The way to heaven is on horseback

 So I realised that it has been a while since I updated this blog so thought out was time to bring it back to life. Magic is now 6  and the b dream finally came true. Since I last posted we have moved yards and magic is now on a lovely yard, it's a working farm with lots of character and a family atmosphere. Magic is coming on in leaps and bounds me as you gu us have been on this journey with me from the start I decided that it was time to bring you guys back along for the journey.  Magic got backed over a year ago now and since then we have entered our first online competition, we have competed at our first ever competition at a venue and we've done our first ever endurance ride. We have changed coaches, made friends and lost friends but most importantly we've learnt together and come a really long way.  So let's talk about our most recent adventures, the first one being his first ever endurance ride. We are so lucky to live within hacking distance of a endurance ri...

Well I got reminded last night that I don't think I ever posted on here the results from my dressage competition, I didn't manage to place in either of the tests but the good news is that in both of them I was one place of placing. I got 7th in both and even managed to get a '9' score on my first test. My riding was better in the walk trot test because I had a bit of a melt down in the second test because instead of focusing on what I was doing I was stressing about who was judging me however I didn't come last on either of them so I was quite happy. Gatsby was a star that day, I still need to put the videos on youtube but as soon as I have put them up I will post them here and you can let me know what you guys think.  These are just a couple of photographs that were taken at the show, these are my two favourites and the one at the top is even my laptop screensaver, after having done one show I have realised that I would love to do another one. But first I wa...

Well guys, I don't think that this post is going to be very long from me as I am still not quite 100%  back to normal. I've been on antibiotics all week for my throat but that is not getting any better and my ear is now starting to get painful as to. So I think on a day off I need to get back to the doctors.  Saturday I had my weekly lesson on Gatsby and to say it was eventful was an understatement. It started off really well, Gatsby was warming up nicely, he was providing me with a good stretch before I even asked him to pick up the contact in both walk and trot. He was a little bit lazy off the leg but other than that he was being very well behaved.  When I started asking him to pick up the contact he was willing to do it, we needed to get more hind end engagement but it was still really really good. He was soft and forward, we did a small amount of canter because it was important for Gatsby and I not to over do it with the canter work before we tried riding th...

Hiya Everyone,  Well I'm just waiting for my homemade lasagne and Garlic Bread to cook that I made with my mum so I thought what better time than to write a post :). First of all I thought that I would let you know what Dressage Tests I am planning on doing in March. The first one is Intro B (I haven't seen this test yet, but I do know that it is a walk/trot test) and the second one is Prelim 14. My riding Teacher told me to learn this test this week so I thought what better way to do this than by writing it out here :), hope you guys don't mind but if you find it boring feel free to skip.  1) Enter at A in Walking Trot and proceed down the centre line. At C turn Left.  2) H to E working Trot, at E Circle Left 20 metres, E to K working trot.  3) Between K AND A transition to walk for 2-5 steps, then proceed to working trot.  4) FXH Change the rein in working trot.  5) Between H AND C transition to walk for 2-5 steps, then proceed t...

Today was the first ride of the year and it was an eventful ride, it wasn't the best riding that we have ever done but it was good enough for me to know what I need to work on before my competition in march.  We started up warming up, Fiona said that I needed to figure out what the optimal warm up time for both Gatsby and I is, for us this is no more than 20 minutes, probably 10 minutes in walk/trot stretching,  followed by 5 minutes to completely stretch out at a walk and relax, then another 5 minutes starting to collect him and add a couple of little bits of canter in! I've got to remember that this is mine and Gatsby's first trip out together so we might not win but we can only do the best that we can do. Also that I am not to put myself under extra pressure just because this competition is at Broomfield, yes there are going to be people there that want to see what Gatsby is like now but I am not to let that bother me.  stretching and Gatsby doing his giraffe...

The title says it all, yesterday during my last saturday lesson of the year I spoke to Fiona and we have decided that we are going to go for it on the 8th March I am going to be doing two dressage tests at Broomfield. We think the tests are going to be British Dressage Intro A (walk and trot test) and British Dressage Prelim 7 (walk, trot, canter test).  Yesterday in our lesson we worked mainly on getting the outline constantly, I was getting Gatsby to work really well long and low in both the walk and the trot before asking him to pick himself up while in the trot. However this did not go quite as planned, as I think i mentioned in an early post this week I have been having problems with my left knee, when I moved on to asking him to pick up and go in to the outline I discovered that I was bracing my left leg and trying to stop getting any impact on it and by doing this while I thought I was protecting my leg, I was unbalancing myself and making my position slightly off. So F...