Blog
Welcome to my blog. Here you will find regular updates on the goings on with DLS Equestrian, including pictures and videos.
Busy, Busy, Busy! (Posted 9th April 2012)
Since Stafford the horses have been ticking over nicely. After completing Stafford on a day ticket with Woody, his owner Phil decided to register him which was very kind and I am very grateful for.
I’ve been working on Woody’s flatwork as once this comes together a bit more and he is more balanced, the jumping will improve too, which is very exciting. We took him for some show-jumping practice at Somerford this week where we put a few fences together including doubles and related distances and he was super. We put them up a little at the end and he definitely jumps better the bigger they get. He really loves his jumping which is nice to see. He is great fun to ride, really rewarding and I am very excited for the season ahead.
Felix has been doing a mixture of flatwork, hacking and interval training in the arena at home. He is a seasoned campaigner at this level now.
I have also been busy teaching. It’s great to see the improvements week on week in my clients and I get a great deal of satisfaction out of it myself.
I have a busy few weeks coming up with Eland Lodge, Kelsall Hill and Bradwall so I will be updating my blog on how we get on.
I’ve been working on Woody’s flatwork as once this comes together a bit more and he is more balanced, the jumping will improve too, which is very exciting. We took him for some show-jumping practice at Somerford this week where we put a few fences together including doubles and related distances and he was super. We put them up a little at the end and he definitely jumps better the bigger they get. He really loves his jumping which is nice to see. He is great fun to ride, really rewarding and I am very excited for the season ahead.
Felix has been doing a mixture of flatwork, hacking and interval training in the arena at home. He is a seasoned campaigner at this level now.
I have also been busy teaching. It’s great to see the improvements week on week in my clients and I get a great deal of satisfaction out of it myself.
I have a busy few weeks coming up with Eland Lodge, Kelsall Hill and Bradwall so I will be updating my blog on how we get on.
The season is underway – Stafford (Posted 31st March 2012)
It’s always nice to arrive at the first event of the season after a long winter. Although for some reason, maybe because this winter was unusually mild (and possibly because I went away on holiday – for the first time in 10 years!) it didn’t actually seem that long.
The day started with a 3.45am alarm call and we arrived at 6.30am to walk the course. I love Stafford, absolutely acres of space for working in in all phases, a lovely flowing XC course and they always make such an effort with the ground. There were a few changes this time, with plenty of ‘skinny’ fences to tackle, the step up to skinny lady bird being a particularly strong question for a BE 90 I thought.
Anyway, on with the dressage and Felix was up first. He was VERY happy to be back out at a proper party with his feet on the grass and spent most of his working in charging about, not really listening much, and humping with a big grin on his face! I decided no spurs were going to be required for the test today and in we went. He was actually very good in the arena in comparison and did an obedient and rideable test. I was therefore slightly disappointed with our mark of 32.5.
As he had been so strong over at the dressage I decided that I’d put the gag in for the SJ which is usually only reserved for the XC. He isn’t actually particularly strong, he just gets a bit on the forehand and the gag helps me to keep his head up and therefore ride to the fences in a better rhythm. He was FAB in the SJ, absolutely ate it for breakfast and loved every minute for a clear round – see picture. Straight onto the XC where he jumped round in his usual careful but genuine style. We completed clear only to hear we had been eliminated for jumping the wrong fence before the water – sack the jokey. Completely gutted and furious with myself was an understatement. Needless to say, Felix would have been 5th without this error on my behalf. Best put it behind us, after all Felix knew nothing about it and had had a great time.
Leaving Felix with Nicola (my friend and volunteer groom) and my dad to wash off, unstud etc I had a quick march to look at the fence I should have jumped to ensure I did not make the same mistake twice then it was onto Woody who Phil and Caz had kindly got ready for me. Bless his heart, considering how green he is and how little schooling he has had he is really starting to understand and he does really try. After getting over the initial excitement of being at a big party he knuckled down and worked in well and I couldn’t have been more happy with his test. It was definitely wobbly and unbalanced in parts but he shows a lot of potential – I was thrilled (and gobsmacked!) to get a 26.5 and lie equal 6th after dressage. In the show-jumping we were really unfortunate to have the very last fence down. He was just a little careless having it down behind but it was heading towards the exit and I believe this fence fell reasonably often. The round was a little untidy, Woody being a very big horse and still a little unbalanced. The steering is also a little suspect at times but overall I was really pleased as he is so willing and really wants to do the job.
