Mud

Schooling with an audience

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I thought that the downpour a couple of weeks ago had put paid to any schooling for the rest of the winter.  The fields were certainly very soggy afterwards.  Since then though we have had two dry, frosty weeks which have done wonders for the ground.

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The going is almost perfect now.  Perhaps a little on the soft side but it is lovely to ride on and we had a good schooling session.  Galahad behaved very well and was actually working quite nicely.

The puppy normally comes out with me when I do the ponies and she is now old enough for me to leave her to potter about whilst I school.  I tie her up with a long line outside the field and keep half an eye on her.  It is wonderful to be able to do so.

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Part of a Team

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Galahad and I have made our debut as part of a team!  It was incredibly exciting as I haven’t been on a riding team since I left university and Galahad never has.  I was nervous I would completely mess up – not on my own account but I did not want to let my team down.

The day didn’t have the best of starts as the warm up fence was on grass and it had been raining.  Galahad was jumping well but slipped over just after landing and we both ended up on the floor and pretty muddy.  Luckily neither of us was hurt and after getting the worst of the mud off Galahad we were ready to go again.  I was a little concerned he would have lost his confidence but he popped back over the fence with no problem and we were all set.

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I needn’t have worried at all – Galahad was a star and flew round the course clear.  Each team member jumped a different height and had two rounds – the second against the clock.  Our practise over angled fences gave me the confidence to push Galahad a bit harder in the timed round and again Galahad was super and flew round. I could not be more pleased with him.

We ended up coming second in the class and were only beaten by a boy on another team from my yard which wasn’t so bad.  Apparently there wasn’t much between us time wise and I was absolutely thrilled (the fact that I had done well for the team definitely helped with that!).

I spent the rest of the day manning the arena gate (and getting sand constantly blown into my eyes).  It was good to feel part of the team and I got to catch up  with a few friends I hadn’t seen for a while so I had a great time.

The next member of my team won her class, then the other two came tenth and eighth.  It was a very close run thing but overall as a team we came fourth which I was very pleased with as a first attempt.  We were second out of the three teams from my instructor’s yard and as we were the least experienced I thought that wasn’t bad either!

Overall I had a fantastic day and was very pleased with the way Galahad went.  He has improved so much over the last few months and I have a lot more confidence in our ability now.  It feels great to take him round a course and I can’t wait for the next time!

A Harrowing Time

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Over the winter our fields can get quite cut up which means that once the ground starts to dry out we are left with all sorts of lumps and bumps the ponies (and I!) can trip over.  It can make schooling rather difficult as we aren’t confident enough to go forward properly.  We haven’t jumped at all this year yet because the idea of tripping as we do is not pleasant.

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However, we finally managed to get the fields harrowed.  The fields are looking a lot better already and once the grass gets growing properly they should start looking lovely again.

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I schooled this morning and it definitely felt a nicer surface to ride on.  We didn’t trip once and I wasn’t at all worried about working Galahad properly.  Now I should finally be able to use the lovely jumps I got for my birthday.  I can’t wait!

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Galahad’s New Bed

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We finally got around to buying some rubber mats for the ponies’ stables.   I have been meaning to get them for so long but I found all the choice a bit confusing really.  There are so many different options available and I was very keen to have multi directional drainage underneath but struggled to find many that offered it.  It’s not exactly something one can search for either!

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I eventually found what I wanted at our local farm supply shop.  I would have found it sooner but it wasn’t on their website and I only discovered it by trawling round their yard one very cold, rainy morning.

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The mats are now installed and as you can see are already blending nicely into the floor.  The ponies track a lot of mud around with them!  We should save a decent amount on our shavings bill now.  More importantly, the ponies seem quite happy with the new arrangement which is excellent news.

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Escape!

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Two days ago, when I was calling the ponies in for their dinner, a gate got left open.  It only led into another enclosed paddock so it wasn’t an issue and besides, they wanted their dinner.  They wouldn’t be going away from the stables.

It turns out that fresh grass – greener than the stuff in their current field – is much more interesting than hay or even hard feed.  Both ponies went straight out of the gate and were soon munching away happily.  Sadly the excitement was a bit much for them so they also had to run around a bit.  The thing is, there’s a reason they haven’t been allowed in before to eat all that lovely juicy grass.

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It is on a pretty steep slope which is lovely in the summer but all the rain we have been having lately has made it just a tad slippery.   The ponies are both fine – they are not exactly delicate creatures – but the ground got surprisingly cut up in five minutes.  All gates will be kept firmly shut in future!

Coughs and Colds

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Both of the ponies have developed a cough and runny nose.  It is not really surprising given the weather and they are actually fine but it can’t be very nice for them.  I want to tuck them up in bed with a lemsip!  They however are behaving entirely as normal and getting absolutely covered in mud.

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Our rides have now been reduced to a gentle poddle along the lanes.  I think a bit of exercise is a good thing but we can’t do too much.  I am rather enjoying myself!  I have withdrawn from the dressage at the weekend though.  For one thing, nobody would appreciate me taking a coughing pony to spread his germs!  He is also obviously even less fit than he was and it just wouldn’t be fair to him.  It is a shame but there will be plenty of other things we can do in the future.  Hopefully by then there will be more light, I’ll be able to ride a bit more and Galahad will be rather fitter!

Dressage in a Puddle

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I don’t think I have ever seen the fields so wet.  Every so often we get a rain free day or two and things start to dry out a bit.  I get very optimistic about it and then it starts raining again.  At the moment my schooling field  looks like this.

