SHOWed up

 We went to the Northern Ireland Working Hunter qualifier in OWER equestrian out in Moycullen. I had never been there before, so I gave myself plenty of time. As it turns out, it was too much time. I was arsing around for about 3 hours before I even started to tack up Cu Chulainn.
 I'd drunk a good bit of water and had a few snacks, but it wasn't really enough. When I was warming him up I was both tired and hungry. He was a bit excited and strong. The indoor there was smaller and more echo-y than what we're used to, so it was a tad spooky. I didn't ride him on as strongly as I should have - which was more annoying because we'd had a lesson during the week working on exactly what came up!! Jump 2 to 3 was a related distance and number 3 was a spread with turf in some wooden boxes. He started backing off a good bit away but my brain was in non-active mode, then he decided he'd do it and we landed in it. We had one down somewhere else, but he did jump everything.
Then for the 1m, we went in again. There was a new filler on the double of square hay bales, but I thought he'd be ok. I had changed my stirrups and leather the night before to the ones I use on Fred's dressage saddle. This was a bad error of judgement. .........I was cantering down for no. 1 and kept losing my stirrup, so I was focussing on getting that back and not on the jump, so we knocked no.1. Then I had no stirrup at all for no. 2 + 3. Coming up to no. 3 all I was thinking is he is either going to back off and do a weird jump and he is going to give this some serious height. He went for option b. I managed to get my stirrup back for no.4 and we carried on ok. The only one he knocked was 1, so he did a good job. Unfortunately the judge wouldn't qualify him (even though he came 2nd) as she said he was too thin. Which is fair enough, as I'd only be wasting my time then going to Cavan.
We didn't leave till after 5 (having got there at 11). So it was a very long and disappointing day. But tomorrow is another day.

Gave CC a short hack on Monday, just to practice a bit of our flatwork before our lesson on Tuesday. We worked on some lateral exercises to help get him more relaxed and encourage him to come onto the bit. He gets the lateral work so easy, it's trying to convince him to come onto the bit and stay there! A work in progress......

On Wednesday we had our jump lesson. We worked on a course and trying to see a stride - sometimes I can see it, in the oh fuck this is not going to go right way, but yet cannot get the part of my brain that needs to do something to work!! Again, another work in progress. CC was jumping MAHOOSIVE over them. Sweet jesus, I thought I was going to go out over his head because he landed before I did and all I could see was the ground beyond his head! But I managed to stay on. I adjusted my stirrups ( hadn't remembered to change them back to the old ones -mental eyeroll....).

Beautiful morning.......

I gave CC a little rest for a few days ( and myself). Fred is still out of action with a snotty nose, but he is missing his work.
On Saturday, myself and my friend Amanda went XC schooling. We had to be there early, as they were all going to a charity event and locking up the place. We were tacked up and ready to go at 9am. We headed out and jumped logs, tyres, in and out of water, drops, coffins. Great fun. CC loved it and jumped everything! He got a bit tetchy if the other horse got out of sight, but he was grand. We were all done and dusted by 10, having done everything we set out to do. I gave CC a hose down and we headed home. I was away for the bank holiday, so the boys got to stay out in the field and enjoy some actual grass. Needless to say they were pretty happy!

I got back on Monday and went for a hack on both of them. Fred was delighted to be back in work and full of energy - in a good way. I brought the cats out to the field to see the horses and the new guys didn't know what to make of this big expanse of space. They were racing around in the sunshine.

Bluto hanging out

On Tuesday I took Fred & Rusty for a hack and we witnessed a fabulous sunset.

Snack & hack

Delighted to be back

On Saturday I hacked CC over to Creagh equestrian centre as my jeep is still playing up and I don't want to tow with it. I had planned on doing a lesson and practicing some jumping, but I started feeling crap. I'd been wrecked the last few days from a cold. So I just hacked home again and rested. The boys were back out to the field so they were happy. The weather was great too. Actual sunshine folks........

My cool new speaker watch!

Muddy marvel

Deciding who's muddier........

Sunday I woke up to blue skies and sunshine! I went for a lovely hack with Lynn and took Fred. Then myself and CC hitched a ride with her to Creagh eq. This time we did practice jumping. He was strong jumping a course, so I brought him back to just jumping 1+2, then 2+ 3, etc until he calmed down. We jumped the course once more after that and he did great. I gave him a little rest and then we hacked home, listening to music on my new speaker watch - it is FANTASTIC!! But more about that later...........

On the beat....

The long walk......