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• Red Upbeat Blog, Strides Forwards14 July 2022

  

  Last time I wrote, we were waiting for a saddler. She came! It was great! She managed to fit my old dressage saddle to Homer, it feels very different now. Then she had a look at the Stride Free jump saddle I had got from ebay; I had intended to return it (as agreed) but, as she was a proper Stride Free fitter, the owner of the saddle was happy for her to alter it. And… it fitted!

  

  Yay, Homer back on the road! In fact, we went for an evening hack as soon as she left. In fact, we hacked out for 4 days running! Homer is proving to be a great hack, managing tractors and motorbikes, cantering on the tracks, whatever he can to please. I used both saddles, to check they were to his long term approval. Also, the new jump saddle had come with teeny tiny knee rolls and I ordered some slightly (much, haha) larger ones, befitting of my older body with baby horse status!

  After the hacking to settle the saddle in and with the new knee blocks, I gave Homer a little jump at home, just over a cross pole. He was fab. The next day I had the physio for an appointment that was scheduled weeks ago, we have a regular check up so we can keep on top of anything that comes up. Usually it is just a quick exam, as he has always been fine, balanced and relaxed. I was interested in whether the saddle not being right had altered that at all, but no, Homer was the same as he ever was. So….

  The next day we were up and at it, Cross Country schooling, our biggest course yet! This is an extract of a message I sent to my husband….

  “It is a windy evening and Homer has only been ridden 5 times in 3 weeks, I am jumping in a saddle I haven’t really jumped in, at a venue with people I haven’t ridden with. Oh, and the fences are bigger than we have ever tackled together. I am telling myself it is called excitement, not fear. But, I already went to the toilet twice!!!

  

  There were 5 horses on the lesson and it was round a BE course. Of course, Homer is not ready for BE, but there were also 70cm jumps beside the BE ones, so we thought we would give it a go. Even in the warm-up we did the biggest XC fence we have ever done. Homer initially over-jumped it too, so I was a loooong way up! In fact, I have a still shot off the video to show for it.

  

  Next, straight into the start box and away across the course, one by one, 100 meters or so between us. Homer was second to go. He was by far the least experienced horse on the lesson, but he gave it a go. I found that, if he was cantered strongly into the fence, he would hesitate. But, if asked to trot before it, he would then go forward with confidence and canter away. He is just a baby with not much mileage and he is happier if he has time to size the issue up, very understandable and natural. We did the same little course of 6 fences, including a water splash, a second time. The second time he was a lot more confident and, we had another 1st, it was the first time he has got his canter into a rhythm so he is breathing with every stride, and taking the fences as he goes.

  

  Once he had done that, he went on to do a ditch, step, water, all first time (but from trot). That evening was a superb step forwards! Good boy, Homer. We did some more hacking then… another 1st! We did Homer’s first ever Prelim dressage test! It was a low key ‘stressless’ one, so no competition gear, but slightly less stressless than we hoped as the neighbours to the venue were using a mower, hidden behind the hedge beside the arena. He spooked a couple of times in the warm-up but transformed when he went into the arena proper.

  

  I always come out disappointed when competing at dressage as I can feel the mistakes and also know how hard I was having to ride. That is one reason I always try to have a video, as I come out sad, watch the video and them am happy. In this test, Homer was curling up a bit, which I wasn’t asking for. He was rather steady and careful, which is good but meant I was working hard and couldn’t keep the perfect position.

  But then, at the end of the test, the judge cheered us! You can actually hear her at the end of the video. She called me over and said she can see a big difference over the three tests he has done (2 intros and this prelim). She is right, each test was a huge improvement on the last. I guess this was only his third ever test, and for the first one he wouldn’t even trot all the way up the centre line at the start, he was shy and walked - so this is a star improvement on that! I have to admit, he has come on a lot! It is just slow and hard work.

  Good news when I went back for my sheet, he had only gone and won! Good boy, Homer!

  Next up was supposed to be another cross country lesson, at a new venue, but it chucked it down just before we arrived and the ground was very slippery on top. No matter, the venue also has a huge competition arena, so we had a show jumping lesson instead. Homer was cautious but very mannerly, did everything he was asked to do, did fillers and a little course. I was really pleased, a new venue, a café ringside, banners, other horses working in a field and he just took advice and did as he was asked without fuss or fanfare. Good boy, Homer!

  

  We then did some extreme hacking: extreme due to the jubilee bunting LOL, which homer coped with admirably. In fact, some people in the village had said it wasn’t fit for horses to hack with all the flags, so we set some up at home and had them flapping round the mounting block. Big ones, little ones, fabric ones, plastic ones, ones up high and ones on a long string. Both Homer and Rigsby had flag training and were super cool with it all, so hacking was on!

