Freddie, Week 1

Wow, a week has gone so quickly; Freddie has officially been with me one whole 7 days!

So, what has happened this week then. First thing Monday we went and got him a wormer and gave it to him just in case. We were told by his trainer that he had been wormed within the last 4 months but we felt it better safe than sorry and wormed him again for safeties sake. It seems that he didn't have any worms or eggs which is really positive!

He is just so incredibly calm and relaxed, we cannot get over it! We think he’s enjoying the quiet less busy yard and also very much enjoying being turned out in the lovely grass. The first 2 days he was a bit excited to go out in the field and we had some gymnastics with legs in the air which is totally normal for a horse joining a new yard and being with new horses, they do find it exciting and rightly so! Come Wednesday he just sauntered off once put out in the field to go and graze. Perfect, that what I wanted him to be likely, settling into the routine of every day life. 

He’s getting nice and round, his pointy edges are slowly covering over and we’re pleased with his progress for just 7 days with us.

We had our vet out on Thursday to do all the horses teeth and Freddie’s weren’t bad at all, just a couple of sharper edges but nothing major and he didn’t mind at all. I am really pleased with how level headed he is and just seems to take everything in his stride.

He’s also taken very well to being tied outside his stable to be brushed, rugged etc and stands there completely relaxed with no thought of pulling back, what a good boy considering he’s probably never had that before and has always been ‘done’ in his stable. Some horses realise they can pull back and can run off round the yard but he's never once thought about that so I am impressed with how quickly he's picking up the new routine and our expectations for him. 

Friday afternoon I roped Georgie in to helping me thin up Freddie's mane and also take quite a lot of length off it as it's grown really long and thick. As you'll likely see from this blog page Georgie and I are brand ambassadors for Smart Grooming  so we used their humane mane comb to thin on the bulk of mane rather than pull it (as mane pulling does hurt horses I didn't want Freddie to associate mane combing with pain and that make him head shy). Georgie and I did a 'How To' video while we did this, which I will upload shortly! It really is helpful!

We got, what amounted to, half a bucket of mane out. It was just so thick it was splitting down the middle to form two manes! Ugh! 

Before - 

After -

After we had thinned it out we then took 2 inches off the length. Not only was it looking straggly it was also 'cutting' Freddie's neck in half and giving the illusion of this really thin neck, which we certainly didn't want because A) it looks gross, untidy and unkempt, but B) it also doesn't help when we're looking to monitor his muscle gain during the weeks/months of his retraining. Now he actually looks decent and more like his usual self! 

Super smart if I do say so myself!

Saturday was really sunny so I decided to give Fred a wash with some baby shampoo to get the excess grease out of his skin (that wouldn't shift with just brushing alone), get the dry skin off from weeks of not being brushed and also help get the shine in his coat. He really was looking a bit dejected! 

He was a very good boy to be bathed and enjoyed standing under the heat lamps to dry off. 

So with him near enough dry I put his bridle on and got him ready to go out for his first walk out in hand, down the road. He is in Erik's old showing bridle (the only bridle I actually own) so he looks a little silly in a very thick nose band but still so gorgeous at the same time. He was a little exuberant so I wasn't able to get any photos unfortunately. When I say exuberant I mean that he just wanted to walk quickly/jog slightly, and pretty much puff up and grow a couple of inches but nothing silly at all. He was just very much excited to see what his new surroundings were like and from his reaction of ears pricked and eyes looking at everything I think it's safe to say he liked it. 

As obviously we're just starting out and he doesn't have shoes on yet it was literally just a walk down the road and back but having done it on Saturday and again Sunday he is pretty clear on that he loves it. On Sunday I also went into the school and on a lead rope I just build our bond and also just see how responsive he is to being asked to stop and wait, and also to set the foundation of being allowed to walk off when I allow it. I am very big on horses having good manners and it all starts with ground work. 

I also put some walk poles down just to see if he'd seen any before and how he would react; he did have a look at the poles but absolutely no hesitation, he just walked straight over then and really picked his legs up high. What a cutie!

For his first week I am really excited with his progress. He's very affection and has proven himself safe and trustworthy round Georgie's two girls. Expecially loving Frankie, 6.5 yo, who he nuzzles and smells at any opportunity, she even led him back to the field on Sunday afternoon in just a head collar and he just sauntered along next to her. It's very reassuring to know he is safe with her. Fenella, nearing 2 years old, also loves being around him and he is very gentle with her also. 

This coming week he is having the physio come and just look at him, he does seem a little sore over his lower back so I am wanting to see what Alex feels about that, he is also having front shoes on on Tuesday also so that he won't get foot sore now that I am doing walk work on the roads. 

I will continue to work in hand with him, he will also be lunged and once built up muscle enough I will get on.

