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This blog may be a bit all over the place because nothing overly significant has happened but I do have a few bits and bobs to write up about. Last weekend we played trailer practice with John and HE WENT ON THE TRAILER!  Yay! This is a huge deal as he is not the trailers biggest fan so well done Johnathon, hopefully with a few more sessions he'll be ready to try travelling so he can go out and about to winter shows. We also went for a super fun hack with Sparkie, Jack and Sunny (me on Jack and Lottie on Sparks) where all three boys were little stars! Galloped them all in the stubble field together which was perfecto, I really do have the best ponies and best friends. 

All ponies were pessoaed last week and were very good, Sunny looked veeeery sexy and Jack and Sparkie had a good go, they shall get there with a bit more work. Played jumping on Wednesday with Sunny, Sparks & Jack and again all were fab, not really much more I can say! Sparkie and Jack both did their first ever bounce and both took it completely in their stride (or lack of stride as would be the case), very pleased with them. Also practised jump off turns and jumping on an angle by jumping the bounce in a figure of eight style and they both took to the exercise really well, very honest, clever pair of ponies!

Hunter Trial Time!

Another great weekend with the ponies! Took both Sparkie and Jack up to Ashwood hunter trials and they were both very good boys. Jack did the express eventing (show jumping and xc) and Sparkie did just the xc stage and after a last minute decision the night before to bring him along with us. The competitor before us in Jack's class was running late, so I only had about 10 minutes to warm poor Jack up as they called us in 10 minutes earlier so he really was thrown in at the deep end! Given the fact that he'd only popped a jump twice 2 minutes before, he was a bit on edge coming into the first fence, but after a tap on the shoulder, he soon settled down round the rest of the course and actually jumped really nicely given the circumstances! Just 4 faults as he took a dislike to a skinny fence and I made him jump it from a stand still rather than getting a run out or stop as I don't want him to learn bad habits so he had the pole instead, but still pleased with how he went as he had definitely not had a chance to settle down and warm up properly! 

Then it was time for the xc... when I first booked him in I was expecting a nice simple course which I thought would be great for his first event. Well. There were fillers at every jump including a mahoosive, life size Santa Claus! It was definitely a challenging course, so I went in with a completely open mind not knowing what to expect and I was really, really pleased with him. He had a few moments here and there napping away from jumps purely because of the scary things around them but once he came to a fence, he jumped everything first time and didn't stop or run out which I think was really good of him as he was clearly scared of it bless him! Once he got into a rhythm he went lovely and covered the ground really well, I definitely think he has potential to do well and the right attitude towards it so I was smiling when we came through the finish (and a little out of breath and emotionally drained haha, he did not make it an easy ride!) He did go straight through the water though and in a trot, which is a HUGE achievement and horses twice his age were freaking out just as much at the fillers so I was super happy.. to top it off he actually ended up finishing 3rd yay!!

I really do love this, what a happy baby!

clever boy! 

Sparkie was also a really good boy, had a few stops (one was just a really unfortunate moment and not his fault at all, my medical armband had slipped down my arm and fallen off onto my saddle so I had to pull him up!) but he jumped everything put in front of him including the skinny fence!!! Now, he has been to ashwood three times this year and we have had many an argument trying to persuade both him and Jack to go over it with absolutely no luck, so he could have stopped at absolutely everything else and I would not have cared, I was just so happy and shocked to have finally got him over the skinny, yay! He flew down the steps and through the water and all the other complicated jumps, including the scary Santa, with no problems and even though we didn't place, we both really enjoyed ourselves :)

Big, big thankyou to Lottie for taking photos and playing groom and to the team in general for helping me out so much the last few weeks and the whole competition season because I would be such a stresshead without you guys and you're the best, so there. 

Amazing weekend!

So ponies were on form this weekend! On Saturday Sparkie went off eventing... we only did the 60cm class to use it as a confidence building class; well that definitely worked, in hindsight I wish I'd do the next class up but that's for next time! He was a little bit distracted in his dressage, but still did a relatively nice test for 32. Our dressage still has a long, long way to go, but this is an improvement from last time and all the judge's comments on things I already know we need to work on, so hopefully we can just keep on working away that. He then went on to do a lovely double clear to finish 6th!.. even though I had to rush back home because I'd forgotten my xc outfit, oops! He found the showjumping far too easy (He really does take the vernacular over smaller fences, cheeky monkey!) and then xc he was just fantastic, he flew round! He was so quick but still in control, he really does love xc and he just feels so great to ride. What a star! Also found out the next day that he has won the overall champion for the Novice Pony class at Stafford Show this year, eeeh! This makes me stupidly happy because and I quote, a year ago I was saying (and I quote dircectly from a blog from last December!)
    'To be honest, I don't really have any plans for Sparkie's future because he's such an awkward schizophrenic child there's no point me planning ahead because he could go back to square one in a matter of days. As long as he's happy and as healthy as his stupid immune system will allow him to be, then we'll just tootle along and try to have fun. I'd like to take him to a few outings here and there such as shows and xc just to keep him ticking over and if he ever gets back to being as good a competition pony as he was that would be brilliant, but I'm not counting on that' 

So for him to come back and pull that off is great! I honestly cannot fault him this year, I have genuinely only had one ride on him this year when I have not been completely happy with how he went and even then, looking back he still jumped really nicely that day. He is given me 100% this year and I really hope he goes on to be just as fantastic next year!