  

  In fact, Homer also boxed over to hack with a friend. We visited their village too, decorations, many people and a Pepper Pig mascot. Homer was interested but in his element. He seems to like socialising! Good boy, Homer!

  The last jumping lesson had made me think… the local arena had a stressless jumping coming up. No competition wear, no fillers, just a little course. I had a look at the schedule. There was a cross pole clear round, but I think that would be too babyish for Homer. I decided to do the 40cm. Still very small, but mostly straight bar jumps and lots of them. It was at the same venue as where the scary lawnmower had been, so I hired it out just before.

  My wonderful husband came to help me on the hire, he really ‘gets’ Homer, realises that he is a super obliging horse who is a baby and isn’t fit. There is simply not much petrol in the tank! We did a warm up over a couple of X poles. We did two courses over 3 fences. The second course, Homer pulled out the stops and made some air. My husband said to stop right there and praise him, leave him thinking it was all fun. Total time from start to finish – 24 minutes! And that includes a fair time walking round before picking him up, plus Polo stops, that really is a Homer friendly session.

  Which led to… another 1st… Homer’s first jumping show! Despite the hire at the same venue, Homer was astonished at just how many horses were at the show. We walked around the car park; he was mannerly so we entered the collecting ring. When Homer is concerned, he slows down. We managed a canter and jump in the collecting ring but he fell to trot wherever the other horses were. Just needs sympathetic match practice I think.

  In the ring he was very green and slow! We couldn’t hold a canter as he was generally unsure but… he went in, jumped what he was pointed at and didn’t lose his head. All clears got a rosette, and he was clear! Good boy, Homer. There was a professional photographer; jumping photos courtesy of Victoria Adams Photography.

  More hacking, this time accompanied by Rigsby with a friend. It is lovely to see both boys out and about, enjoying themselves, behaving and relaxed.

  

  We then had an indoor jumping lesson, it was rather hot but I wanted to work on keeping Homer in front of the leg so he didn’t go so slowly when cautious. We did a whole load of transitions; his canter transformed from a long and straggly one, to one with some bounce. Another 1st, we got some good canter/walk/canter transitions. Homer was horrified at how athletic he was having to be. Sadly, after all that work on the canter, there was limited petrol in the tank for the actual jumping. No worries though, we managed a small course that included a plank, water tray, filler and a 3 stride related distance. After that, he was pooped!

  A few days later and we visited a new XC venue for a lesson. I, uncharacteristically, didn’t enjoy this lesson. I was almost late as the motorway was shut, the new direction of travel meant I got lost and the sat nav tried to direct me down an unsuitable road, our warm-up felt rushed and Homer felt spooky. We still jumped everything I wanted, but we also shied at some trees, rocks etc, which is not like him, usually. Still, we linked some fences together, did 2 new waters. Hey, come to think of it, we had another 1st there: we did our first jump down a step into water. Oh, and our first (tiny) coffin: log, ditch log. Oh, and our first hedge. I can lift a couple of stills but the video is slightly blurry. Memories though, always worth keeping. Still a very productive day.

  
  The very next day, after the XC lesson, we did one of our longer hacks. I hadn’t set off with any ride in mind, I half expected him to be tired from all the XC the day before, but no- Homer is getting stronger! He strode round his ride, several bouncy, forward trots. He ate up a longer ride. Homer is growing up.

  Finally, although I didn’t know it would be finally at the time, we had another XC lesson – this time at the venue where we were rained off last time. Homer appreciates trotting the first time or two still, but we did some new 1sts (again!). I like that we do lots of little gains. With some, big, bold, athletic horses, you can go steaming in and teach them lots in one go. I have always said that Homer is a slow burner. He is a 50/50 horse, as in 50% athletic but also 50% steady Eddie. He learns better with frequent trips out, but only doing little bits when we get there. TBH the slow and steady way is better for me, I am no longer competition fit and am savouring the way we have constant little victories.

  Today’s firsts included: First time trotting into water without walking first; first time jumping out of water; first time jumping off a step as opposed to plopping off one; first time jumping an owl hole effect fence (where we couldn’t see into the next field either – although he did have to stop and check it out first approach, bless him); first time over a coloured (bright pink) portable on XC and… first time he got a loose shoe!

  Yes, by the time we finished, the shoe sounded slightly off. I did hack out the next day but it was a dull sound instead of the bold ring of a properly tight shoe.

  Well, it has been hot, Homer had the farrier booked for 10 days time. I decided to simply turn him out. He, again, has been working hard (for Homer) and we are in no rush. It is easy when having lots of successes to get carried away with it all. Homer may be 5 years old chronologically, but he is a big ol’ Irish horse and more like a 4 year old in a lot of ways. As I write I am waiting for the farrier to come, hopefully to get shod so we can start again, with some hacking.