3rd Time Lucky for Mikas Wolf Tooth

Its gone completely this time. John from 3 Counties Equine Clinic called this morning and took out a piece of what he described as sharp bone! It was like a tiny razor. I am so relieved as I was convinced by how he was going that there was still a problem. He would go beautifully for a while then suddenly violently argue throwing his head about and then go on sweetly again. No wonder he shot sideways in some of his dressage movements on Sunday!

Sad news this week from breeder Joy Lewis. Last year she had Token of Honour, Token Bow Nink and White Water Mountain Music put down. They were all old and deteriorating in their ability to get about. These horses are Mikas Uncle, Grandma and Grandad. Also related in a similar way to Butterfly, Josie Jump, Duvet Day, Mister Bojangles, Toby Two Tone and the advanced eventer Token Gesture. All but the latter were my horses and all jump brilliantly. Token Of Honour (below) was a huge giant and gentleman of a horse, he would take an hour to woo his mares and never sired anything but coloured foals, lets hope his niece Rif Raf can produce a TB clone of him next year.

Facebook Panic

I have been persuaded to do facebook. I really don't get it so huge apologies if you are messaging and befriending and posting wall things. A wall is something my horse jumps or that holds up the roof on my house. Facebook is like being in a busy pub, and I want to go home! Or if that's not possible can someone please find me a dark corner to sit in so I am not noticed. Milo and Mika went to Allens Hill today to compete in combined training. 4 year old Mika came 6th in the 75cm and Milo won the 85cm. Riders I coach also went really well with Louise clear SJ, Emma 2nd and Dan 4th. Very proud of them all. Photos kindly by Maxine - Hartpury Take It 2 The Top and Amazing Mika.

A Winning Streak

Allens Hill Eventer Training. This event involves a dressage test, arena XC jumps and Show Jumps. I took 3 horses to compete in this fun competition today. Luckily I had expert help in the form of one of my best friends Bernice, otherwise I would have struggled to cope with the quick change arounds - horses were - Icon, Top Gun and Take It 2 The Top.

Icon 1st in the 1.20 m with a clear SJ and a 33 dressage but rattled a couple of XC poles!
Take It 2 The Top 1st in the 90cm - he felt really lovely easily jumping a double clear.
Top Gun did what felt a super test for a poor mark 39 and then went double clear to be 3rd in the 1m.

Lets hope this luck continues for the real eventing season!!!!

I am wearing red in the pics at Allens Hill facebook page http://www.facebook.com/?react=AQB6daSgq9hzs5-s#!/pages/Allens-Hill-Competition-Centre/304889672862590

Guns and Horses

Here is an unusual photo of my four young unbroken horses watching a local shoot take place. They just don't move my bomb proof ponies!!

Work work work

All a bit boring really, I am riding, teaching and mucking out none stop, fab to be so busy, 6 hours teaching yesterday and 4 hours today. Lovely Milo is back in work so I now have 5 to ride. Less some days as I try and give the younger horses two consecutive days off each week. This works well if they are not too sharp a personality, it gives them a proper couple of chill out days and a chance for any muscle tweaks to recover and helps prevent them getting too fit or loosing weight. A young horse is learning all the time and are using muscles they are not used to. These muscles get tired and are then prone to injury or at best you have a grumpy horse. If you rest and work them correctly young horses will work wanting to learn more. I have had a fab couple of days teaching with everyone making inroads on their way to improving themselves and their horses. For example Matthew improved his canter and he could then see a stride, Alfie's getting more active canter corners resulting in a better jump, Charlie jumped his first round of 85 cm, Liz improved on her downward transitions, Meg found riding a corner with more outside leg helped her find an easier stride and Dan is ready to attempt his first dressage test on his new horse. All very rewarding to watch them improve. Then I had several texts from other pupils who were out competing. Emma placed in a JAS, qualifying for the British Champs, Rosanne clear SJ, Bernice and Tori won qualifying for winter dressage champs. I think Mika still has some of his wolf tooth lurking (argh so annoying!) so vets need a third attempt at removing it, this time I think I will ask for an xray so we know exactly what is left in there if anything. He is still sore on the gum when I touch it and there is a rough bit of something that I can feel....watch this space...... Below is the splinter that was removed last time.