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It makes schooling a bit difficult.  We have another dressage competition soon and this time I am doing two tests I have never ridden before.   Given that I forgot part of the test I was riding for the first time at the last show I am not too confident about this one!  Obviously trot and canter are out of the question but I have managed to ride through the test at walk which hopefully will be enough.  Galahad doesn’t really like being ridden on slippery ground but once we get started he has been settling fairly well.

I am still only managing to ride a couple of times week but it is definitely getting lighter in the mornings and it shouldn’t be long before I have time to ride before work.  In fact, I am hoping to get a couple of sessions in before our competition just to get Galahad’s fitness up a bit.  Fingers crossed!

Winter Wonderland

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For the past few weeks I seem to have been spending a lot of my riding time grooming  instead.  This is the state in which I normally find Galahad these days.

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The ground is just so wet everywhere – we can’t escape the mud!

This morning however it was a different story entirely.  We had a proper hard frost – definitely the coldest it has been this winter – and everything was transformed.  The mud was no longer an issue as I could just walk along on top of it which was lovely.  It was a simply beautiful morning.

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I realise that the cold brings problems of its own but I am always very appreciative of this weather.  It isn’t wet for one thing!  Again – everything looks so lovely it is hard not to feel uplifted.

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Plus, hopefully the ponies won’t get so muddy!

Trying our hand at trec

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This weekend Galahad and I went to our first ever trec event and we LOVED it!

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The day didn’t have a very auspicious start as I had to get up early to clean my tack and Galahad came in from the field covered in mud.  He even had mud dreadlocks in his mane.  I hadn’t left myself all that much time so we had to have a very fast, very effective grooming session!  We still managed to arrive in plenty of time which gave Galahad a chance to settle a bit before I actually got on.  He was very spooky though and kept jumping at the slightest thing.  When a rug billowed in the wind (it was very windy!) he shot sideways and caught the side of my head with his lead rope.  Again – not a good start!

However, once I was on he felt a lot better and even walked straight past a pile of wrapped bales – all with wildly blowing loose ends – with barely a glance.  We ride past a flappy set of bales at home and he hates them but that could be because they are hidden behind a hedge.  He was still a bit tense and he was not at all keen on the big doors of the school which were also rattling in the wind.  I took him in the little warm up area and after a few times round he was beginning to settle nicely.  For him the warm up isn’t so much about warming up his muscles – although obviously that is important – but more about warming up his brain and reminding him that he should listen to me because I’m not going to ask him to do anything dangerous.

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Once we were in the school – which he walked straight into with no trouble – we started introducing the horses to the trec obstacles in hand. Galahad was quite happy with them all except the mounting block which he has never liked.  That is something I meant to work on before the weekend but I never got around to it.  I had to mount from the ground this time but I am determined to change that!

Once we were mounted we went back round all the obstacles again.  The bending, tarpaulin, immobility and neck reining were no trouble at all.  The s-bend was sometimes brilliant and sometimes terrible.  It was the first time Galahad had seen it though and he was still working out what was expected of him.  He was definitely trying hard!  The rein back was okay but the gate was not good at all.  We did manage to open it, go through it and close it again but it was not at all stylish.  Something else to work on.

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At the end of the lesson we had a mini competition which was great fun.  We got no points for the gate or the rein back (which started well but then went to pieces) but we did get some good marks  – including tens for the tarpaulin and immobility!  We came fourth out of the four in the lesson but I wasn’t expecting anything else and I was so proud of how relaxed he had been about everything.  He had never been in an indoor school before so I was prepared for him to be terrified and refuse to do anything!

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‘Very calm’ was the judge’s comment for our immobility!

We had a break then, while I watched the more advanced classes, before I got back on board for the newcomers class.  Galahad was a bit worried about things rattling around again but soon settled and was fine once we were in the school.  He had clearly remembered what he was doing in the morning and had improved immensely.  We still got no points for the gate and I had to get on from the ground but this time we got four tens!  Again for the immobility and tarpaulin but also for the led s-bend and the jump.  We hadn’t jumped in the morning and we obviously haven’t at home for a few weeks so I wasn’t sure what he would do but he flew over it.

The newcomers class also contained the control of paces section which we hadn’t tried in the morning.  The idea is to canter slowly and walk quickly.  We got no points for the walk – fast walking has never been Galahad’s strong point.  The canter felt very rushed but the score wasn’t too bad – probably because he only has little legs!  With a bit more schooling to balance the canter we ought not to do too badly with that.

There were three people in my class and I knew I would probably come last.  I thought I knew where we had all come but then this happened:

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Our first first!

Not bad for our first try!

I had such a fantastic day and I can’t wait to try it again.

Working Hard

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Galahad and I have been making the most of the time we have to work on facing all sorts of scary obstacles.  I think we really are improving.  Opening rope gates is no longer a problem, although we have started to have a bit of trouble with real ones.  I think that is mainly because the gateway has started to churn up a bit.  Galahad has never been very happy when ridden on slippery ground and trying to force him to slide towards the gate is a bit much.

The other obstacles have got much better though and we have had a few lovely mornings playing with them.

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Aren’t the hedges looking beautiful now!

Whilst I had the obstacles out I decided to take my sister’s pony over them and I took the opportunity that gave of leaving Galahad tied up wearing his new rug over his saddle.  It seemed a good idea to let him experience it at home in case he has to wear it out.  It was a little windy – although nothing like as much as it has been – and I was concerned the flapping would worry him.  He was actually perfectly calm and barely moved at all.  He has improved so much!

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