2011 July « Janine Lamy

Lily, NO!

“Maybe someone needed a granny” turned out to be rather prophetic . On Sunday 26^th June we made the horrible decision to have Lucy put to sleep. There was nothing else that could be done, she had fought hard for her short three weeks of life and it was time to call it a day. To be honest this year has been pretty rubbish so far and I can only hope that the second half is an improvement on the first.

Who’d have thought it? Martin being mentioned in the Dressage pages of Horse and Hound! Written up as a bit of a Guru in ‘Against the Odds’ last week, it says “Martin doesn’t get into confrontations; he just quietly sits out the tantrums.” This is very true and probably why Lily so gently placed him on the floor before laying on him. Respect!

I have now discharged myself and the horses from the chiropractors for a while. We are taking very gentle steps between the three of us but I feel like we are making progress. Lily is improved but it is still rather fragile and I think there are also bitting issues that I need to resolve. Harry on the other hand feels like a totally different horse. He is having very few angry moments and is generally much looser than before. I jumped him this week and he felt amazing, really up for it and stretching his head and neck. Quite bizarrely he has also enjoyed being groomed for the first time ever, pulling nice faces and saying ‘ooh yes, just there’. Totally unreal, we’ve been fighting with him for three years! But then the third time I saw my chiropractor I was so wiped out that I could barely put one foot in front of the other for two days. Half an hour of gentle tapping and tweaking and I felt like I had the flu – I don’t really understand it so I’m starting a rumour that they cut up frogs for the cauldron….

Jasmine and Kevin continue to improve their scores with a 64 and 66% at Step by Step BD last week. They had been stuck in the 58-60% doldrums when I started helping in November last year and I am really pleased that we are starting to see the benefit of our work. Her other ride Reggie has also pulled out all the stops and recently produced a personal best for Jasmine of 68% – happy faces at last!

Tinka and Martin went to Eridge last Saturday for the BE90. She was a little excited about the dressage but it was improved on the last test, jumped a fantastic clear SJ and was going great guns on the XC when she lost a shoe and missed the turn to the second last fence. Bless her, she didn’t even realise she was supposed to be turning let alone jumping. To add insult to injury she would have been third! So although a little disappointing we are really pleased with how she is coming on. She seems well up for the job and is really smart!

Louisa was at the Stilebridge dressage championships last Sunday and despite it only being their fourth Novice test, they came 3^rd with 67% Top effort, he is really starting to look the business!

Then yesterday we had a Carmen Court jumping clinic. I took the opportunity to jump Harry and Lily, mostly as an assessment of how they are feeling after two months off. Harry, although as fat as a house after the break, felt well up for it and was really keen which is very unusual for him at home. I needed to stay behind him and allow him his head more. I admit to being a little rusty! Lily seemed pretty relaxed, perfectly confident and although she had lost a little technique I know this will come back and was really pleased with her. However I was reminded of how quickly she reacts and how I need to think ahead (they are so different!). We had a breakdown in communications on turning to one fence, she saw it at the last minute and skipped past it, then had a red-headed angry with mother moment “How dare you put me in that situation?!” There was much bucking and leaping and boy it came up thick and fast. At one point I swear I could have touched the sand with my tongue I was that close, eventually I found myself sitting on her neck holding onto the throatlash with both hands! Fortunately she didn’t like that very much and flipped her head back, boinged again and hey presto I was back in the saddle. I had no idea which way was up, no stirrups and was manically grabbing at bits of leather in the hope of finding some reins when she saw what she thought was the next fence….”Lily, NO!”

While we were jumping at Carmen Court four of our North West Kent Pony Clubbers (Ellie, Morgan, Sally and Elize) all passed their C+ tests – well done girls!

July 10, 2011 Posted by Janine | Carmen Court, Dressage trainer, Eventing trainer, Instruction, Our Horses, Pony Club, Results | Dressage trainer kent, Eventing trainer kent, Instruction, Jumping clinics, Pony Club | Leave a comment

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.