Fun packed weekend :D

Well, as we are short staffed at work I offered to be a night nurse on Thursday night, so by 8am Friday I had finished work for the weekend (ok so I had been up for 12 hours but I didn’t feel tired at all!).  Tried to have a couple of hours sleep but it didn’t work so instead I had a lazy day. 

Don’t you just love them!  I snuggled on the sofa with dug, watched Cocktail and Music & Lyrics (had that song in my head all weekend) and then rode in the afternoon.  Just did some interval training with J, as I had missed it on Thurs.  We are doing 4 mins trot, 2 mins walk repeated 3 times, followed by 2 min canter, 2 min walk repeated 3 times.  Once the clocks change we will build this up and include some hill sprints up the field.  Although it doesn’t seem like much I can tell that J is feeling fitter.

Anyway, sat wasn’t really a horsey day other than Helen, (with hubby) and I went for a hack.   I helped John take loads of rubbish to the tip, went for a dog walk, then fed the sheepies together - I filmed a very sproingy sheep –

Check out 1min 9 seconds http://youtu.be/splysWuPHjI

All in all a good day :D

On Sunday it was the Almond Riding Club day at SNEC, I went with Helen in her lorry, taking her Mack and my Jack.  We both did prelim 13 and we were on at 3.30!  felt weird leaving after lunch! 

Anyway J was a bit spooked by people but we managed a mixture of hap hazard and calm to become 6^th (60%).

Onto jumping :D I had entered the 90cm and 1m, I felt a bit rusty as it was our first show of the year, but J jumped a clear in both classes and had a pole in both jump offs – all rider error

Videos:

90cms 1st rnd = http://youtu.be/fpoxqlhgqkQ
90cms Jump off = http://youtu.be/V_mlz4bAZZM
1m first round = http://youtu.be/yYisDmLzdGE
1m jump off = http://youtu.be/Twpmx09OdSo

On Monday we then went up to Gleneages for a XC schooling session with St David Gatherer.  I was a little annoyed that there were 7 in our group especially as it was £52 each!  Not sure if anyone else feels that was a bit steep.  The lesson lasted about 2 hours as there was so many of us, and J was quite tense about having people in front trot/canter off without a word behind them. That really annoys me when people do that!

Also as there was so many people it was a bit of a fight to try not to be last to go, with J getting very worried as people galloped off to jump a couple I got talking to a lovely lady whose horse was being perfect, she kindly let me go in front of her and I spent most of the lesson close to her horse as he was a calming influence for J (so thank you – sorry I can’t remember your name – your horse Freddie was lovely :D)

Anyway David does a great job at balancing everyone, so although I felt the lesson had too many people for the price, I do feel we got out of it what we set off to achieve. 

We all jumped the first 3 fences but got to choose the height, I stuck with intro at first them moved up to PN, with a couple of Novice heights.  There were roll tops, gates, stone wall with drops to roll top, some doubles of gates & logs, water jump with palisade 3 strides to hanging log, then slosh through the water to a skinny jump out.  Coffin to palisade, brush fence then arrow heads to a golf ball (!)

I didn’t do the trochanter as I’m a bit windy about them and J was jumping his heart out, despite the jockey riding like an idiot – David would like me to improve my upper body position over the fences, I think you can see that I fold a bit on landing on the videos above, but happy for any CC you can offer :D I am also riding a couple of holes longer than I do normally, after having a winter off my ankles require a bit of time to get used to being in short stirrups again so I am riding longer than I would prefer! 

J also gave a couple of people a lead over the jumps, he was jumping anything I put him to and I think he enjoyed himself.  He did not feel tired by the end at all so I think his interval training is getting him fitter. Sorry I have no photees/vids of the schooling though.   I think people liked him as I had a couple of people tell me what a lovely horse he was, one very nice lady came over to give him a treat – I don’t think she believed me when I said that he was nervous of people – since the treat he kept sidling up to her for more!! 

So looking forward to the season ahead now.  Planning on doing some more xc schooling this weekend, then heading to Montrave for their hunter trials and ideally Auchinleck intro (although I may do PN depending on his Montrave run?)

Anyway, thats all for this week :D