Exciting news!!

We have had some very exciting news this week as Buddy and I have been shortlisted for a sponsorship package run by Jamie Wright Equestrian who is a local eventer and dressage rider. This is a huge opportunity for us as, if we are lucky enough to be the final pair chosen, it is 6 months of free training and support plus kit from Total Impact Equestrian and physio from LAW Animal Physiotherapy. We have to go to Jamie's yard for an assessment lesson and then should hear early April. I am just hoping that I do my gorgeous boy justice as it is a fantastic offer and would make sure we get our first season under our belts in style.

Sunbathing after his first bath of 2014

The rest of the week has been spent ensuring that the new saddle fits and trying to find a new dressage saddle. My lovely wow has gone off to a new home in Scotland and I hope the lady who bought it has as many happy hours in the saddle as I did.

Arty Pic

Buddy is much happier in his new saddle and is already starting to expand into it - I need to stop joking about him being like Valegro as he's going to be a tank if he carries on! We had our third Bowen session this week and Buddy really enjoyed it. We agreed that his topline has improved already and the good news was he was softer all over which was great news. The saddle also got the thumbs up (phew). But the search for a dressage saddle continues....

Sleepy donkey

I have also (finally) started using my head camera. It's finally dried up enough now that we can have a good canter so I thought I'd share today's effort - see if you can spot the couple of moments where pheasants thought they'd like to join in!!

Cantering in the field

We're off jumping tomorrow so will be using the headcam again - will upload the video and report on here.

Once you get one thing sorted....

What a change there has been in the weather - Buddy has been out in his fly rug and the ground is drying up - could Spring have sprung?! 

It has been a funny few weeks here which have reminded me that as soon as you get one thing right and you think you have got everything sussed with the ponies, something else always happens to educate you and change your perceptions. A few weeks ago I posted about Buddy being tricky and strong whilst we were jumping and something just didn't feel right but I couldn't put my finger on it. He was booked in for Bowen treatment which I thought would show any weaknesses or tight spots and I was right - they found a few. He was tight in his quads - which I would expect as he is using himself more behind now - but he was also quite sore around his saddle area. Long story cut short is that my wow saddle isn't the right set up for him anymore and unless I spend hundreds of pounds changing the panels and girthing set up (which won't guarantee a perfect fit) its useless for us. So I made the decision to sell it and so it is now advertised in a few places (if you want to know where then let me know and I'll point you in the right direction).

So we've been on the hunt for something that fits and nothing was quite right bar my YO's dressage saddle. Luckily I ordered a couple of saddles from Saddles Direct and one fits us both really well so the saddler is going to check it this week and as long as she gives it the thumbs up we are good to go again. I tried it today over some fences and I had my lovely, sane and rideable pony back so I was racked with guilt as he was trying to tell me something and I should have noticed things weren't totally right before. I should know better than to carry on regardless but, lesson learnt and luckily I've listened and sorted it for him (finally). I am hoping the bowen lady will find him to be freer on our next session.

Can't everyone do this?!

As well as this I've been working hard on me, strengthening my core and becoming more aware of how I use my body - particularly on the horse. I am hyper-mobile which means that I have a huge range of motion in my joints. What a lucky lady I hear you say - well unfortunately this isn't the case and it means that my body doesn't move in the same way as a 'normal' person. My muscles are weak as I use my bones to move as this is easier so I am having to learn how to engage certain muscles to counteract this. Its been really hard but I am finding it an incredibly interesting exercise and it is making a huge difference to my day to day posture as well as my riding. I am far straighter now but I am also learning to use my pelvis whilst keeping my upper body still which has been eye opening. There is a lot of work still to be done and its baby steps right now but this will make life easier for Buddy and means I won't be crippled by the time I'm 40 (hopefully)!

I am hoping to get out to some local show jumping now Buddy is no longer kamikazing his way around a course so we should have some more exciting pictures soon.

Rain, rain go away

The sun is finally shining, the nights are getting lighter and I hear it is going to be a balmy 18 degrees at the weekend. All this can only mean one thing... The event season is finally upon us! It all kicked off last weekend but only one of the scheduled events actually ran due to the ground being too wet or course designers actually unable to get the courses ready. As a result we have pushed our debut back as we haven't been able to get any of the practise in that we have needed. So we now have more time to get ready which is good and should (hopefully) mean that we can be competitive.

