[faye]

I have just entered Reeco for his first ever ridden competition. He is doing a walk trot dressage test on sunday!! gulp!
This is going to be interesting because he is not good in new places and I'm currently sporting a broken wrist (got to drive the lorry with it, that is not going to be fun)
Last time I tried to get on him at a show he drilled me into the floor and ran over my mum.

I do think I'm officialy mad!

 

[iridehorses]

Good luck! Might be a good idea to just bring him to the show for the exposure - maybe ride him around the grounds but not actually show. He could get a reputation that you don't want if he acts up at the show.

 

[faye]

Hence why he has been out to lots and lots of new venues with no competitions on, he has done lots of inhand shows and why i'm only going to a local unaffiliated dressage test. It is now time that he gets out and actualy does something ridden even if we never make it to the dressage arena I will concider it a sucess If i can get on him.

If he freaks out it is no biggy as the venue is regularly used to get babys out for thier first show and it is not going to be his main discipline

If he freaks anywhere it will be either as I get on him or in the warm up, he will be fine if we actualy make it into the arena. Shows are different here in the UK you can't turn up and just ride around the grounds you have to enter something. If it were summer I might take him out to a small local show and enter him in some inhand classes and then the ride him round, unfortunatly it is winter and none of that sort of show are on and if he freaked there (it is his main discipline) then it would affect his reputation

 

[DuffyDuck]

You broke your wrist?!
Do I dare ask why.. ? Hope its not too bad :S

And Reeco.. behave!

Best of luck, make sure your wrist is well taped up.

He's surprised you so many times already with how good he's been... deep breaths and enjoy it

 

[faye]

Fell off Reeco, Strangely for me i went off backwards on the left hand side (normaly go off forwards on the right hand side). Stupidly stuck my hand out to break my fall, broke my wrist instead!! I Actualy got back on straight away but after about 5 mins my wrist was so sore I had to get back off again.
I have a splint for it (removable and washable) as I refused to have a cast on it due to the fact that the first thing I would do with a cast is get horse muck on it and thenI'd have 6 weeks of rotting horsepoo smell (not good in the office).

Actualy I am quite norty and don't wear the splint all the time. It is a minor bone in my wrist, everything still functions (if a little painfully) and I can live with the pain. Then again you are talking to the girl who went XC with a broken ankle (in a cast) once!!

 

[DuffyDuck]

Wear that cast and it'll fix sooner, and better!! Last thing you want is to re-damage it, or have it heal wrong ahaha

I don't think I've ever fallen off backwards lol... young horses, eh! Glad you got back on though, nothing worse then your sudden exit and then not getting on.. and the build up to getting back on!

Either way, I'm sure he'll be a star.. have you got a photographer for the day?!

 

[faye]

He Litteraly went out from under me in a sort of bolt/rear/jump. I didnt stand a chance at staying on. the Lady who was in the school with me at the time (one of the ladies I teach, but was not teaching at the time) was very worried, said she had never seen anything like it!

 

[DuffyDuck]

They find new ways... all the time.. has he behaved since? Little burger. I remember my first attempt at a ground pole with Duffy.. 18.1hh of horse sitting down like a dog, me wrapped round her neck so I wouldn't slide off!!

Glad its just a wrist then!! Or you could start supergluing yourself in to the saddle? I've contemplated doing it.. a lot!

 

[faye]

Yep he has behaved well since.
He is however going through a "Kevin" stage, he has found his balance and his confidence in walk and trot and therefor being a young lad he must have an oppinion on how it is done.
Spent an hour yesterday convincing him that a long rein was not an invitation to ****** off with me and was acutaly an invitation to stretch down into the contact and a required movement for the test we are doing on sunday.
by the end of the session we had walk and trot on a long rein but we had tantrums whilst getting there.
I have come to the conclusion that my pony is far too fit (didnt even break a sweat yesterday, despite spending almost an hour at trot and having a full winter coat), feeling far too good and generaly getting a bit too big for his boots.

 

[DuffyDuck]

Little burger!

I felt like that not long ago. Over what felt like 10 days, Duffy's hind and neck muscles just went BOOM. Like when a pregnant lady 'pop's... her muscles just appeared. I was over the moon (she now looks horse-ish rather than girrafe-ish) but boy is she feeling it.. sweat? No thank, we're way too cool for that. Had a lesson last night, 25 minute warm up, hour intense riding. She was sweaty after that, but just wanted to do it, really up for it.
I have to admit I don't have the long rein problem aha, soon as I let her stretch she's mooching about.. sometimes looking for a roll :shock:

HOWEVER.. sounds like he's really coming along great... better a bit of fun then a push button.. wayy too boring ahaha

 

[mystykat]

Goodluck! Be sure to have pictures taken to show us!

 

[newhorsemom]

You'll have a great time! Please keep us posted on how the day went.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[kitten_Val]

This is going to be interesting because he is not good in new places

You just never know with horses! I was prepared to the worst on my 1st show (young horse, zero experience, strange place), and she did much better than me controlling her temper. :wink: So don't go mad before you try!

In any case I wish him best luck and be placed!

 

[faye]

kitten-val, unfortunatly it is experiance talking, last time i took him to a show and tried to get on him, he drilled me into the floor and ran over my mum!!!

I've done a lot of work with him since then but I cant help but be aprehensive about it

 

[MyBoyPuck]

Wrap your mom in bubble wrap and have fun!! I'm sure you'll do fine. You realize pics are required for us, right?

 

[Walkamile]

Best of luck to you.....both!

 

[faye]

argg, just got my times. we are in first at 9.53am, I need a good hour on the show ground to get on him and work him in (and sort myself out). it is an hours drive away.
So I'm going to have to leave the yard at 7.45am latest.
I plait up in the mornings so inorder to get all my jobs done (have a thing about going to shows, have to do my stable before we go!) will need to be at the yard by 6am!!!!
I'm officialy mad

 

[DuffyDuck]

Haha I remember my first show.. I was up at 4am, to drive there, friend was jumping first, then I was on at 10am... LONG day.

So long as you have everything planned I'm sure you'll be fine! Can you not plait the night before and put him in a hood?

 

[Prinella]

My latest show was an 8am class 2 hours away so leaving at 5 just in case. Up at 415 dressed and breakfasted by 430! NASTy

Good luck!
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[faye]

I've done the rediculasly early starts before, have sometimes left the yard at 2am but not normaly in winter when it is cold and miserable

i cant plait him the night before as he is a rubber! so if I did I'd get up the next morning to find he has no mane. And i am a perfectionist who HATES the squashed plait look