Sehr gut!
So I updated you on Lily’s diagnosis. Poor little girl. She has had steroid injections and the first two of three shockwave treatments and is working in the pessoa. She will be reassessed after 7 weeks to discuss whether we can up her workload or whether surgery is the better option. While I was there we did discuss the merits of me taking up a different hobby…
I have been doing lots of jumping clinics at various yards which really seems to be working. Everyone is having fun and I can see far more people at one time. This seems to be the way forward on the jumping side as I am so busy from April through to November. I am really pleased to be hearing good reports from those going out to their first competitions after working on things through the winter. This is great and what it’s all about for me. We are very lucky to have the use of the facilities at Bedgebury.
Talking of rewarding parts of the job; Jasmine and Reggie have qualified for the Novice Summer Regionals with 69% at Oldencraig BD, then while on a roll she won the Elementary overall with 67% which was 4% ahead of anyone else! We have been working so hard on improving their scores, I am absolutely thrilled for her.
Both Ivy and Tiny have been out and about with their loanees. Ivy was placed 3rd in her novice dressage test at Speedgate despite throwing in a buck in the medium canter. You would think at 21 years old she would know better! Tiny has also been in the ribbons winning her novice test at Warrigal Farm just recently. It is lovely for us to know that they are so well looked after, and still out there having fun. Rosie looks absolutely enormous and must be about to produce a foal any minute, I will keep you posted.
Ehren has also been to the vets, twice! She had xrays and was blasted with antibiotics for two weeks and then returned (with my frequent visitor pass!) for more xrays in the hope that it remedies the abscess and we don’t need to extract a front tooth. Anyway the gum got nasty but by the time we went back to the vets it had vanished again! We are hoping (could you all join in please!) that she has something in her gum, and that there is no reason to whip her tooth out.
She doesn’t like you touching it when it is sore (fair enough!) but is otherwise utterly unconcerned so I took her to Bedgebury to school in the arena again as we had a debut planned! It was rather windy and she was a little bit of a handful spooking and leaping at things. I know that I’m a weirdo but I rather like that she has something about her. I wasn’t sure about her goody-two-shoes impression.
Unfortunately Nurstead BE was cancelled with all the rain so we have had no party for Tinka. We are hoping that Borde Hill will run at the end of the month but at the moment it looks unlikely.
And then it arrived! Ehren’s big day out! I have to admit to questioning my sanity as the alarm went off at ten minutes past four, however I shouldn’t have worried as the girl was a total star. We headed off to Bedgebury BD for two Prelims. She astounded me with how she coped with everything winning her first test with 72%, and although rather tired she still got 67% in the next test and came second. Wooooooo!
I told you my back hurt
Some months ago I sent a photo of Lily to an animal communicator with one question ‘do you hurt anywhere?’ Partly this act of madness was out of frustration but also because it wasn’t expensive and I was jolly curious. I also got Louisa to do the same for Strider so we could compare notes. I knew it would not be hard to find information for Lily and I on the web, but just between us Strider is not computer literate…
So the first thing that came back was that Lily was refusing point blank to talk to the lady. I had forgotten to include her name with the pictures and Lily was not going to talk to a stranger who didn’t know her name. End of discussion! Lesley the communicator advised that this wasn’t entirely normal and that Lily certainly seemed to know her mind. Uhum! Personally I prefer to think that my sweet little Lily has been brought up not to talk to strangers…
Anyway, eventually Lily agreed to chat. She had rather a lot to say compared to Strider who in comparison was the strong silent type (although he did refer to himself as ‘Louisa’s Wonder Horse’… snigger snigger….).
So typical Lily, she wanted to get the whole thing over and done with as quickly as possible – “I felt very much that I must read for Lily quickly as she wants you to know what is going on so that you can stop worrying about her! She is a wonderful intelligent mare, obviously respects you as an owner and rider but her whole reading was to ‘let you know what is going on so that we can get back to work!’”
Then some stuff about how a one-to-one relationship suits her best – “The first thing that I get when I look at the photos is that you have a very unique relationship. ‘I feel as if you rescued me from a way of life that did not suit me!’ Lily is very confident to talk to you Janine, but I feel that when you first got her she was not this way. It feels actually as if she didn’t appear to care and really didn’t want to be around humans much, only for food and occasional support. A horse that has retreated inside herself in order to cope.”
