October........gone in a flash!

 We survived the storm!! It wasn't too bad in the end in my area, but it was very windy. Everyone got sent home early from work and the town was like a ghost town. I left the horses out in a field with only a few small trees around it.and I was able to check them around 6.

On Tuesday myself and Mamma Mia headed off for some much needed r 'n r.......




As promised here's a few of Claremorris (which feels like an absolute age ago!)

Friday there was another storm due, so the Friday night league got postponed, as did my Dressage Ireland competition ( which I was secretly delighted about). I felt a break from competitions, would be more than welcome. I needed a weekend off from travelling and competing and early starts.

The cats enjoying the fresh bed of straw

Rusty helping out

So Saturday, I cleaned up my tack room and stables. Then I collected Pena and brought himself and CC over the road to the indoor. I gave CC a quick spin and we jumped a small course, trying to work on our 'collected' canter. It's getting there. Pena was great! His trot and canter is so comfortable! He didn't know what to make of the other ponies. But didn't mind the indoor. He spooked at a blue barrel, about a half hour in to our session. He jumped what felt like a metre straight up into the air and I was out the window! Landed on my arse, still holding the reins. He didn't run off or do anything bold. We just went over to the mounting block and did another 10 mins.

Chill bill.......

On Sunday myself and G.I.T. went on a short walk taking pics, whilst Rusty went off chasing foxes. Then that afternoon I brought Pablo over the road and my friend Matty rode him for me. First time anyone was on his back in over a year and he was grand! Getting his back done seems to have really helped him out. CC came for babysitting duty in the box. He's such a good traveller and will travel with anyone.

Pablo & Matty

On Tuesday I rode Pena out in the morning. We went for a hack down beside the bog. We did a bit of leg yielding and he didn't seem to mind the low flying helicopter over head.

 In the afternoon myself and CC headed east to Wicklahhh to a friends place for a horsey holiday. We arrived in good time and after I got him settled in his stable, I tacked him up and we had a quick spin in the arena. My friend Trish got up on him to see what he's like and I rode her horse. Both very different horses! It was interesting. You see how hard the other rider has to work. We didn't ride for too long and he settled in nicely to his new surroundings.

B-e-a-utiful

Wednesday we had a fantastic day! We went down to the yard and packed up the horses to go for a hack out with Trish's friends around the Wicklow countryside. We walked through some lovely fields with fabulous views. There were 5 of us in total, 4 ladies and one gentleman. Then we got to a field with some jumps in them and we popped a few of them. Well, CC didn't half enjoy himself!! And he was so well behaved. He could go in front, in the middle or in the back. He may argue a bit initially, but what was great was that when he got to the jump he always jumped it well and very clear, usually coming in a nice SJ canter! So we went on like that, walking ,then a few jumps, up and down hills, beautiful views etc. We came to one field that had a nice wide, clean ditch in it. We hadn't done a ditch yet. Not ever. He was not one bit sure about it. He went left, right, left, right....then down a little..... I tried to coax him down more, but he wouldn't.......oh no.......he decided, right we're doing this and we're doing it from here. BOOM!! Big huge leap and there we were on the other side! So we did it over and back a few times. He was super. That was the ONLY thing he baulked at all day. And we had some interesting jumps to jump! We were out for nearly 3 hours. Towards the end he got tired and gave out a bit, but he was such a superstar up to that point that you couldn't give out to him. We hacked back and then had lunch in the hostess' house. Now, this is how to live!! Amazing day...

On Thursday myself & Trish went to the Field equestrian centre in Co. Laois. Bar the difficulty in finding the place, the place was incredible. Ultra modern and great facilities. They have a few sand arenas and then various sand XC tracks going around the centre. The jumps vary in size from small to medium size, with a lot of narrow jumps, which are great for accuracy. I decided to split up the horses so that they wouldn't just be racing each other. I wanted to tack it handy as CC is not clipped and had a big day out the day before. He was great though and really enjoyed it. We cooled off in the water afterwards and then I hosed him down completely ( which helped clean him too!). We put them back in the box, had a cup of tea and cake while watching Horse and Country.......There's CCTV all around the tracks, so grooms can just sit in the canteen and watch from there if they want ( while staying nice and warm!).

I was still fighting off a stupid cold and was waking up full of mucus every morning. I was wrecked then every evening, so completely comatosed at night.  Typical that I'd be sick for my holidays :/ I need to shake this stupid cold.


Friday morning I hit the road for home. We got home in good time and he was glad to get out to the field again. I brought Fred to the vet later to get his injections and his teeth done ( he was sedated because he's a big baby, so saved doing it again). Then it was a quick dash to the jumping league. I had to learn the course from watching people ahead of me do the clear round. I decided I wouldn't do the clear round as CC had done enough over the last few days. And he absolutely flew it ( pity about the jockey). He didn't touch a pole and got me out of some sticky ones! We placed 2nd and it was a great end to a busy few days. (videos are on my instagram account).

While I was away we got a new member to the team; named by niece, Cuddles. I have no idea where he came from, I think he may have fallen out of a car. The vet came him a once over and said he looks fine. So we now have a new lieutenant to Mouse Patrol.

Cuddles, reporting for duty

 Saturday myself and G.I.T. headed south to Cork for the jazz festival and to catch up with some friends. Just in case I hadn't gotten enough miles up on the clock this week!!