Pre-show season prep!

Georgie and Beanie walking back from competing at Burghley SEIB Horse of the Year Show Qualifier 2014

Well, I don't know about other riders but I'm enjoying this warming weather and sunshine and it's well and truly got me in the spirit of summer. So with that I'm pre show season prepping.
With a lot of the county shows they release their schedules nice and far in advance, but with that means having to get entries in early to secure a place.
Any day now Suffolk County Show should be releasing their equine and livestock schedule, so i'm poised to get it as soon as it comes out to get our entries in.

They have released the list of judges so it's been good to investigate who is judging which classes and see the judges previous experience in what they're used to judging.

Also qualifiers! This year we have our aim firmly set on HOYS. Georgie was so close with just 2 places off qualifying last year in her first proper show season with B so keen to try again.

I love going to these events really. As i'm not usually competing I do get to see them from a different view to Georgie. As I usually groom being outside of the ring watching and ready to get in the ring to clean him up ready for his ride judge and then strip him for his conformation judging and trot up.

Plus this season we're aiming to go to shows we haven't attended before as well as attending our firm favourites.

Can't wait to see this handsome chap back in his summer coat and ready to hit the ring

Georgie and Beanie qualifying for Royal International Horse Show ROR Final at Hickstead. Wayland Show 2014

TARRA Champion at Great Gransden Show 2013 with TARRA founder and judge Michael Gunn 

I'm also really keen to try new products we haven't used before. E.g. coat shine, shampoos and conditioners, plating equipment etc. So if anyone has any recommendations then please let me know!!

Weekend Pony Fun in the Sun!

It's Monday morning, boo!

But I did have a absolutely lovely weekend. Lots of horsing around obviously.

Friday, on the way to the dentist, I got stuck behind a string of horses coming in from the gallops. Not that I mind...

Part of the reason I love living in Newmarket and I'm glad I live here

Saturday I went over to my parents and got to ride Beanie again! He's such a lovely sweet boy. We had the most beautiful steady canter up a hill, didn't even have to hold onto him. He was quite happy lolloping up the hill at a steady pace (I'll dig out the head cam next time). I took a little video.

It's just so peaceful.. Just the sound the sound of his breathing, his hooves in the mud and birds in the bushes.

If ever I'm stressed I should go out for a walk..

Then Sunday Georgie, Frankie and I took the horses for some road work to strengthen their tendons. Francesca rode Millie for the first time in couple of weeks. She was a little frisky but soon settled down. Myself and Georgie went different ways and Frabkie had a quick play in the park before heading home. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves!

Then after a quick lunch and a snooze (I was absolutely shattered. Think I'm getting another cold) we did our chores. 

The horses are clearly very happy and relaxed as after field mucking they came up to me in the field for cuddles and kisses 

I got a bit mobbed as you can see...

Here's to a quick week and ready looking forward to next weekend! 

Detecting Ulcers in your horse with pressure points (Video)

A friend of mine Ali shared this great video this morning by Mark DePaolo, DVM on how he teaches us, the horse owner, on how to check your horses for stomach and intestine ulcers.

As has come to light in the last few years, a lot of horses behavioural problems have often stemmed from preventable and fixable things like looking after your horses teeth and having them checked regularly, having it's back regularly checked and also looking for tell tale signs that your horse may have ulcers.

Horses have complex stomachs, therefore they can get ulcers from a number of things such as the wrong type of feed, stress, not having enough food in their stomach before work (which can help reduce acid splash in the stomach that causes ulcers) etc

I encourage you to go out and check your horses like Mark suggests.
Recently B has been a bit off when brushing his tummy and sides and not that pleased with having a girth done up so it looks like these could be signs. We had him gastroscoped at NEH and low and behold he had ulcers. 2.5 on the scale of  4. 1 Being mild, 4 being Severe. We've changed his foot and he no longer has ulcers and his behaviour as gone back to normal. No more trying to bite, no more ears laid back, no more tail swishing, and no more angry faces..

Go and check your horse! See if this happens! I read that between 50 - 90% of horses have stomaches ulcers of varying severity. That is a lot! And often they're untreated and there behaviour is seen as naughty or malicous when in fact they're responding to pain.
Has your horse become weird about having a bit put in it's mouth or salivating a lot more than usual - Have it's teeth checked! It could have a hooked tooth, or one could be broken. 
Has it not been schooling or riding normally recently e.g. bucking, not wanting to respond to aids? - Have a physio out! Have your saddle fitting checked. Does your saddle need more flocking in it?

All these are simple things that can help your horse be more comfortable. They don't really cost the Earth and you're making your horse more comfortable and happy.

