Cool Cu Chulainn
Well after the mayhem of the D.I. Nationals I gave myself a few days to recover. Fred was enjoying grass time and not being annoyed - he wouldn't go near me for a few days for fear I'd tack him up!!
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| Muddy and hairy!! |
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| Still suspicious of me!! |
On Wednesday the farrier came and I decided to only get fronts on the boys. Over the next few months I see us doing mostly arena work as the evenings will be too dark to hack out, and if we are hacking it won't be that far. That evening I brought in Cu Chulainn and we went for nice hack. We did mostly walk and trot ( one attempt at canter, but he was a bit fresh) and a bit of lateral work. He was a good boy and did his usual passage when the cattle ran over......
Thursday was a rotten day, wind, rain.......we've just bypassed Autumn and gone straight to winter!! The evenings are getting dark earlier and earlier now and the motivation to go out and do anything is also dwindling.......
We went over to the indoor to try and get some work done. I worked mostly on the flat and tried to work on transitions as that's where we can have issues. Walk- halt-walk, trot-walk-trot, and canter-trot-canter. He was a bit strong at times but got better. I used the draw rein on him, but had it loose, I'm trying to use it less and less. I barely used it at all. If he gets strong, I take more of a contact with it. I have it on as it's easier than getting off and putting it on if he isn't cooperating. But he was being very good and I was happy. It was busy over there, with riders cantering on different reins, jumping and the group trotting, etc. It's a great tool for teaching a young/green horse. He doesn't bat an eyelid now at other horses and what they're doing, he also doesn't mind if they leave the arena and we're on our own. Part of that is because we're too busy working for him to have the time to think about it. I can ride him around on the buckle whilst other people are jumping or cantering around.
I took off the draw rein and we popped a course of 6 jumps. I lost him over one jump - rider error of course- so I pushed him for strides on the other jumps, which means he doesn't take a chance of hitting them and jumps twice the height! I let him get a bit fast as well going around, rather than steadying him up. So we did them again and it was much better. I was with him more and I steadied him and prepared him for them better. He was on fire with his jumping. He just makes it all so easy.
We got our dressage test from the last show ( I left early feeling sick, so never got it). Wow, the scores and comments were class!! On a little high going home.
Friday was another rotten day. Whilst I was at work and looking out at it I decided, hell no, I ain't riding tonight! Even though I know CC needs the practice - we were entered for dressage at the Springmount RC on Sunday. By the time I finished work the day had brightened up into a lovely evening and would have been lovely for a hack. But Cavan had caught up with me and I was too tired. So I lit a cosy fire and myself and Rusty chilled on the couch. Tomorrow is another day......
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| Popcorn + movies |
Saturday morning I got up early and had my massive mug of tea while catching up on Gogglebox ( love it). Then I went out to say hello to the horses before I went to clean out my stables. They were in the field out in front of the house. WERE being the key word here. Because there was NO sign of them when I went out. Minor panic attack. Horses are being stolen now. Deep breaths.. Deep breaths. There they were in the orchard! Gate closed. No sign of how they got in. Either over the gate or over the wall..........Them apples though 😂😂
I let them out loose around the yard and the lanes to eat all the long grass there. It was like letting a child into a sweet shop. I started the lovely task of cleaning out the stables and mucking out. I was hoping to find my showing cane & black hoof varnish that I haven't seen since Stradbally, but no luck.Still though, the stables look well. All that's left is to clean my rugs and re-proof some of them. Although I might just chance them. The lightweights are grand and holding up well. Bargain basement buys in Horseware factory shop - I have to stay away from it, I'm a divil for rugs!!
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| Mouse patrol taking a break |
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| Grassy-ass |
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| All that grass lead to some nappage |
In the afternoon we went over to practice flat and jumping. His flat was lovely and his jumping was on fire again! Just a few rider errors ( as usual). I kept getting one particular vertical wrong, but we got there in the end. He didn't touch a pole.
Thanks to his rug, he's pretty clean. He was staying out Saturday night in the hopes of staying clean, because when he's in he loves a good lie down, head and all......
We had to get diesel and air in a tyre, so we went through Ballinasloe to get home, with a horse trailer and a piebald in it, we fitted right in!! ( Ballinasloe horse fair starts on Sunday for those not in the know).
