Trips around the garden and to Barton Grange!!!

We have been busy this last week and poor Peter had a full on pony day last Wednesday on his day off!!!  I have borrowed a Neue Schule snaffle to try on Maisey as she has taken a distinct dislike to the normal french link I was using and I decided that we would long rein her and see how she was.  So we tacked her up and got her used to the reins before long reining up and down the drive and round the garden!!  She follows Peter and it all went well until I tried to have a go on my own.....across the grass we went with Peter shouting '£5 for every unauthorised footprint!!'  Anyway we finally got it together, bless her and finished by practicing halting.

Kirkby was then feeling left out so we tacked him up and Peter took him for a walk round the garden in his tack.  It is only the second time he has had a bridle on and he was a very good boy.

I also wanted to ride Mez and we were going to go round Beacon Fell so we could take the boyz too but after looking at the map we decided it was too far for an hours hack.  So then we thought about the beach, however, we checked the tide times and it was high tide!!!  So in the end we took Mez to Barton Grange for a bit of shopping before stopping off to use a friends school on the way home.  I took my Elementary test and Peter read it out for me and I had a practice of the leg yield and counter canter etc.  She was very good and we finished by doing medium trot down the long sides....she really opened up when she got the hand of it and the feeling was amazing.  I so know that it is not going to be like that in the dressage arena!

I have entered for E53 at Myerscough on the 30th May and I am fully prepared to be last!  At least we will have a bench mark to start from.  I am then going back to Myerscough on the Saturday to do the Prelim and have a go at qualifying for the regionals.

Injuries, hedge jumping and a frilly!!!

So after making it to Stafford and having a fantastic day we were brought back to earth with a bump the day before Kelsall!!!  Tilly had managed to lose a shoe the week before Kelsall and had spent 4 days not being worked so I was getting a little bit anxious that she was losing fitness.  We had a trip to the beach on the Sunday and all was well but the weather was meant to be pants all week and I was worried that it was going to be too wet to run her and that I wouldn't be able to ride her every day.  Anyway as it turned out the weather man was wrong and I rode her every day and was ready to go.   Only to be confronted with this injury when I got home on Thursday night .....

So I cleaned, dressed it and drugged her up and then rang up to withdraw!!!!  My friend Helen went to Kelsall on the Friday and said that it was very wet and the dressage was a bog so I would probably have withdrawn her anyway so at least we saved the diesel!

Also during this week we had the devastating news that Jack has cancer and the vets said he only has 6 -12 weeks left.  As you can imagine I had not stopped crying for two days at this point and so was kind of relieved that we weren't going eventing as my heart was not really in it.  I am still unable to talk about this at the moment. :(

Kirkby seen here sporting his bridle for the very first time, also had an injury for a week and had to be kept in so it didn't get muddy.  He was such a good boy and we split him up from Maisey which I had been dreading as they have lived together for 2 1/2 years  Anyway he neighed once as I turned her out and that was that!!!!  I was in shock!  I think Maisey was very relieved to have managed to get rid of him at last!!!!   I put the bridle on him last week by accident as it had been on Maisey and he was shouting 'Mum what about me' from across the barn so I thought 'why not?' and put it on.  I undid the cheek piece and popped the bit in slowly and there we have it!!!  I did then think 'I bet I  can't get it off over his ears!' but he was very good and did not bother!
After he had been in a week we turned him back out with the girls.  They were in the next field to him, the gate is open, and he was in that much of a rush he cantered straight to the hedge and jumped it!!!!!  Peter and I could not speak and were in stunned silence!!!

This is the part of the hedge that he jumped and is nearly six foot high!!!!!!!  I managed to squeak...'Is he upright Peter?'  but sure enough off he cantered and they all turned round and came back through the gate, which incidentally is about 10 foot to the right!!!  If I hadn't seen it I would not have believed it!!!