You would want someone to listen to you if you were in pain wouldn't you? Your horse can't speak so look at what they're telling you with body language

The groom becomes the rider for the weekend

Well I'm sure you'll know from my post last weekend that I had a dressage test, so today was the day!

I got up at 6 to dress, and eat a quick breakfast and straight out to start grooming and plaiting.

Mum is great and had been out at 5 ish to let Beanie out to have his breakfast and go for a walk and stretch  before we got him in. So at 6.30 I went and got him in.. Well Beanie thought if he sticks his head in a bush and hides his face that I wouldn't see him.. 

Well sorry B, I can see you...your white socks give you away mate..!

We were first at Rosewood Stud, B was nice and chilled and was happy to walk about and have a quick munch of grass before getting tacked up.

I got dressed, and if I do say so myself, I'm looking alright for a rusty amateur! Plus I've lost a lot of weight since I wore that jacket last, so that's another plus!

Once tacked up I mounted up and went to warm up and let B see his sorroundings. He was a little spooky and eyes on stalks cause he's not been out much lately but he soon settled in and worked really well in the warm up arena

He was just such a good boy, he warmed up beautifully, and just was so sweet.

He was a bit jumpy in the test and a noise outside did make him spook but overall I'm pretty happy! 

For my first test in over 15 years I got 59.7% and got some really lovely comments from the judge.

And I came 6th!! Not bad really, could have been much worse!

I am so proud of B and how he tried for me! He made my return to stressage a positive one, and I even channeled my inner Dujardin and sat back and was not a sack of potatoes!

As soon as we got home and rugged Beanie up, it didn't take him long to undo all my hard sprucing this morning! Only a few steps into the field and he rolled and rolled! Covering himself in mud, but he deserves it so can't hold it against him!

I know I am going to be stiff in the morning, but no pain, no gain!!

Little Saturday chilly morning ride in preparation for tomorrow's competition

As I'm sure the readers will know, I'm competing tomorrow.

The weather has been horrible this week, we've had snow and freezing temperatures most nights. Sadly Georgie couldn't ride out Tuesday as usual due to te heavy snow we had Monday night/Tuesday morning so I knew I had to get B ridden today as he would be spritely. 

We loaded him up in the trailer and took him off to Worsted Lodge to the Roman road. It was unfortunately pretty solid ground and as fog decended I thought it was just going to be a walking ride. But luckily I managed to find a stubble field which had a lovely covering of stubble cut which had gone nice and soft so he had a trot and was rather keen to canter so I let him have a little canter and he loved it.

He spent the whole ride with his ears pricked absolutely walking out and loved it, as did I! 

Treated myself to some horse related souvenirs!

As i'm sure all of you aware, it's just past payday! Yay!

So naughty me, I bought myself a couple of horse related treats.

The first being his beautiful 'nail top' knife now made into a ring, by the extremely talented Twisted Silver London (Facebook) As the name implies they're thought to be named after the head of a horses shoe nail. This particular one is from Birmingham 1931. Little horsey icon for me!

The second was a little less expensive but no less cute. It's a name stamped cuff by Black Tied. Found here if you would like to buy one! 

Stamped with the name of our beautiful ginger B aka Historical Giant!

They're £12 and can have any wording you want, as well as some signs stamped in. I got the Hamsa which is thought to ward off the Evil Eye (horrible looks and glances you get from envious people wishing harm or ill will on you) 

I'm going to wear my cuff this weekend to hopefully being me good luck! 

Sometimes you just have to treat yourself! 

Dressage, or is it Stressage?

Today I rode B in preparation for next weekends dressage test. Before today I've not ridden in well over a year and not schooled a horse in well over 10 years.

I had fun, I'd forgotten how much hard work it is and that I am also really critical of myself.

Because I'm around horses so much I assumed it would just come back to me like riding a bike.. Well, it did really but remembering everything, keeping your hands up, bending your elbows, keeping a good contact on the rein, squeezing with my legs rather than just kicking all the time and remember a dressage test is a lot for my brain to remember. Transitions! I've not done transitions since pony club! Diagonals, well I'd completely forgotten diagonals, that I had to ask Georgie to remind me!

Well I'm truly tired, my thighs are gonna kill in the morning but I had fun, I learnt a lot. I've memorised my test so I just need to convince Beanie to stop being such a slug and kick on.

I might be rusty but I'd completely forgotten B is too! He's spent most of the winter being a mud monster and going drag hunting galloping round the countryside all the time and forgotten what show schooling!

I also learnt how to tie a stock again today cause that has been a very very long time since I did that. My jackets ready, hats ready just gotta clean my boots up and ready to go.

Here's some photos of today. Excuse my toward position and chicken elbows. Note to self - must keep elbows bent and tucked in!

Overall it went ok today. Just got to remember what Charlotte says "go in there and have fun and enjoy it"