I’ve been busy schooling with the horses again as we had to abandon the shows I was planning on due to the high winds as it just was not worth the risk. Autumn has been doing a mixture of flat and jump work, whilst Aria has had a play with lunging and also long reining. Bob on the other hand, well he’s turned a corner again and has become better behaved. We have done flat and pole work during the week then at weekends I’ve got him back to jumping, initially it was only the little fences to start with. However, on Sunday morning I persuaded the OH to get up early with me to be my pole person so I could have a proper jump. Luckily he agreed and I have to say we had a great session with Bob. As I wasn’t the one putting the fences up I had no clue on the height which really helped me. We started off small to get him calmly jumping but each time the pole was then put up, with the final measurement being 1m - this was great considering my confidence knock from the fall at the last show. Bob also didn’t rush too much at the fences although he did have one hissy fit where he decided to go sideways instead of straight towards the fence. I then asked for the fence to be lowered so we could concentrate on his line and approach, and with a few calm attempts we then jumped it fine. I always like to finish him on a positive note so made sure he was inundated with praise. I do think it is sometimes my confidence that he can sense so I am being conscious of how I ride into the fences!
Bob was very calm after his session as I think he was a bit tired, so as I was finishing cooling him off, I challenged my partner to have a sit on him as he has always said he would then backed out! Well this time he obviously felt confident as he said yes!! Without any room for changing his mind, I got straight off, fitted the hat and took them both to the mounting block!! A couple of attempts to get aboard but he managed it, Bob looked highly unimpressed as he has been used to me as his sole rider for nearly 6 years. Although he was a bit unsure he behaved himself and after a few side steps/circles, I was able to lead Martin round on him for a few minutes. This was a major achievement for Martin as he’s not sat on my horses before so hopefully I can get him more interested now!
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We had another couple of busy weeks both with work and the horses – don’t know where the time has gone!
We managed to get two lessons in, one on each weekend for Bob. The first one was fantastic, we did some bounce fences (which yes I was worried he would revert back to his old ways and jump as a spread instead of a bounce – but luckily he didn’t!)
Now that Christmas and the New Year are behind us, along with the shortest day, it is time to start thinking ahead to sunny days and planning shows!
Upkeep of your horsebox is not only key to maintaining the safety of your vehicle but crucial to keeping your horses safe and sound. When it comes to horsebox maintenance, much of your focus should be on the floors and walls of your vehicle.
Owners need to check their horse’s health and wellbeing all year round, but winter can be an especially challenging time. From the cold unpredictable weather, to sparse fields and animals being more prone to illness, your horse will need more care and attention over the winter months.