A very clever ‘get out of jail free’ card?! – “I think it would be reasonable to say that she is sensitive and that on many occasions her reactions are her way of saying ‘I cannot cope, I cannot cope’ rather than at any time being naughty as she is the world’s best tryer and she tries FOR YOU. This is the unique relationship that she has, I really do feel that it would be difficult to sell her as she would only want to be with you and she tells me ‘she only trusts you!’”
This part came with a very detailed diagram – “This makes the next bit all the harder to say, but at the moment ‘yes, she is in pain’ and I feel it is through her back, but believe me she has tried and tried to ‘keep going’ and ‘get over it’ but it feels that rest is what she needs for now. She tells me ‘she is not using her body properly’ and that is because she is ‘keeping going’ when really her body is telling her to stop.”
“She also tells me that I must say to you ‘it is NOT in any way your fault’ and that even vets and physios might not ‘pick it up precisely’ as she is VERY good at covering things up.”
I am slightly amused by this mixture of self-confidence and insecurity – “Janine this reading is very much about her current health situation and very little about her as an amazing athlete (which she clearly is) and that she has an injury which she has tried to keep hidden, but is beginning to ‘be unable to hide from you!’ She wishes most of all that you ‘treat her the same as you always have’ and she ‘just wants to get on with her job’ as soon as you see improvement. She loves work and it would be the worst thing in the world for her to be ‘out of a job’. She doesn’t want you to ‘worry about her or feel that she is less capable, as she ensures me she is VERY capable!’”
So there we have it. When Lily comes back into work we can discuss my understanding of ‘respect’ but I know my girl, she is a tryer, and she absolutely is ‘my horse’ and noticeably trusts me more than others. It took me a while to register. She is sharp but this isn’t her; something is wrong.
On Monday Lily went to the vets. She passed all the tests, no response to palpation, trotted up sound after flexion, and lunged like a star saying “I’m fine!” (good at covering things up huh?). Her osteopath and vet had discussed her case in the morning and so it was agreed to start with back x-rays. Gavin had been unhappy with the thoracic area of her spine and right enough Lily was diagnosed with ‘Kissing Spines’. Six of the dorsal spinal processes are touching and overlapping, and many show changes.
Everything makes sense. Poor Lily. If only she could talk…..
Oil or velcro?
Well firstly the boil thing on Ehren’s gum disappeared so I cancelled the trip to the vets thinking I was saving myself some money. You know what comes next….it came back. So we have an x-ray booked for Monday.
I can report that since I have been wearing the Bioflow wristband I can now stand up straight away when I get out of bed in the morning. Wonders will never cease! And since starting my two exercises there have been several days when I have been able to touch my toes – good grief, you have no idea what an achievement this is!
We had a very busy day with 17 people XC schooling at Bonfleur. I was dragged around the course by a rather excited Jazz in the morning with the first group, then two more groups with me on foot through the day. The weather was amazing and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Bonfleur is a great place to school mixed groups.
Ehren doesn’t seem bothered by her gum so I have carried on riding her and I had another lesson with Char on Good Friday. I am happy to report that although there is obviously plenty to work on I did get moaned at slightly less than the previous lesson. However, I can see very clearly from Louisa’s photos that try as I might I am still not sitting on my bum in the canter. I either need to oil my hips or resort to Velcro!
On Saturday last week we had the first Carmen Court jumping clinic of the year, a pretty quiet affair with it being Easter weekend. Several of the horses in the first group were new to me and generally the group was really spooky. This was a perfect opportunity to get them out seeing new fillers and practising our line and rhythm. The second group was full of regulars, always nice to catch up and see how combinations are progressing.
That night we popped up to Groomsbridge Stud near Newmarket to see our friends Sally and Tom Forster, and of course Lexie. Groomsbridge moved to a new base in February and very smart it is too. We met the lovely stallion Sambertino who I have been following and very much like the look of. I have been really impressed with his super smart but trainable offspring. He is such a happy friendly boy in person too. The girls had better not stand still for too long! We also saw two lovely smart three year olds and Sally’s stunning young stallion-to-be Morris but catch of the day was Lily’s little black baby brother. He came to tell me how despicable they have been to him and how he would love to come home with me. All whispered in my ear whilst resting his chin on my shoulder….cute!
