I can't even think of a smart and witty title, I'm absolutely shattered so please forgive the length of this or if it turns into something non sensical!
A few Flipo facts to start -
9 falls in the last three years
1 trip to a&e
1 visit to a retraining yard for 7 weeks
1 year spent riding at a RS on more experienced horses
1 visit to the dick vet with a slightly lame horse
6mths spent worrying that my horse might never come sound again
7 different bits
4 broken headcollars
2 destroyed tie rings
A trillion leadropes destroyed
and one very very very happy horse owner.
Well today was a good day and in my exhaustion, I'm a tad emotional so may cry while trying to write this!
I've known since before christmas, that this year's show would contain a novice ridden class - walk and trot only, judge wouldn't ride. I kept mulling it over but couldn't make any concrete plans to take part because of Flip's lameness. Whenever I did consider it though, I had bad butterflies and just didn't think we'd manage yet. With the all clear from the vet last month (although jury is out on that one, I still feel the lameness sometimes), my nerves kicked in big style but somehow I've become excited about the prospect....I remember last year's inhand showing did wonders for our on-the-ground relationship, I hoped and wondered if doing something ridden would do the same for our under saddle communication.
Well I had some washing to do so I was up at the crack of dawn (4.30am). Flip is sick of it (he's had around six baths in the last two weeks....seriously, that horse has blonde bits that attract dirt like you wouldn't believe.
We had some issues getting tacked up and ready to go, but we were up at the field for 8am and our entrance was definitely alot less excitable than last year (phew!) I walked him about in hand in the empty collecting ring and then headed up to my friend's car to change into my riding boots, strip off jogging trousers and add my bp. I've been considering not wearing my bp, but it would have just added to the nervousness so it stayed, and I have no shame in having worn it.
We then went back down to the collecting ring and watched as the 14.2hh and under novice class got underway. I specifically wanted to check if they intended to make the riders dismount and strip their horses, but thankfully this didn't happen so we headed back up to the quiet end of the field and we started the mounting dance. Traditionally this is our biggest problem. Flipo gets freaked out and runs as soon as my butt hits the saddle. He's not done it for a wee while, but I was prepared with friend holding stirrup ready. I know she can't hold him if he decides to go, but if I'm ready, I can sit back, hold on and hope. We had a couple of shifties about, I got narky at friend (although she'd been well warned and apologised to in advance for my stressed and nippy demeanour), I backed him up a couple of times and all of a sudden I was in the saddle. And flip didn't move. I could hardly believe it.
Friend was well warned to stick right with us but quickly we wandered back to the collecting ring and Flip strided out in front happily. He didn't feel like a coiled spring, he seemed pretty chilled. Until he met the dustbin directly in the middle of the field and sidestepped snorting. Its traditional isn't it. The most innocuous of things will be those that cause distress, the (wind induced) escaping gazebo, motorbikes, screaming children and donkeys breighing are all ignored.
We didn't have long to wait, and I (maybe badly) didn't do a warm up, other than walking to the ring. Flip is not fit at all, ashamedly, but really, I wouldn't have wanted him to be keen as mustard in our first ridden show venture.
We followed a girl with red ribbon on her horse's tail, a slow horse, which surprised me as Flip is usually the plodder, and had to constantly half halt to get him to slow down. I realise I should have circled but I wasn't happy doing that my first time.
Sorry, I'm wittering on! Trying to cut a long story short, I was pulled in third, we did our individual show, stumbled at the end right in front of the judge, but otherwise it went ok. Standing in line behind the judges I could feel Flip breathing, he just wanted to relax and I can't believe I was standing in the middle of seven other horses with a loose rein. Until the horse next to us took a dislike to Flip and tried to reverse into him at every opportunity. Poor Flip had one ear cocked on him and had to move out of his way on several occasions. At one point he was coming at us and our only exit root was right slap into the judges which the steward ushered away. I could have been frustrated that her horse was upsetting mine, but really I didn't feel worried, I just knew to get out of the way pronto and circled him round again and again.
So we went back out in trot and this time were pulled in fourth, but I can understand that Flip's fitness level will have affected his impulsion, he was practically asleep by this point. I was chuffed to bits though, I'd been relaxed throughout (although typically, I was more worried about one stirrup being longer and feeling like one of Flip's shoes was loose).