Sunday was Jack's turn. The day didn't get off to a great start when he had a tantrum over going on the trailer, but he most definitely redeemed himself throughout the rest of the day. He was such a grown up boy, I definitely was not expecting him to be as chilled out as he was! His behaviour at the 4 other shows he has been to in the past has been less than ideal with many tantrums and throwing his feet around but we had none of that, he was the perfect gentleman all day and just took everything in his stride; I really do love his attitude to life! We got a clear in the clear round (after chrashing through the first fence on our first attempt due to his saddle ending up on his neck; honest baby for still giving it a go haha!) and then a 2nd in the 2ft3 with 4 faults and a 6th in the 2ft6 with 8 faults. The poles were all due to green baby moments as he gets a little bit unbalanced in between fences so sometimes gets in too deep, but it's all stuff that will come with time and a bit of fine tuning. I was very very pleased with him, he's a trier that's for sure! With a few more runs under his belt he'll be well away hopefully! He also loaded relatively well to come home so that was a bonus. Time to get cracking; I can't wait to get them both out together next year!

Where to even start!?

Well I haven't blogged in what feels like forever! I did write a little update blog a few weeks ago but apparently that didn't feel like publishing so hey ho, let's try again shall we? So, so, sooo much has happened in the last week I don't really know where to start! 
 The Team Ginger ponies finally met each other (well, Sparkie, Sunny & John anyhow!) which was super fun. John and Sunny seemed to love each other, Sparkie seemed to think he could take John on; poor John just wanted to be friends but being the grumpy sod he is Sparkie was not interested in the slightest! It was the first time me and Sparkie had been in a stubble field (how we have managed to go six years before achieving this I do not know!?) and he was very excited by this but was a good boy :) 

sliding into your dms like... 

love this pony! 

A few various other outings have happened but I really do not have the time or patience to remember every single one and write about each one... one of these was a trip to Ashwood XC with the twins. It was their first time out together but they were both very chilled with each other and behaved like good boys :) Sunny jumped the best I've seen him jump xc, he looked much more confident as did Emma which was very nice to see! His canter in between fences and into fences was a lot more consistent and he started to string more than one fence together, little hunter trial pony. Jack was just perfect, I don't really know how else to sum him up! He was just having so, so much fun and jumped every single fence on the course like and old pro. Some jumps from an sj clinic had been left up in the one field ranging from 85cm-1m and just for a test I decided to try and pop him over some just to see what he'd make of them. I wasn't expecting anything special because there was super bright fillers, a skinny, a wall, planks, a water tray, doubles and spreads, all things he's never seen before. Well didn't he prove me wrong! He took everything in his stride with no hesitation, he was super duper. He also went into the water and jumped out for the first time which was a big deal because A) He HATES water and b) SUNNY led him into the water!!! As in Sundance who also hates water and usually throws his dummy out the pram. He was a very grown up boy and gave Jack the confidence to go into the water so well done Sunny! To finish off I took Jack round the whole course by himself and wow, what a bloody good ride he gave him, he kept a lovely, forward gallop covering the ground the whole way round and he was just fantastic; even did the water by himself! 

He's so scrumptious. 

Sunny leading Jack through the water!

On Tuesday we had a Chase Me Charlie day with Sparkie, Sunny & Jack. Well. I don't think anyone expected it to go as well as it did! First was Sunny's turn... well he just had the best time ever and was tanking himself into fences; got to give it to him he has confidence to spare! He is not the most natural jumper, but we have done a lot of work to improve his technique over the summer and I think it's really paid off because 80% of the time he looked SO much better over a fence on Tuesday! Finished off at 90cm which is only 5cm off his all time record. He still looked very nice over it which is a big deal for Sunny as he usually starts to flatten through his shoulder at anything over 75cm, so I was really nice to see him go so well.

Then it was Sparkie's turn.. he was awesome, but then I guess when is he not? He really is my little hero and I love him to absolute pieces. I think that pretty much sums up every single ride on him, I honestly cannot fault him; he is one in a million. I am so, so, soooooo excited for next season on him, can't wait to get cracking with him eventing wise! 

look at those knees!

gaaah pony is so cute

Emma jumping 1m; her life goal! Hats off to Sparkie for being a

fabulous teacher! 

Lottie & Sparkie looking perfecto!

Finally it was Jack's turn. Now I would most definitely be lying if I said I hadn't shed a few happy tears over this horse lately because he is just an absolute pleasure to own and ride and he is just exceeded both mine and other people's expectations by a huge, huge amount. He is just the best horse I have ever had the privilege to sit on. I have always said that I was excited to see what this horse can do in the future and if this is how he feels now then I can't even imagine what he will achieve 2 years down the line. Clearly I am very bias as he is my pride and joy, but for me, he is the horse I've always wanted and that will do me just fine. I can't say I am the most confident rider over bigger fences but he looked after me so well and was such a gentleman (apart from when he put Lottie on the floor but he was very, very sad and ashamed of himself about that so we shall forgive him.) Ended up finishing on 1m20 which he made feel a little bit too easy for my liking and is the biggest I've ever jumped him under the saddle and only the second time I've ever jumped that big. 

notice he is sporting a new hair do!

If my horses behave anything like they do these last few weeks out competing this weekend then all I can say is bring it on! x