It was brilliant! I thoroughly recommend going camping with your pony and exploring new places 
sorry it's so long, but I've got so much to share
We geared up Friday night so all we had to do Saturday am was load the horses and go, Jess ran up the ramp of the lorry We hit a little traffic and it took about an hour and 20 to reach courtyard farm, the girls had a nice big paddock with lots of grass (scary given I have to watch Jess and Tracey's mare isn't normally on grass at all but I'd taken leccy fence to pen them off if need be).
Saturday afternoon we rode around the farm, it was grey and 30mph winds but the tracks were mostly very sheltered, we went for an hour and a half and made best use of the hills there, lots of power walking and long trots up them Jess was funny, she just comes into her own in new places and thoroughly enjoys it.
Sunday we headed for the beach, it's mostly tracks and bridle paths on the 3 miles down there, some more lovely big hills to take the edge off before you get to the beach. We had to cross the coast road which was 60mph and the path we took brought us out on a totally blind crossing, drivers were coming into view and honking on the brakes kindly, Jess stood side on to the road,inches from the traffic and didn't flinch (got in a pissy at having to wait though). The village of Holme is stunning, we were dreaming of which would be our summer residence as we rode through then you negotiate the golf course to get on the beach, there's mesh fences along the path so you can shelter from golf balls every couple of hundred feet the golfers were great and paused play to wave us past
On the beach we had plenty of room, Hunstanton was busy but Holme was perfectly quiet, suprising in the summer holidays but I guess with limited services available the families all pick Hunny to go to. Jess had a moment going on to the beach, she would not go down into a puddle as the sand was soft, I learnt why later, I should listen harder to this little Saint.
We headed west towards Hunny, playing in little pools as Tracey was nervous (last time we went to the beach with her old mare she got a swimming lesson and her new mare, Maddison, hadn't been before) but Maddison was taking it all in her stride. We had a trot and headed down to the sea, both mares walked straight in, no hesitation we had a fabulous long trot and as maddy was settled I encouraged Tracey to canter (she's also been having some canter woes of late) and we were off, it's the longest canter Jess has done in probably a year both girls were foot perfect we stopped and started a couple of times, then as we were cantering along Jess nearly nose planted, we'd hit a pocket of very soft sand that was over her fetlocks, so after yelling at T to slow down for it we decided to get back up away from the waters edge and slow it down.
We walked up the beach and planned to head towards brancaster harbour so we were just moseying enjoying the 25c sunny day, next thing I know Jess was almost knee deep in quick sand I shouted T not to follow and decided trying to stop and turn back was probably a bad idea, and that going forwards was our best bet, bless my little horse, she didn't freak just put her back into it and kept walking, now with sand above her knees and hocks it's was about 20ft before we hit solid ground again, that could have gone so differently, I'm so grateful of my little girl having the work ethic she does
We bumbled about a bit more and rode alongside the nature reserve in the dunes and decided to head back, as we got back to where Jess had been funny earlier I could see why, it looked like another quick sand pit, but I couldn't see that from the high side before.
We stopped at the pub on the way back through the village, the owners brought the girls a bucket of water and carrots and apples and my mum had come to meet us so we sat and chatted for an hour before heading back to camp, which was a fab and uneventful ride, Jess was storming along leaving the very tired maddy for dust we were out 4.5 hours all told.
At camp new people had arrived and their 3 horses were in the neighbouring paddock, Jess was squealing, striking and carrying on like the hormonal mare she is, but they seemed to settle so we nipped back to the pub for a very late lunch. When we got back all seemed relatively quiet, I saw mum off then settled into my chair for a well earned rest, Jess was still going over to the fence every 5 mins, squealing and striking, then trotted down the field slightly lame my heart hit my stomach, i checked her over and she had a slight swelling on the left fore leg and some nicks on the right fetlock, I didn't want to bute her as I needed to be able to see what was going on and decided to cold hose and see what the morning brought.
