On the move again!

JJ and I moved to college on Tuesday, he seems to have settled much quicker than he did at his previous yard despite only being there a few days. We have tried out the horse walker and also had a go at grazing on the bank in the cross country field!

Top row, left to right: JJ schooling on Wednesday, getting on well with a new friend, selfie time.Bottom row, left to right: Kisses, JJ tries out the walker, schooling on Wednesday.
  

Last night (11/09/14) we attempted a dressage competition at college. We competed in the Introductory A and Preliminary 4 tests and to my surprise we came 3rd in both with 66.3% and 65.5%! 

Overall he did very well, as he can be slightly spooky in new environments (the indoor school being a perfect example!) It was also his first time without a martingale and in a hanging cheek snaffle, which he seems to have responded to well.

The judge said he was 'an attractive horse with a good forward thinking attitude' that showed some 'lovely work' - long may it continue!

Chilling in his new stable

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Onwards & Upwards into 2014!

It's started an up and down year, but finally everything seems to be on track!

My Personal Highlights of 2013:

I have been very lucky to have fulfilled one of my long term ambitions this year - a cold and foggy beach ride taking place in Shoeburyness, Essex in January.

While competition-wise I achieved my first affiliated placing show jumping, as well as jumping round my first British Novice class (without dying).

However without a doubt the achievement I am most proud of is taking the first step in pursuing a career within the equine industry, and now I'm not afraid to say that I want to compete in showjumping to a high level. 

Obviously everything is subject to change when it comes to horses, but for now these are my aims (and new years resolutions) for the next year and a bit - my thinking is if I write them down I have to do them!

• Continue riding for other people, to gain the experience riding a variety of horses.
• I also intend to buy my own horse, that I will get to know throughout the summer, before competing in blue chip qualifiers during the indoor season, with the 'ultimate aim' of jumping a 1.10m/newcomers first round in the Summer of 2015.
• Take up any opportunity that may provide me with experience for the future.
• And finally, to update my blog at least once every week and my Facebook page as much as possible!

I hope you've all had a enjoyable Christmas and have a happy New Year!

See you in 2014!

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Unaffiliated Dressage - 18/10/13

Thursday is usually my day off college, however on Thursday 18th October I took part in an unaffiliated evening dressage competition held at college. I was at the yard from 3pm getting ready before my evening yard duties, then I had to quickly go back to prepping myself and Mac (thankfully one if my friends is good at plaiting & was nice enough to plait him up for me!) I did the Intro A class on Mac. We achieved a score of 65.65% putting us in 4th place out of a large class, as well as being the highest place academy student in the class?! Mac went well, I made a few minor errors, such as a not so circular circle, but I am proud of our test, which earned us 6 and 7 throughout, with an 8 for our halt & salute!

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Moving On...

If you follow my facebook or twitter pages, then you may know that I am going to study for a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horse Management (Riding &a Coaching) - just a bit of a mouthful! - at college for the next 2 years. As I am going to be residential at college I have had to leave my shared horses behind.  I have had the best 2 years with them & the people I have met, however it does feel the right time to move on. 

I am hoping to keep this blog updated (as I've only just started it!) so please follow my progress. As in the next 2 years I have numerous goals and aspirations, the first being to buy my own horse! 

So watch this space!

As I say in this video....

...This is only the beginning.

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VIDEO: "I am a champion" | Show jumping (August 2013)

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Training & Keysoe Intro British Showjumping - 17/08/13

This week I had a jump lesson for the first time in ages! I have been researching technique for my riding and exercises to improve the horses performances; however the lesson helped us to improve further. I realised that sometimes something as simple as my line into a fence can help Maddy (Shauna's Mymwood Maddison) to have a disobedience, that would in the ring cost us 4 faults. Nevertheless, by the end of the lesson we were confidently 'popping' a 1 metre course - needless to say I was delighted!

That weekend we followed the lesson with a Intro British Showjumping competition at The College E.C, Keysoe. I jumped Maddy round both the 70cm and 80cm open classes. She felt so much more willing than previous times there (almost all have which have resulted in Maddy and I parting ways somewhere on the course!) However this time she was much more forward into the fences, partially from the relentless flatwork we've been doing this year. We ended up just outside the placings (again!) due to one fence down in the treble combination. If we hadn't had that down we would have been 2nd! 

We bounced back in the 80cm open, I felt more determined than ever! We completed our round with a 'flyer' to the last fence (a square oxer with solid looking checkerboard fillers), finishing with a double clear. We then watched the rest of the class, while hoping everyone had one down or was riding on a ticket. After an agonising we finished 3rd! - My first British Showjumping placing, and it was even more worthwhile because I had done it not the easiest pony'! 

Photos to follow....
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Patchetts Intro British Showjumping - 11/08/13

Two weekends ago I competed at my first British Showjumping competition (in what seemed like forever - really it was a month or so).

I took Sienna's Renkum Shauna in the 70cm clear round as a warm up for her later class with her owner. She jumped everything from whatever stride she was on (she doesn't like to be interfered with at all when jumping) resulting in a clear round for us!

I followed this up with a round on Laroue in the 80cm open, in which we jumped clear on the untimed section, in the second phase against the clock Laroue went so well, but we had an unlucky 4 faults on the second from last fence, that put us just outside the placings!

Overall I had a really good day, it was so nice to be back out jumping (almost) double clear! x Facebook | Youtube | Twitter | Bloglovin'