Rupert and Top Gear go SJ Schooling

Rupert and Jeremy (Hartpury Top Gear) at the lovely Hill View Arena. Their first outing show jump schooling. Both horses were fab, they both jumped everything first time and both horses learnt a valuable lesson in standing on the lorry while the other horse left them to go jumping. Although Rupert did have a slight tantrum about it, once Ant had a quiet word him he stood as quiet as a mouse.
Really pleased with them both. 

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Massimo makes Fab Progress

I think I have found a lovely horse in Massimo he has been the most lovely horse to train. He is now eating hard food which I don't think he has had before. I am guessing Alvescot Stud are like us and don't give young stock hard food until they begin ridden work. It usually means their bones etc grow more naturally and also they make much nicer more polite horses as they haven't learnt to fight for food. He is so sweet it has taken a week to persuade him to eat food out of my hand.
He has accepted the saddle really well and I am leaning over him, he has been long reining everywhere round Castlemorton Common and has been so good. He is not spooky and is brave.

 It is so nice to have been sold a horse that is exactly as described.

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Massimo arrives

16.3 unbroken 3 year old Massimo arrived yesterday. We collected him from Alvescot Stud near Burford. He loaded beautifully and travelled as quiet as a mouse and then unloaded sensibly too. It's not until you get them home that you begin to discover their real temperament and he is a good one I think. He hasn't been handled a great deal as he is one of the horses Alvescot haven't yet had time to produce for sale.
But thankfully so far he is well mannered, sensible, incredibly laid back and seems a brave sort too.
He has had his first bath and been wormed and had a saddle on, which is all scary stuff but after his first reaction of "woah what are u doing with that" he accepts all these new experiences really quickly. After his bath I led him round the school to dry him off and he walked straight over all my brightly coloured poles and planks and between all the very spooky fillers.

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Alvescot Massimo & Hartpury Top Gear

 

Jeremy (Top Gear) is home from a week with Sean Gooney. Sean says he is such a lovely horse and has been very pleased with him, Sean broke him in the spring and then we turned him away and now he back in work ready to start his competition training. I collected him from Sean's this morning & rode him this afternoon, he is a lovely ride, very well balanced and light in the hand. My plan is to work towards young horse classes next year.

I have also bought Alvescot Massimo an unbroken 3 year old by the lovely stallion Miley. We picked him out of a field of youngsters at Alvescot Stud near Burford. So hopefully these two horses will be able to progress along side each other. Mo arrives later this week, here is a pic of him as a foal along with his breeding info.

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Video of Sprout my 2 Year Old

Here is a video of Sprout starting his education.

He is just over 2 years old and is very well bred as his Dam is 3/4 sister to Carling King who was 4th at the Athens Olympics. A very special boy.

Always seek professional advice before long reining and once you have mastered the skill do plenty of it.

Long reining is really good for young horses, both mentally and physically as it's a relaxing way to learn much of the skills they will require to make really good ridden horses, without the extra strain of a rider on board.

I learnt to long rein from watching a Robert Oliver demontstarion many years ago and also on a local stud open day where I was taught to long rein using their already trained horses.

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Groom at Burghley for Louise (Wiggy) Harwood

Once again I had the most fantastic time as assistant groom for Louise Harwood and her mum Jackie Skelton at Burghley this weekend.

Louise had 2 horses there Jenga who is doing Blenheim next week and Mr Potts who was doing his 4th 4*. I had a wrist band that gave me access to the stables and the riders TV tent and of course the collecting rings and start boxes. Potts did a better dressage test than last year but slightly disappointingly received a similar mark.

 

Early on Saturday Jackie and I grazed the 2 horses while Louise had a final course walk. We had ages until Potts went XC at 12.45 but it flew by. By the time we had tacked Jenga up for Louise to take him for a gallop, had some breakfast, skipped out the stables and looked after Jenga when he returned it was time to start getting XC tack together.

We studded Potts up and went to watch the first few on the tv screens. The first horse was sticky and backing off so not the best one to watch. However a few good rounds eventually followed and then it was 11.50 and time to go tack up Potts. Once tacked up I walked him round to begin his warm up, Louise was on board by 12.10 and took him for a short hack before returning to jump a few show jumps before moving onto the XC practise fences. Potts was fresh he was jumping fab but huge. Then there was a hold on course which delayed their start time by 30 minutes, by the time they were called over to the start Potts had time to chill and was jumping more economically he looked much more like he did last year. Phew!

Waiting to start.

Over by the start box Jackie made us all laugh as I put on his XC grease, I put lots on the same as we do for our horses " careful with that Stella, not too much, it's £17 a pot" she shouted!!!!

Once Potts was safely started Jackie and I went into the riders TV tent to watch nervously. They made it look easy and jumped a super clear, and at the half way point into 4th place, how many riders come back from jumping round Burghley and say the Cottessmore leap felt small! Clever Mr Potts. Wiggy was disappointed with her time faults at first, but as the day progressed the time remained tight, her score was looking very good and she went into 15th overnight.

Finishing.

Just 1 rail the next day and they finished in an amazing 12th place. Wiggys best result to date, it was amazing.

 

Jackie, Wiggy and Graham Potts the vet who Mr Potts is named after washing off a warm Mr Potts.

 

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Sold - Hartpury Take It 2 The Top

Here are some photos of Monty's new owner schooling at Somerford last week. They are thrilled to bits with him and have already won a 1.05 show jumping class. He was sold through Tom Searle and Andrea Verdina. Tom did a fabulous job of preparing him for the sale, presenting him beautifully at Boomerang Cross Country Centre to Andreas clients and then also for the vetting.

I can't thank Tom enough for all his hard work and enthusiasm riding him for me, I am just sorry that he couldn't keep Monty to event for himself.

His new rider is aiming for some 100 events to begin with and then moving on up to Novice, hopefully by the end of the season.

 

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