The day my heart sang

What a lovely Sunday. Yesterday, Tim and I popped in Belgium. Yes, Belgium. The country. We drove from Oxfordshire to Folkestone where we caught the Channel Tunnel (car train) and drove from Calais via Lille towards Brussels. We didn't have to go all the way to Brussels, but to a small town called Soignies. 

This trip was to do with vintage cars, which is the other passion in our household. We took some Riley car parts to a man in Belgium and in exchange he gave us a 1912 Fiat. Well, the Fiat is not in a proper car shape, but was only a chassis, engine block and front axle. But Tim thinks it's pretty neat, so what can I say.

Anyway, this trip meant that we drove around 550 miles in one day = 16 hours of sitting in the car, only to have a quick dinner in a roadside restaurant somewhere near Lille. Well, it was a road trip of sorts! As a thank you for my 'supportive girlfriend' act, I was rewarded with a breakfast in bed. Nice.

But I had to soon head off to the yard as I had agreed to go on a hack. The last few days have been awful here; really rainy – flooding and sorts – so today's sunny Sunday was a real rest-bite from the horrid weather of late. 

While I had been on my Tour de France and Belgium, I had given Rainbow a couple of days off. She got to spend them in the field, so today I found a happy and chilled horse in the stable. I was running a bit late so quickly tacked R up and headed out with Sharon + Lenny and Alison + Seamus. We had a lovely walk and trot hack around the nearby villages – winding up through the fields of a stud farm. The sun was out and even the wind wasn't as blowy as it had been. 

When we wound up back to the yard, it started to rain, so I would say we were really lucky.

I enjoyed today's hack and looking into the distance, and even though I felt a bit tired after yesterday's long day, I felt so lucky and happy to be sitting there on Rainbow and ambling through the beautiful countryside. Today my heart sang.

The only way is up

In the words of 1980s pop singer Yazz, The Only Way is Up...! Our dressage test didn't quite go to plan. We barely scraped together 58% of points. So we got a black 8th place rosette - last in our class that is - and a long list of comments from the judges on how to improve. 

I remembered the route correctly, so that was good. I had been practising it in our kitchen with Tim calling out the instructions and one of my cats casually lying in the middle of the floor, roughly where I was meant to halt for the end salute, over the G and X markers. Thanks Kay... Well, I can't blame the poor performance on my cat. 

Basically I need to get Rainbow moving with purpose and be forward thinking. Also bending to the right direction. She was also looking at the borders and letters occasionally, although I didn't want to ride her with super-tight rein, as I felt it's better to look more relaxed and fluid. Perhaps I was a bit too relaxed. 

So, lots of circles, loops and serpentines in our weekly flatwork practice from now on. Also, I think I need to stop the slightly flaky riding style, I admit to falling into occasionally, where I am not driving Rainbow forward with enough purpose. As a horse, she is on the slower and calmer side, and perhaps she knows that I am not constantly pushing her enough, so we end up plodding along. But, let's not also forget that she is also young and I am a novice, and we have only been together for 6 months, so I shouldn't be too hard on myself. 

I know it's common for 'losers' to say this, but the main thing is that we participated. But I believe that, as now that I have been in that competitive situation, I will know how to improve. Any amount of lessons can't make you perfect, as I believe you have to put what you've learned into practice and test out how it holds. It didn't hold brilliantly for us, but at least now I know where to go next in terms of training/practice.

This was the first test we did. I plan to do another test in December - it will be a fun Christmas themed fancy dress dressage day, so I am planning on putting antlers on Rainbow!

The best thing about yesterday was to, again, realise lovely my horse is: I have never plaited a mane before, so I was quite slow doing it. The entire time, as I fiddled along, she stood still, ever-patiently and calmly waiting for me to work through all of it, in the horribly cold and windy weather. 

At least we had a chance to look smart for the day, instead of the usual mud covering (on both of us).

A balancing act

I took an unfortunate tumble on Sunday. It was yet another show jumping day at our yard – there's either dressage or show jumping almost every weekend – but I wasn't taking part. Though, I wanted to use the back school before the competition started. 

We were casually trotting around the back school, on our own, and did a few transitions, etc. The back school had been set up as the warm up arena, so it had two low jumps in it. I thought I'd take the cross poles with Rainbow – as that's easy enough! Wrong! We cantered towards it and Rainbow wants to please, so she takes a mighty bouncy leap over the minuscule jump, I am not prepared, or well balanced it seems, so before I know it I am in mid-fall across the air on Rainbow's left side. I reach the ground. Rainbow stops and looks at me like "why are you on the floor?" I bounce right back up and go to her. We stand around for a few moments to decide if we are OK and then I decide to jump back on. 

