Unforeseen issues 11th October

Saddle issues

Having been really pleased with the progress Guinness and I have been making on the flatwork front, I’ve hit a bit of an unexpected problem. My 2^nd hand dressage saddle I bought a few months back is giving me a sore bum!! I’ve literally rubbed a few layers of skin off one cheek! I knew when I got it I’d have to replace the seat at some point but was putting this off until my birthday, however it’s now becoming urgent!

I’m still really struggling with the sitting trot and my canter strike off’s are suffering, which I’m positive is due to my bad position because my bony bum is rubbing on the hard saddle seat! So for now it’s back to schooling in the GP (which isn’t ideal with the Chiltern & Thames Dressage Champs now less than 3 weeks away!)

New liveries

We’ve got some great new liveries at my yard this month. Firstly 2 gorgeous polo ponies arrived from Switzerland, who are absolutely gorgeous and so well mannered. Apparently, where they came from they had to wear muzzles in the stable so they didn’t eat the straw so coming to Widmer with straw beds, all day turnout and no exercise (they’re on their winter hols) they think they’ve hit the jackpot! Along with 2 other new liveries who seem very friendly, my friend Jodie is moving to Widmer this weekend with her horse Tom. She, like me, loves jumping and eventing and I’m really looking forward to going to some events together next year!

 Jodie and 'Tom'

Gale force winds!

The weather has been very windy recently and although Guinness is a million times less spooky than he used to be, considering it felt like gale force winds on Monday night when we rode, Guinness was impeccably behaved. The only thing to suffer was our rhythm when the trees suddenly whooshed or some the school surface suddenly blew in to the air, so this is just another sign of how far we have come together.

Clipping

I also attempted to clip Guinness last weekend but after starting on his neck, nothing was coming off, so I guess I’ll have to leave it a few more weeks, although everyone else seems to have their clips already.

“No I don’t want my mane pulled!!!!”

One area where Guinness hasn’t improved though is having his mane pulled! He gets completely hysterical the 2^nd you hold a strand (like he knows what your about to do) and after that there is no reasoning with him – he simply become wild! My friend Bec came to help me last night but after he went up and almost came down on us both, we decided to leave it for another day and it took me almost an hour for him to let me brush it with a hair brush!! I’ve tried solo combing it but he is just as hysterical about that so I think this is going to be another case of put in a lot of time and patience now, and eventually we will (hopefully) succeed. Oh well – I guess that’s horses for you.

XC practise

On Thursday evening, I jumped Guinness in the XC field (just in case he’s forgotten how to jump!) and despite leaping around a little at the start (when the tractor started up or when a cat leaped out of the long grass) I successfully managed to push him on through it and he jumped very well and very relaxed. I think his new ‘sugar-free’ diet has contributed to his calmer manner and any ‘leapy’ episodes seem to be shorter which is great as I don’t like falling off! 

So I’m going to put the flatwork on the back burner now until next week (and let my bum recover!) and go hacking before the Hunter Trials at Great Westwood this weekend – which I really I can’t wait for. Chloe (my sister) is going to ride our little 13.2 pony in the pairs class with me, although, as he is 24 years old now (not that he thinks it) we’re just going to take it steady, then I’m going to have a crack at the Novice on my own. Fingers crossed for that elusive XC clear round!