I think my mum would say my Groomsbridge friends are a bad influence….uh-oh, Lamy getting in with the wrong crowd again! Martin has set the car engine to cut out within a 15 mile radius of Newmarket and has hidden the lorry keys. Seems a little harsh. I wonder if they do mail order?!
Yesterday we were at South of England with Tinka for the BE100. She was beside herself with excitement from the moment we arrived at the yard in the morning but did us proud to record her third double clear of the year and finished up 9th. It is a real credit to her that with very limited preparation she goes out there and does the job so well. She knows she’s good!
This week Ehren has the trip to the vets, but the following week it is Lily’s turn. Everything crossed for some answers….
Tinka-The-Ego
Well life is certainly starting to get busy again!
Ehren has started hacking in company and has been really relaxed. She isn’t too sure about sheep, and even worse baby lambs but she has been very sane and sensible about the little fluffy white things. Tinka and her saw Tina the chiropractor for a routine check-up, and all was well. Then Ehren had a date with uncle Nick the dentist, and what a superstar she was about that too. However (!) I had noticed a little sore in her gum above her front teeth and apparently that is a fistula oozing pus from somewhere. So she may have an abscess that needs the vets to take a look, maybe x-ray to make sure there is nothing untoward going on. Don’t get me started!
However she isn’t at all bothered by it so we took her to Bedgebury to hire the arena last Thursday to see how she would be and start getting her out, seeing a bit of the world. She was very well behaved but very different to the quiet little girl that pootles around the arena at home. I was driving the Mercedes-Benz Sport all of a sudden. All of the controls I have been mastering in the last month vanished and I quickly had to find new buttons! It’s funny how they are all different, and Ehren being warmblood couldn’t be more different to the Groomsbridge Girls who are thoroughbreds. Those girls may be sharp but they would never be spooked by a tap at the side of the arena. Every, yes every single time we went past it I think it must have hissed at her in German. Oh…purlease….get over it!
Tinka then headed off to Munstead for her second BE100 of the year. Her dressage warm-up was a sight to behold, and not really sure how Martin held the test together. She was very excited to be out again and added an exuberant flying change to the test for good measure – ‘look at me!’ We all breathed a sigh of relief when it was over and she then did us proud by jumping her socks off for a double clear to finish 10th. We are really pleased with her progress and she is off to South of England next.
I have had my first Biomechanics/Pilates session and have a couple of exercise to do three times a day for two weeks before going back for a progress report. They require me to turn very slightly one way, then the other a few times. Then a little bit of pressure on both legs for a bit. Am intrigued to see if this makes a difference! I am also sporting a Bioflow magnetic wristband. You must give one of these a go. Mine is made of Copper; it has made my wrist go green, made me feel like I had flu for the first weekend, and gave me a cracker of a headache for ten days…..uhum.
As the clocks have changed and the ground is dry, all the horses at Carmen Court have moved onto ‘Summer Turnout’ meaning different paddocks for everyone and longer days out in the fields. Ehren seems to be slightly institutionalised and was not entirely comfortable out there in that big space despite having horses on every side and being close to the yard. She decided the little ginger in the field next door was to be her comfort blanket. If Lily went too far away Ehren panicked and much to my amusement Lily would keep walking back to the fence, have a little chat, then go away again. I can imagine her rolling her eyes and thinking that this German girl was quite obviously ‘care in the community’ but she is so sweet she kept it up all morning. It was hours before Ehren plucked up enough courage to go the hundred yards to the other side of the field to say hello to Strider, winging her way back to Lily at full pelt to tell her all about it….
This additional sunshine prompted the girls to come into season and my oh my, they are seriously in season! My lovely new Mercedes has turned into a runaway Sherman tank, and you know how much the Germans hate it when you mention the war…
Coming up we have a busy day XC schooling at Bonfleur, I have another Char lesson, an Easter Carmen Court jumping clinic, lots of Pony Club stuff over the holidays, some B test Care examining, then Tinka-The-Ego heads to Ardingly.
I have just noticed that someone came to this website after searching ‘fat slob in the corner of the Red Lion Swanley Village’. Now I know I put a little weight on over winter but really?!
26 years old
How changeable is the weather? One minute I am dressed for summer and the next I am sitting in the little Picanto in just my jumper and socks having got soaked….
