, getting fit, cutting back on the books a little and riding to the maximum to get the old me back on top. I have thought about this and it is doing me no favors sitting at my desk getting fat.

I have been riding Rion a lot the past few weeks (which I am so grateful for) getting himself and myself fit again for Silver Hills eventing next weekend. He is doing well. I have been taking him for nice gallops and trots out on the gallop track and on the trails, it is doing his brain a world of good; and anything that can do that is worth sticking to. Hopefully I can get the musculo-skeletal vet out to the big man and get his muscles working better and get him back on track completely.

We went out cross-country training today on the grounds I was supposed to compete on today before the competition was postponed. Luckily we could access the grounds and I schooled Rion over water, which he was great at, and popped some fences. We haven't gone eventing once this year so I thought it would be a good training comp before next weekend. I've also been given a friend's horse to ride at Silver Hills next week, so I shall have my plate full for the next week.

Training two days ago:

We had winter championships at Jump club a few weeks ago and Rion jumped amazingly. We only had one down in a fairly tough 1.20m class. If only he picked that foot up a cm more we would have been in the jump off. I would like to thank our gallops and trails for his good behavior, I think having him in the arena, even though I mix up what we do each day, bores him and he needs to run more. Its a win win I think.

From Winter Champs:

That is all :)