The ever-compliant rider in me, and what's been hammered down my throat forever in riding is that always end on a good note. I wasn't particularly shaken by the fall, though, I had slightly bumped my head onto the ground, so I was thinking if I have a concussion. Anyway, decided to at least take the jump once more, this time prepared for the leap and end on a good note. Up we went towards the jump and Rainbow takes yet another leap. This time I hang on, just. Basically hugging Rainbow's neck with my face planted into her mane. Stylish. Luckily no one saw.

Last night we had Claire's lesson again and we were doing a bit of flatwork and then jumping too. It's amazing how the presence of an instructor makes you do things better. I think it must be the running commentary of instructions that are being shouted at me: "Go into jumping position!", "Keep weight to your heels!",  "Grab the neck strap. Now!", "Well done!"

Rainbow was jumping well and I didn't fall off. And when she took the cross poles in a slightly leapier way than the other jumps, I wasn't thrown off balance but let her do her thing underneath me. Alison, who was sharing my lesson, said that I looked good jumping but she reckoned that the reason Rainbow jumped the cross poles in a bouncier way was a timing issue – she looked like we got too close to it and then she had to bounce harder to go over the poles. Something I need to work on.

Claire also said that jump regularly, but perhaps it's better to have an instructor with me when I do it, so neither of us lose confidence, ensuring we jump the best we can. 

Righty ho, without further ado, I must dash as it's Dressage day and I have to go and try transform my muddy cob to a Grand Prix style dressage horse! 

Signed, sealed and... delivered?

Certainly signed and sealed but not sure if delivered, we'll see on Thursday.

I have now signed us up for our first Dressage test. My legs are going slightly jelly-like just thinking about it. Last night I pumped myself up full of online video tutorials on how to plait a mane... Next, I will try and find a video about the test we're doing - I have the test sheets already. This weekend's riding will be dedicated to learning the test.

We are doing British Dressage Walk & Trot B 2009. Nothing spectacular. My aim is to get the route right (i.e. remember it!) and hope that Rainbow doesn't freak out about the arena borders (she hasn't before when others have ridden her).

At least this now gives me a good excuse to travel to Robinsons, in Basingstoke, this weekend, to stock up all things dressage... I don't own a showjacket or white jodhs yet, and I think my old black riding boots that mum bought me when I was 9 (off the Kaupin Talli noticeboard, in Tampere), second hand, are a bit too old to be worn now. They still fit me, I kid you not! Mum clearly bought them for me with 'a little room to grow into', ummmmm... 20 years later they still fit me... Proves how little I have grown. I remember, they cost 50 Marks, which was a largish amount back then - and I think mum wanted to save a bit in boots (that I would grow out of!) as she had spent a small fortune on my beautiful and brand-new real-suede breeches (the whole bum bit was real suede) and an expensive safety riding hat. 

Robinsons is - I hear -'the Ikea of equine equipment stores'. Can't wait!

www.robinsonsequestrian.com

I think I have a happy horse...!

I am definitely a person that needs to take action, the quicker the better, but don't mean rushing (well, maybe sometimes...hopefully not often!). I mean when something becomes very clear to me – when something clicks – I need to put the ball rolling. My thoughts, as per my previous post, have been circling around Rainbow's feeding. To the point that I found my thoughts beginning to spin around my head as I was trying to figure it all out – by bedtime, my head was actually aching from all the mulling. Not that views on feeding are ever fully complete, they tend to evolve as things happen and life goes on, but I like to have the basics in my grasp – quickly – so I can build on them... Thanks also to my ever-patient 'penpal' and friend, Johanna, who gave some good advice and certainly food for thought. 

I am still deciding on various things and a lot of it is trial and error. Today, a friendly face at the yard said that try things out for yourself and see if you see any difference in R's behaviour, and try remember what you've given her so you'll know what might cause what. So, I am not for instance going down the route with oats yet, but to boost Rainbow's condition, I am going to keep her on the Horse & Pony Cubes (bizarrely, everyone calls them 'nuts' here) and Chaff (the chaff is there just as additional roughage to stop the horse from scoffing the nuts too fast), as that's what Rainbow has been on before and I know are fine for her. I might start giving her a portion of this morning and evening, as so far she has only had it in the evening.

Then, I went on a raid in the shop that is upstairs of our yard's manege building (veeery dangerous to have a horse tack and equipment store on the same premises as the yard, I can tell you...) and came out with the following items: Flaxoil, NAF Pink Powder, a salt stone and a rubber curry comb. 

The Flaxoil is for improving condition and should probably do miracles for R's coat and mane too... The Pink Powder is a vitamin supplement, which the shop keeper swore by as she had only stumbled upon it when a sales rep had left her a sample, but apparently her horse was doing so well on it and looked good, she is now a fan. It's just a basic balancer, which suits me fine; I am determined to keep things simple.

When I set up the salt lick to Rainbow's stable she was instantly on it and licking it for a long time and in a very concentrated manner. She must have been needing it. 

