Both boys went XC schooling at Lyneham today where they have lots of new looking jumps, perfect as Osberton is a brand new course and will look very shiny and new. I did very little with them just ditches, water and a few skinnies. Just enough to remind them what XC is about without tiring them, as the final is only now a few days away.
They both went well and felt honest and genuine so fingers crossed they don't get stage fright on the day!
Had to take John Waynes and Top Guns plastic flowers off the school this morning, Icon (my advanced horse) almost had a heart attack when he saw them!
Tuesday 28 September 2010
Sunday 26 September 2010
Champs Preparation
Monty (Take It 2 The Top) thas been delivered to James Grassick for the final stage of his breaking in. Only news from James so far is "he is sweet' which I guess means he has only mucked him out so far!!!
John Wayne and Top Gun did a BE100 Eventer Training class at Allens Hill on Friday. They both scored 33 in dressage and then jumped round well. It seemed huge on green horses, JW had only one down to win the class and TG came 3rd with a few down. This is the height they have to jump at the Champs.
Today they have been practising the dressage test with some colourful fake flowers round the field to simulate the Champs atmosphere, I bought them in the £1 shop.
Both horses scared me this morning galloping round the field like idiots, they were showing off to their breeder Malcolm Wharton who had come to watch his children Rosie and Sam have a jumping lesson. Also in the lesson were Daniel and William Norrell. Their ponies all behaved perfectly while my delinquents charged round the next field at a terrifying top speed. Both seem unharmed and when they eventually skidded to a disorganised halt they looked very sorry.
John Wayne and Top Gun did a BE100 Eventer Training class at Allens Hill on Friday. They both scored 33 in dressage and then jumped round well. It seemed huge on green horses, JW had only one down to win the class and TG came 3rd with a few down. This is the height they have to jump at the Champs.
Today they have been practising the dressage test with some colourful fake flowers round the field to simulate the Champs atmosphere, I bought them in the £1 shop.
Both horses scared me this morning galloping round the field like idiots, they were showing off to their breeder Malcolm Wharton who had come to watch his children Rosie and Sam have a jumping lesson. Also in the lesson were Daniel and William Norrell. Their ponies all behaved perfectly while my delinquents charged round the next field at a terrifying top speed. Both seem unharmed and when they eventually skidded to a disorganised halt they looked very sorry.
Sunday 19 September 2010
A Very Busy Weekend
Saturday morning I put Hartpury Twilight out with Spicer who is a very gentle horse I have never seen his ears back, they were quickly sharing hay and all seemed happy...phew!
Then I lunged Monty he was perfect and this time with no lunge whip.... walk, trot canter and walk all by my voice...maybe useful one day when riding him and he ignores my reins!!!
Then it was off to Hartpury indoor SJ with John Wayne and Top Gun, they both jumped double clear in the 3ft to come 5th and 6th. In the 3'3" JW had 2 down and TG had one down to fiinish in 6th. They went very well and I was relieved as their old stud groom who looked after them them when they were tiny foals came to watch.
Sunday we left home at 4am to go with Icon to Burnham Market ( I mucked out and plaited too)
We had never been to this event in Norfolk before but I wanted to go to look at the ground and course as they run a cic*** and an Advanced in the Spring.
Icon did a 35 dressage, one of only 4 clears SJ and clear XC. I went flat out XC even Ant said it looked fast! Even so he had ten time faults which put us 8th so still a good result but not good enough for a 2011 Gatcombe qualifier, which is what I am hoping for.
He is now on 36 points, he is such a good horse, his SJ round today was amazing, he just sprung round. Lots of Polos.
My website stellabayliseventing.co.uk has a new page to its gallery- the gatcombe pics taken by William Fox, a huge thankyou to him I have stopped buying Icons photos at events as nothing is as good as these he took.
Then I lunged Monty he was perfect and this time with no lunge whip.... walk, trot canter and walk all by my voice...maybe useful one day when riding him and he ignores my reins!!!