It was early to bed Saturday night for an early start on Sunday. As CC was staying out for the night I'd have to see what sort of state he was in and plait him in the morning. So alarm was set for a normal time for most people during the week, but I like my sleep and enjoy staying in bed for as long as possible........
Sunday I was awake before my alarm and looking forward to the day. It wasn't fully bright yet. Winter is here. I had heard it raining before I passed out, but it seemed like an enormous amount of rain had fallen over night. Luckily it wasn't raining when I went out and I managed to coax CC in with an apple very easily. His legs were a disgrace though. I would have hosed them except I knew that the warm up in Claregalway would be mucky and wet so there was no point in washing them. Wahoo. One less job. I plaited him up in no time. I went for fairly wide ones so that there would be less of them to do, trouble is they are quite thick in spots as his mane thickness has been ignored (and will continue to be over winter 😄). I whipped off the rug and he wasn't too bad. Nice and dry at least. I used my magic Haas brushes on the parts of him that didn't look as clean and we were ready for road. We picked up Fiona & Dancing Girl on route. Thanks to the wonderful motorway, we got down in no time. But as we drove closer, the clouds got greyer and darker and then the rain hit. Lightly at first. Gave you the illusion of maybe it'll pass. But then there were no breaks in the cloud and the rain got heavier and heavier. Not to disappoint, the wind was strong too, so we had that lovely sideways rain!
We arrived and checked the two in the back. CC being the gentleman that he is was letting the pony eat hay from his mouth. Such a sweetie. Then it was entry time. Also, time to put on the layers upon layers. I hadn't remembered to throw in a jacket or coat in the jeep, but being a horsey person, this is never an issue. You must always have 4 million jackets/hoodies etc in your jeep, otherwise, do you even own a horse?! Luckily I'd also remembered to bring my rain trousers that go over your jods and you can whip off before your test.
I'd asked to be on early for my dressage so I might be able to get back to see some of the Fair in the afternoon, after I jumped. So my test was on at 10.15. I didn't get to give him the length of time warming up as I'd wanted because it was so wet & windy. We walked, trotted and cantered, did a small bit of lateral work and then headed in. He was nice and calm and actually had his head down. Maybe this crap weather suits him?!
He did a brilliant test. I was so proud of him! He worked on the bit and did everything without an argument (bar the first transition from canter). He was nice and calm and it didn't feel rushed. The test had extended canter and he came back nicely after it. Maybe we've had our breakthrough. That's two tests he's done nicely! Wahooooooo
He went back to the horsebox then to munch away, hide from the wind and the rain and relax. I went out to watch the SJ and also got a nice cuppa tae. Our members all did brilliantly with their jumping and the rain finally went away.
When the AP class was drawing to a close I went up to get him again. I brought him down to the arena tacked up, as I didn't want to get on him too early. We watched the last few riders and then I got up. We just walked around for awhile as they were putting up the jumps. It was a nice course, some tough turns, but nice. We went in and did clear round just to show him the course. He had one down. I forgot where 7 was until I was going over 6 and it was a tight turn to 7, so I hadn't set him up well enough. Apart from that he was fine. He gave a few a look, but still jumped them. We were 13th in the actual class. In we went and he nailed it! We went clear and were through to the jump-off!! Our first ever jump-off!
We were 3rd in to the jump-off, so it was hard to know what to do for it. One girl had a pole down and the other was clear. Should I play it safe and go for the clear and just enjoy a double clear or should I try and go for it? I decided to go for it. We took a few different turns, although we could have taken a few sharper, but I was afraid of him slipping because he'd no back shoes. But he went clear!! A double clear! What a champ!! I could not be more proud of him. And not a bead of sweat on him! Even though he's so hairy!! He just loves it and would jump all day long.
In the end he came 5th in jumping and 6th in dressage in two heavily competed classes. What a great day.
We got home in no time and after a nice dinner for the starbar, he went out to the other two to enjoy some grass time.
I went in to the Fair for awhile and am happy to report that there were A) no horses I wanted to bring home with me and B) no horses I saw that I felt were neglected. I got some ropes and might get a few deals next weekend.
I was pretty tired after the long day and hit the hay very early.
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| Apples & a quick hello |
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| Back to the grass as soon as the apples were gone |
Next Friday sees the start of the Dalysgrove league. I hope to do it.
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