Hacking in the sunshine

I am still continuing with my physio treatment which I have to say has made a dramatic improvement to my riding and Buddy's way of going. I went back last Friday for a follow up and everything is getting stronger but my muscles are also getting tight on my shorter side due to all the adjustments that are being made to my way of going so our last session was focused on loosening these off which was incredibly painful - I have a high pain threshold but had to get her to stop halfway through - but felt a million times better once it was done although I had some cracking bruises to show for it! In-between now and my next session I am just focusing on increasing the strength in my glutes and my range of movement as well as ensuring that I keep straight at all times!

Our stableselfie

Buddy has also been working hard and is showing a huge improvement as well. As work has been busy and I've been jetting off out of the country and all round the UK my YO has been doing some strengthening work with him during the week and he is finally starting to 'get' what we are asking of him and his canter is rapidly improving. We also had our first jumping session in what seems like ages and the big take away was that Buddy has missed it and secondly that we are super rusty when it comes to riding a course!

Get off Rubus!

The session was really hard work for me and showed up the weakness in Buddy's canter and when I don't control his shoulders round a turn. I also struggled to control his exuberance (!) and then that turned into a vicious circle with me getting tense because I had no control and then that wound Buddy up more. When I relaxed and let him go he did chill a bit and was more rideable but I still didn't have enough and so we have decided that we will look at his bitting so I can relax knowing that I can check him when necessary and he will actually come back to me!! I hope we will be able to come back to the snaffle once the excitement of being back jumping has reduced a bit ;o)

We're off competing for the first time this year at the weekend so it will be interesting to see what impact our winters training has had on our scores. Hopefully Buddy won't be too wild!

Working with what you've got

There will be double posts this weekend as I meant to post this two weeks ago and forgot!!

This week has been a bit of a housekeeping week, I've been busy with work and Buddy had his vaccs and teeth done at the end of the week so ended up having a few more days off than I would have liked. I also had my first physio session with a new lady that works with my YO.

She works with a lot of top riders and is also a veterinary physio so understands how biomechanics affect the horse. I am very wonky and I have been for a long time but no one has been able to fix me, or help me retain straightness, in between visits. I suffered with back pain for around a year and ended up having cortisone into my facet joints as well as a physio plan. It was determined then that I had one leg longer than the other and so I wore a heel raise (or little wedgie) at all times when I'm on my feet. A few years ago I started seeing a new Chiro who said my issues weren't that I had a leg length difference but that my pelvis is so rotated it makes it look like I have a shorter leg as I'm always twisted which made total sense so it was adios little wedgie and freedom... until Friday.

I was telling my story and C (the physio) just looked at me in that way that makes you want to stop talking as you obviously aren't telling the story in the right way for them but I'd started so it was time to finish. With a shake of her head I was told to get my kit off and stand in front of the mirror. She laughed. This is becoming a regular occurence when this profession looks at me for the first time so I try not to get too paranoid... But the basics are, I'm super wonky but if you put a wedge under my left heel I'm pretty much straight. She told me of all the riding issues I will be having because of this (canter, circles and naughty hands to name a few) so its good to know I was on the right lines with my diagnosis!

C started around my pelvis and showed me how 'out' I was (my hip bones were probably an inch apart in height) and where I was twisting across my whole body to compensate. As a result my spine is curved, my muscles down one side of my spine are rock hard, some ribs are a bit dodgy and my upper back is tight as a drum. Hmmm. Then it was time for some capability exercises and, overall, I was shockingly awful! As my pelvis is so twisted, tilted and generally all wrong my muscles have shortened to compensate. I cant tip my pelvis up and so have a bit of a duck bottom (which I have been working on for years to try and sort) and my defacto answer to the questions C was asking was to push my bum out and rotate my pelvis back.

Then it was time to try and fix it. I am not going to lie.. it really hurt. I consider myself to have a very high pain threshold but the stretching of muscles waaaay out of their comfort zone really smarts! At first I was thinking it just pulled a bit and I could cope with that.. then she kept going... and going. I got up and could barely put one leg in front of the other as my coping mechanism had been removed completely.