I have been on Maisey a couple of times, in an non BHS manner!!!  I have mounted in the hay barn and Peter had led me up and down the drive.  She has been an absolute star so far.  The fields have been rolled for the second time today and I am going to fence an area off to ride in before they all tromp all over it!   I have no illusions about Miss Maisey and I'm sure her stroppy side will re appear when she starts proper work!!!!
We are going to be taking her round the corner to my friends in the village to use her school too.

I would also like to back his lordship this summer and then plan to give him winter off.  I had a text message from someone this week who is looking for a Mill Law youngster and would really like to buy him!!!!

Mez went out yesterday to Myerscough to the British Dressage and I actually managed to ride her in between competitions this time!!!  Although on Tuesday I wished I had not bothered, she was horrid!!!  I gave Wednesday a miss due to the gale force winds but on Thursday and Friday she was a different pony!!!  I rode her like a grown up in the competition and we managed 64.84% and third place in the N38.  3 more points which gives her 40 altogether now.  I have decided we are going to take the plunge and enter for an Elementary at the end of May.  Shocking I know and I will be last but I need to up my game and start some different schooling exercises with her.  I am aiming to be able to have a lesson with Stephen Clarke at the end of June too so at least he can point me in the right direction!!!!!

Pepper Hill Livery Yard

Pepper Hill Livery Yard is no longer ANYTHING to do with Jeni Ball.  I left the yard in August 2011 and any activities that may be happening there are absolutely nothing to do with me at all.  :))

Tilly's Stafford report and videos.....

Stafford 2012 has been my goal for 18 months now, for those of you that don't know Tilly tweaked both front suspensorys at an event in Sept 2010 and had to have 7 months of box rest, followed by a rehabilitation program and there were times when we did not know if she would ever be sound again.  It has been a long road and each time we up the work there is the chance that she will be lame again......we have been very careful and it has paid off as WE MADE IT TO STAFFORD!!!

So Friday morning came around and I was so excited it was not funny, Tilly had spent the night in the field so we shampooed her legs, plaited her up and left her with her massage pad on while we got changed.  When we got back down to the stable she had rolled, in her pad, which had a broken strap, she had rolled in her poo which was freshly made and all down her side and rubbed four of her plaits out!!!! Amused I was not!!!  I dragged her out, hosed her down and had a stern word with her!!!

We set off at 9.30am on our road trip...it took us just over two hours and we stuck to 50 mph to conserve petrol.  We arrived and it was freezing.....

We went to get our numbers and walked the SJ course while we were there and then got Tilly ready for the dressage.  Tilly is allergic to dressage and we had a few little humpy pumpys in the working in but she held it together in the arena and we got a score of 35.5 which was very respectable for her!

We then rugged her up and went to get Peter a burger and walk the XC course.  I was still very excited but also worried that she would go lame or hump me off!!!!

The next stage was the Show Jumping and Tilly was very much on her toes when we got into the working in arena so I spent a few minutes settling her down before we attemped a jump!  She was very well behaved and into the arena we went.  She always spooks at the commentator and the banners and looks at the fillers and I always think 'Oh God' but when the bell goes we are off!  She doesn't tend to be bothered by fillers when she's jumping them and we had a clear round and just stood off fence five a little as you can see below!!

The video of my show jumping is on the previous blog.
Then we went straight back to the lorry and changed clothes and tack and headed down to the XC.  There were three loose horses whilst I worked in, one that needed a road block in the end to stop it!!!  Tilly worked in well but got a bit excited as we went down to the start!!

I set off at a steady pace as I did not want humping off after the first fence again but she was fine and just took them in her stride, fence four was quite wide and but as you can see below Tilly gave it plenty of room!



I had a little chat with her and she came back to me for the next fence.  She was fantastic all the way round but I kept her steady on the down hill slopes but kicked on up the hills.  She felt brilliant!  We stormed round and finished clear and she really enjoyed herself.



We ended up with 8 time penalties and without them we would have won the section!  We were 16th out of 46 in the end.

