The past week or so has again been busy and fun, and my highlight has to be cross country schooling. Michelle took Anni, me and two horses, JD and Teddy, to a local cross country course last Friday. We began by warming up on-line, and then got on our horses at the water complex. We enjoyed cantering through the water and then walked round the course trying out different jumps, some of which we put together in a small course at the end. I had so much fun! Teddy hasn't done cross country in a long time but she used to compete to a relatively high level, so she knows what she is doing but was a little cautious at first. It was great to see how much her confidence grew, and by the end she was very willing and much less hesitant which made her brilliant to ride. I had only properly been cross country schooling once before in England during Pony Camp in 2011, and I had forgotten how much fun it is- I want to do it every day! Click here to see a video (sorry about the random blank bit half way through.)
Another highlight was swimming with the horses. Emma and Maude went schooling the day after us, and Anni and I went as well to watch and photograph. At the end of their session they took their horses into the lake to play and cool off, and Anni and I got to have a go too which was great. Both of the horses we took, Rhapsody and Apache, love the water and were pawing at it with their front legs and lying down in it, and after a while we got on and took them in a bit deeper so they could swim. Click here to see a video.
On Sunday I will be doing my first proper competition at a local farm that is running a CT (a 'combined test' which is a training show for eventing that involves only the dressage and show jumping phases- sadly no cross country.) I am taking Teddy and we have been practicing every day this week. She feels great so hopefully it will go well! I'd love to come back with a rosette (or 'ribbon' as they call them here.) All of the working students are competing and Emma is taking two horses, so we are going to have to borrow a bigger trailer to transport all five horses.
Earlier this week we had a lesson in the evening where we played games on our horses. These included weaving in and out of barrels without using your reins, and trotting around a barrel in a circle tight enough that your stick doesn't lose contact with the barrel. We also got into pairs with another horse and rider and each held one end of the stick and trotted around the arena, and then one pivoted around on the spot while the other trotted/cantered in a circle around them. This was quite challenging but we all got it in the end and it was really fun to try.
This week I have been working with a horse called Starbuck, one of those who is less highly trained in natural horsemanship. At first I only worked with him on the ground, but I have now ridden him 4 times. He likes to move his feet, is quite speedy and very reactive. He is also a space invader; he likes to stand very close to me and is reluctant to back up out of my space. As I've got more experienced I
can really see a (positive) change in his behaviour on the ground; we can both be calmer and I know how to deal with any problems that may come up. When I ride him he is pretty good but likes to go fast. However, if I use the 'patterns' (a shape that you follow as you ride, for example in the 'bow-tie' pattern you go in a straight line, loop around and then follow that same line in the opposite direction before looping around again back onto the line in the original direction etc.) that I have learnt he relaxes and gets much more steady. He is so rewarding to work with because I can really see Natural Horsemanship benefiting him. Apparently he used to be quite uncontrollable which I can imagine from what I know of him, but now, doing NH, he is so much more sensible and calm.
Michelle has a lot of her horses for sale at the moment as she is trying to downsize, so as it was very rainy yesterday we spent some of the day advertising them on various websites. We have also had a few people come and try out horses they are interested in, and since I've been here one has been sold.
Yesterday we went to a drive-through bank! You have to put a container holding your cheques into a plastic tube that sucks it up and into the people inside the bank who talk to you on an intercom. It was very bizarre to see and all of us foreigners were taking pictures!
Earlier this week we had a lesson in the evening where we played games on our horses. These included weaving in and out of barrels without using your reins, and trotting around a barrel in a circle tight enough that your stick doesn't lose contact with the barrel. We also got into pairs with another horse and rider and each held one end of the stick and trotted around the arena, and then one pivoted around on the spot while the other trotted/cantered in a circle around them. This was quite challenging but we all got it in the end and it was really fun to try.
This week I have been working with a horse called Starbuck, one of those who is less highly trained in natural horsemanship. At first I only worked with him on the ground, but I have now ridden him 4 times. He likes to move his feet, is quite speedy and very reactive. He is also a space invader; he likes to stand very close to me and is reluctant to back up out of my space. As I've got more experienced I
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| Me riding Starbuck |
Michelle has a lot of her horses for sale at the moment as she is trying to downsize, so as it was very rainy yesterday we spent some of the day advertising them on various websites. We have also had a few people come and try out horses they are interested in, and since I've been here one has been sold.
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| Drive-through bank |
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