Exmoor

Relaxing Rambling

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My sister and I recently took advantage of the weather to go for a little mini picnic ride.  She was in charge so all I had to do was get my pony ready.  She even carried the food!

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We rode up the hill to a little patch of woodland.  It is rather overgrown but that makes it all the more perfect for picnics – it is secret and seems suited to a fairy tale.

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The ponies were very interested in the food and Cookster actually managed to find – and attempt to eat – an apple which should have been safe inside the bag.  He made proper teethmarks in it!  They were pretty cross not to be allowed the chocolate biscuits but were pleased with the apple cores!

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Having eaten I could have quite happily settled down for a nap but of course Galahad couldn’t allow that!  The view from the log was simply stunning though and I could have stayed there gazing at it for hours.

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Dressage Downpour

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Yesterday the ponies and I went to another home riding club dressage event.  This time – for the first time – they were doing three tests as each had an individual test and we were also having a go at both the walk/trot and the canter pairs tests.  I don’t often get to compete both ponies so it was an exciting day before we even got started.

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Luckily, my ever supportive ground crew was ready to lend a hand!

First up was Cookster in the Intro B class.  He is starting to feel very nice in his walk and trot work and although his canter still needs work that obviously isn’t an issue in an intro level test.  I came out of the arena feeling very positive about our test but even so I was surprised to find that not only had we come second, we had managed to score 69.56%.

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I was then straight on to Galahad to warm him up whilst my partner for our pairs tests was riding the test with someone else.  A quick turnaround and we were into the arena for the walk/trot test.  We started this with a pretty major spook at the people watching by the gate but after that they settled quite nicely and even had moments when their legs were working beautifully in unison.

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We didn’t have long before the next class but did find out just before we went in that we had managed to win the walk/trot class with 72.87% – a good score for both of us which left us feeling very positive as we began the canter test.

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Unfortunately, there was an absolute downpour part way through.  I for one had a terrible time trying to stop Cookster from swinging his quarters round into the rain and our first canter circle was somewhat messy.  However, it still felt pretty good overall and I would have been pleased with it as our first attempt at a canter test even if it hadn’t been raining.  The judge was very nice about the way the ponies kept going and we managed to score 77.5% to win that class as well.  We were thrilled and just a bit surprised.  Also absolutely soaked!

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Before long I was up again and ready to do the Prelim 13 test with Galahad.  By then he was starting to feel a bit tired and although he did a pretty obedient test I was struggling to get him bending the correct way.  I finished it thinking that it had been okay but not spectacular – and not as good as Cookster’s test which is a first.  Still,  I was so proud of both ponies and how well they had behaved.  It had been a great day.

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As it turned out, Galahad and I came fourth with a score of 65.96%.  This was a bigger class than Cookster’s and we had scored almost as high as our last outing when he did only two tests.  It was a pretty successful day altogether and I can’t wait to take them out again.

Pony Photo Shoot

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Our local village show has a photography competition every year which we love to enter.  One of the themes for this year was ‘Lost’ and we had no photographs we could think of that would fit the bill.  We were trying to think of what to enter when I came up with the idea of using the ponies and a large map.  A photo shoot was obviously called for.

Galahad was incredibly well behaved given his general nervousness around things which flap.  He was not very keen on my being handed the map and started to walk off when I had it.  I kept hold of it for quite some time but eventually had to drop it as I was just not managing to turn him back to where we wanted to take the picture.

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I retrieved the map and returned to our designated spot.  This time I already had it in my hand when I mounted which was much more successful – he doesn’t mind me holding things so much, it is being passed them which is the main problem.  I assume that’s because whoever is doing the passing has to lift up their hand and whatever it is they want to give me.

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My holding the map to start with really did make a difference – Galahad stood like a rock, except for shaking his head to dislodge the flies.  He was perhaps a bit tense but nothing major and stood still quite happily until we got the shot we wanted.

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We didn’t win the class but I certainly had a lot of fun getting the picture!

Speedy Pony

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Now that I’m home again it is lovely to be spending more time with the ponies.  It is good just having them to talk to but of course I am appreciating the riding as well.

The big field up behind us has just had its hay crop cut which means we can now use it for riding.  It is very exciting and definitely livens up our hacks.  The ponies love it too!

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I always try to keep Galahad to just a steady canter the first time we have the field each summer.  In the past he has been known to get far too overexcited and just take off across the field and I don’t want him to get the idea that that is okay.  Speed is fun but I do like to know that I can stop if I want!

Once we’ve established who is in charge we can have fun and Galahad likes to go fast!

He only has little legs though so Equilab still thinks we’re trotting some of the time!

We have been having a great time – it is always good to get a new place to ride!

