Plan A, Plan B, Plan C

What do people mean when they say it's about the journey not the destination? 

I guess everyone thinks something different, but for me, I think you set a goal/target, and then it's what you learn on your way to that goal. What you learn will be a little from Column A and a little from Column B. Column A will be how to do a task better, how not to do something or what tools will help you for instance. Column B will be what you learn about yourself. Your characteristics and how they suit or don't suit a task. Where your confidence lies. Where your weakness lies. What you have achieved.

How does this relate to horses? How does it not! Everything we do with our horses is task or goal oriented. From the rider who is jumping grand prix to the person doing groundwork only with their horse. The horse doesn't know the goal, all they know is what you ask of them. And this is so easy to forget. 

Have a break, have a kit kat

Misneach, my 4 year old filly, who was broken in the end of last year, has been tipping away doing riding club lessons and some competitions. She is learning at every outing. For me, I've been there before, I've brought a young horse along, I've done the competitions, it's not new. Therefore, it's easy for me to forget how far she has come. 

We started the year doing dressage, walk and trot tests. They were in an indoor arena, which can be spooky and echoy. There were jump stands in the corners and noises outside that she couldn't see. She took it all in her stride and did incredibly well. 

Later, we did some shows with jumping. The first few rounds were sticky until she found her groove and realised what I was asking her. When I started jumping Cu Chulainn years ago as a young horse, he was always forward going and eager, so it was a challenge to have a horse that wasn't as eager- really it was a challenge to my fitness more than anything! With Cu Chulainn all you have to do is steer and stay on, Misneach was certainly different. She had really started to get the hang of it and enjoy it, when we entered our first SJI competition. I was really disappointed with the course that was put on for the Baby Stars competition. There was no flow to it and it was very twisty and turny, which is incredibly tough on young horses who just need to get a good flow. She started well and then over the 4th jump she jumped quite big and gave herself a bit of a fright. We lost momentum and she stopped dead at the next jump. That was it, she refused twice more and we were eliminated. She did jump number 1 again, so it wasn't all lost. I was happy with her and how she'd really tried, and she stepped in for Cu Chulainn's prize giving when her won his class.

Hello, is it me you're looking for?

The entries for the Riding Club Festival are closed at the start of May, so you really need to have an idea what you want to do. I decided that I would just bring Misneach and let her soak up the big atmosphere and all that goes with it. I'd entered 3 showing classes, Riding Horse, 4 Year old and a Performance Hunter class, although I pulled out of that class in advance because I realised that would be far too much for a baby.

In preparation for the festival we did a show in Tipperary with some similar classes. It was one of those roasting days, but luckily we were on in the morning. Not a day for tweed. She warmed up nicely and we went into the ring. Her transitions were all on point (delighted!). It was going to be her first time ridden by a judge (and her first time ridden by someone else since she was backed). She went perfectly for him. Then the final part, trotting up in hand. Again, she went beautifully. I was beaming from ear to ear about how well she went. She wasn't placed in the class, but the judge liked her and said she needed to be less tense in her paces. Really great feedback. We had entered a performance class too, which is like working hunter, jumping 8 fences and then a short show piece of walk, trot, canter and extended canter. She was warming up fine, popped one of the warm up fences, but then she kind of shutdown and stopped jumping altogether. I didn't want to push her too hard, because she'd already been good in one class. She was having none of it in the class. I gave her a pat and we headed home. 

It was 2 weeks until the festival and I was away the following weekend, so I decided to park the jumping and just keep working on her flatwork. We had a really great lesson the Thursday before the festival where we were both worked really hard. The difference between riding a gelding and a mare is really evident in the lessons. With Misneach, she will do the work but she reaches a stage where she basically says F*** You. I thought initially it was fitness, but it's not, it's attitude! It's also not that she can't do it, because when I try it at home the next day, she'll do it. With Cu Chulainn, he'll do everything, he just might get tense if he doesn't know what you're asking. There's never a "No, I'm not doing that!"

We arrived in Mullingar for the festival at 10.20 the Saturday morning. The festival is run mainly with volunteers and I was doing call up for dressage before I competed. Unfortunately, the person relieving me came late which meant that I had no warm up before my first class, Riding Horse. I also forgot to take the plaits out of her tail and the judge had to do it for me! What an entrance. She took the atmosphere completely in her stride and did all that I asked of her perfectly, which was more than others in the class. She behaved so well for the judge too. She wasn't placed because they said she needs to fill out more and take the bridle more, which is all great feedback. Again, the judges loved her. She is well suited to showing as her temperment is so good. Our next class wasn't until 5.15. Thankfully, there were only 2 of us in it, so it wasn't too long. Again, she was great, she just didn't want to do the in hand trot, which was fair enough! She didn't get ridden in this class, but I had a great chat with the judges, getting their advice about what class would suit her and what she needs for it. 

Support Team

Part of me was disappointed she didn't get any rosettes in the showing, because Fred, who is so similar in temperment and way of going, always did well in them. The same with the jumping. I thought we'd turned a corner when she was taking them on.

But, I keep forgetting how old she is. She is doing so incredible for her age. Every day she's learning. Every day she's seeing new things. AND I have been doing the work. I have produced her. The judge told me I've been doing great with her. 

One of my goals, was to bring her to the RDS this year. But now I've parked that. I got great feedback from the judges and I'm going to use that to give her the time to get stronger in herself and not pressure her unnecessarily.

So Plan A, Plan B, Plan C........it's good to have goals and targets, but don't be afraid to adjust them, don't have them set in stone. Remember to always look back. Look at what you learned, what the horse learned. Take the wins. Appreciate the small steps. You only get to the top of a ladder by climbing each step one at a time.

Misneach is on a well deserved holiday now and Cu Chulainn is stepping up after a little break. 

Scrub a dub dub