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As the year comes to an end, I thought I would write a report on how the year has been and what my aims for 2013 are.
So at the start of the year I loaned out my mare Ellie – she is the mother of the yearling I have (Haggis) and is too small for me (15h) but a fab temp. Unfortunately she was sent back after 3 months even though she went on a long-term/forever loan basis!! On her return she kicked my new horse – more on that later – and I sold her to a lovely lady not to far from me. She adores her and selling was definitely the right thing to do! She actually came to buy my IW trailer I was selling and ended up buying both the trailer and Ellie!
Early on in the year I bought a lovely project horse, Charlie. He was a 6yo Hannovarian x TB, fab temperament as long as you didn’t rug him while eating (I received a kick in the knee cap to remind me not to do this!) but he had lots of potential and my OH loved him. Sadly Ellie kicked him and as most of you know he developed a septic elbow which surgery did not fix and was put to sleep. RIP Charlie
As our arena was finished at the start of the year I started having weekly flatwork lessons, which has really helped with Jacks training.
Our dressage scores are slowly improving and one of my goals in 2013 is to achieve a 30 dressage score
so far we are getting between 33.5 to 38.5 in BE100. I am also hoping
to move him up to novice – which was an aim for the 2012 season but the
weather has been so rubbish I entered 8 events in a row and they were
all cancelled!!! As it was so bad, I registered him BS and headed off to BS shows when I could – he has been reasonably consistent, coming 2nd regularly at BN and Discovery – we have only been to half a dozen shows so I’m pleased with that result!
Our best result of the year was 7th at Hutton in the BE100 (dr 33.5, SJ 4 and xc 5.2), we had an annoying fence down in the SJ – something to work on for 2013 is to practice on grass a lot more as I think this will help us to get the elusive BE SJ clear round! We are also not quite fast enough on the xc, I am paranoid that he is not fit enough so don’t push him round – I’m pretty happy to get time faults if my horse isn’t exhausted at the end of it, but hopefully if the events run this year we can get his fitness even higher!
So after losing Charlie, I bought Larry later in the summer, as most of you know Jack kicked him in the field and he developed a septic joint in his hock. Thankfully this time surgery was successful and he is currently out in the field, growing up, eating grass and recuperating. My goal for him is to starting riding him in springtime with the aim to take him to a couple of shows in the summer, then to turn away in autumn and bring him back into work next winter and aim him for the 5yo qualifier. He is such a lovely boy and put up with box rest extremely well. I am pleased to report that hubby also approves of him, which is brilliant!
He is a big lad is Larry, 16.3, turning 4yo and wears a 7 foot rug, I am very relieved that he fits in our new horsebox – purchased earlier this year, you will not miss us at shows as its orange!! Along with my dogs lead, collar, saddle cloth, stirrup irons, XC colours, velvet collar on my tweed jacket and bling browband!! Everyone needs a bit of orange in their life
Even the goats have orange collars:
Managed to go and do a bit of Side Saddle this year also, my friend kindly let me borrow her horse and we took him to a local SS show where he won the best horse class. He was brilliant and would have done better in the other classes against the expert horses if that hadn’t been the 3rd time in a year he had been ridden in the saddle. If I spent time working on his aids he’d be perfect!
Can’t seem to upload the nice ones so here is one the second time he had ever had the saddle on!
Haggis the hoss went to his first show on his own, he took part in the yearling/2yo class at Drum show and was initially pulled into first place after the walk/trot around the arena. Unfortunately he doesn’t quite move straight enough in front so was moved down to second. He had a fun day though I think.
On another note – my hubby and I have also shown our Hebridean Sheep this year at the Royal Highland, Great Yorkshire, Border Union and the Hebridean National Show. We gained some good placing’s at the national show and at Border union but our best success was at the GYS and RHS as we won breed champion with out tup Rudolph! It was amazing to win. Not sure we can ever top that!!
Note the orange headcollar!
My goals for 2013
J – build fitness up, work on SJ on grass, continue with DR lessons
Move to Novice BE, and jump Newcomers BS.
L – back in spring, take to a couple of shows over summer then turn away
H- There is a chance he may be sold. If not then aim for 3yo in hand.
Spock the Shetland – keep the weight off him!!!
Take hubby out lots to keep him happy about the amount of horses I have
Watch CBBC in Feb to see what my hubby and I look like on TV!
Complete my university teaching qualification
Write a couple of articles (has always been on my long term list but never get round to it!)
Have lots of lambs at lambing time! Have fun showing the sheep
Save up for arena mirrors!
Thanks for reading! walkers S&V crisps to all
