poorly Jack!

Today it rained. That didn't put me off though, me & Dad trooped off up the yard. After we mucked out I brought Sparkie in, gave him a quick groom and then lunged him which he thought was super fun..
he seems to think it's appropriate to canter off and take himself over jumps off his own accord...he does make laugh! Jack's turn next...he didn't want to come in so I had to chase him for a good few minutes first, little bugger! I thought he looked a little bit stiff, but I'm always really paranoid anyway so I didn't think much more of it. Brought him and groomed him, had a bit of a paddy over being sprayed but I can leave him tied up now and all four feet are remaining on the ground so definitely seeing an improvement. He also stood lovely and still while I put his new brushing boots on :) He lunged lovely on his right rein but then when I asked him for canter on the other rein he started broncing and rearing which is really unlike him...at first I thought it was because of the boots or because he's it's his bad rein, but he was being perfect the other way so I asked my Dad if he thought he was carrying his leg and it wasn't just me being paranoid but he noticed it's too so I gave him a pat and walked him off before trotting him up and he definitely didn't look 100% right...happy that we spotted it quickly though and considered everything rather than just putting it down to naughtiness straight away! Going to let him rest for a few days and see how he is, hopefully he will very back to normal soon :) xxx

The day we equally shared our chicken nuggets

I really could not think of an appropriate title..I'm sorry. So yesterday was my last 'day off' if you like, where I had no school work to do, so I made the most of it and went to visit my old yard with one of my friends Maddie to see her horses Topper & Splodge. First Maddie rode Topper and he was super for her, so lovely to see him going so nicely as she's really worked hard with him and he's been a bit of a monkey in the past. I've known him since the first day she brought him as a 3yo, so it's been nice to see him grow up :) He's so much better now! Then I rode him...it's been about 6 months since I last rode him probably and he has come on loads, he used to be quite difficult to get into canter and nap a lot, but he went straight away when I asked on both reins and came straight back down and he didn't nap once! Yay!

We then went up to my yard and I rode Jack, who was a bit speedy and not listening to me all the time, but it's ok, he's allowed to have his moments and he did settle down and do some nice work for a few minutes now and then. His canter was brilliant anyway, can't believe how much better he's getting! Even took him for a canter in the longer grass round the whole field and he came straight back to me and didn't try to take a hold and speed up- good ginger! Just wish his trot was the same now, hmmph :( Maddie said she was impressed by how much he'd come on since she last saw him (bearing in mind the last time she was Jack he was waving his legs in her face and then proceeded to lie down on the floor, so I'm not sure this counts) which is nice and that he looks really well! Then Emma came up and we went to McDonalds and we shared chicken nuggets..or basically me & Emma ate them all and Maddie watched and occasionally ate a chip, but that's ok, we just like food. 

Beth, Sparkie, Jack & Carling :) xxx

doing my research + good Jack

Making it my aim to get on top of this blogging malarky and keep making regular blogs as it's nice as something to look back on! 
 The other night I found Sparkie & Jack's passport out and decided to see if I could find anything interesting on google. Found nothing too interesting out about Jack just that he was from a place in Wales called Gowlg-y-Dwyn..he's had an easy life has our Jack! Sparkie has three different names on his passport, including mine, and he's also had three other owners who haven't been recorded on his passport. When you type the original name from the front of his passport in google, the only thing that comes up is pages and pages of auctions lists from Cornwall with different young colts on each time..makes me a little bit sad really. Also made me realise I've owned Sparkie more than half his life..how crazy is that!? 
 Also rode Jack yesterday and he was a very good boy, his canter work is getting so much better, just hope he carries on improving! He's also getting a lot better with sprays and handling, very long process but I'm pretty happy seeing as this time last week it took me 45 minutes to even get near him with the fly spray and now he's happily wearing a fly mask and it only takes about 10 minutes to spray him. Both ponies are looking so well at the moment and super shiny! Yay! 

Beth, Sparkie, Jack & Carling :) xxx

The mysterious case of the missing post & other adventures..

Basically a couple of days ago I wrote a post about my awesome day Sunday and celebrating Sparkie & Jack's birthdays but sadly that has disappeared...where to you ask!? Well, I don't know! So sorry, that is gone to the land of blogs that are no more...
 Anyhoo, now my exams are FINALLY over, I've had a super productive day today! Firstly, me and my mum bathed all three ponies. I hogged Sparkie's mane and my mum clipped the superman sign onto him to give him that extra dose of swag.. He's such a good boy, stands perfectly still to be clipped! Had a bit of a fidget when we bathed him, but nothing major, so he was good! Next it was Carling's turn, who as usual, was a good boy (when is he not!?) Then it was Jack's turn.. the plan was just to hose his feet to desensitize him to the hose slowly as he hasn't been bathed very often and not for a while and he's usually quite spooky and a pain to do things with, but he stood perfectly still and let me bath him all over by myself without even anyone holding him, so I was super pleased, very good baby horse! 

