Lumpy and Grumpy
Well Martin had that lesson on Donna’s Otto at Lucy Thompson’s. Otto was typically full of his own importance and cocky as hell jumping 1.20m from a few strides away! He can certainly get in the air, it will be interesting to see what he thinks about XC schooling. We’re taking bets on what happens when he sees his first ditch!
It’s been pretty busy on my side. On Monday last week I went to a ‘Teaching Cross Country Riding’ course at Brightling Park with Eric Smiley. The general theme being to encourage riders to do less, and give the responsibility of the jumping to the horse. As always, Eric was both entertaining and interesting. He doesn’t always say the things you expect from a BHS Fellow!
Then on Thursday Harry had his BD debut at Step by Step dressage….dum dum darrr! He was absolutely fab, winning the Open section of the Prelim with 65% and then doing the same in the Open section of the Novice with over 68%. How unexpected was that?! I told him to show those German boys how the Irish hunter can dance and he did his very best. Clever Harry!
On Friday he had a lesson with Char. I thought he might be a little cheesed off doing flatwork two days running but he went really well and Char said she could see improvement in all three paces so that was really encouraging. Harry the dressage horse? Surely not?!
Then Saturday was Carmen Court Clinic day. I’d decided to do something different, concentrating on our line to a fence, and was delighted with how it went. It was good to challenge ourselves a bit.
And Sunday we were off to Felbridge BSJA for some jumping practise before Smiths Lawn……well best laid plans but due to an overturned caravan on the M25 we were out in the lorry for over three hours, missed our class and had to head home. What a waste of a day!
Lily is continuing with her hacking and practising over a little course of jumps. She’s proving to be quite athletic and I’m looking forward to doing more with her. Unfortunately she’s suffering with the flies, despite my best efforts, and Martin has nicknamed the two of them ‘Lumpy and Grumpy’ – poor Lily!
So what’s planned? On Wednesday Otto sees his first XC fences, on Saturday Harry and I are also having a XC school to remind us what it’s about. We then have Smiths Lawn BE100 the following Tuesday. Then the following day we have hired the arena at Eaglesfield to take Lily for a quiet outing somewhere different. Thursday I am Chef d’Equipe for our Pony Club Area Novice Horse Trial team at Pulborough, then I suspect by Friday you’ll find me in the pub propping up the bar recovering!
Flannel at the sink
Well, a brief silence while we went on holiday. Unfortunately I only have sickness to report and rather too much time spent in bed being weak and pathetic. Not quite what I had in mind!
As expected Harry was very unhappy having his routine change while we were away. He’s not been too bad to handle but has downed tools and is absolutely not up for working in the school. I have struggled to even get him into trot and we have had the whole planting, rearing and bucking routine. I can’t believe he’s being so foul after such a short break. Will I ever understand Harry? Seven days off, not seven months!
Lily is now back in work and of course it’s time to be treated like more of a grown up. With this in mind (and it being so hot last week) I introduced her to the hose pipe. Oh dear! Typical Lily reaction, Miss Ticklish Knickers wasn’t up for that at all. Oh no. Quite happy to be a flannel at the sink kind of girl, showers are not for Lily. Well, we’ll see about that young lady, mummy can be very very patient…..but she did have her first solo hack around the corn field yesterday – what a good girl!
Debbie’s win at Speedgate BD means that she qualified for the Novice Regionals and turns out that she wasn’t planning on going! Now I know that it’s a bit last minute, and we aren’t expecting a place at the Nationals (this year!) but how can I put it? She’s going, even if I have to take her there, plait her horse and clean her tack!
Thinking that some dressage practise would be good for Harry and I, I have registered him with BD. Martin (not a huge BD fan) reckons that Harry is not at all in touch with his feminine side and has been muttering something about homosexual undertones. Well, tough! Our debut is planned for next week and we are off to Step by Step (Royal Leisure). Not having done any dressage for a few years I am amazed that it costs £19 to enter a novice test. How can it cost £19 to enter a dressage test when a round of BSJA with considerable more effort on the part of the organiser costs £12? I’m stunned.
Harry had a Sally lesson today. I was hoping that a trip out would bring him back to a nice happy place. He did go much better and we tried to make it fun. Fingers crossed we can turn the corner. He is so frustrating!
Do you remember Otto that I jumped a few times for Donna Johnston? Well Martin has been jumping and hacking him since Lexie left home. They have a lesson at Lucy Thompson’s planned for Sunday and I think they will venture out soon for some XC schooling. It works for Donna because Otto’s brain needs occupying and works for me because Martin’s brain needs occupying. I love it when a plan comes together!
About
Janine is a British Dressage Recognised Coach and Group 3 Rider based in Kent. She has trained and competed from Prelim to PSG but with a background in the training of young event horses she is also very popular for show-jump instruction and cross-country schooling. She is a UKCC qualified coach, is on the BHS Register of Instructors, is a Centre10 Advanced Coach (Applied Psychology for Equestrian Coaches) and a Pony Club B+ Test Assessor and instructor.
She has always had a broad range of clients with numerous wins in British Dressage including the all important qualifications to the Regionals and National Winter Championships. She has lots of British Eventing clients with qualification to the much sought after Badminton Grassroots Regionals. On the showing side there has been a National Side-Saddle Working Hunter Champion, and riders at HOYS in the Search For A Star classes. With a very diverse bunch of clients nothing gives her more pleasure than to receive a text with the day’s results. However she is happy teaching all levels, so long as you want to improve.
Janine is based at Carmen Court near Tonbridge (owned by one of her sponsors Louisa Day Photography) but also teaches from home in Swanley Village. Most of her teaching is in Kent and the local Sussex area but she can travel further by arrangement.
There are very popular show-jumping clinics at Carmen Court from April to August each year, and clinics through the winter under cover at Four Elms Farm. Janine is always happy to do clinics at other venues in the South East.
She has been very successful with rider confidence problems and helping with the psychology of training and competing. As coach, Janine is often very much part of the team as required.
Janine and Martin are sponsored by Simple System Horse Feeds and are Product Ambassadors for Equilibrium Products. They can be found on Facebook under the name Team Lamy Wright.
click here to find them.
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