Planning for winter

Since the Chiltern and Thames Showing Champs, I’ve been enjoying doing a few different things with Guinness. We’ve done lots of hacking, making use of the last bit of light in the evenings before the clocks change. I’ve been on some pleasant hacks with my sister and my Mum which is lovely as you can just plod and chat and relax. Guinness is so much more confident now, and I think I’ve reached the point where I could hack him almost anywhere now. We overcame his greatest fear last week, which is pigs and despite a few hesitations a little gentle encouragement and he ‘braved it’ for me. It may seem like a small thing to people who don’t know him but when I think back to the days when he would leap all over the place if I asked him to walk off the yard, I’m very proud of how far we’ve come.

I’ve also been enjoying catching up on my flatwork, as the Chiltern and Thames Dressage Champs are only 4 weeks away now. Guinness confidence to move forward into the contact is ever increasing and fingers crossed, I will come home with a rosette!

We decided to make a last minute trip to South Bucks Riding Club Open Show last Sunday for some Showjumping practise. It was such a wonderful revelation to go to a show without hours of bathing, cleaning and platting and just throw the tack on the lorry and go! 

I grew up with the South Bucks Riding Club Open Shows and I used to hack my pony Taffy (who we’ve still got) up to the show and we’d be there all day. Beryl and Jeff who run the club and all the shows have known me since I was 10 years old and they’re so friendly and supportive. Unfortunately, entries were down and by the time we arrived the jumping classes were almost finished! I didn’t much fancy doing the 3’3” jumping so instead I opted to have a laugh and do the Horse and Hound class with Martina and her German Shepherd ‘Billana’ putting in a brilliant time to secure 2^nd place! Guinness was a bit fresh and kept leaping off the ground in excitement, but once he was going forward he was easier to handle. He gave the tiny jumps a ridiculous amount of air and I’m so glad we didn’t do the 3’3” otherwise I might have ended up in the clouds!!!

The last class of the day was the combined showjumping and XC class. I’ve never done this before but thankfully I had my back protector in the lorry and Guinness did me proud, not even hesitating when it came to leaving the showjumping arena and heading off to the XC course and I was very pleased with my 4^th.

He is very capable and Beryl rightly pointed out that I underestimate him sometimes, so now I need to get on with it and believe we can do it!

I’ve got a few things to look forward to over the next few weeks, I’ve arranged to go on a sponsored ride with some of the other liveries next weekend, which I’m really looking forward to, and then mid- October I will be doing the South Bucks Riding Club Hunter Trails at Great Westwood and finger crossed, I will secure a clear round and achieve my final target I set myself for this year! Then a rosy at the Dressage Champs will be an added bonus.

Other things planned are Guinness is having his massage on Saturday with Ros which I think he is well overdue, and on Sunday Dawn is competing in the Petplan areas at Patchetts so I will going up to watch and support her which I always enjoy.

So as usual it’s busy busy busy!!!!