Gill Watson 11/02/11

I had my February lesson with Gill today. Stella was feeling a little stiff after her jumping session yesterday. (By the way that went really well, I hope I have cracked this showjumping lark)! Back to Gill's lesson - even though she was little bit stiff I got her going. We worked a lot on suppleing exercises, one of the exercises in Canter on the inner track, bending her left and right but keeping quarters straight. This is making me keep control and making me feel everything she does underneath me.We also worked on long and low and making the contact even on both sides as she has a tendency to lean on the left rein. Ro Jennings popped over to see Gill and it was nice for her to see me one year on from when I first got Stella. I feel if it had not have been for Ro, all of this would never have happened, her initial introduction has led to me having so many other opportunities.

Ken Spencer 6/2/11

Another fantastic lesson with Ken!  I am really getting to grips with Stella. We did a lot of lateral work and he really put me through my paces. We did Travers, shoulder in and leg yielding and I learnt and got the feeling of how to do a walk piroutte. I have not had a flat work lesson with him in a while and I really enjoyed it. The thing is he knows me and Stella so well and I feel confident when I am with Ken and like being pushed out of my comfort zone.

PS: I forgot to say that also that day I qualified Jake for the Open Dengie Regional Dressage Finals, not sure how. Having already committed to a lesson with Ken which I did not want to miss. We turned up 15 minutes before my test was due to start, did not even know the dressage test, I'd not ridden it since last summer so Mum read it for me, then got told off by the judge for talking to loudly!

Pearl - what should I do? 7/02/11

Its so ironic how when you think about selling a horse and making new plans for getting another one, the horse you are considering selling goes better than they ever have and whats more better than any horse you have ever ridden, thats my Pearl. We had decided to put her on the market (to be fair we haven't yet) because ultimately we did not think she would be able to take me as far as I wanted to go. Today she has been utterly amazing and by far the best quality flat work I have ever experienced in a horse. Saturday apart from having a whirly gig moment at the beginning she did not put a foot wrong out hunting, she is the most loving horse in the stable and I have put 2 years of patience and hard work in to her, should I hang on?

Catch Up

Sorry I have not written recently, so much school work- I will give you an update.
I did the JAS (Jumping with style) two weeks ago at Merrist Wood, it was a successful day, even though I was HC in the Novice.Finally got to grips with my showjumping and would have come 2nd if I had not have been entered as HC.
Following weekend I had a second session with a certain famous eventer, this time I was not so star struck and I actually managed to say a few words and to ride more on form.We concentrated on starightness (Estella likes to swing her bottom in) and my naughty left hand!

This weekend I am hunting Pearl and have entered a dressage competition on Jake.
And as I write this entries have gone in for Tweseldown (our first Event of the season) for Jake (BE90) and Estella (Open Novice) and thats focussed my attention on a fitness plan for both horses in coming weeks.