As for the curry comb, I have no idea why I bought it. Call it the Ikea-syndrome...

Without making my post any longer or more boring I have one more thing to say: I had a nice long day at the yard, as didn't have to work, so I ended up arriving at 10am and only went home at 2:30pm... Bliss. I hate when in the week, and in the winter, it's so dark and evenings are so short that I find myself rushing around trying to complete all the tasks in an efficient manner. I think Rainbow notices it as today we were both super chilled and just had a lovely day together. 

I lunged Rainbow today and she was absolutely wonderful. She listened to me and worked very well on both reins. I felt quite emotional (probably just PMT) when we did a bit on side reins and she trotted on beautifully in formation. Ah! This time I used head collar under her bridle from which I removed the noseband, and with the bit only attaching to the side reins. I think this worked well so will do that again.

As a thank you for work well done, R got a piece of carrot and then I took her to her paddock to enjoy rest of the afternoon rays. My friend now calls our paddock "The Mud Spa". The girls help themselves to several full-body mud massages and facials several times a week - I for one can't even remember the last time I had a facial... The girls have their priorities right!

Happy horse

Thoughts on nutrition and condition

"Biggest Loser" competition winner!

In horse owner's life there are always matters to solve. I am deliberately not calling them problems because that would be putting a negative slant to it, which I don't wish to apply. As a new horse owner, I there are even more matters to solve! 

This week, my mind has been occupied on the nutritional front as well as saddle-fitting. The two are interlinked as Rainbow has recently lost condition. First I noticed that I was able to pull her girth in higher and higher holes. First, I was pleased about this weight loss, as she was a little porky when I bought her; well, she hadn't been used as regularly as I now use her. We don't do lots of heavy work, but she does get ridden and/or moved good part of the week, minimum 4 times a week and max 6. Usually the weekly work consists of one or two 1-hour long riding lessons, and two to three smaller sessions and one hack. If I am busy with other life (as one, occasionally, has to remember that they have e.g. a boyfriend or friends even...!), then I give Rainbow, for example, a weekend off, which she - weather permitting - gets to spend with others in the mares field. And now that we have our little paddock, I endeavour to let her in there for a couple of hours each day, minimum (it's quite boggy at the moment, so we need to limit the time it's used to avoid completely ruining it - so annoying). So, she leads a reasonably varied and active life, but not overly hard work, I would say. 

Since September, when she bucked me off spectacularly, I was advised that perhaps the once-a-day hard-feed (1/2 scoop of each: pony nuts, mix and chaff) should be taken away from Rainbow, as she was clearly feeling a bit 'too good in herself' and this was showing as being a bit naughty. Hard to say, as I am only starting out, so I took heed and stopped the hard-feed, keeping her only on hay. She is a good-doer, a Warmblood X - and I think the other part, the father's side, which we don't know about, is cobby - she's certainly sensible for her age and her horsey-looking-yet-delicately-sized head makes me think she is a part cob. 

But in the last month and half, the slimming has increased. Don't get me wrong, she is still looking good but I have noticed definite reduction in the condition - now not only the belly but also her shoulders, around the withers, and a bit of the rump too. So I decided to take action. I have reintroduced the hard-feed to her daily intake, but omitted the mix, which is heating, apparently. Then I have thought of adding a bit of oil in her diet. Annika suggested corn oil - and so do certain horse books - but with a little research on my dear friend Google, I found information which pans use of corn oil due to its high Omega 6 content, which is actually inflammatory (to joints, etc), whereas what horses need is more of Omega 3! Who knew? Apparently, Omega 3 is what e.g. fresh spring grass is full of and its properties are anti-inflammatory. In oils, apparently flaxseed oil is one of the best with ratio of 50% Omega 3 to 15% Omega 6.  (My main source, though I am not taking it as gospel and nor should you!: www.holistichorse.com/Nutrition/making-sense-of-omegas-flax-hemp-fish-oil-something-else.html)

I also spoke to my vet about the condition, etc. and though she admitted not being an expert on all matters nutrition, she said that what I am suggesting doing sounds sensible. She also recommended looking at sugar beet (a.k.a. beet pulp), as that helps with condition without adding fizziness. 

As Rainbow is smaller around her shoulders and withers, the saddle, which was personally made for her formerly porkier frame and we only got from the saddlers in August, is now sitting a bit too tight around the pommel area. When I sit in the saddle I can hardly push two of my fingers under the pommel, and my fingers are small! But, before I get a saddler to re-stuff and re-shape it for us, I have decided to use a Shires Gel Pad Riser to alleviate the situation. I hope it works, as I have a feeling the tight saddle is also affecting R's performance; she's been rather reluctant and almost too calm of late... Could also be that she's lacking in energy.

I am also now giving her more hay, when stabled, so she has a chance to munch on hay most part of the day - just like horses should, really.