The problem came when the judge tried to hand us our rosette. Flip, now on high alert, cocked his ear and side stepped with that panicked look in his eye. The judge tried again, and he side stepped a little more. She chuckled, I apologised and she said 'he's a sensitive soul isn't he?' with that, she decided to give the rosette to my sister at the edge of the ring and we did our lap of honour and left.
So thats us really. We did the in hand heavy horse class again and got first place but god knows how as Flip appeared like he'd been smoking some weed and stood for an age attempting to pee in the middle of the ring.
Other notable events included a small pony attempting to play chicken with Flip (I say attempt, Flip had no guts to stand his ground and moved pronto) and a man who found my horse very interesting. So much so, that I walked away thinking that he'd been violated - he rubbed, patted, poked and proded at practically every inch of him saying how much he loved him. And he did this for around twenty minutes in the collecting ring. My mate was half way across the field and text me 'is it you or Flipo that's pulled?!
Anyhoo, I'll sign off with some photos now. I'll apologise once again for the length, I'll edit when I'm awake. Hopefully I'll also get some other pictures from family and friends, mine are all from one angle I'm afraid.
Another bath you say? Have you not yet got the hint that I'm supposed to be dirty?
6am wake up call
walking in the class
A couple of vids -
A very tired Flip with his rosette (we finally got it on him!)
A very chilled out boy sleeping inbetween classes.
I have no doubt that this experience today will boost my riding confidence no end. I was calm from the moment I got on and Flip was a gem. I'm glad we had a couple of encounters (bins and scary horses) as it just proves that we're not perfect, but we deal with it. We've also had a change of bit recently (to a loose ring waterford) and its doing wonders for our lines of communication. He listens to me and I don't feel like I'm hanging on to his mouth. I don't know if the judge will remember, but I once enquired with her to do some retraining on Flip at the start of our troubles a couple of years ago. She listened to me over the phone and recommended I sell him as no matter what she did, it would never remove the feelings of insecurity I have around him. She might well be right, but I will continue doggidly to overcome our confidence woes and today was a huge leap in that direction. Its insignificant for others to ride at a show with lots of other horses, but I wandered around that field today thinking 'I'm on my horse, look at me, I'm on my horse, isn't that amazing?!!'
We didn't have the same haul of rosettes or trophy this year, but our success was even better in my opinion. My horse rocks and I love him to pieces. Thanks for reading. I'm away to my bed!!:sleep::sleep::sleep:
A few Flipo facts to start -
9 falls in the last three years
1 trip to a&e
1 visit to a retraining yard for 7 weeks
1 year spent riding at a RS on more experienced horses
1 visit to the dick vet with a slightly lame horse
6mths spent worrying that my horse might never come sound again
7 different bits
4 broken headcollars
2 destroyed tie rings
A trillion leadropes destroyed
and one very very very happy horse owner.
Well today was a good day and in my exhaustion, I'm a tad emotional so may cry while trying to write this!
I've known since before christmas, that this year's show would contain a novice ridden class - walk and trot only, judge wouldn't ride. I kept mulling it over but couldn't make any concrete plans to take part because of Flip's lameness. Whenever I did consider it though, I had bad butterflies and just didn't think we'd manage yet. With the all clear from the vet last month (although jury is out on that one, I still feel the lameness sometimes), my nerves kicked in big style but somehow I've become excited about the prospect....I remember last year's inhand showing did wonders for our on-the-ground relationship, I hoped and wondered if doing something ridden would do the same for our under saddle communication.
Well I had some washing to do so I was up at the crack of dawn (4.30am). Flip is sick of it (he's had around six baths in the last two weeks....seriously, that horse has blonde bits that attract dirt like you wouldn't believe.
We had some issues getting tacked up and ready to go, but we were up at the field for 8am and our entrance was definitely alot less excitable than last year (phew!) I walked him about in hand in the empty collecting ring and then headed up to my friend's car to change into my riding boots, strip off jogging trousers and add my bp. I've been considering not wearing my bp, but it would have just added to the nervousness so it stayed, and I have no shame in having worn it.
We then went back down to the collecting ring and watched as the 14.2hh and under novice class got underway. I specifically wanted to check if they intended to make the riders dismount and strip their horses, but thankfully this didn't happen so we headed back up to the quiet end of the field and we started the mounting dance. Traditionally this is our biggest problem. Flipo gets freaked out and runs as soon as my butt hits the saddle. He's not done it for a wee while, but I was prepared with friend holding stirrup ready. I know she can't hold him if he decides to go, but if I'm ready, I can sit back, hold on and hope. We had a couple of shifties about, I got narky at friend (although she'd been well warned and apologised to in advance for my stressed and nippy demeanour), I backed him up a couple of times and all of a sudden I was in the saddle. And flip didn't move. I could hardly believe it.