Then it was off to Hartpury indoor SJ with John Wayne and Top Gun, they both jumped double clear in the 3ft to come 5th and 6th. In the 3'3" JW had 2 down and TG had one down to fiinish in 6th. They went very well and I was relieved as their old stud groom who looked after them them when they were tiny foals came to watch.
Sunday we left home at 4am to go with Icon to Burnham Market ( I mucked out and plaited too)
We had never been to this event in Norfolk before but I wanted to go to look at the ground and course as they run a cic*** and an Advanced in the Spring.
Icon did a 35 dressage, one of only 4 clears SJ and clear XC. I went flat out XC even Ant said it looked fast! Even so he had ten time faults which put us 8th so still a good result but not good enough for a 2011 Gatcombe qualifier, which is what I am hoping for.
He is now on 36 points, he is such a good horse, his SJ round today was amazing, he just sprung round. Lots of Polos.
My website stellabayliseventing.co.uk has a new page to its gallery- the gatcombe pics taken by William Fox, a huge thankyou to him I have stopped buying Icons photos at events as nothing is as good as these he took.
Friday 17 September 2010
"I ran up the hill looking for a dead horse"
I decided to turn my yearling Hartpury Twilight out with Josie, Milo and Mika. they are all kind horses living in about 30 acres of lush grass so he will grow on really well out there for the winter.
I led him all the way down the hill to the bottom field and turned him out. Josie began trotting over very interested in a new Friend. She was still miles away but Hartpury Twilight took one terrified look at this skewbald monster and galloped off. He disappeared back up the hill with Josie following miles behind with me even further running flat out. There was a crash of metal at the top and I knew he had jumped the gate onto the road. I ran up the hill looking for a dead horse or worse a terrified horse loose down the narrow lanes.
To my surprise he was no where in sight and the gate was not bent so he must have almost cleared it! I found him grazing on the common a few hundred yards away, judging by the scrape marks on his head he had fallen over. He seems OK and is back in his own paddock with not much grass but no scary Skewbalds!
I have lunged Monty today only on a headcollar as his mouth is healing. I lunged and long reined him in May so this is all a reminder. He was lovely, had a saddle on too, he jumped the water trays and my spooky fillers and I lent over him, teaching him to stand for mounting in all sorts of places while I flapped on and off him. He was very laid back and wanted to please so fingers crossed for another lovely horse.
I led him all the way down the hill to the bottom field and turned him out. Josie began trotting over very interested in a new Friend. She was still miles away but Hartpury Twilight took one terrified look at this skewbald monster and galloped off. He disappeared back up the hill with Josie following miles behind with me even further running flat out. There was a crash of metal at the top and I knew he had jumped the gate onto the road. I ran up the hill looking for a dead horse or worse a terrified horse loose down the narrow lanes.
To my surprise he was no where in sight and the gate was not bent so he must have almost cleared it! I found him grazing on the common a few hundred yards away, judging by the scrape marks on his head he had fallen over. He seems OK and is back in his own paddock with not much grass but no scary Skewbalds!
I have lunged Monty today only on a headcollar as his mouth is healing. I lunged and long reined him in May so this is all a reminder. He was lovely, had a saddle on too, he jumped the water trays and my spooky fillers and I lent over him, teaching him to stand for mounting in all sorts of places while I flapped on and off him. He was very laid back and wanted to please so fingers crossed for another lovely horse.
Thursday 16 September 2010
Vet
I am just waiting for the vet to arrive.
I have booked in the 3 colts for castration Snip, Smartie and Crunchie. I had to get headcollars on them all last night and while I was at it they all had a lesson in being tied up. They were all perfect and stayed patiently tied to their posts for half an hour. They all learn this at weaning so this was just a reminder. Good boys!
Also I have got in Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 The Top) he has some wolf teeth, one looks awkward. He is due off to James Grassick next week for breaking so they need removing or can cause real problems and pain when the bit is in.
Also in for the vet is Butterfly and Rif Raf, this is so Rif Raf can have a passport done and a microchip. Vet is here must go......
.....4 hours later. The castrations went smoothly and so did removing the wolf teeth from Monty, the awkward one was big and an inch away from the normal place it was also still under gum so had to be cut out, ouch!