A long day but so worth it and I trotted her up the day after and she was sound and I have hacked her today and she feels good.  So Kelsall Hill here we come on the 20th April....:)))))

Tilly Show Jumping at Stafford.....watch for fence five!!!!

Self sabotaging horses, another frilly and get your entries in.....

Peter taking the dressage pony to close the gate!

So my road trip to Doncaster on Tuesday was a success and the horse in question is being vetted soon.  It was so nice to turn up and the horse actually look the same as the photos and be a poppet.  A truly genuine girl who had to sell him as her circumstances have changed.
Needless to say Wednesday came around and I had not had chance to ride Mez again......a bit of a pattern emerging here I think!!!  I had decided that we would set off earlier and I would work her in for a little longer than usual to make up for it.  We brought Mez in Wednesday morning only to find that she had spent the night half removing a front shoe.  She hobbled in, having a little smirk to herself as she does know she is meant to be sound to go to the dressage, but not to be beaten I ran Barry who, bless him, agreed to meet us at Myerscough just before my test.  So she had a bath, even then I could see that she was thinking I was wasting my time and kept lifting her foot so I couldn't forget that her shoe was half off!!!!!!!  Anyway Barry came to the rescue and Mez couldn't believe it.....her little face was a picture!
So off we dashed to the working in arena with 8 minutes to spare.  A quick trot and canter round and then we were in. All in all she did a good test and I was really pleased with her.  She fell in a little and was not just as responsive to my aids as normal but she behaved her self and was lovely to ride.  We managed a respectable 63.08% and 6th place.  Another 2 points which makes her total 35 altogether.
So this morning I bring Tilly in ready for our last trip to the beach before Stafford only to find she has been talking to Mez and trying to take her shoe off too!!!!  So I rang Peter and had a paddy and then rang Barry, again, he'll be blocking my number soon!!!  I am off to meet Barry later at some undisclosed place to have her shoe sorted out!!!!
On a more exciting note I have entered for Kelsall Hill ODE on 20th April.  Another BE80T class so we can see how we go and if she is fine and remains sound then I'll probably go back up to Intro again.  Finances allowing!!!
The babies are fine and everyone seems to be into the swing of staying out at night and coming in through the day now.
Supplements 4 Horses is slowly creeping up the google page ranks and I have to tell you a lot of boring hard work goes into that...yawn yawn.......if you can't find a product on there please just ask and I'll try and source it for you.  I have a lot of products that are not listed on the website yet.......more boring work.....and it's getting harder to work on the computer with the weather getting better.....I want to play with my ponies!!!!
The BSHA Northern Show  (14/15th April) is now accepting entries and they close at the beginning of April so make sure you get your entries in on time or you'll have to pay double on the day!!!!!  Supplements 4 Horses is a sponsor of this show and we hope to see you there....

Breakfast alfresco and a pooped Tilly!

Breakfast in the sun this morning for Kirkby and Millie.  Tilly, Mez and Maisey all came in for the day.  Kirkby had a little paddy when he realised he was left in the field with evil Aunty Millie but soon settled down when I took breakfast out.  I turned Maisey back out at lunch time, after we had had a little cuddle in bed, and then I took Tilly to the beach for her fast work.  Today she did 8 1/2 minutes of canter all together, 3 1/2 at half speed down the beach and then 5 at full speed back up the beach!!  I had intended to ride Mez when I got home but the weather was pants by then and I was pooped and there was a 'man' in the field across the road trying to train his sheepdog and he frightened the horses to death........I didn't think there was much chance of getting out of the drive on Mez!!!!
So I did some work on the Supplements 4 Horses website, which is now on the first page of google if you search for 'horse supplements' thanks to a lot of boring hard work building links!!!
I have left Tilly and Mez in for the night as it is cold and Tilly is pooped too and Mez is just monged!!!!
So off to Yorkshire tomorrow to look at a horse for a lady.....fingers crossed that it does what it says on the tin!!!!!