Equestrian Scotland

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I am just back from spending a week in Scotland, a place which I love.  I didn’t have much time with horses while I was up there but I did find these very cute ponies at the Highland Folk Museum (which is such a fascinating place to visit and I would highly recommend it if you are ever in the area).

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I was staying in Pitlochry and since I was so close I had to visit two very famous horses.

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They are of course not horses at all but kelpies and they are simply magnificent.  They are huge (the tallest equestrian sculpture in the world) and yet they are remarkably lifelike.

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We got to go inside one of them which was brilliant and the engineering involved is incredible.

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It was a great day and I was so glad we had made the trip.  I had a wonderful time for the whole week but it is always good to be back behind these ears again.

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A New School

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Galahad and I have recently received permission to use a small indoor school just up the road from us.  It’s not a full size arena but it is certainly big enough to do a little schooling.

The main reason I hoped to use it was so that we can still school even in the depths of winter – the fields are lovely but just a bit too slippery when it has been raining for weeks on end.  Of course, that isn’t an issue right now but I was too excited to wait until winter to try it out.  Besides, it is good for Galahad to explore new places.

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We had a lovely hack up the road, met the chickens and ventured into the school.  Galahad was slightly disturbed by the exercise ball – he’s never seen anything like it before – but was otherwise pretty unfazed.  No silly spooking or anything – he has come a long way!

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He did actually spook once but as that was when a chicken flew up onto the wall behind him I think it was forgivable.

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We had a good session in the school and then another lovely hack home again.  This is going to be a great addition to my riding.

Pruning

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If you saw my jungle post last week you will have seen just how quickly the undergrowth springs up here.  It is wonderful being able to have the ponies at home but it does mean a lot of hard work.  There wouldn’t be quite so much if we had a couple of flat fields with fences but we have hills, a stream and hedges so there is constantly something which needs work.

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Obviously the hedges are always growing so they need keeping in check – although only outside of the nesting season.  At the moment they are spreading quite happily!

They do spread too – a whole mini forest has sprung up in the field.  They start off as little shoots and saplings so you think you have plenty of time to deal with them, then suddenly they are fully fledged trees.  Just like that!

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Then there are the weeds.  The obvious poisonous ones like ragwort are got rid of as soon as they appear (if they do) but if we’re not careful the non poisonous ones can easily get left and begin to take over the field.  Sadly, the ponies aren’t so keen on eating them as they are the grass.

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Of course, I don’t do all of that on my own.  In fact, I do very little at all.  I am so lucky to have parents who do most of the work – I couldn’t possibly cope without them.

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Even the dog helps out!

Intrepid Explorers

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As happens most years, this week I went up the lane from our house for the first time in a couple of weeks and poor Galahad had to fight his way through a wall of greenery.

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I’m sure it’s worse this year than it has been before – probably thanks to the rain we have had over the past few weeks.  The picture doesn’t quite do it justice as I took it on the return trip after we had already trampled it down once.

It’s amazing how quickly it gets overgrown – nature rally is powerful.  Galahad was also extremely impressive in the way he just ploughed through it all – I wouldn’t have enjoyed it much on foot!  As it was I got badly stung by all the nettles.  We managed to bring a fair bit of it with us too.

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It was pretty dark under the trees, hence the rather blurry picture.

It was an exciting adventure but I must remember to keep using all our routes regularly if I don’t want to get stuck!

Jumping Joys

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Now the weather is less rainy the fields have dried up beautifully.  Which of course means that we are able to school again.  Not only that – we can jump!

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It has been a good few months since the ponies have jumped so I like to start them off with pretty simple jumps and not rush into anything too big or complicated.  Galahad loves to jump though – he really comes alive when we get the jumps out.  In fact, he can get a bit too strong if I don’t watch it.  On Thursday I kept him to a strict trot over the fences for serveral minutes as I had felt he wasn’t really listening to me.

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We have had a lovely few sessions playing with the jumps and my sister has even been able to join us a couple of times which just adds to the fun.  For one thing, it means we can have a go at pairs jumping which can be hilarious.

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I am so much enjoying having the jumps out again!

Fly Season

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It seems that the fly season is upon us already.  We have had to fish the deosect out of the tack room and have sprayed the ponies.  Galahad hates fly spray so he didn’t enjoy it at all but at least deosect doesn’t need to be applied so often.

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The fly masks are back out as well.  It seems very peculiar to have Galahad’s rug on at the same time but it’s still pretty cold here at night and not warm enough to leave it off yet.  He is enjoying the time without it during the day though.

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Of course, all of this means that hunting for lost fly masks in odd corners of the field is once again a regular part of my life.  That’s how I’ll be spending the next few months!

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