Week 1

Life Outside The Show Ring - Reasons To Vary Your Show Horses Work and Exercise

Saturday last week I was preparing to babysit Francesca and I thought, while I was stocking up on supplies for the night, that i'd purchase the showing special of Horse & Hound  to read up on judges opinions and guest editors notes and to learn things that I didn't already know; and I'm glad i did!
There was something that got me thinking that I wanted to write a post about so here it is -

Jenny Banks who is a Sports Horse Breeding (GB) ridden hunter panel judge mentioned the importance of a show horse also having experiences outside the show ring and that so many horses when showing demonstrate clear signs of only ever being ridden in a school and that they haven't got a lot of experience outside of that setting. She goes on to say how important learning new experiences are for horses -

B flying over a fence at Burghley Park CUDH Meet. Photo by Sam Pawley Photography 

We often get surprised remarks from people who we're meeting for the first time, that we're "taking a show horse hunting?! Aren't you worried about injury?!" and such like. Well the honest answer to that is yes, we do worry about injury, but we also make every possible precaution to protect Beanie against an injury he could do to himself or that could happen by others, even things outside of our control like a rock or stone etc. As you can see he is booted with brushing boots and over reach boots.

We drag hunt, as those who have read this blog before will know. We do so to help Beanie gain confidence in his jumping ability and teach him that jumping isn't just cross country or show jumping in a school. 
It's helped him gain confidence over ditches, which after a really bad training experience which I won't go into, really shook his confidence. And that jumping cross country fences and hedges aren't just at speed but need to be done so in control and that it's not just 'do a course of fences, finish and go home for the day'. He now understands that he can go more slowly into a fence and not get so excited that he bucks afterwards. Hunting involves stopping for a breather and to let the hounds find the scent and that he has to wait while they do that. He is now much more chilled out at events which is a real plus (especially for me who has to handle him, as well as tack up, groom etc)
It's also taught him to relax and not get overly excited by loud noises and things that could make him jump. Not to mention hounds around his legs.

 

Saying that, all to Beanie's credit he is actually a pretty laid back chap. We happen to live right near Duxford Air Museum which regularly see's airplanes flying over our house, quite a lot lower than we'd like, but due to this Beanie has really coped with learning that planes might be loud and scary, but they're not going to hurt him, so he doesn't gallop around when they do fly over and ends up hurting himself.
This really helped when the TARRA classes over ran at Great Gransden Show in 2013 and a kamikaze plane display happened directly over the car park and ring while judging was occurring.  See photo for evidence 

Photo by Frances Kay Photography

As you can see His Gingerness couldn't give two hoots. We went on to win that class, then the Championship to be Great Gransden TARRA Champion 2013. Beanie had only been showing a few months at this point and it just confirmed for us what a good lad he really is.

Something else mentioned in the article was hacking - Unfortunately at home we don't have our own school. Rather than keeping B at a livery yard, he's kept at my parents home which has 2 stables and a couple of grazing fields. The nearest mènege is at a riding school the other end of the village, that Georgie hacks to. This means that he hasn't gotten used to just going round and round an arena. He's flexible and supple in both reins due to this, which is another plus.

Talking of hacking, we do a lot of it! To get to the off the road riding we have to hack through a busy large village high street where we regularly encounter buses, vans, lorries and cars. Some better at passing than others! (But we've all experienced this i'm sure!) Due to these circumstances he is a very unspooky horse who isn't phased by air brakes, scary road works or a rattly trailer or car coming past.

Another benefit with the road work, Beanie has nice strong legs and tendons which really helps too (but not so much he's gotten splints mind you!)

But with all this exposure to lots of new loud and scary sounds and sights he's become desensitised to them. Which really helps when you're in a large county show ring and there's banners, flapping flags, loads hustle and bustle of spectators etc.

Luckily we did a lot of showing in your childhood so we're very aware of what you should and shouldn't do, so we haven't had to learn all that many new things. 

Last season when we went to Burghley. It was a situation Beanie had never been in, as there were over the tannoy commentary the whole time, people ushering competitors to different parts of the park to get to the ring, and obviously a lot of spectators. He didn't mind one bit and for all that Beanie has learnt in his short time I am incredibly proud of him, and of Georgie for all that she has taught him!

So with all of that said i'd really encourage others who want to show to a high level to take their horses out to experience different surroundings and sights. It helps adjust them to a life after racing (in the case of retraining racehorses) or just get a horse more safe by exposure to different and sometimes frightening situations. Plus it's a better quality of life for your horse to do varied activities. It keeps their mind fresh and active and helps to avoid monotony which can lead to naughty behaviour from boredom.

If we reach our goal of competing at Horse of The Year Show we're going to have to get Beanie used to lot's of clapping and an electric atmosphere of indoor arena. Not if, not when that occurs, we'll be ready to face it!

I am really looking forward to this season and going to events we've not competed at before, namely Hickstead! Very exciting, but also to help Georgie continue with B's education and seeing where all the hard work we do will take us.

They both work extremely hard and for that they deserve it!

Good luck everyone with the year and season ahead!

Sophie x