I've been prescribed a few exercises to stretch out key muscle groups and I must not be without my little wedgie so I have put in an order and have 10 on the way. In the meantime I've got my own little wedgie that I've made to keep me going!!

I will never have perfect legs so I need to make sure I can be as straight as I am physically able to be and this is the start of yet another journey.

So an update: I went back after a week of doing lots of exercise and there was a huge improvement. I'd already noticed it riding but it was great to know C agreed. I've been given a two week reprieve, more exercises and hopefully we will see more improvement next time!!

Making progress

We’re well into Operation Get Eventing which started with the kick up the bottom from my YO. The plan is only being scuppered by long days at work which mean I don’t have as much time or energy to ride during the week. I am making sure we get at least two sessions in Monday-Friday for a few reason, one we need to keep his feet working, two he needs to stay fit and three I need to practise my homework from my weekend lesson!

Since my last blog we have had two more lessons and we are making progress! Its not going to be a quick fix (I’d be worried if it was) but it’s great to see the changes so quickly. I’ve been taking lessons with my YO who is the right combination of not taking any rubbish but building confidence and pushing you out of that comfort zone.

Buddy's new look

Our main issue is… Canter. Particularly on the left rein where I am weak and have an outside hand with a mind of its own so Buddy takes full advantage of that and we end up in a wall of death / fall out of the shoulder nightmare. Part of this problem is that Buddy uses his power to just propel himself along and get out of trouble rather than sitting and engaging his hind end. Engagement has then been our main focus.

Inspiration from Charlotte and Valegro.. I'm sure we're nearly there ;o)

To do this we have been using a few exercises:

1.Spiralling in and out of 20m circles in walk and trot - making sure he doesn’t fall out of his shoulder

2.20m circles at B/E then into a 10m circle at each end – this really gets Buddy stepping underneath himself

3.Lengthening his stride down the long sides (careful not to rush and keep the same rhythm)and 10m circles in each corner to back him off and sit

They are really simple exercises but have made a huge difference in his way of going in a short timeframe. We have also used leg yield out of a 20m circle and going into canter to ensure he is stepping from behind and not just charging off into the transition. We tweaked this today by using a fraction of outside bend, then straightening him up and asking for canter and we got some beautiful uphill transitions.

For my issues I am booked in to see a new physio next week to see if we can try and keep my left hip in place which will help keep my seat bones and body straight as that doesn’t make either of our jobs any easier. I am also working hard on my errant right hand that likes to go a bit crazy when it is the outside hand and has a tendency to cross the neck which doesn’t help our issues in canter! So I’ve been really focused on keeping that hand steady and I wasn’t shouted out as much today so I just need to carry on thinking about it and hopefully soon it will become second nature. Off the horse I am doing lots of strengthening work on my core and have started a new diet so I can lose a few pounds (or a stone or two) before the event season starts as we will both find it much easier if I’m on the lighter side.

Hacking in the sunshine

The plan for the next couple of weeks is to carry on with what we are doing and we’ve got a couple of XC sessions in the diary so, as long as the weather holds out and we don’t get any crazy snow, ice or more rain we are still all systems go!

Start as you mean to go on

Since my last blog post I have been a busy bee! I had some time off after Christmas and wasn’t back at work until last Monday so I’ve been having fun playing ponies (and am now even more desperate for that lottery win) and visiting special friends.

The support network for the Rockley Rehabs extends way beyond Nic and all she does and there is a brilliant network of alumni who help each other through and welcome the newbies on their journeys. After the RRR13 a few of us have kept in touch and we see each other regularly but we talk almost daily and pull each other through the tougher times, the times when you aren’t totally sure you’re doing the right thing and celebrate times when everything(ish) is going right. We’re all relatively new on the journey but are at different stages with Buddy being the longest serving graduate. One thing the group highlighted for me recently was how you can be sucked into consistently treating your horse like they are still broken and constantly doubting yourself.

Totally unimpressed with his new snuggy jams

It’s definitely something I have been guilty of over the past year and I have stuck to our comfort zone for a long time. It’s the only reason I delayed jumping until we had a new hoof as for me jumping = lame horse and when you are back on that onward trajectory you don’t want to suffer that awful heartbreak and disappointment again. However, as per my previous blogs, I vowed to move on.. But I still bumbled around.