As I turned in I could still hear her carrying on, and again as I got into bed, so I got up and set up the electric fence in the dark and put her in a pen, I couldn't listen to that all night wondering if she's hurting her legs more, she was not impressed I was up before dawn to check her, no swelling or heat but not enough light yet to trot her up. When it got light I let her out of the pen and she trotted up the field sound I think she probably had stuck her front legs through the post and rail fence while we were at the pub and oiked herself but the cold hosing was enough to ease it. So I decided a gentle walk for half hour would be good for her before loading up to come home, so we tootled around the farm again and she felt strong as an Ox
We traveled home uneventfully, as we pulled into my street I started looking for my keys, but couldn't find them, we parked up and I went through all my bags, nothing. I can't even put Jess back in the field because the gate key is on the ring along with my house key, car key, yard shed and locker keys only I could manage this! So we called Tracey's YO and took Jess back there, as we pulled in I vaguely remembered having my keys in the tent. I offloaded Jess and stuck her in a stable (she walked up their stoney yard with no hesitation or lameness), then went about putting my tent up, no keys in the pockets then just as I walked out they dropped from the roof right in front of me, they must have snagged up there when I put it down or up so we all went home
I have so many pictures and videos I'll put a link to my google album once I've uploaded them all
sorry it's so long, but I've got so much to share We geared up Friday night so all we had to do Saturday am was load the horses and go, Jess ran up the ramp of the lorry
We hit a little traffic and it took about an hour and 20 to reach courtyard farm, the girls had a nice big paddock with lots of grass (scary given I have to watch Jess and Tracey's mare isn't normally on grass at all but I'd taken leccy fence to pen them off if need be).Saturday afternoon we rode around the farm, it was grey and 30mph winds but the tracks were mostly very sheltered, we went for an hour and a half and made best use of the hills there, lots of power walking and long trots up them
Jess was funny, she just comes into her own in new places and thoroughly enjoys it.Sunday we headed for the beach, it's mostly tracks and bridle paths on the 3 miles down there, some more lovely big hills to take the edge off before you get to the beach. We had to cross the coast road which was 60mph and the path we took brought us out on a totally blind crossing, drivers were coming into view and honking on the brakes kindly, Jess stood side on to the road,inches from the traffic and didn't flinch (got in a pissy at having to wait though
). The village of Holme is stunning, we were dreaming of which would be our summer residence as we rode through then you negotiate the golf course to get on the beach, there's mesh fences along the path so you can shelter from golf balls every couple of hundred feet the golfers were great and paused play to wave us past On the beach we had plenty of room, Hunstanton was busy but Holme was perfectly quiet, suprising in the summer holidays but I guess with limited services available the families all pick Hunny to go to. Jess had a moment going on to the beach, she would not go down into a puddle as the sand was soft, I learnt why later, I should listen harder to this little Saint.
We headed west towards Hunny, playing in little pools as Tracey was nervous (last time we went to the beach with her old mare she got a swimming lesson and her new mare, Maddison, hadn't been before) but Maddison was taking it all in her stride. We had a trot and headed down to the sea, both mares walked straight in, no hesitation
we had a fabulous long trot and as maddy was settled I encouraged Tracey to canter (she's also been having some canter woes of late) and we were off, it's the longest canter Jess has done in probably a year both girls were foot perfect we stopped and started a couple of times, then as we were cantering along Jess nearly nose planted, we'd hit a pocket of very soft sand that was over her fetlocks, so after yelling at T to slow down for it we decided to get back up away from the waters edge and slow it down.We walked up the beach and planned to head towards brancaster harbour so we were just moseying enjoying the 25c sunny day, next thing I know Jess was almost knee deep in quick sand
I shouted T not to follow and decided trying to stop and turn back was probably a bad idea, and that going forwards was our best bet, bless my little horse, she didn't freak just put her back into it and kept walking, now with sand above her knees and hocks it's was about 20ft before we hit solid ground again, that could have gone so differently, I'm so grateful of my little girl having the work ethic she does We bumbled about a bit more and rode alongside the nature reserve in the dunes and decided to head back, as we got back to where Jess had been funny earlier I could see why, it looked like another quick sand pit, but I couldn't see that from the high side before.
We stopped at the pub on the way back through the village, the owners brought the girls a bucket of water and carrots and apples
and my mum had come to meet us so we sat and chatted for an hour before heading back to camp, which was a fab and uneventful ride, Jess was storming along leaving the very tired maddy for dust we were out 4.5 hours all told.At camp new people had arrived and their 3 horses were in the neighbouring paddock, Jess was squealing, striking and carrying on like the hormonal mare she is, but they seemed to settle so we nipped back to the pub for a very late lunch. When we got back all seemed relatively quiet, I saw mum off then settled into my chair for a well earned rest, Jess was still going over to the fence every 5 mins, squealing and striking, then trotted down the field slightly lame
my heart hit my stomach, i checked her over and she had a slight swelling on the left fore leg and some nicks on the right fetlock, I didn't want to bute her as I needed to be able to see what was going on and decided to cold hose and see what the morning brought.As I turned in I could still hear her carrying on, and again as I got into bed, so I got up and set up the electric fence in the dark and put her in a pen, I couldn't listen to that all night wondering if she's hurting her legs more, she was not impressed
I was up before dawn to check her, no swelling or heat but not enough light yet to trot her up. When it got light I let her out of the pen and she trotted up the field sound I think she probably had stuck her front legs through the post and rail fence while we were at the pub and oiked herself but the cold hosing was enough to ease it. So I decided a gentle walk for half hour would be good for her before loading up to come home, so we tootled around the farm again and she felt strong as an Ox We traveled home uneventfully, as we pulled into my street I started looking for my keys, but couldn't find them, we parked up and I went through all my bags, nothing. I can't even put Jess back in the field because the gate key is on the ring along with my house key, car key, yard shed and locker keys
only I could manage this! So we called Tracey's YO and took Jess back there, as we pulled in I vaguely remembered having my keys in the tent. I offloaded Jess and stuck her in a stable (she walked up their stoney yard with no hesitation or lameness), then went about putting my tent up, no keys in the pockets then just as I walked out they dropped from the roof right in front of me, they must have snagged up there when I put it down or up so we all went home I have so many pictures and videos I'll put a link to my google album once I've uploaded them all