The most naughty person was 8 week old Rif Raf, big horid micro chip needle but it is done now. I had to think of a show name for her passport and decided on "Rif Raf The Dragon" she has a fire breathing dragon shape in her markings and also this will mean she has a very unique name!
I have booked in the 3 colts for castration Snip, Smartie and Crunchie. I had to get headcollars on them all last night and while I was at it they all had a lesson in being tied up. They were all perfect and stayed patiently tied to their posts for half an hour. They all learn this at weaning so this was just a reminder. Good boys!
Also I have got in Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 The Top) he has some wolf teeth, one looks awkward. He is due off to James Grassick next week for breaking so they need removing or can cause real problems and pain when the bit is in.
Also in for the vet is Butterfly and Rif Raf, this is so Rif Raf can have a passport done and a microchip. Vet is here must go......
.....4 hours later. The castrations went smoothly and so did removing the wolf teeth from Monty, the awkward one was big and an inch away from the normal place it was also still under gum so had to be cut out, ouch!
The most naughty person was 8 week old Rif Raf, big horid micro chip needle but it is done now. I had to think of a show name for her passport and decided on "Rif Raf The Dragon" she has a fire breathing dragon shape in her markings and also this will mean she has a very unique name!
Monday 13 September 2010
Icon 8th at Pontsipool
Left at 5.30 am this morning to get to Pontsipool in time to walk the course etc before dressage. Icon went very well to score a 34, his best ever at this level. I made a mess of a related distance in the Show Jumping and had one down, Icon always does related distances on a extra stride so a 4 stride distance would be 5 for him, but I tried to go on 4 and had him too far off a 1.20 parallel, he tried with every bone in his body to clear it but his hind feet clunked it.
He then flew round XC clear, it was easy although as I went pretty fast he got tierd 3/4 of the way round. A rethink about his feeding needed, so I will add an energy mix to his high fibre nuts.
We finished 8th so a good day and I was home in time to ride Top Gun. I am getting excited about the Lycetts Young Horse Champs and counting down the days, I have even worked out a show and training plan for them.
John Wayne and I escorted my sponsors son Daniel and his friend Declan on their ponies round the common yesterday. We had a race JW won, and we had fun jumping gorse bushes, streams and ditches.
All good training for the Champs!
He then flew round XC clear, it was easy although as I went pretty fast he got tierd 3/4 of the way round. A rethink about his feeding needed, so I will add an energy mix to his high fibre nuts.
We finished 8th so a good day and I was home in time to ride Top Gun. I am getting excited about the Lycetts Young Horse Champs and counting down the days, I have even worked out a show and training plan for them.
John Wayne and I escorted my sponsors son Daniel and his friend Declan on their ponies round the common yesterday. We had a race JW won, and we had fun jumping gorse bushes, streams and ditches.
All good training for the Champs!
Monday 6 September 2010
Burghley On TV!
I was part of the support team for Louise Skelton at Burghley on Saturday. She had Pickles and Barney running, it was a nerve wracking but brilliant day, both horses went clear. Pickles in particular looked amazing. it was really exciting as Pickles was the first horse of the day to get inside the time. Louise had hardly dismounted when she was grabbed for an interview by Claire Balding for BBC2, Anna, Jackie, Ali and I were in the background working very quickly to cool Pickles off, we were so intent on our job we never noticed our tv fame until we saw it later on BBC2!
Unfortunately Barney lost a shoe and then was not quite right to complete the final day, but Pickle finished in 21st.
Other news is I have bought Top Guns full brother Hartpury Twilight, he is a yearling. He was cheap as he has a nasty cut on his leg that will leave a scar, he reminds me of Top Gun in many ways.....all good!
Unfortunately Barney lost a shoe and then was not quite right to complete the final day, but Pickle finished in 21st.
Other news is I have bought Top Guns full brother Hartpury Twilight, he is a yearling. He was cheap as he has a nasty cut on his leg that will leave a scar, he reminds me of Top Gun in many ways.....all good!
Photo is of Top Gun the first really nice xc I have of him.
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