Every expectation exceeded

Server was dodgy and now fixed, pictures should be in place

It was a nice enough day today, so we got ready and we were all set to start loading at 10 this morning. Tia’s test was 12.20 and the centre 45 minutes away, so I figured we had one and a half hours in hand to get her loaded. I had Tetley ready to put on first if I needed to, but I decided to try her first because I wanted to get Tetley off first if we got there in time to do some schooling with him.

Tia walked up towards the ramp and stopped several feet away and refused to go any further. I turned her away and she did the same thing again. So I got a whip and then just very gently rattled her rug with it on her backside. She can hardly have even felt it. But she walked forward, and to my utter surprise walked calmly and sensibly up the ramp. So we let Tetley load himself as usual, and off we set.

When we got there, we had less space than normal to warm up so I wasn’t allowed to ride Tetley in the warm-up area because he wasn’t competing. In the event, this was a bonus, because for some reason the centre was underbooked and we managed to hire an arena with some showjumps in. We took them both across, and Allan held Tia while I schooled Tetley for 20 minutes, doing the canter that we haven’t got space for at home. He was terrific. He can now canter at the speed of a person walking. And he is totally relaxed when he does it too. Ace :-)!

I changed over to Tia and we tried to let Tetley loose, but he went beserk. Rolling, kicking, farting, galloping around! When we finally herded him into a corner and caught him, he calmed down and Allan held him while I warmed up Tia. She did the excited bunny hopping on the back legs thing she does, and then some nice work. She is deperately on her forehand in canter, but that will come. You can see in the shots below that I am currently leaning well forward when she canters. This feels right at the moment but I hope to be able to sit up more soon.

So …………………. the big test ……………..I pointed her at a jump all of 18 inches tall. It was planks with a weird pattern on them. She had a look and ground to a halt. I brought her round again and she popped it in fine style. She didn’t rush or unseat me, just did a nice little hop over it. She did the same with a cross pole, a straight bar and after one look, a double of uprights. She never knocked a pole, didn’t even touch one. And she is green but careful, bold and brave and a totally natural jumper with naturally correct technique. Touch wood, but if she stays sound for the season then she will make a class event horse, really class.

With a grin on my face from ear to ear she had her next test of the morning – going into the warm-up arena with eight other horses. She was trying to jog instead of walk, but apart from that she was calm and easy. So I took her into the ring, and she did not spook once at any of the letters and she went where I asked when I asked. The canter transitions were late/very late upwards and very early downwards, the walk jogged twice, and so all those movements got deservedy low scores (2’s & 3’s) . The rest got 5’s and 6’s which I am absolutely delighted about.

I don’t have much doubt that I have somehow managed to fall on my feet and find a seriously talented little horse. Not only that but she is extraordinarily pretty and a gem to manage on a showground too. On top of that, she marched off across a rubble car park with her newly barefeet and did not seem to notice it once. What more could I ask for, except to be able to keep her in one piece?

Here is her trot. She is photogenic, and while it is clear from the photos that she will at some point have some very very decent paces, these pics are a “frame grab” of the best bit, so don’t get carried away - it didn’t all look this spectacular or I would have won! (We were bottom but who cares, I feel like I won the lottery!)



Here is her canter. I do hope to stop tipping like that soon but she is currently not balanced enough to carry me sat right down on her back. But I think you can see that it will be a lovely pace when she has learnt to carry herself.



Here is halt. It took a second or two to establish, but this is a horse which would not halt at all when I bought her, never mind square!



To finish up, I went to put her back in the lorry, with Tetley already on board, and she carried me off to the other side of the car park to carry on watching the dressage tests still going on! She was clearly enjoying the outing. Perhaps even as much as I did. Roll on Bradwall, I think we can make it with some concerted training between now and then. And my plan now definitely includes pre-novice before the end of the season. She is taking to this like a duck to water.

Tell me what you think of the pics!

C