Friendly Fence Judge Get well Soon

My friend Graham, husband of Joy is still quite poorly, he seems to be waiting forever for lots of tests to be done so they can find out exactly whats wrong. Graham and Joy fence judge at numerous BE events each year including Oasby, Stafford, Weston Park, Shelford Manor plus many others. You can't miss them, they normally judge in a little mobile camper van. They are also part of the stable managers team at Weston Park 3DE and also park all the lorrys, Joy greets each of us on arrival. Joy calculates she says "Welcome to Weston Park, do you have your rider number?" about 400 times. Graham also takes lots of good photos, mostly of horses eventing. Photo of Joy below at Stafford horse trials. The other photo below, is not a very good one, that I took of Graham is in his camper home, laughing at my cat Felix who found a nice sunny spot! Hope you are well soon, looking forward to seeing you both out fence judging this Spring.

Cowboy Mika, TB Testing and Butterfly is in Horse and Hound

Here is young Mika helping to guide the cattle in from Castlemorton Common. Around 100 of them live full time out on the 700 acres of common land at the foot of The Malvern Hills. Mika behaved perfectly even when we had one exciting moment when a few of the cows tried to make a run for it and we had to gallop to head them off.

Here we are with the rest of the team getting the last few cattle up the drive and into the barn, mission accomplished!

Janet, Anthonys sister is riding 21 year old, Rocket Radar, her retired superstar Point 2 Pointer. Dermot, farm manager is on a quad bike and Ant was on the Tractor. Sadly several of the cattle failed the TB test including Tony the lovely Bull. they will have to be culled and the farm is now closed to selling cattle until we pass a future 2 consecutive tests. Mikas mum Butterfly is a star on page 37 of this weeks Horse and Hound. Jumping a huge hedge out hunting with Nicky her new owner.

My Event Horses For 2012

Hartpury Take It 2 The Top, rising 5, probably the best young horse I have ever sat on, I just hope I am able to do him justice. Will take our time in 2012 and see how he improves, he has matured mentally and physically over the winter.

Man Friday (Milo) he has a totally unblemished jumping record, skewbald, rising 6 years. I am hoping he will make the move up to Novice as easily as he has found BE100.

Trefeinon Icon- Bright bay rising 12 yrs. My brave XC machine, will continue at Intermediate and Advanced while continuing to dream of doing Blenheim.





Hartpury Top Gun, dark bay rising 6 years, Brilliant in all 3 phases but a playful cheeky nature he has shied at fence judges for 20 pens and then jumps the fence easy peasy! In 2012 he will upgrade to Novice and be aimed at the 6 year old Champs.

And then there is my homebred skewbald Amazing Mika, who improves just standing in the field. I think he must be out there reading all the books on "How to be a perfect horse!" He is 15.2 rising 4 years. He loves to jump and is just too good to be true, I wish he was 16 hh. He is small but so are diamonds.............

Butterfly

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/huntpics/photo?photo_id=3283103403 If you click this link you will see a stunning photo of Butterfly, she was my lovely brood mare who I recently sold to Nicky to go Hunting with the Ledbury. I evented Butterfly at the lower levels but being a bit heavy, hunting is probably her perfect job.

Her babies are all skewbalds - Mister Bojangles good event horse, Amazing Mika rising 4 - future star eventer, Sportsday Smartie Pants rising 3 yrs- sold to go SJ or eventing, Rif Raf The Dragon filly rising 2 - will be put in foal to Chilli Morning or Take It 2 The Limit.

Here is Butterfly with Rif Raf last winter. Wow today my Blog hits have just reached over 13,000 and I thought it was just my Auntie Joy reading it!