Tinka and Martin had a great start to the season at Tweseldown BE100 last weekend. She was much more relaxed in the dressage for a really pleasing score of 34, was never going to touch a showjump and jumped a super clear cross-country. Martin was thrilled to finish on a double clear. She looked so much more established, and was really easy to have out. Next stop is Munstead…..
Well you knew it was coming, on Thursday I had my first flatwork lesson in a year with Char. Many of you expressed delight at the thought of someone giving me hell and you would not have been disappointed – “Give your hands to the horse, ride the horse to your hands”….”Shorten your reins!”……” Sit on your bum!”…..” Soften your wrists!”…..and on it went. When I rode Ehren the following day she was like a different horse, as if I had managed to explain things properly the day before. Must get April’s lesson booked! On the plus side I have much needed homework and Ehren got the thumbs up.
Like all my horses she is living in hand-me-downs. Harry’s turnout rug is at least 6 inches too big, and her outer night rug is at least three inches too short. Poor little girl looks like orphan Annie and I should think she wonders where she has ended up. Daddy Warbucks we are not! I was pondering this when I realised the dandy brush in my hand was over 26 years old. It came with my second pony ‘Cheetah’. It hasn’t seen a lot of use recently, for reasons of personal safety you would not approach either Lily or Harry with a dandy brush. So I started thinking….I had already owned this brush for ten years when the current gang of North West Kent pony clubbers training for their B test were born. Oh dear, Lamy you saddo!
I haven’t really said much about Lily recently. She continues to see the osteo every month. The vet agrees that she is obviously in pain, and we will be continuing investigations to find out what is wrong. It is horrid to see her look so poor and unhappy. Fingers crossed we can make her better soon….
This week both Ehren and Tinka are due to see the chiropractor for a routine check-up, Nick Coles is coming to do Ehren’s teeth, Ehren then has a little outing to Bedgebury to hire the arena (yikes!), and Martin and Tinka are off to Munstead. Horror upon horrors I am off to see a biomechanics/pilates expert, and we have 18 for xc schooling at Bonfleur!
Terrifying but brilliant!
We had a fantastic morning at Littleton Manor XC schooling last weekend. Lovely and warm, bright blue skies and the going was absolutely fantastic. It was great to be out again, although I have to admit to walking the course wishing Harry and I were having a play. First XC school of the year on a horse you trust is a great feeling. Everyone jumped really well and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Smiles all round!
Martin and Tinka then went to Lucy’s for a jumping lesson. The words ‘arrogant’ and ‘madam’ were heard a fair bit but some great exercises that really got her thinking and staying straight. She is such a cocky whatsit!
On Saturday we had our last Bedgebury jumping clinic of the winter. It’s such a shame that I won’t be there much through the Summer but we have clinics starting at Carmen Court in April, a few at a new venue Adds Farm, and I am doing more ‘private groups’ on livery yards too…My favourite quote of the day; “that was absolutely terrifying but brilliant!” Maybe that’s my new advertising slogan?! Janine Lamy, terrifying but brilliant!!
Yesterday Tinka and Martin headed off to the pre-season combined training at Munstead. Oh crikey, what unbelievably hideous weather. It was freezing cold, alternating between icy rain and snow, blowing a bitter wind and seriously wet underfoot. On the left the picture shows the carpark when we arrived, never a good start! On the right, as we were towed out. Yuk yuk yuk. Tinka was very well behaved considering the conditions. An improved dressage test with a couple of mistakes, and a little away with the fairies in the showjumping having two poles, but that improved on second attempt. The first round of the year on grass can be a bit like that and the going was awful! Superstar of the day was Julia Izzard on her lovely young coloured mare Libby who won her 80cm class. Anyone who has seen this mare jump will know she is a really smart horse and definitely one for the future.
Ehren hasn’t slipped her halo yet. So far so good….she has continued to be very sweet and relaxed about life. I have my first lesson booked for a few weeks time, I dread to think what Char will make of my riding after nearly a year without a lesson. It’s going to be ugly!
I mentioned Adds Farm earlier as a new venue for clinics. They have a temporary webpage up on www.holidayswithyourhorse.co.uk to advertise their new horse-friendly bed and breakfast at their lovely home near Crowborough. I have agreed to teach at a camp there that will run from Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th June, described on their webpage as a ‘TLC Break’. Anyone interested in this camp can contact me or Sue. There will be a flatwork session, a jumping session and lots of hacking in the Ashdown Forest…
Next weekend Martin and Tinka head to Tweseldown for the BE100, let’s hope for more friendly weather!
