Weekend re-cap

After our lessons, I made a cake for a work friend, and delivered it before heading into the city to catch up with my in-laws, and pick up my new girth they had bought out from the UK with them. Then we had an engagement party where we all over indulged. Normal, non horsey stuff.

Delicious!

Sunday we had the Orange Grove training day. I had entered a novice 2.1 dressage test and 2 rounds of jumping. My dressage time was at 9, so I dragged myself out of bed early and was feeling a little dusty from the night before.

Coolie: This is stupid!

I warmed up as I had planned and Coolie was feeling really good. We headed over to the arena at our time and Coolie did his usual thing of getting tense. Usually I try and work with him to get him more relaxed and cover up the tense, but I was feeling tired, and I really didn't care about our score since it was just training and so I argued with him. I told him I was fed up of his bad dressage attitude and that I was NOT giving him my right rein and he should just get over it.

Coolie: Oh look, friends are there! Me: who is taking my picture?!

Don't mess with mum when she's hungover... She means business! Obviously it wasn't a pretty test but he listened and actually got over himself. The first half was awful but the second half he came round and started to soften. It was a conversation we really needed to have I think, especially since he is old enough to know better!

Me: Oh look, friends! Coolie: I told you so.

After our dressage Hubs and I waited around and watched the show jumping, made new friends and caught up with old friends. The jumping was going very slowly so we had a few hours to kill. It was a bit interesting watching the lower heights jump, especially over the double. People weren't setting their horses up properly and having refusals left right and center.

My hands are terrible in this! I don't know what I am doing with them!

Eventually they started putting the course up to 80, so I went off and got Coolie ready. He was begging for treats, and pretty sleepy. He was unconvinced we should be ding more work.

We warmed up and he stayed calm (where was that in dressage?!), maintained his rhythm and jumped everything quietly. He was the same in the ring, maybe a little too quiet but we jumped clear and enjoyed it.

For the 90 I woke him up a bit, wanting a more forward canter. Our round was again really smooth and everything came up easily. I was very aware of all my turns and gave us lots of time to prepare for each fence and they all came up great. Again he jumped clear and I loved every second!

Pats for the best pony