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Welcome back. It would be fair to say things have not exactly gone to plan this month. I don’t know how…I mean with horses things usually go exactly to plan…mmm who am I kidding! It’s been a good reminder that horses seem to have their own plans and ideas.  Sometimes I’m sure they think they dictate their life and we just follow suit. It definitely feels like that this month!

The focus for Ruin has all been about the Midway Championships. We had another lesson with Gareth and he commented on the big improvement from our lesson a fortnight ago, so at least I’d been doing my homework correctly! I got back home feeling motivated and inspired, and then ‘disaster’ struck. Ruin got a cut, it wasn’t causing him too much discomfort but the location wasn’t great so he would need a quiet few weeks, meaning we would have to miss the Midway Championships.

To say I was upset would be an understatement (I’m actually only just getting over it!) We had been working specifically towards this Championship for 6 months and everything was slotting in to place perfectly. Having won the Medium Music with Bertie there last year I really felt confident I would have come home with a winner’s sash again this year with Ruin. I’d created a new freestyle routine and music for his Advanced Medium and couldn’t wait to show it off during the gala evening. We had 12 people, family and friends, coming to support us and several more hoping to come, which make it even harder.

Just the worst timing. Horses eh! I’m slowly starting to feel a little less sorry for myself! I’m not one of those people who can’t go to a competition and are quietly relieved – nope, I really wanted to go! However the horses are always more important than any competition so onwards and upwards. I decided the best plan would be to have…another plan…I LOVE a plan. So now as soon as Ruin’s ready we are going to crack on and get that Prix St George entered. Don’t think you’ve retired just yet Ruin – now the fun really begins!! In the meantime Ruin has been enjoying his quieter time by doing what Ruin does best – causing havoc…he’s been dramatically cast in his stable again (twice) and is slowly but surely destroying another field shelter… Yep I love my horse.

The others have been a little more ‘reliable’. New girl Friday is progressing well and constantly surprising me. The other day I was doing our normal figure-of-8 in canter to learn our canter leads and suddenly, instead of changing lead through trot, she just popped in a smooth flying change! Simples! Err no Friday, you’re 4 years old and only been backed 6 weeks! I’ve also done a few teeny little jumps on her…while not the bravest initially she soon got the hang of it and thinks it’s super fun. She’s going to be a superstar and we’re very excited about her.

Determined to still get out and about, despite my horses’ best endeavours.  So I took the opportunity to borrow my mum’s horse, Truffles, for another XC outing.   We went to Wickstead Horse Play, a new venue for us.   I would definitely recommend with their all-weather XC loop. We had a great time – I can count the number of times Truffles has jumped (at all) on one hand and this was only her second time XC but she’s such a star and loved it!

 

With some of my competitions fading in to the abyss I haven’t had any let up time as teaching quickly fills the gaps. Mention of the month has to go to Amy Johnson with her boy Laddie. She’s had him about a year now and it’s been a big learning curve for both of them; Amy stepping up from a pony and Laddie learning about dressage and going XC for the first time! It’s not all been plain sailing (is it ever?) but they’ve come on leaps and bounds and Amy has shown great maturity developing Laddie patiently and with the bigger picture in mind. He’s already proving to be a bit of a XC machine but I’m particularly pleased with their dressage progress.   Winning several of their last few tests with some great scores and really promising comments. They are currently at the Riding Club National Championships so fingers crossed their successful run continues! Very proud of them.

 

So we have managed to finish August in a very different way to how I had imagined, for better or for worse. Now it’s on to September and I can’t deny I enter it with trepidation with what this month has in store for us.   Fingers crossed the horses can manage to keep fit, healthy and ‘intact’! Joking apart that is the most important thing and we have to remember that during the inevitable disappointments we experience in this sport. Nevertheless, watch this space!

 

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