Coming out….
So last time I wrote I was about to step away from the computer for fear of buying either a pony or a puppy. Oh dear…. I had better waste no time in introducing Ehren, the new addition! I have gone over to the dark side, stepped out of the closet, announced myself as ‘bi’ and we say hello to the first Warmblood in the family. Shock horror, she has been bought solely for circle trotting. I shall demand private use of the school in the afternoons and anyone wishing to share will have to polish my Konigs first! Martin is disgusted and the dogs have threatened to leave home….
Talking of dressage divas, Morgan got a short write up in Horse and Hound for her success at Bedgebury. My turn too…in an article about people that left careers to work with horses in Horse magazine I seem to have declared that I now don’t go to the pub so often, uhum. It’s been a while since Debbie has had a mention but fingers crossed she is now back in the saddle and started her 2012 season with a cracking win overall at Eaglesfield BD with 73.21% in the Elementary. Oh yeh baby!
What with the dreaded white stuff arriving we had to cancel our XC schooling at Munstead but we did get to run the February Bedgebury jumping clinic. It was rather surreal schooling with snow in the background but the staff at Bedgebury had done an amazing job at making a safe route from the carpark to the arenas. We also took Tinka, and she jumped like a star which was really pleasing as she has barely been out since September.
Lily is still off sick. There have been some subtle changes to her way of going but she is still is not right. A few other checks have been ticked off as we work down the list. She sees the osteo again in a week or so…
Coming up we are XC schooling at LMEQ, Martin and Tinka have a lesson with Kenneth Clawson, we have the March Bedgebury jumping clinic, Tinka is off to the pre-season combined training at Munstead, then her first proper outing of the year at Tweseldown. In between all this I have a new pony and I need to work out where the controls are! Right, I’m off to the pub….
Smartie Pants
Crikey, it’s been a while.
Where to start? Well Lily is off work. She’s not a happy soldier. I have dragged her to the vets twice, and much to her shock she’s had an arm up her backside and a tube up her nose. No problem with either her stomach or her ovaries….shame she can’t talk, she could have saved me the vet bills! I am determined to solve the jigsaw puzzle that is Lily.
The osteopath felt that her pelvis was out and probably had been since we had her. We wait to see if he can work some magic or if we need to investigate things further. I may need to get bar work!
In the meantime I am really really bored. The weather isn’t helping but with no pony to ride I found myself looking at Irish geldings for sale on the internet….then decided to be sensible, I can’t afford all the costs. A few days later I am googling ‘Dressage horses for sale’, they must be cheaper to run right? Crikey they are expensive to buy though! Another couple of days pass and I find myself trawling the pages for ‘Lurcher puppies for sale’. Step away from the computer Janine!
We had a brilliant full clinic day at Bedgebury back in January. These clinics are going really well and I love doing them. We are hoping to be back there on Saturday, weather permitting. I have 14 riders with their names down but many won’t get out of their yards with all this ice. How disappointing.
Bonnie was delighted to get a mention in Horse and Hound for her 74% score and win at Bedgebury BD. Smartie Pants got four nines, including one for her riding. Just when she was in my good books she gives me my Christmas present….uhum? Who do we know that wears a red baseball cap?
We are supposed to be XC schooling at Munstead on Sunday, but with everything frozen and snow still sitting on the floor I can’t see it happening. Fingers crossed for our second date at LMEQ on the 25th Feb, or worst case scenario Bonfleur on 1st April. I have 21 names on the list for Bonfleur. Do you think everyone is having a laugh and I will be the April Fool sat there on my own?!
I have some new clinic dates at a venue nr Crowborough, Adds Farm. We will work through different exercises here and see how they take off. See clinic page for dates.
Morgan is now registered with BD and has the bit between her teeth. They headed back to Bedgebury BD in January, won the Prelim with Smurf 70.45% and came second on the little guy, 12.2 Henry, with 66.82%. She then went on to win the Novice on Smurf with 67.41% Even more pleasing, the judge stopped in the car park on her way out to tell Morgan how nicely she rides. They will now be trying for Regional qualification before their busy side-saddle season starts…how exciting!
Someone needs to do a sun dance, and soon!
