Misneach-her journey begins

 I'm sitting here proud as punch, so I thought I may as well update you all on wee little Misneach.

So I mentioned in my last post that Misneach had started her ridden career.  After doing all I could with her, driving, lunging, handling, I sent her off to be backed. 

She came back to me the start of November after going to school for 2 weeks. Since then winter has well and truly kicked in.  I only got to ride her a handful of times in the field, so unless we're hacking, I have to box to an arena. That takes time and that isn't plentiful in the daylight hours of winter. 

I haven't been able to ride her consistently, which to be honest, has probably helped her, because she most definitely is not overworked, but she does lack fitness.  Having the other two to ride, I haven't felt the need to push her and we are just pottering away.  It was a while before I even got to canter her as I needed to take her to an arena to do that, but boy was it worth it! She has a beautiful comfy canter and it's pretty well balanced. We've done walk and trot poles, which she's fine at. We've done no jumping, which I'm happy to leave till she's built up more muscle.  I really feel that people push young horses into jumping too early and they jump too high too young.

Since 2026 we've done a few more exciting things.  We went to an indoor arena with Cu Chulainn and after much neighing, we got some work done. We went to a few different places with either Fred or Cu Chulainn and she learned not to have a meltdown in the box when she's left alone - thank God, because that's a tough one to get them used to. She loads and unloads no problem, with others or by herself.

Kylebrack Woods

We went to Kylebrack woods for a hack another day, our first time riding with others. She took it all in her stride, being at the front or the back. When she was at the back, she didn't care if they got further ahead.  We went over some logs there, but literally trotted over them as if they were trot poles.  The ground was pretty mucky, as this winter has been incredibly wet.

I joined Ballinasloe Riding Club and we went to our very first ridden competition the end of January.  A dressage competition where we did a walk and trot test, a perfect introduction to competitions, warm ups and dressage! An early start for me to groom and plait up, but I didn't mind. The competition was only 5 minutes down the road, another positive. We arrived in good time to take it all in and my friend Karen met us there. She was unbelievably good. She didn't take much notice of the other horse in the warm up, and warmed up beautifully. The test was in an indoor arena, which had jump stands in corners, dressage letters and white boards and she didn't bat an eyelid. Cuan has just jumped onto my lap and demanded attention, he's starting to type! She went up the centre line as if she does it every week. For me, it felt like the longest centre line in the world, cos bless her she's far smaller than Fred! The only real blips were moving away from the letters and stopping dead when someone opened a door and a ray of light came across the arena in front of her. She also called out a few times during the test, which was kind of adorable. We were lacking impulsion but who cares! She did everything I asked of her. She got plenty of 7s in her test and got a third place! 

Warm up arena

3rd place

All plaited up

The next Sunday was the final. I had a busy busy week in work and didn't manage to ride her, so a hack on the Saturday was the best she got. She wasn't very forward on the hack-until we turned for home! Rufus had come with us, he loves the run and behaves very well by himself. I may have put less time into the grooming this week, a cold has hit me hard and the energy levels aren't where they should be. The weather was miserable too. We were lucky enough that it was only spitting rain when we warmed up. She felt good and forward so I decided I'd keep her energy for the test and headed in a bit early. Thankfully I did that because no sooner had I got under cover then the rain really started to thunder down. She stood while the person ahead of us did their test, no antics, let the people their admire her and her patience. When it was our turn to go in, she had a little look at the big rain pipe because the water was coming down hard in it and the noise was unusual, but just the one time. We definitely had impulsion this week and she powered around, in a good way. Only 1 big neigh this week! I overshot the final centre line, but she was lovely and straight going up it. We got more 7s again and this week we got 2nd place!! Absolutely thrilled. I was sitting having tea when the tests came out and I saw the others get theirs, and their rosettes, so I actually didn't think we had placed! Then to top it off she came 3rd in the league-that we only managed 2 out of 3 legs of! She had a well deserved roll when she got home and the boys welcomed her, wondering where she'd been!  

Cutie wootie

Rosettes aplenty!

And finally tonight, Thursday, after the dressage. We had our first ever group lesson. I didn't manage to ride her since Sunday, because of the weather and still being a bit under the weather myself.....She was a bit confused when I put the headcollar on her and pulled her out of the stable-but I'm in bed for the night?! She loaded up in the dark-because I didn't drive the trailer into the stables. We got to the venue and there was another lesson on, and the lights were on, and there was a horse making a lot of noise in a trailer. And it was raining and hadn't bloody stopped all day. She called out a bit at the start, but I just tacked her up like normal. Off we went down to the arena with Marie on her horse, who was also doing the lesson. It was a flat lesson and oh my god did we both die! Fitness will need to be worked on! She tried her little heart out though and had to work very hard. We worked on a circle and did walk trot transitions, and sitting/rising trot transitions. I learned that I am not using my leg at all properly and I probably will be walking like John Wayne tomorrow! We did a few canter transitions, but I think her lack of fitness and my lack of proper leg use didn't help. But we did get a few in. Then we did a little turn on the forehand and when I use my aids properly, she does it. Note to self. Then we did some shoulder-in in walk. This she got the hang of pretty quickly, clever little girl. We even got to try it in trot! Let me tell you, I certainly regretted wearing all the layers I did! We were lucky it actually stopped raining once we started riding.

She was absolutely ready to go to bed the minute we got home and happily tucked into her hay, while I put on Cu Chulainn's cooler on her, which will surely be filthy tomorrow as this little girl is gonna sleep tonight!

Bedtime!

I wanted to post this little post because I am on a little high from tonight. Everything I've asked of her she's done and taken it all in her stride. This year is gonna be an exciting one, I'm already thinking big thoughts!!