Onto the XC and what can I say, for a baby as green as him, he was amazing. I took him quite steady but in actual fact I could probably have kicked on a bit more as he wasn’t fazed by much. Like the show-jumping he was a bit wobbly here and there but the skinny at fence 3 and the step up to skinny lady bird, both of which we jumped from trot, were the only fences he had a really good look at, otherwise he jumped a very good clear round. We both finished with big smiles on our face.
Bring on the next event!
The day started with a 3.45am alarm call and we arrived at 6.30am to walk the course. I love Stafford, absolutely acres of space for working in in all phases, a lovely flowing XC course and they always make such an effort with the ground. There were a few changes this time, with plenty of ‘skinny’ fences to tackle, the step up to skinny lady bird being a particularly strong question for a BE 90 I thought.
Anyway, on with the dressage and Felix was up first. He was VERY happy to be back out at a proper party with his feet on the grass and spent most of his working in charging about, not really listening much, and humping with a big grin on his face! I decided no spurs were going to be required for the test today and in we went. He was actually very good in the arena in comparison and did an obedient and rideable test. I was therefore slightly disappointed with our mark of 32.5.
As he had been so strong over at the dressage I decided that I’d put the gag in for the SJ which is usually only reserved for the XC. He isn’t actually particularly strong, he just gets a bit on the forehand and the gag helps me to keep his head up and therefore ride to the fences in a better rhythm. He was FAB in the SJ, absolutely ate it for breakfast and loved every minute for a clear round – see picture. Straight onto the XC where he jumped round in his usual careful but genuine style. We completed clear only to hear we had been eliminated for jumping the wrong fence before the water – sack the jokey. Completely gutted and furious with myself was an understatement. Needless to say, Felix would have been 5th without this error on my behalf. Best put it behind us, after all Felix knew nothing about it and had had a great time.
Leaving Felix with Nicola (my friend and volunteer groom) and my dad to wash off, unstud etc I had a quick march to look at the fence I should have jumped to ensure I did not make the same mistake twice then it was onto Woody who Phil and Caz had kindly got ready for me. Bless his heart, considering how green he is and how little schooling he has had he is really starting to understand and he does really try. After getting over the initial excitement of being at a big party he knuckled down and worked in well and I couldn’t have been more happy with his test. It was definitely wobbly and unbalanced in parts but he shows a lot of potential – I was thrilled (and gobsmacked!) to get a 26.5 and lie equal 6th after dressage. In the show-jumping we were really unfortunate to have the very last fence down. He was just a little careless having it down behind but it was heading towards the exit and I believe this fence fell reasonably often. The round was a little untidy, Woody being a very big horse and still a little unbalanced. The steering is also a little suspect at times but overall I was really pleased as he is so willing and really wants to do the job.
Onto the XC and what can I say, for a baby as green as him, he was amazing. I took him quite steady but in actual fact I could probably have kicked on a bit more as he wasn’t fazed by much. Like the show-jumping he was a bit wobbly here and there but the skinny at fence 3 and the step up to skinny lady bird, both of which we jumped from trot, were the only fences he had a really good look at, otherwise he jumped a very good clear round. We both finished with big smiles on our face.
Bring on the next event!
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Courtesy of Bill Parrott Photography.
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Courtesy of Bill Parrott Photography.
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The boys go XC Schooling (Posted 25th March 2012)
In the last week or so both of the boys have been XC schooling at Somerford Park Farm. I took Felix along with my trainer Ruth Williams and we had a ball. The 80 acres at Somerford is I think Felix’s favourite place in the world and he always jumps everything very enthusiastically! See video below.
Woody I took with his owner Phil. This was the first time he had ever been XC schooling despite having done a couple of one day events previously. He was VERY strong to start with whilst we were warming up and very green over the first few baby logs we jumped but once he got into it he was brilliant and gave a great feel. We jumped pretty much everything we’d meet at Stafford including some of the bigger fences such as the steeplechase fences. He certainly has plenty of scope.