Hold in the fart!
Well Happy New Year to everyone, I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas, it seems like ages ago now.
Going back to before Christmas Lily went to Bedgebury to school around the SJ course. She was starting to get a little keen but jumped very well and has certainly gained in confidence, which is really pleasing. On Christmas Day we had a lovely pub lunch in the George and Dragon in Ightham with Martin’s father. We probably didn’t need to eat again for a few days but on Boxing Day we saw the Old Surrey and West Kent Hunt off from Chiddingstone Castle, and it seemed only fair to follow it up with a few beers and another pub lunch with friends….
Bright and early on the Tuesday morning Lily went to Duckhurst to jump around the Clear Round. I am making an effort to keep getting her out and about. She is so quick and clever, just a little on the opinionated side sometimes! The more I can get her out the better I think, it’s just fitting it all in. Since then she has also been on a Regumate trial to see if we can tame the hormones, but so far not a huge success so we are wondering if there is also an underlying soreness somewhere given our year of one step forwards and one back in 2011…
The dressage divas were out in force at Bedgebury BD on the Wednesday between Christmas and New Year, and what a fab job they all did! Martin and Tinka made their debut in the two Prelims with a win and a second in their sections. Morgan and Smurf were also making their debut, winning their Prelim overall and being placed in their Novice with just under 70% in both tests. Then not to be outdone Bonnie came over from Essex and trashed everyone with 74% winning the first Novice overall and then got over 70% for a third in the second Novice. Wowee, 74% – you don’t see amateurs getting scores like that very often. With that Oliver is now out of Novice points so it’s Elementaries from now on. I am hoping they will be ready to contest a Medium later this year. What a fantastic day for me, three winners in the first three classes! Hoo-hah!! Not a bad way to end the year. We rushed home for Christmas dinner with those who must be obeyed (aka the biddies) and my brother and his family. I can’t tell you how many times my young nephews joked about the bowler’s Holding, the batsman’s Willey. Seemed to be the cause of much hilarity!
By the Friday before New Year’s Eve I had a charming cold but found the energy to catch up with our friends Gail and Reg for more beer and food. I was starting to grow a squidgy lump over the waistband, not a good look….by New Year’s Eve I felt all partied out but lasted in the pub until about 12.30am when I almost ran the five yards home and crashed into bed! I must be getting old….
On New Year’s day we had (another) lunch with Tina and Laura Reeves, and popped in to see the wonderful Ivy. She looks amazing, you wouldn’t believe she is 21 this year. Still just as humorous as ever!
Then eventually Tuesday 3rd January arrived and the eating out and drinking stopped! Apart from anything Martin was moaning about the huge dent in his bank balance. Grumpy old man.
So starting the new year as we mean to go on we took Lily to the vets for a quick palpation and scan of the ovaries to make sure everything is normal, and it is. We decided to take her off the Regumate until she has seen an osteopath in the hope that he will see the full picture. However this meant that she was on a Regumate ‘come-down’ at Martin’s Coakham meet at Nurstead. Possibly not the best idea! She was fairly feisty at the meet, having not been out for two months, but jumped well on the first hunt. Then before the second hunt started Martin took her up a footpath to wait with one of the whips, and she must have thought that she was missing out because Little Miss Hothead lost the plot and when they did move off she dragged him round Camer Park with her head up his nose and had an epic tantrum in front of everyone after they stopped. Pigtails was well and truly in the house, and embarrassingly had flipped her lid in front of everyone. I then spent the whole of the third hunt worrying. As it turned out she hunted up the front and although strong, was much better behaved and jumped really well. Phew. Martin ended up with a grazed face, his chin is black and blue, and I have to admit he wasn’t very impressed! I too did not escape unscathed despite only being a spectator. Whilst washing her off she spooked at something, went several feet up and came down on my toes. Yeouch! The following day it became obvious that she had a very sore mouth, I know that plastic bits can cause friction but I have never seen anything like it. It looks quite nasty. So that explains the tantrum at least, out of proportion as usual but justified. Now about my foot….
Now I’ve been wondering what you think……During a recent flatwork lesson and after some discussion with the client, I heard myself say ‘sit up, brace your groin and hold in that fart’. I wonder if anyone reading has the faintest idea of what we were doing?! It worked a treat. Maybe I should copyright the fart technique…I could write an article and sell it to the BHS!
