Competition, liberty and cavaletti

On the Sunday before last we all went to a CT (combined test- dressage and show jumping competition) at Full Gallop Farm which is quite local. All 4 working students competed, and Emma rode two horses, one her own and one Michelle's. We borrowed a trailer big enough to carry 5 horses and took the horses to Full Gallop the evening before so that they could settle in. The next morning we arrived at about 9am, but I wasn't riding until midday so I volunteered as a dressage ring steward until then. 

My dressage test went really well, I felt it was the best I could have done and I was so pleased with my horse, Teddy, as it was probably the best she's ever gone for me. My show jumping round wasn't as good- we only knocked one pole down but it wasn't the smoothest round! To be fair neither Teddy nor I have jumped a full course of jumps in a long time so we are both a bit out of practice! Overall I was really pleased with how it went. Although I didn't get a particularly high score and I came 9th (would have been 5th without the 4 penalties for the pole down in show jumping), I had so much fun and wish I could compete every weekend! The three other working students were in a different class to me and did well- Emma came 2nd on her horse and 5th on the other, Anni came 6th and Maude came 7th. 

Teddy

Over the past few days I have been trying out 'liberty' with Teddy. This is like playing with the horse on-line but without a halter and rope, so you have to communicate with the horse using only body language and the carrot stick. It is so cool being able to do this, and I can really see how much I have improved over the two months I have been here. So far at liberty I can get Teddy to come towards me, back up away from me, go in a circle around me then turn and face me ('disengage') when I ask, and walk and trot with me running next to her. At first I did it in a round pen so she couldn't run away, but this morning we had a group liberty session with all four working students and four horses in one of the pastures which was a real test of our communication with our horses as they could (and occasionally did) just leave.

Harcala and me

This week I have started to ride a pony called Harcala who belongs to one of Michelle's friends. I have played with him on-line quite a lot and he's great at that, but he has less experience at being ridden- in the past he has mostly done trail rides. The first time I got on him he was reluctant to move forwards (but went sideways quite happily!), so we have been doing an exercise called 'point to point.' This is where you go from one side of the arena to another as fast as you can and then stop and rest for a minute when you get there, before turning around and going fast to the other side where you rest again. This gives the horse motivation to move as they keep being rewarded for doing so by getting rests, and they quickly have a lot more enthusiasm for going forwards, especially if there's grass they can eat at the rest stops! It worked really well with Harcala, he is now like a different horse who will go forwards to trot with very little encouragement. The only problem is that now he keeps drifting towards the fence because he knows that's where he can stop and eat grass!

Cavaletti (the black things)

In the afternoons we have been testing our carpentry skills by making cavaletti (little jumps) out of old poles and fence posts. Maude, the working student from France, has made them before and is very good at DIY so she is the project manager! She also has some ideas for cross country jumps to build around the farm which would be great (although I'll probably have gone by the time they're built.) I now know how to use a circular power saw, and I always seem to be covered in paint as we're painting the cavaletti black.

Maude's skills also extend to cooking and the other day she brought a taste of France to South Carolina by making us some amazing crêpes. Anni and I had four each! (Two savoury and two Nutella.) 

Today was a very sad day for us as Anni left. She is spending a week with friends in Washington then going home to Germany. She was at Avalo for three months so has been here for my whole stay, and it will be weird without her! She, Emma and I all cried when saying goodbye, the three of us got along really well. Anni and I are going to visit each other when we're both back in Europe.

I have just over a week left at Avalo and then a week at Myrtle Beach before flying back to London. I will be sad to leave but part of me is definitely looking forward to going home. I miss everyone at home and lots of English things like pubs, English television (I have been watching lots of Peep Show on my laptop) and the abundance of tea! My mum sent me a picture of our garden yesterday and it looks so green and lush compared to here (admittedly because of all the rain.) Maybe I'm idealising England in my head, but it's nice to know that I really like the place I'm from! Having said that, I will miss everyone here as well when I leave, and I do wish I could take Teddy home with me!