Traditionally, showing used to stop in the winter, usually around the time of the Horse of the Year Show in October, and would recommence in the spring around Easter time. Nowadays, showing goes on all year round with classes mostly taking place in indoor arenas.
I must be getting old, as although I am happy to get up before dawn and keep going until dark in the summer months, I lean towards hibernation in the winter!
My sister, Michelle, who competes with Melland Jackson Jive when I take Diva (Melland Queen of Scots) out and about, must be made of sterner stuff. She is currently in full swing training her point-to-pointers and is out riding them with her partner, Paul, on the gallops in all weathers. Whilst I will enjoy cheering them on when they run in the new year, I am happy to sit on my sofa with Flora the dog in the bad weather.
If only one horse needs to go to the gallops on any day, Jackson is called into service as a travelling companion and really does earn his keep. People can’t resist sneaking a peek at him when they realise a Shetland is in the horsebox, so he is getting quite well known in racing circles in addition to the showing world.
He will also enjoy a few days of racing when the time comes for the point-to-pointers to go to the track. He is so funny when he accompanies the racehorses as he is always brought off the lorry to have a leg stretch and a pick of grass and without fail, he has a roll as soon as he gets on the grass. Luckily, he never tries to do this when we take him to shows.
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.