After a nice winter break, I have finally brought Arnie back into a level of consistent work, and I am so pleased with how nicely he’s going.
I really do believe in winter breaks, especially when they are that bit younger, and this one has really done him the world of good.
To start with, I didn’t get bucked off. It’s always fun getting on a spicy Connemara, but when they’ve had a few months off the first ride is always bound to be exciting – but he was just as good as gold. I just poodled him round in walk and had a little trot and called it a day. Nonetheless, it was a big achievement.
I have big plans for Arnie this year. He’s now seven and it’s time to get him out and about. I want to get him jumping (he’s really not done much of that at all yet) and I’ll hopefully start competing with him too.
Everything has always been a lot slower with Arnie. He’s a sensitive soul and if something sets him back you end up going 20 steps back instead of five. I purchased him as an unbacked three-year-old, and he was terrified of humans and anything humans were doing (pushing a wheelbarrow past him, for example). He ended up having to spend six weeks in his stable, as the one time I let him out I couldn’t catch him. I then ended up having to get the RSPCA to come and dart him in the bum (and five darts later his flight instinct was still so strong I couldn’t catch him, even when he could barely stand up). After that it took me almost a year to get to the point where I could tack him up and sit on him, so he would have been a late four-year-old or early five-year-old. He is so much better with people now; in fact, he is the most loving, kindest little horse you could ever find. He was meant to be sold on when I purchased him, but I just couldn’t imagine ever parting with him now.
But this does mean everything just has to be done at a slower, much calmer pace. And I’m absolutely OK with that. It just means that, at seven years old, he’s done a lot less than most seven-year-olds. But I have a really good feeling about this year and hope to get up to lots of new adventures with him (so watch this space).
The short-term plan currently is to get his canter up to scratch. He’s so much stronger and more balanced this year, and I don’t think it’ll be long until we get there. He just races a little at the moment and pops his head up a bit, but as soon as we get there I’d like to take him out to some small dressage competitions. And then, longer term, by the end of the year, hopefully he’ll be out and about more frequently.
I’ll keep you all updated on his progress.
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.