17th December - 1st January 2012 - Christmas Break

Ticking over 

Well, Guinness has been having a fairly laid back time with a bit of longing and schooling but generally just chilling out. His winter coat has almost completely grown back through now and he resembles a fluffy highland pony!!

With the winter grass fast running out, the horses have taken to entertaining themselves in the field. On daily basis Guinness likes to test the limits of how much mud he can cover himself in and one week the grooms at the stable were completely perplexed when they went to catch him in, only to find him standing in his summer sheet. His New Zealand was lying in the mud, with no damage other than a broken fillet string, with all the buckles still in tact and done up (Neck straps, chest straps and belly straps)!!! His summer sheet has been added to the pile of rugs waiting to go off to the cleaners/ menders!!!

Christmas Dressage

I’ve been keeping myself busy by arranging a Christmas dressage competition at my yard between Christmas and New Year. There’s a lot more to organise than people realise. There’s rosettes and test sheets to order, book a judge, arrange refreshments, create a schedule and entry form, publicity, entries and start times, writers, scorers, the list goes on and on… but it will be worth it as all proceeds are going to ‘The Brooke’. Also, I’ve persuaded my Mum to do her first ever dressage competition on my old boy Donald. I’ve been giving her lessons each week, just working on basics – rhythm, transitions, steering!! I’m pleased to say she’s come on leaps and bounds and has been practising hard so I will be very proud to award her a rosette on the day. Joshua (my 8 year old son) is also going to do his first dressage competition on Taffy.

Remi

My friend Martina has now gone to Germany for Christmas with her father and so I am looking after and exercising her horse Remi whilst she is away. Remi is quite a sensitive soul and so first I had a lesson with Sue on him. He is one of those horses who fret about everything and his instinct is to run away when he gets scared. Sue and I worked on building his confidence and I’m quietly confident I will be able to do the walk-trot test on him next week (finger crossed).

Christmas Day

On Christmas day after I’d done all my mucking out and jobs, the Adams family went out for a Christmas day ride, complete with my Dad riding Dawn’s horse Big. Dad has only ridden a few times so we took it easy but it was lovely to all hack out together.

Joshua starts riding lessons

Joshua also had his first few lessons with Jodie Maile over the Christmas period and in 2 lessons, he’s gone from trotting on the lunge, holding on to the front of the saddle to trotting around the arena by himself doing rising trot! I know all Mum’s think their children are brilliant but I’m sure it took me much longer to master rising trot – he’s just got such great balance!

Competition Day

The big day arrived and the Christmas dressage went well and ran to time. Everyone enjoyed themselves and I was particularly proud of Remi staying very relaxed throughout his test.

Mum also did a great job in her test and Chloe won the novice class on Merlot. Guinness made a good attempt in the Elementary for 2^nd but was somewhat distracted as the rest of the yard got fed their dinner!

I’m still waiting for approval to send Guinness off to Rossdales for an investigation in to the ‘head stuck on the floor’ thing but I think I’ll have to wait until New Year now.