Daddy’s little racehorse
I know it’s starting to get colder but we had the most amazing bright sunshine at the last Carmen Court jumping clinic. Lily and Jazz did some gridwork with me in the morning, both jumping really well. Jazz hasn’t been jumped since February and was surprisingly calm about the whole thing. Then a few groups in the afternoon. As usual it was a very relaxed day, everyone really seeming to benefit from coming out and schooling round a course or doing some exercises away from home. I can’t believe that’s another year over.
Martin took Lily to the Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds opening meet. There were nearly 50 out and she was a total star again. She took everything in her stride; jumping ditches, timber, water, and what Martin described as a ‘Junior Hedge’. Doesn’t look that ‘junior’ to me….very proud of my little girl! In our house she is now referred to as “Daddy’s little racehorse”.
While Lily was galloping around the countryside Morgan and Smurf swapped their jumping tack for dressage tack and went to Eaglesfield unaffiliated. Having seen their flatwork in the week I had suggested that maybe they were ready to take the plunge and affiliate him. To prove a point Smurf won the Prelim with 74% and the Novice with 71%…..ooh we do love a winner!
Winter must be approaching as the Eaglesfield BD series has also started. In the first one on Tuesday Debbie and Jasmine were both in the Elementary. Despite having barely ridden in two months due to a bad back Debbie posted a win, only narrowly pipping Jasmine who has only had two rides on Reggie at this level. So a first and a second for Team Lamy – Hoo-Hah! Maybe it was the threat of thumb screws….
Then on Thursday I went to Mount Mascal for a BHS course on how rider position and anatomy affects the horse’s way of going. These courses are always very interesting but I think the biggest thing I took away was probably about my own wonky body and how it affects my horses rather than anything to do with my clients!
Coming up we have a busy half term, the first Bedgebury winter jumping clinic, Harry’s third chiro session, and a possibility of a day out with Coakham for Lily and Martin. Fingers crossed I can actually go and watch this time!!
Rosie’s Sister Charlotte
Lily saw the chiropractor last week, and all was well in the world again. She even had her debut hunting experience at the weekend, a pre-season day with the Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds. Unfortunately I was working all day but her school report was glowing. The photos show a pretty chilled out horse and Martin says she jumped like a star.
Jasmine is on a serious roll now. Three BD Novice wins in three outings – Yeah Baby! Reggie continues to strutt his funky stuff, last week at Oldencraig BD and this week at Stilebridge BD. Not only are they winning but they have now qualified for the Winter Regionals and have made their debut at Elementary with a yellow ribbon. Wowee!
Another ongoing success story is Katie and her young horse Ginger. I started teaching them in the Spring and it was pretty obvious that they were not a happy couple. The critical point was to move yards, not something I usually suggest but I think sometimes we underestimate the impact different environments have on different horses. What works for one can be awful for another and he was not a happy soldier. So I pitch up as new instructor and after three lessons I say that I think she needs to give serious consideration to moving. My name must be mud with the yard owner, but hey-ho I have pretty thick skin (just as well because the little Picanto is no getaway car!) and anyway, the client and their horse is my concern. I find that people are generally very trusting, it’s my Derren Brown-style subliminal hacking skills “Look into my eyes!!” Three months has passed, Katie and Ginger have gone from strength to strength, recently attending their first training competition, coming 2nd in their dressage. By all accounts the boy was a total superstar all day and Katie couldn’t be more thrilled. What a transformation. Onwards and upwards!
Whilst recently at a Pony Club B test, examiner Penny Sangster was telling me that she remembers the Scales of Training (Rhythm Suppleness Contact Impulsion Straightness Collection) by thinking ‘Royal Shakespeare Company, Imperial Shakespeare Company’. I have always had success using acronyms for remembering things, ‘All King Edward’s Horses’…’Some Old Hens’…they are locked away in my head forever. So what did this year’s North West Kent B test trainees come up with? The fictional ‘Rosie’s Sister Charlotte Is a Silly Cow’….hah! Well that certainly highlights the difference between the East Sussex branch and us but I am very happy that the girls will not forget this, and neither will I. My only concern is that I will at some point say it out loud!
On Sunday I was very much looking forwards to a jumping lesson with Joe Meyer as he was teaching at Carmen Court. Lily has been going so well and had jumped like a star on Thursday but by Friday there were signs that things may not be quite the ticket, and sure enough by Sunday morning Pigtails was in the house. Joe quietly sat in his chair while the ginger one stropped about waving her undercarriage at him and I clung on for dear life. Big groan…I really had hoped we were past this. My immediate thought was that she was uncomfortable in her mouth after hunting at the weekend, but this morning she was so heavily in season she could barely stand, let alone put one foot in front of the other. Looking at some other dates this theory may play out. Lily didn’t come with an instruction manual, we are learning as we go and it seems there are a few pieces to the jigsaw! In the meantime every muscle in my body aches and I have a bruised forehead. Pigtails does a smashing Glaswegian Kiss….
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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