Now we are allowed back out for training and competitions, I could not be more excited about the progress of both boys! Travis seems to have taken the time to mature - so back off to affiliated dressage we go. I am not expecting miracles, in fact I am expecting to be exceptionally rusty. I am even struggling to remember just one test! And Travis is feeling rather tubby and unfit, OOPS!
When I started asking bigger questions from him, like medium trot and some lateral work I was expecting and lot of resistance, stiffness and the usual stress head response, but I was pleasantly surprised yet again at him being straight off the leg, balanced and most importantly working from behind. I think the smile on my face says a thousand words to be feeling the self carriage!
Our goal for the rest of this year is to only book one test per competition for two reasons. Firstly to try and work on his spookiness and not keep throwing away a whole test just so he can see the arena (big girl pants time) and secondly to keep him at peak interest, to avoid overtiredness and flatness which hugely effects his way of going, being such a heavy type he quickly falls on his forehand.
Ben is absolutely flying (literally). He is no longer a stiff coiled spring waiting to explode, and now I can put some leg on and use some rein contact we finally resemble the shape of an normal horse, without a hollow back and dishy leg. I started doing a bit of jumping with him, which has now turned into a lot of jumping! He is so keen, a feeling that Travis has never given me into a jump, and I honestly had no idea how to hang on to such enthusiasm with no technique (from either of us)! I am currently taking him out jump training once a week and this horse has serious scope. Hopefully we can turn this scope into less hurdle jumping and more showing jumping and hopefully enter our first little show in September. I have also booked a dressage day for us in August, mainly to force me and him to keep our feet on the ground and practice the important stuff too!
Once again I threw Arlo in at the deep end, affiliating him purely for the Arena UK second round show, and once again he pulled it out the bag. How lucky am I to have such a wonderful little horse? We haven’t really competed this year. I don’t really compete over the winter, and also my horsebox was away for repairs up until the beginning of June, so I had no transport even if I’d wanted to.
With the dry ground we don’t seem to be having much luck with shoes, as little madam managed to pull both her front shoes off within 12 hours the other day! We entered the arena with two shoes on for a schooling session and left it with one missing (took about an hour to find it). Then that afternoon, as I went to put some hoof ointment on, I looked down and had to double take, thinking I was looking at the wrong hoof. But, no, the other shoe was missing too.
After having a long wait and some lunch at the onsite café, it was time to get ready for the Joan Wolfe Overall Supreme Shetland Pony Championship. I got changed out of my usual showing outfit into black trousers and a maroon top with white spots, as you are expected to be a bit more “bling” in the evening.
We were all set to go for our next outing, and were super excited. That was until I heard the dreaded clunk of a loose shoe! I checked it over, praying it wasn’t too loose, but, nope, it was going to need a refit.