Stradbally............ready or not

 It's Thursday night and the day before myself & the boys travel to Stradbally. As the title would suggest, I'm not sure how ready we are.........
Also, it's lashing outside and has been for the last few days, so the thoughts of camping are delightful.😐

Turmeric face

Guess who was stealing some food

On Tuesday I brought Fred to hard-core instructor for a lesson. It'd been a while since he'd been to one, so it'd be interesting to see how he would get on.
We were worked to the bone and I felt like John Wayne afterwards, but it was fantastic. Fred is the complete opposite to Cu Chulainn in that he starts off relaxed so straight away you can get to work. He's so good at the flat and enjoys it too, pity his rider isn't as good.....
We worked on maintaining the contact and helping him keep his balance in circles and on changes of rein. Some lateral work as well.


My farrier arrived on Wednesday to give the boys their new louboutins. They got hot shod. CC was like a lamb getting done. It was my first time to witness hot shoeing.
I brought them over the road to test out their new shoes that evening. I rode CC first and jumped him. He was a bit strong and running, but we got there in the end and I was happy with him. Next up was Mr. Fred. I did a bit of flat with him and then jumped the course. He hasn't jumped a pole since April and he was great. Just need to work on our leg changes.

Hot shoeing in action

Farrier getting the shoes ready

Thursday I left them off, the weather was absolutely cack and I was tired, so it didn't take much for me to decide on that one. I also had to get ready for a wedding on Friday, so the boys got fed and hugs, much to their delight.
I've spent my lunch times all week trying to learn my tests for Sunday. My first time doing four different tests in one go and of course they're all long arena. 2 novice and 2 prelim.

Friday morning and the sun is splitting the rocks. Rusty, Fred, groom-in-training (on foot) and I headed off for a hack. I did some lateral work and worked on transitions with Fred. He feels great. Can't wait for Sunday with him.
Off home then to get ready for the wedding and a serious partayyyy...........
Stradbally times came out during the meal at the wedding, trying to figure that out on my phone was fun!

'Perfect practice makes perfect' Kay Nolan

Snackage stop

Some more work

From one hat to another :)

Saturday was a write-off. So much for the best laid plans.........Usually it's the horse that disrupts the plan, but it was my old frenemy alcohol. As I get older, I feel like my tolerance on the night is improving but that my next day tolerance is disimproving.......in Irish terms, I died a death......This meant that I got zilch done, bar took a few nice pics of the herd.

Got anything nice?!

How cute is he?

What is this monster sitting here?

Pablo & Pena, the new Miami Vice

Sunday I had to get up early to wash and plait. Thank god the show was local ( and in a great venue!). I put on my new jods that I got in Balmoral -their first outing. Fred was up first. We were warming up when it started to rain..........and then it got heavier...........and heavier............and holy fuck it got HEAVIER!!! I was soaked...........new jods, soaked......absolutely miserable. I was so wet that there was no point getting a coat. We got our first test out of the way and I was happy. I got back to the jeep and took off my show jacket and put on a rain jacket ( I'd asked the judge if it would be ok). We were warming up for our second test when I saw hard-core instructor there with her daughter. EEEkkkkk better make sure my circles are the right size!! I'd forgotten the flash for our first test, so had it for the next one. Fred was a little bit like fuck you and did not halt straight at X at the start. He can get so thick ( it is so true what they say about owners and pets matching 😁). My friend Caroline arrived just before my first test and got a few pics of it & a video of my 2nd one. Videos are so hard to watch, but a great learning tool. Especially when you read over the comments on the test. I thought the judge was a bit tough, but that's the way the cookie crumbled.
I got a banana & gave him some water. Then it was time to get Cu Chulainn. I took him out and put Fred in, but CC got loose and decided to JUMP back into the horsebox as I was putting up the ramp, as you do?! He was tense in the warm up and wouldn't relax. But then when we went in to do the test, he actually relaxed ( not completely mind).  I got Caroline to call out the prelim tests because I was afraid with him being tense that I'd focus on him and forget the test. I was happy with how his two went, he actually blew out a few times during it, there was no taking off, we are getting there, just slowly.......very slowly......

Happy out

That step

Fred earned a 3rd place

Cos leaves taste better?!

Monday I'd set aside to practice my dressage to music for Stradbally. But yet again, the thing to ruin the plan was me. I was wrecked after the week and pretending to be a normal social person going out two nights...........it all took its toll on me and I was able for nowt. I managed to do a spot of packing for the weekend, but it was pretty pathetic.

Got some new buckets.......

The extent of my packing

More power naps

Tuesday it was hard-core lesson day again. By the end my legs were so tired I could barely sit the canter - a sure sign of how hard my legs have been working ( and the inability to look after them and do proper stretches).  But again, it felt great. I was very very lucky to catch a break in the rain and it was a lovely evening for my lesson.


I'm looking out my office window at the rain pelting the ground thinking about camping this weekend. It's now Wednesday & Stradbally is getting closer and closer and the lack of preparation is growing more daunting. I don't have a dressage to music test ready for Fred and I've nowhere to practice one as it's in a 20x60 arena. So instead, I go over the road and enjoy the indoor arena. I rode CC first. Hard-core instructor told me I need to tire CC out before I can really get him to work properly. She said a tired horse can sometimes learn more. Tonight, I will test this theory. I did a bit of flat and then jumped him. He jumped really well, just small jumps, but we did a figure of 8 over 2, jumping them non-stop for a few minutes, working on rhythm and relaxation. Then we popped a few others and took a break. I did a bit of shoulder-in after jumping and he did it much better, not getting stressy. This theory might just work for him. So did a bit more jumping and again he was good, not stressy, not racing. I also used a flash on him tonight, so that may have also helped.
I rode Fred then after. Did some lateral work with him and popped a few jumps. He was in good form too. His extended trot felt amazing.
Had a cup of tea after and stayed to watch some people from my riding club ride. Then home, fed them all and had to make up music for Fred. I don't have a test, but I'll have music. I hit the hay as soon as I had that done. Absolutely exhausted this week. I am not looking forward to Monday after Stradbally.


It's raining. Again. You couldn't even call this rain. It's heavier and more devastating than that. The kind of rain that you get soaked running from your car to the front door. Or that you wait the 20 mins it takes for the shower to actually stop, rather than going out in it.
It actually brightened up before I got home. So, after dinner and a power nap ( oh yeah, you heard me, power nap, amazeballs), I took Fred out for a flatwork hack while listening to his dressage music. He is in great form, you can really feel him powering on from behind. On our way home it started to lash. I was lucky I didn't get soaked. I put him back in his stable but left the bar off so he could go out and eat the long grass in the lanes around, while I rode CC. I didn't ride CC for long because the rain persisted. Fred didn't bother his arse leaving the stable and stood there watching the rain. I fed them and left them out.
Now I'm sitting here staring at my tack that needs to be cleaned and wishing I'd a magic elf or something......


So yeah, we're off to Stradbally tomorrow. I don't know if we're prepared, but we're prepared to have fun. I think. I hope.
8 classes.
2 horses.
2 days.
1 groom-in-training.
1 tent.
1 western region campsite.
Muchos friends on site.

Riding club festival. Let's be having ya!!