Previously I had plans and ambition to get to 1* if I could (and it would be me holding us back) but when Buddy went lame I vowed never to make plans again as I always end up disappointed so all I wanted was to have a sound horse that I could have fun on with no pressure. I am so lucky that I have that now and I enjoy every second I have with Buddy and appreciate how far we have come but that removed all my competitive drive that I have always had. So, my YO staged an intervention and gave me a well needed kick up the backside after I was telling another livery that I had adjusted all expectations!

Wk 13 vs 58

It started with a day of lessons, one on her schoolmaster to show me I could ride and then a session with Buddy to show me how he takes advantage of weaknesses in my position. I came away buzzing with a renewed drive to really get on and actually do it. So, I started up my training notebook again, have picked my first event and scheduled my training and competition schedule back from there and.. I wrote it in pen! I have also tentatively planned my season but that may change depending on how he takes to eventing (and whether it ever stops raining!).

Sole shots - his feet weren't looking at their best in the wk 58 shots but it's interesting to see the changing shapes

So, I’m excited and ready to tackle the 2014 season. There is work to be done but I feel like I have got a good team of people around me who want me to do the best I can and I am (finally) mentally ready for the challenge.

Adios 2013... You've been a good one!

My last post was somewhat reflective so even though we are on our final day of the year I won't focus too much on looking backwards. However, for anyone that has had a tough year I would like to recommend one thing... I started a jam jar last January, into which I placed every single good thing that happened to me this year. Every time something not so nice has happened I have opened and read my jam jar and it has really changed my perspective on how I let the negative things remove the magic from the good. It is something I will continue to do over the next year as I really think it has made a difference to my views.

It has been a very busy few months here, I've been abroad with work a fair bit which meant poor Buddy was somewhat neglected. However, I will be starting a new job in January so am having a couple of weeks off in the interim which has been lovely (although is going far too quickly for my liking).

 

Frosty hacks on furry ponies

We have had some very sad news on the yard as my superb YO lost her horse of a lifetime this week in a freak accident. It is horrible when something like this happens and puts everything into perspective. She has been such a huge support to me and has welcomed Buddy and I so warmly into the yard so it make it seem more unfair that it happened to such a lovely pair. So please spare a thought for her and give your ponies an extra cuddle when you see them - I certainly did :o( 

 

We did venture out a few weeks ago to a local dressage competition, Buddy was a bit of a pickle and decided to freestyle his first test including several GP moves that are unnecessary in a walk and trot test! He still managed to come 7th out of 30 despite the inattention (the judge was being polite) although I have to admit I was disappointed as I really wanted to have a successful last go at that level which I know is very spoilt brat sounding as I would have been jumping for joy with that result on my old horse! He did redeem himself in the prelim and managed to come 3rd so I was very pleased with that - he is getting more consistent at this level now although the canter is still hit and miss. We also qualified for their winter championship but I decided to not go as we just weren't prepared and I would have been disappointed to not perform our best.

 

Butter wouldn't melt (he'd almost deposited me at the end of the school!)

Buddy's feet are continuing to do well, although the change in weather has affected his capability somewhat - although I know it shouldn't be enough on its own - and he is feeling slightly more sensitive on stones than he was a few weeks ago. I am treating for thrush as he has a nice (!) central sulcus split opening up on one of his front feet which is now starting to close since treatment started so I am hoping that will be the end of it. He is feeling rather well, is sound and landing heel first so I'm not hugely worried but it is something I am keeping a very close eye on as I know how fast things can change.

Schooling in the rain

 

Despite this I am tentatively planning my 2014 season. Aim number one is to have a happy, healthy and sound horse. Aim number two is to continue having lots and lots of fun. Competitively I have a few aims for this year...

 

1. Complete a Novice dressage test
2. Score over 60% in a Novice test
3. Complete a one day event
4. Be consistently jumping 1m+

 I would love to look back next year and have done the above but I am not putting any pressure on either of us as I know how lucky I am to be just riding my horse so every single moment is a precious one.

Happy New Year from Buddy and I!