Then when my Dad came up I rode Sparkie. Was just planning on schooling him, but then my Dad set up a little grip for me, so it was a bit rude to waste his efforts ;) he schooled really nicely actually anyway, rode him in a bit for once, and he was very almost thinking about bending. Practiced a little show routine as I'd like to try a wh class with him at one point and it was pretty decent! He jumped sooo well, and then took him for a blast down the field to finish which he loved...such a good day! Super happy Beth :)

summery hacks!

This weekend I've had a much needed revision break and de-stress..and the weather has been lovely, such a bonus! Did a lot of research into local bridle paths near me last week and decided to put that to test this weekend! Yesterday, I took Jack out for his first ever hack all by himself. It wasn't exactly the smoothest ride and I did have to dismount twice, but all things considered he was a very good boy! He was very brave and I didn't mind him being spooky or nervous as it was obvious he was genuinely scared and he stood lovely and let me mount him from the ground again. Took him down the bridle path and decided to go for a little trot, but I'm having a lot of issues with trotting him at the moment, so in the end I decided to just go for it and have a canter as I'd actually be more in control! Wasn't entirely sure what to expect from him, but he was lovely and came straight back to me and we even had a little gallop..he was so chilled about it all! Afterwards, he turned around and walked back along the track we galloped along on a long rein, so was super pleased with that :)

Then today me & Sparkie met up with Lottie & Molly and went hacking..which was eventful. We completely forget that the farmers were preparing for the County Show next week so there were tractors EVERYWHERE. Like literally..we saw 8 in one hack. Wow. And it wasn't like they were little, friendly looking tractors they were mahoosive huge ones with big trailers full of grass and straw on the back..yay. Not fun when your pony really does not like tractors..had to do very many emergency dismounts. Ah well, it was an experience I guess...we actually had a really nice hack! (Yes, Sparkie does look like he really, really does not want to be there, that is simply because there is another horse within 1m of him. He has issues.)

Beth, Sparkie, Jack & Carling! xxx

Jackaline updates!

I couldn't think of an appropriate title ^ Decided to quickly write this in a break from revision! Well, it was almost a month ago now, but at the end of April I had my first ever lesson with Jack and we went to our first show..which was interesting to say the least! Pretty disappointed with how I rode him in our lesson, I really let my nerves hold me back and I don't think the instructor got to see what he was really like, he was very tense and forward :( but he did try very hard and started to learn lateral work! our show as then the next day.. he hacked down perfectly and was very good and all in all was actually a star when he was there. He'd never been ridden for that long before and he got fed up and started rearing and throwing himself to the floor..provided entertainment for everyone put it that way haha! But I just got off and let him settle down and relax for a bit and then he was really good after and even had a little canter round :) which is fab as he's only ever cantered once in an open field never mind with loads of horses trotting around and all the other various distractions! 

We then moved yards, meaning he went in the trailer for the first time since his accident...I didn't go with him because I'm quite scared of being in the trailer now, but my Mum & Dad said he was brilliant and loaded straight away no problem..no excuse now to not go to shows Jack;) It took him quite a while to settle in and he was being quite naughty, but he's only moved yards once before so we'll let him off! Haven't really had much time to do anything with him really because I'm super stressed with exams, but just been doing a bit of lunging and finally rode him again last night and took him for a hack last weekend with my friend and Jack's twin Sundance(who Jack hates for some unknown reason) and he was really good considering! .. definitely feel like we've been set back a bit though, lost a lot of confidence with him for some stupid reason, but ah well, we'll just have to work through it I guess! Sometimes I find it hard to remember that 12 months ago he'd never been sat on and that even the fact I can ride him is an achievement in  it's self.. 

Sparkie is also fab, he is going SO well at the moment..was planning to take him to our first show in 7 months this weekend, but unfortunately my dog bit him this week in a complete freak accident and he's had to have stitches across his nose..pretty gutted really, finally felt like we were ready again, but ah well, it's not the end of the world, there's always more shows to go to. 

Beth, Sparkie, Jack, Carling & Barney! xxx

5 years with the ginger bean!

well today, 8th May it's been 5 years since I first met Sparkie...something I completely can't get my head around! doesn't seem like 5 minutes he was a little 3yo now he's almost 9...Jesus on a boat, when did my baby grow up!? the last few months apparently...me & my family have both noticed *touch wood* that he really seems to have finally matured recently! For example, last weekend I moved yards...last time Sparks moved(2 years ago!) it took me two weeks to be able to even complete a lap of the arena without any bunny hops, whereas on Saturday he settled straight ij and I jumped him the next day in an open field and he was fantastic! he's always been a very stressy pony, so it's nice to see :) I have a lot more updates(lessons, shows etc!) but I will write about that another day! ta ra