I’m pleased to say I was well enough to take the old gal out for her first jumping event this year! She did not disappoint, although hesitant and nervous once in the arena she listened and trusted me, jumping nicely round the courses. On awaiting the start of the second class my partner had gone to check the results from the first one, and I was delighted when he pulled out a red frilly!! Not bad for her first jumping class of 2019! The next class she did equally well, and I mean that literally – somehow we managed to get exactly the same time in the jump off that we had in the first class’s jump off! I’ve never had that happen before and was a bit shocked especially as I thought we had been quicker in the second class, still she jumped clear and gained more confidence which was great, and this time came away with a blue frilly, just narrowly missing out on a red one! I could not have asked for more from her, she was such a good girl and I think she really enjoyed having some fun out and about too! I’m definitely looking at getting her out to a few clear rounds or training shows though as she was a bit hesitant so I want to build her confidence up again!
The rain has been awful the last couple of weeks making it very difficult to ride. My arena has been under water for a lot of the time, and was very boggy for a few days whilst drying out, this has meant limited work for the horses during the week. However, we still decided to take the giant out to the riding club show. Sadly it did not go as I would have liked. He was a bit wound up in the warm up as he hadn’t been to the venue for a while, so when it came to our turn he was ready to go. The first few fences were jumped well, but on the diagonal consisting of a fence followed by a double it went a bit wrong. Unbeknown to me some kids on the opposite side of the road behind the arena hedge were screaming and shouting (I was unaware as I ‘zone out’ when jumping) but Bob was completely distracted, and on landing the first part of the double, spooked sharply causing me to shoot off the side, he then accidently stood on my ankle! Luckily no breaks but a huge 5” lump and bruise on my thigh soon appeared, but me being me decided I wasn’t giving up – we were given the opportunity to do a HC round at the end which we did, a few poles down but we completed it!
So the golden girl did well, and the giant needs a bit of focus work but still we were out and about gaining more experience! We also bumped into Katie from Equesure with her horse Q (who both did fab!) at Bob’s show and posed for a pic
Riding your horse at night is something even the keenest of equestrians may have never even considered. Whether the idea fills you with excitement or trepidation, there might be times when it’s necessary to ride your equine after dark.
Whether you’re a weekend hacker or a serious competitor, tying a horse safely and securely is an equestrian basic. But there's much more to it than meets the eye. Here at Equesure we’ve got some important tips on how to do it safely and what to avoid.
The tables seem to have turned as to which horse is naughtiest now. Shockingly despite Bob ripping yet another of Autumn’s rugs (think that’s 6 this year already), Autumn has taken on the title as most troublesome! In the last few weeks she has taken on full diva status!
We’ve compiled a list of some of the main things you should be aware of, divided into three categories: horse welfare, horse management, and horse riding.
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