OMG.....we've been riding Maisey and a minging Jack......

Last week I decided that the time had come to get on Maisey and see what happened.....ha...and I'd not even been drinking!!!!!!!!!!  So we tacked her up in the stable, she has not had her bridle on since last June and was not best pleased.  She holds her mouth open in the hope that the bit will fall out!!!  So I got on her in the stable from the mounting block as she is used to this and she was fine.  We then took the saddle off and led her outside, I didn't want her to catch the saddle on the stable door, and put it back on.  I got the mounting block and got back on her.  Peter was under instructions to walk two steps then stop so she could get the feel  of me on her back.  We did this a couple of times and she was fine so I decided that we would walk up and down the drive and I would tell him if we needed to stop.  Anyway she was a little star and was more bothered about the bit than me sitting on her!  When we got back to the barn we gave her a big pat and I dismounted.

We then had the saddle on Kirkby again and I stood on the mounting block next to him and jumped up and down and banged around.  I couldn't get my weight across him as he is too big so we just left it at that.  He is only three this year so no big rush there.

Mez has been awful this week......I checked back in the diary and yes she is in season.....thank goodness as I need her to be fairly quiet as I am not riding her as much as I used to.  We are going to the dressage on Wednesday at Myerscough so we have been to the school today to have a practice.  She was good considering she has not been ridden much.  I will go back tomorrow and run through the test but will not get chance to ride on Tuesday as I am going over towards Doncaster to view a horse with someone.

Jack and Stan have had a traumatic week.....this a picture of Jack on Thursday morning after he had found that a bunny or something was living in the muck heap....uummm and we had to go home in the car.....minging!!!!  Anyway he has been doing funny things with his mouth this week and drooling and was finding it hard to eat so I took him to the vets on Friday and he has a gum infection.  So pills morning and night for a week, £60 lighter and they want to see him again and may have to knock him out to look in his mouth!!!
Stan has pulled a muscle in his bottom...he is very stiff but has had a lot of massage and is getting better slowly....we think he must have done it on Wednesday when we went out in the horse box....

Shock, Horror.......a dressage frilly for Tilly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With Stafford ODE approaching I decided that I'd better get Tilly to some dressage.  As she was still in humpy mode for her canter I picked an Intro test at Barton EC.  Tilly is allergic to dressage and really does not see the point in it at all.....she just wants to know where the jumps are!
So off we popped to Barton last Saturday morning to get back into dressage mode.  She did work in rather well, only in walk and trot, considering some rude boy was just cantering and cantering around the warm up arena for about half an hour.  The warm up arena has a huge boggy bit at one end, which I was very conscious of as it was very deep, and this coupled with another 7 /8 horses and the rude boy did not leave a lot of room!!!  So into the arena we went and she held it together and nearly looked like a dressage pony on the video.  She got a little tense towards the end of the test but I was very pleased with her but imagine my surprise when we managed a third rosette.....this is Tilly's first rosette ever in the dressage arena!!!!

So since then we have been to the beach for some fast work which I was very pleased with and up to Helen's ....see the last blog, for some jumping.  I have been trying to hack her most other days and do about one mile of trotting up hill.  This week I am hopefully going to get her to the beach on Monday and Friday and take her to the school to have a run through my dressage test, which I have not looked at yet!!!!  I will up her hacking a bit and try and have a jump on her again before next Friday........

Tilly jumping on video.....:)))))

Just a quickie to say that Tilly's training is going to plan.  Today we took her to Helen and Brian's and bobbed a fence up.  I wanted to jump her bigger than she will be jumping at Stafford on the 30th to make sure she was ok.  No question of that!!!!  As far as she is concerned she wants me to 'bring it on'!!!  Everyone to keep everything crossed that she will continue to stay sound.  I have entered her for Stafford ODE which is two weeks on Friday......we are both VERY excited about this!!! Proper blog to follow soon...........