Coming up Lily sees the osteopath so I expect a quiet few weeks for her, and we have the next Bedgebury jumping clinic which is full again. The 2012 Carmen Court and Bedgebury clinic dates are all updated on this website, and I shall be organising February pre-season XC schooling soon….
Happy New Year!
Well I cannot tell a lie, I will be jolly pleased to see the back of 2011. We lost mum’s pony Truffles, our foal Lucy and my boy Harry. It is just as well everyone else has done so well!
On the dressage front we have seen some fantastic results – winners at every level from Prelim to Medium, Regional qualifications, several new entries to the 70% club and some great improvements in scores. Debbie has barely competed Jazz but qualified for the Regionals, won at Novice and Elementary and also won his unaffiliated debut at Medium. There is always something special about seeing a horse you have trained from scratch going so well. Janet won and qualified for the Regionals in the Novice Freestyle to Music in their first year at Novice. Jasmine made big improvements to Kevin’s scores, won at Novice and was placed at Elementary. With Reggie she was placed at the Area Festival, had several wins at Novice, joined the 70% club and made their debut with a third at Elementary. Oh yes! Louisa and Strider did their first BD Novices gaining 67% and winning last time out, hopefully we will try for Regional qualification next year. Bonnie too had a light year with Oliver but won at Elementary and got a magic 74% and win at Novice after his injury forced a break. You don’t see scores like that every day! Morgan made her BD debut with scores of just under 70% and a win at Prelim. Gail too won at Elementary, the first since 2007 (now I am in trouble!) However ‘Improver of the Year’ goes to an unaffiliated rider Sue Wheble. She improved her dressage scores by almost 9%. Wouldn’t we all like to do that?! What an amazing achievement!
From the Pony Clubbers there were C+ test passes from Ellie, Morgan, Sally and Elize, a B care pass for Lilly and a B riding pass for Sophie. Sophie qualified for the Novice SJ champs, Ruby qualified for the Open SJ champs, Sophie was placed in the Novice Horse Trial qualifier, and Sally was placed in the Intermediate Horse Trial qualifier. Wow! 2011 also saw Hannah start her first BE100s including some placings at Nurstead and Keysoe. Morgan bettered last year’s achievements by winning Junior Rider of the Year at the National Side Saddle Championships. I remember them on their little ponies!
Martin no longer has time to help with Otto but his efforts were rewarded with Best Dressage and a 4th place in Otto’s first ODE, and Donna went on to achieve 5th in the Open Novice section at the BD Summer Regionals. This horse has truly been transformed and should give those struggling real hope.
Tinka joined us in January barely able to canter and was 2nd in her first ODE in April! She did a few BE90s, and was 8th at Brightling Park in appalling wet conditions when only a third jumped clear. She then finished the season with her first BE100 at South of England where she ended up 14th. This winter she made her BD debut at Prelim with a win and a second. A good year for Tinka!
With very few outings Harry qualified for the Hickstead Masters SemiFinal and was starting to see 70% scores more consistently in his novice dressage. His SJ technique had improved beyond all belief and he had a great winter as Martin’s hunt horse. It is always horrible to say goodbye to such a capable young horse but it is good to remember what we achieved. My prized possession is a sheet with three nines on it, unheard of!
Lily has started her XC schooling and has had a few days out hunting. She is now schooling round SJ courses indoors and won and was placed in her dressage outings. She has been a little uncomfortable and tetchy as some five year olds can be, but hopefully we are coming out the other side of that now…she is proving herself more than capable and is hopefully one for the future.
Ivy is still with the Reeves happily in semi-retirement. Rosie and her first colt Luke have moved to a private home down the road. Tiny is still doing a bit of everything with great success for Clare and her sharers. Lexie is happy at stud where we hope she will have a foal next year by Groomsbridge May I, father of Tinka and Lily.
The jumping clinics continue to be very popular. Seeing the change in some of the regulars is brilliant and makes it all very rewarding. We held our first adult camp at Bedgebury this Summer – what a ball! Not only did we all thoroughly enjoy ourselves but people went away saying ‘I can’t believe what I’ve achieved this weekend’. It really was great, although big thanks must go to Martin and Louisa. I couldn’t have done it without them.
Well done to everybody. I hope that 2012 can be every bit as successful!
Happy New Year!
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