I will take some pictures of the saddle on Rainbow tomorrow and send them to the local saddle doctors, so they can have a preliminary look at the positioning and thus help decide if the Gel Riser is enough at this stage or if I should improve the saddle sooner rather than later. But what if I get the saddle improved soon and then Miss Pony piles on the pounds again - am I finding myself back in square one with the saddle and another hole in my pocket?

Lest we forget

Today is Remembrance Sunday here in the UK – a day of remembering those who have fallen in conflicts. The tradition is to wear a poppy as a symbol of remembrance. The best known poppy colour is red, but some people wear purple poppies to remember animals that have served and fallen in human conflicts. 

In Britain alone around a million horses were taken to the trenches in First World War. Only 62,000 returned. The horses were taken from their owners to serve the war effort, no questions asked and no two ways about it. They had to endure the same horrors as their human counterparts, and perhaps even more, given that they were the beasts of burden used for transport and carrying all the heaviest items, and without a logical understanding of why they had ended up there. There were also many heroic dogs – and even pigeons – that served in both World Wars. Today, British troops still use dogs in Afganistan and other war zones as bomb detectors, for example.

War Horse (a book, a play and a movie) depicts the events of the First World War and a story of one horse through the horrors of WWI. I hear it's a good movie, but I still haven't been able to bring myself to watch it. I cried even when the 30-second movie trailer featured on TV last autumn.

So, today, when I was ambling across the countryside with Rainbow and saw all those happy families and walkers with their dogs on this gloriously sunny late-autumn day, I was thankful. Thankful for those who have given their lives to protect our way of life. Possibly also without all those people and animals I would not be sitting on my horse, in England, enjoying the freedom that I have. 

Pack horses carrying ammunition in Flanders, from 'The Horse and the War' by Captain Lionel Edwards, published by Country Life in 1918.

The Animals in War Memorial

Next time I pop in London, I will go and have a look at this memorial that is at Brook Gate, Park Lane (near Hyde Park)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Been a busy week

I haven't had much to report recently on the horsey front, weeks seem to be rolling into one big mass of lessons, hacking out and us trying to learn how to go in formation...

A path which is part of our hack route near the yard.

My parents visited me last weekend, so Rainbow had a couple of days off. My personal horsey highlight from last weekend must be Sunday morning when mum came to the yard with me and helped me muck out Rainbow's stable! It was a rainy day, so help was most welcome and made the process a lot quicker. I taught mum how it's done - she's never mucked out a stable before - and soon she was declaring that when she retires she would be happy to come and 'work' for me as a stable hand. So I could just ride while mum cleans Rainbow's stable. Result - I'll take that! It must be a genetic thing, then, as I really don't mind mucking out in general. Yes it's sometimes hard work, but the positives of doing it really outweigh the negatives in my mind: for instance, it's great muscle-toning exercise.  Also, no matter how chilly I feel when I arrive at the yard, within a few minutes of poo picking and wheeling I am already peeling layers of clothing off. Since I have owned a horse, I haven't really worried about what I eat as I am slimmer and more toned than I have ever been. And, finally, it's highly satisfying to lead Rainbow back into her clean stable afterwards and see her do a 'complimentary' thank-you pee almost instantly... Too much information?!

Even though my weekend was pretty much taken over by parents and other activities, such as going to see the new James Bond film (superb, by the way), I did make sure we attended our fortnightly Claire's lesson on Monday evening. Mum and dad had the pleasure of watching us from the sidelines. I think they got a bit cold standing around a good part of the hour, but at least they saw their daughter on her new pony (I felt like I was 10 years old again).

The first half of the lesson was flatwork and I must say it is currently a bit of struggle: We weren't propelling forwards properly half of the time; steering/bending to the right seems like an alien concept to Rainbow at the moment; I can get her on the bit but not to stay there. It's all a bit 'fighty' with her at the moment when we try to work the basics. I mean she behaves but I can just sense it's not particularly fun for her. I have been feeling a bit at odds with her when in school, she's almost looking a bit reluctant when I lead her to the school. When I explained this to Claire she was just saying Rainbow being green and teamwork only really develops overtime. Sometimes working is hard and it's not always meant to be fun, but the sooner she learns to eg carry herself better, she's working more efficiently. I need to keep persisting with Rainbow and be stricter in asking for her to carry herself. This week, all of this just feels like a lot of hard work.

Then, when we jump a totally new horse emerges. Enthusiastic and complying. We did a couple of small cross-poles again and over we went like they were double the height. Claire praised us and said we look a lot better - apparently, I should have my parents watching more often if it produces such results. 

It's just over two weeks until the dressage test we're meant to be doing, so I will need to soon start rehearsing that with Rainbow. My aim won't be perfect formation all the time but to go the correct route, at least. Not feeling inspired this week but I am determined.