Friend was well warned to stick right with us but quickly we wandered back to the collecting ring and Flip strided out in front happily. He didn't feel like a coiled spring, he seemed pretty chilled. Until he met the dustbin directly in the middle of the field and sidestepped snorting. Its traditional isn't it. The most innocuous of things will be those that cause distress, the (wind induced) escaping gazebo, motorbikes, screaming children and donkeys breighing are all ignored.
We didn't have long to wait, and I (maybe badly) didn't do a warm up, other than walking to the ring. Flip is not fit at all, ashamedly, but really, I wouldn't have wanted him to be keen as mustard in our first ridden show venture.
We followed a girl with red ribbon on her horse's tail, a slow horse, which surprised me as Flip is usually the plodder, and had to constantly half halt to get him to slow down. I realise I should have circled but I wasn't happy doing that my first time.
Sorry, I'm wittering on! Trying to cut a long story short, I was pulled in third, we did our individual show, stumbled at the end right in front of the judge, but otherwise it went ok. Standing in line behind the judges I could feel Flip breathing, he just wanted to relax and I can't believe I was standing in the middle of seven other horses with a loose rein. Until the horse next to us took a dislike to Flip and tried to reverse into him at every opportunity. Poor Flip had one ear cocked on him and had to move out of his way on several occasions. At one point he was coming at us and our only exit root was right slap into the judges which the steward ushered away. I could have been frustrated that her horse was upsetting mine, but really I didn't feel worried, I just knew to get out of the way pronto and circled him round again and again.
So we went back out in trot and this time were pulled in fourth, but I can understand that Flip's fitness level will have affected his impulsion, he was practically asleep by this point. I was chuffed to bits though, I'd been relaxed throughout (although typically, I was more worried about one stirrup being longer and feeling like one of Flip's shoes was loose).
The problem came when the judge tried to hand us our rosette. Flip, now on high alert, cocked his ear and side stepped with that panicked look in his eye. The judge tried again, and he side stepped a little more. She chuckled, I apologised and she said 'he's a sensitive soul isn't he?' with that, she decided to give the rosette to my sister at the edge of the ring and we did our lap of honour and left.
So thats us really. We did the in hand heavy horse class again and got first place but god knows how as Flip appeared like he'd been smoking some weed and stood for an age attempting to pee in the middle of the ring.
Other notable events included a small pony attempting to play chicken with Flip (I say attempt, Flip had no guts to stand his ground and moved pronto) and a man who found my horse very interesting. So much so, that I walked away thinking that he'd been violated - he rubbed, patted, poked and proded at practically every inch of him saying how much he loved him. And he did this for around twenty minutes in the collecting ring. My mate was half way across the field and text me 'is it you or Flipo that's pulled?!
Anyhoo, I'll sign off with some photos now. I'll apologise once again for the length, I'll edit when I'm awake. Hopefully I'll also get some other pictures from family and friends, mine are all from one angle I'm afraid.
Another bath you say? Have you not yet got the hint that I'm supposed to be dirty?
6am wake up call
walking in the class
A couple of vids -
A very tired Flip with his rosette (we finally got it on him!)
A very chilled out boy sleeping inbetween classes.
I have no doubt that this experience today will boost my riding confidence no end. I was calm from the moment I got on and Flip was a gem. I'm glad we had a couple of encounters (bins and scary horses) as it just proves that we're not perfect, but we deal with it. We've also had a change of bit recently (to a loose ring waterford) and its doing wonders for our lines of communication. He listens to me and I don't feel like I'm hanging on to his mouth. I don't know if the judge will remember, but I once enquired with her to do some retraining on Flip at the start of our troubles a couple of years ago. She listened to me over the phone and recommended I sell him as no matter what she did, it would never remove the feelings of insecurity I have around him. She might well be right, but I will continue doggidly to overcome our confidence woes and today was a huge leap in that direction. Its insignificant for others to ride at a show with lots of other horses, but I wandered around that field today thinking 'I'm on my horse, look at me, I'm on my horse, isn't that amazing?!!'
We didn't have the same haul of rosettes or trophy this year, but our success was even better in my opinion. My horse rocks and I love him to pieces. Thanks for reading. I'm away to my bed!!:sleep::sleep::sleep:
