My Own Horse - on loan anyway.

Not posted for an awful long time, but felt my good news merited a blog post.  Finally got my own horse - on loan for the moment anyway. He is a six year old skewbald gelding who I have been riding on and off for about eighteen months and had my eye on for a long time.  He is very sweet although a little green in some respects he is pretty good for a six year old.

 I've had him a week and there have been a few ups and downs.  He is definitely going to take a little while to settle as he has only ever lived at one farm although I have only moved him down the road so we will be hacking out in the same places around the beach and the sand dunes.  Hoping this doesn't mean he is going to start napping to "go home" to the old farm but so far so good - no napping anyway.

  First ride out was a little eventful.  Having gone perfectly for most of the ride, despite it not only being his first ride from his new home but his first ride after two months of turnout, he was on his best behaviour and didn't put a foot wrong until ... the other girls decided to jump some logs. I turned him away as I decided not to; I've not really got much experience jumping.  Unfortunately, didn't realise exactly what they were doing only to turn him at the wrong moment just as they took off.  He bolted after them, I fell on his neck, he jumped in the air and then galloped off and I was left lying on the floor.  As if that wasn't bad enough, he gallops off passing his owner out on a trek with loads of customers and half the liveries from that yard too and I had to walk past them all on foot and wait for my friend to retrieve him from the other side of the river where he was rolling tack and all in his old field.

He has also got a little pushy in the stable trying to get out and refused to come in from the field after his second turnout and got quite aggressive.  After an hour and a half trying to catch him in a very muddy field, he ended up being left out all night (he didn't mind that as it is what he used to but what he didn't realise is all the other horses come in at night on the new yard and there is no hay in the field unlike his old farm).  I was a little worried what he would be like to catch in the morning but he was as quiet as a lamb so hopefully he has learned his lesson.

Second ride out last week was a little nerve wracking but I thought we going to take it quietly until my friends decided to gallop through the dunes and I had no choice but to follow.  Didn't feel like it at the time but probably did help my confidence and today I felt brave enough to risk my first solo ride.  Didn't go far just down the road and was only out for about 10 minutes in total but felt like quite an achievement doing it completely on our own.  Feeling very proud of us both but think I need to enlist a friend on foot or in a car next time if I go a bit further just til I get more confident.

Off on our own

Whilst the guided treks are always great fun, I love that when I go with one particular friend, the owner lets us go off on our own with the horses.  It's nice that he thinks I am a good enough rider to trust me to borrow the horse and not the ploddy one either.

Well we were very lucky with the weather last week and it was relatively warm and sunny although there were a few flakes of snow driving home.

We made the most of our freedom by stopping at the pub of the village green for a drink.  The horses enjoyed munching on the grass which I think is much lusher than the grass in their field although not sure it was intended as grazing but no-one told us off so guess it was okay.

Don't think horses like cider much although I have been told some of them like beer.

Anyway if that was not enough, as we were leaving we heard the tinkle of the ice-cream van and as we made our way back to the beach there it was sitting waiting for us.  Couldn't resist a 99 icecream with a flake on horseback and we didnt even need to dismount - the counter was the perfect height for service on horseback.

Then it was back to the beach for a canter and even managed to jump a few small logs.

Another lovely Beach Ride

Ogmore Castle Stepping Stones - The horses don't bother using these so if you have a little pony you might get wet feet before you even get to the beach.

I decided it was time to have another beach ride as I haven't been for a few weeks and with winter looming, it seemed sensible to make the best of the weather.  Whilst it seemed a bit fresh, it was a lovely sunny morning when I arrived so didn't need too many layers because it can be quite cold on the beach at times.

As we approached the beach, I noticed the tide was in.  Normally, the canters are not quite so good when the tide is in as there is less beach and the sand tends to be wetter and stickier which is not ideal for the horses to canter on although we normally still get a canter, tends to be a slower more paced ride rather than a full out gallop.  However as we came over the brow of the sand dune onto the beach, it was clear there would be no cantering on the beach that morning.  There was no beach to speak of, only a narrow stretch of shingle left - definitely not suitable for cantering.  (I later heard that a few days earlier it had been the highest tide of the year).

The beach, however, was a spectacular sight.  Huge waves breaking not far out and although the beach is normally deserted except for horses and the odd dog walker, today the sea was alive with surfers making the most of the huge waves.  I'm not sure the horses were quite as impressed with the waves and was half expecting one of them to spook and take off but although they were not overly impressed, none of them did anything silly.

We made up for the lack of canters on the beach with a few fast canters through the windy paths in the dunes which are equally good fun and I decided to ride again in the afternoon when the tide was out so I could have another go at the beach.



The Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes - the largest sand dune system in Europe and the location for scenes from the film Laurence of Arabia.
 

When we arrived back at lunchtime, after a quick pastie to eat and a hastily drunk coffee, it was time to remount.  This time on a new pony, belonging to one of the little girls who helps out there.  She was only 14 hands but very fast and fun to ride.
This time, we were able to have a nice gallop across the beach.  And there was only one horse there that was faster than my little pony.  The advantage of being near the front is you don't get covered in sand kicked up the horses in front or to the side of you which can be a bit of a pain.

The other advantage of the pony I was riding is that she is used to jumping and inspired me to try a few small logs as I have not done any jumping to speak of and certainly not in lessons. I've only jumped a few times, more often than not unintentionally.  However, due to the high tide, a couple of our favourite little logs to jump had either disappeared or moved and were no longer in the right place to jump them, but there were still a few in the sand dunes which we had a go at. 

Anyway, all in all, it was a lovely day - fabulous weather, a great ride and good company and as I was feeling indulgent and am not working at the moment I decided to go again mid week.

Progess at last - albeit slow

Had another riding lesson today.  Was not looking forward to my horse as everyone said she was really lazy but was pleasantly surprised in the end and she seemed positively forward compared to the last two. 

The sitting trot without stirrups wasn't too hot because she was a bit bouncy but the canters went much better today.  I felt more confident because the horse was a lot more active in trot and acheiving the first canter without a problem meant I stopped worrying about whether the horse would go into canter and was able to focus on my position and managed to keep my heels down much more although still managed to let my feet slip through the stirrups a bit too far instead of keeping the balls on my feet in the stirrups but progress.

I figured the main reason I don't have these problems hacking out is because when I am cantering across an open beach, I tend to canter in a light forward seat rather than sitting to the canter but am feeling more hopeful that I will finally get there after today. 

Looking forward to Thursday when I am going to visit my friend and her horse which she has promised to let me ride although have to see what he is like before I try and canter as she has told me he likes to put in a few exhuberant little bucks before he canters and not sure how I will cope with that.

Canter Transitions :(

Had my fourth riding lesson at the new riding school today and it is not going well.  Having not been brilliant before the summer, I feel like I have lost a lot of ground after a few months off over the school holidays.

I just can't seem to get the canter transitions right.  I get really tense anticipating that the horse won't canter when I ask him to and then he keeps proving me right.  My instructor tells me I am gripping too much with my knees and that my heels are not staying down and my legs are going too far forward.  The more I think about it the more wrong it seems to go.  Last week, she said it looked liked I'd never cantered before and I wasn't safe to do so.

I'm sure when I am out hacking I am much more relaxed in canter but then it is so different.  I never have to do a canter transition as the horses are always raring to go on the beach and its just a case of giving them a slight squeeze and loosing the reins a little and they go from standing or walking straight to canter and then into gallop depending on the conditions.  It probably also helps that I tend to canter in light seat out on the beach instead of sitting to the canter like we have to in the lessons.   Even when I am leading the ride which tends to be more difficult, the horses there are still so easy to get into canter and a winding tree lined path at a fast canter doesn't phase me but a 20 metre circle in the school has me panicking.

I am must be one of the few people who seems to get more nervous in the school than out in a wide open space although ironically the worse falls I've had have been in the school.  Oh well, I will have to perservere or I will never progress to jumping lessons which I am quite keen to do as already done a few involuntary and unanticpated jumps when I have been out hacking.

Exam Results

My computer has been down for a while so haven't been able to post but thought I would update you on my exam results.  The riding was a bit of a nightmare.  The first horse I got was a lucky choice for me as I was used to riding him - a nice cob called patches who isn't quite as sluggish as some of the other cobs.  I thought it started off well and the sitting trot seemed okay although I messed up the first canter as he didn't respond to my aids the first time I asked for canter but thought okay I can still pass as long as I get it right on the next horse.  Unfortunately despite the fact all my lessons have been at the exam centre, I haven't really been given the chance to ride many of the thoroughbreds.  However, my instructor assured me it was highly unlikely I would get them in the exam as they are all quite big and I am only 5"2 but as luck would have it they gave me a 16"3 thoroughbred next the biggest horse in the exam.  Couldn't seem to get a ryhthum in trot and then he started shying so they stopped the exercise briefly and the caller was instructing me to hold the reins looser - oops.  Then I panicked a bit and didn't hear the instructions to cut from the back of the ride across the school to the front and left it too late and had to cut diagonally.

Think I knew I had failed for sure when the examiner decided to switch half of the exam onto a third horse before the canter and light seat trotting and cantering over poles.  Sure enough I failed the riding although was chuffed to pass the three horse care modules.

Examiners comments were "Although showing awareness of the fundamental requirements of this section, as yet she does not have sufficient balance, security or co-ordination for the required standard.  Work is required to develop these key areas in order that she can more easily follow the natural movement of the horse, maintain a more elastic rein contact and give aids with greater clarity,  She also needs to develop more awareness when mounting, dismounting and adjusting tack whilst mounted [ I thought my mounting and dismounting was fine but who am I to argue the other comments were probably fair generally and especially so as I didn't perform my best in the exam],

Taking the kids riding

With the bank holiday weekend, it was a lovely opportunity to spend some time with my kids and I decided a few days up at the farm and a chance to get them on horseback was a fantastic idea.  Given the rain the idea of camping went by the by and we managed to blag a bed inside for the night because we are wimps lol.  Saturday it tipped it down with rain so the kids ended up playing on the trampoline in the rain and watching tv a lot of the day.  We arrived just in time for me to help get all the trekkers on their horses - a hen party who for some reason thought pony trekking would be a great idea despite the fact half of them were petrified of horses. Then to muck out the stables before the horses got back.  We dropped the idea of taking the kids riding on Saturday because we thought they would get put off by the heavy rain.  The BBQ in the evening because a grill and indoor party instead but we still had lots of fun.

Sunday, the weather was dry if not sunny so after the morning trek came back we took the kids out on a little ride.  My eight year old was in the middle without a lead rein with their little friend on her pony at the front and my tiny 6 year old on a horse of nearly 15 hands at the back.  We had to put a lot of twists in the leathers so his feet could get in the stirrups but he was happy enough despite his small stature and the horses rather larger stature.   I think the kids enjoyed and they did a little trotting as well.  Mummy didn't get a ride but decided that I need some practice on the lead rein after my eldest sons horse turned to go up a track and I decided to let go of the little one to catch the other horse and ended up with both horses trotting in front of me.  There were a few little squeals  from the kids when I made the mistake of running after them which I instantly realised had been a bad idea when the horses started trotting.  As soon as I started walking I quickly caught up with the two horses who had stopped not far up the lane to munch on the grass at the side of the road.  I was very impressed with the natural balance the boys showed and their lack of fear.  They were less phased by the horses than the 25 year olds on the hen party the day before despite being on the same horses.  Ride over at just the right time (two minutes after the kids started asking are we nearly home yet I'm tired) it was time for a quick cuppa tea before heading home.

A Weekend of Sunshine

Had a lovely weekend riding in the Brecon Beacons at Trevelog Pony Trekking.  My favourite horse, Penny was finally home from her winter holiday.   She is really cute.  About 15 hands, bay with a white blaze and blue eyes and very fast.  Was dying to see if I still enjoyed riding her as much as I did last year as have ridden lots of different horses since then.

Had a lovely ride on the first day.  I was worried she might be a bit sharp after all that time off but she was going great.  As we had a few beginners with us, I got to hold back and lead the canter which is always good fun on Penny.  She doesn't get too agitated when you hold her back but when you loose the reins she goes like the wind.  I was just saying to one of the others how nicely she was going and how well she was behaving when  we decided to swap the order round so one of the guys who hadn't ridden for a while could try a canter. Unfortunately Penny took exception to his horse being behind her and started playing up.  She spun round a few times and kicked out and was generally very mareish.  She obviously likes the boys and didn't appreciate having one of the girls behind her, getting a bit too close.  Still I stayed on without too much effort which was fine.

Saturday night stayed over at the farm and went down the pub with some of the guys who work at the farm and then Sunday morning we were up early to tack up again for the arrival of the next lot of trekkers.  Had another great ride on Sunday -riding Penny again.

I only need four more rides this season and I fill up my loyalty card and get a free ride.    And another private riding lesson booked for tomorrow as my exam is looming.  Hope I didn't pick up too many bad habits at the weekend as noone nagging me about my seat and position.

Flicka: Country Pride

I watched this film on on demand the other day and I loved it.  I never got round to reading my friend flicka as a child and had been meaning to read it even if it was a kids book because it seemed such a well known horsey story so when I saw the new film I couldn't resist.

It was a real treat and despite it being a U classification and both my kids being in bed,  I sat down to watch and had a fab evening.  I was even a bit teary eyed in parts but I loved it.  Three day eventing on a mustang, bitchy girls, the underdog comes out on top and a happy ending with a little romance thrown in - what more could you ask.  Anyone else seen it?  If you haven't it's worth a watch.

FLICKA Country Pride

Mock Exam

Had our mock exam on tuesday which was good but I didn't think good enough.  I have had a couple of private lessons in the last week in the run up to my exam so was hoping for an excellent performance in the riding.  However first horse was a bit of a plodder and messed up the first canter transition because I hadn't managed to establish a decent trot quickly enough before the corner.  Sitting trot without stirrups is never my strong point either.

Then we swapped horses and I was lucky enough to get a slightly more forward horse - only problem was he wasn't listening to my half halts in trot and was up the horse in fronts arse rather than one horse length away and then trying to canter 20 metre circle he just got away from me and I forgot about using the outside rein to control speed and was just pulling back on both reins without slowing him down so looked like I was hanging onto the reins cos I had no balance when was actually trying to slow him down either way wasn't completely in control.

Cantering in light seat over poles was better and got my diagonals right and at the end my teacher told me I was  "in with a chance" at passing the riding which is slightly better than two months ago when she said I wasn't at the standard required to pass.

Then during the practical tacking up mock had a bugger of a horse who decided to might be just for standing to close to his head when I wasn't even doing anything at that point.  Hadn't started grooming him or tacking up.  That said think the oral theory should be a breeze.  Theoretical learning I  can do with my eyes shut after all the exams I did in my teens and twenties.

Work has been a nightmare the last couple of months and auditors are stressing me big time at the moment so decided to treat myself to two days of trekking htis weekend at Trevelog.  Should probably be having more lessons this close to the exam but really need to chill out so two all day rides in the mountains will be more fun.

Dashing through the snow on a one horse open sleigh

“Hallo!” our Austrian hosts greeted us, followed by a kiss on each cheek.  This warm friendly greeting was soon followed by a most welcome glass of Schnapps. We were glad of a little warmth, having just braved a snowy blizzard on our journey from Linz Airport.  Our destination was a guest house just outside Schönau im Mühlkreis, a picturesque village in upper Austria, close to the Czech borders.  This was the beginning of a wonderful five days in Austria, not for the normal skiing holiday, but to ride horses in the snow and to experience the stuff of Christmas Carols – horse drawn sleighs speeding though paths bordered by snow covered trees.

me riding Viktoria

 After a hearty lunch of fresh bread and sausages in goulash sauce, it was time to take our first ride. Wrapped up warmly, we mounted our horses and set off for our ride through the snow.  The horses made light work of foot deep snow. My fear of sliding all around the ice on a large beast, which could slip and plunge me to the ground before landing on top of me, dissipated in no time.   Before long, we were cantering gleefully through the snow at a fast pace, and being pelted in the face by snowballs kicked up by the horse in front.  On the way back, we stopped outside one of the archetypal Austrian houses, which were scattered across the hillside.  An Austrian gentleman emerged with a tray of schnapps for us all to taste, whilst still sat on horseback.  We responded with grateful cries of “Dankeshun” before preparing to be set off again only to be told, it was obligatory to have a glass of Schnapps “for each leg” and we found our glasses promptly refilled once again.

 Another highlight of the trip was our trip on the sleigh pulled by a pair of beautiful white Lipizzaner horses.  We snuggled up in the numerous blankets provided and sat back to enjoy the snow covered scenery whilst the horses worked hard pulling our sleigh.  A more romantic scene, it is difficult to imagine, than sitting on a horse drawn sleigh listening to the tinkle of the bells as the snow falls silently around us.  It was only a pity I was surrounded by a group of riding pals rather than the man of my dreams.

 Without doubt though the most spectacular ride was when 20 of us, locals and tourists alike, set off in fancy dress to ride to Haid for the Snow Games.  On arriving, we sat down to another typically Austrian meal of meat and dumplings washed down with beer.  Then off we went to watch the games, a number of light hearted races where either two riders raced at speed towards the crowd before veering off sharply to avoid the snow drift.  This was followed by races between two “one horse open sleighs”.  Our only disappointment was that we weren’t racing ourselves but next year …

me riding peperyl

Postscript:  I originally wrote this article for a travel writing competition and wanted to keep it short and concise and appropriate but with my bloggers, I will share the stories of riding out in the morning stopping for three hours lunchs with schnapps drinking competitions and copious amounts of gluhwein before staggering back to our horses as it was getting dark and cantering up snow covered country roads with no lights hoping we didn't meet too many cars.  Hip flasks full of schnapps were also a must to sip on throughout the ride and to my surprise I found riding slightly under the influence seemed to improve my riding  acheiving what my instructor repeatedly told me to do and I struggled to do consciously - relax!  Although I made another discovery sitting trot on a full bladder on the way home from the pub is most uncomfortable.

Amazingly the horses didn't slip once even cantering downhill in the snow.  Admittedly they had specialised shoes with studs but was very impressed with them.  It beat a skiing holiday day hands down every time.

Riding Update

Its been a long time since I posted anything on here.  I changed the url and lost a lot of readers and got a bit disheartened but just noticed a few new fans on the facebook page so thought I'd write a new post.

My BHS stage 1 course is nearly at an end now with only four days of the course left and my exam in just over a month.  I've really enjoyed the course and will be very sad when it ends.  I've made some lovely new friends on the course and learned lot about horses.  When we covered feeding, I groaned remembering having Sam on loan the winter before last.  No wonder he was lively being fed sugar beet and rolled barley twice a day when he was only being ridden three or four times a week for an hour.

I've definitely improved as a rider although had a few moments along the way.  I've decided 16"3 thoroughbreds are definitely not for me and that I much prefer a nice 15-16 hand cob type horse.  I've had a few scary moments.  Whilst I wasn't the first in the class to fall off, I was one of only two and I was the only person to have the distinction of not only falling off two different horses but doing it in the same lesson within ten minutes.  The horses were definitely more spooky than usual that day and when my horse spooked for the fourth time, I lost my seat fell forward and kicked her in the flank by accident causing her to buck and me to land on my head and take a kick to the head.  Ten minutes later, installed on a different horse who wasn't listening to me from the start, a lawnmower started outside the school and she bolted down the centre line nearly mowing down the instructor with me hanging on round her neck for the first 40 metres before once again landing on my head.  Amazingly I got up and agreed to ride yet another horse and managed a canter before the end of the lesson.  An examination of my hat afterwards revealed a very big crack in it which made me realise how important it is to always wear a riding hat as I knew that could have been my head instead.

I'm a little worried about the exam as still not really quite up to standard and it would be nice to pass but in some ways I have already achieved my objectives and improved my riding whilst having fun.  I need to get some extra lessons but am now working and with the year end things are hectic at work and time is limited.

In terms of my other riding, I am still riding at Trevelog in the Brecon Beacons which is great fun and they have some lovely horses.  I now get to ride the more fun horses and leave the plodders to the never ridden before brigade.  I also discovered a lovely place close to home where you can ride on the beach and have some lovely fast canters on the open beach and on the windy paths in the sand dunes.  Unlike the mountains,  where the terrain can be a bit too hazardous to ride in the winter and the centre closes, I can ride there in the winter too.  Riding at Ogmore is great fun and they are a good crowd up there too.  I even went to watch the point to point racing with them the other week.

BHS Stage 1 - Back to college for some riding lessons

With the winter looming (and with it the end of the trekking season), I have been wondering what to do about riding this winter as loaning a horse last year didn't work out quite as planned.  I have been thinking about lessons for sometime and most of the riding schools only do private lessons when I am available i.e when the kids are at school.  I was feeling quite envious of my young friend off to college to do horse riding and horse care full time for two years and couldn't resist taking a peek at the college prospectus even though I can't really justify a full time course at my age with two kids I am not likely to find a job with horses that covers the childcare.

I was chuffed to find though that they did one day part-time courses for the British Horse Society (BHS) Stage 1 exam which covers horse care and riding and at £400 for the year it actually compares very competitively with the cost of lessons at a riding school so I rung up to see if I could get on the course. 

Next thing, I knew I had a riding test the following day where I was expected to walk, trot and canter in a schooling ring reasonably competently. having only had a few lessons at a walk with a small amount of trotting but never having managed it around the corners only on the long straight bits.  I didn't even have time to have a few riding lessons first to brush up and didn't know what the leg aids were or what a diagonal was or that you were meant to hold your whip on the inside hand.  Never the less, I gave it a go and when she said my riding was borderline for entry, I started up with the blagging and think I scraped through more on the gift of the gab than my riding skills.  The horse in the test was lovely and very forward although was expecting something slower but think when they said it would be an easy horse they meant safe and compliant rather than slow.  Still at least she was easy to get into a canter, something I was worried about having only ever cantered in large open spaces in a relatively straight line.  Apparently my reins were far too loose and my position not good and my riding lacks discipline, so decided definitely a good idea to get a few lessons in before I start next week to avoid making a complete fool of myself in front of the other students.

My first riding lesson, last week, was harder work than i expected after it was only and hour and I normally ride for four hours but working in the school is a different kettle of fish than a hack in the countryside.  I trotted without reins, and then without stirrups, I had a go at cantering but apparently the reason the horse kept going back to trot was because my position wasn't great.  It was fun but I was absolutely knackered after an hours one to one lesson.  Got two more this week before I start my course and have had to invest in some new kit.  I have been told gloves, body protector and hair net are all compulsory as well as the normal hat jodphurs and boots.  I never normally ride with a body protector but will probably think about wearing it out hacking now I have it as I reckon the chances of a bad fall are probably higher out hacking than in a school.

I think it will be really good for me as when i started riding I just wanted to have fun and didn't like the idea of being told what to do all the time in a lesson but have reached the stage I think my riding is as good as it's gonna get without formal tuition and looking forward to it now and feeling sufficiently confident in being on the horse, I will be able to listen to their instructions rather than panicking about falling off unlike when I had my first lessons last year.

Riding in Andulucia

I had a marvellous time riding in Spain this August.  A whole week of sun and horseriding, what more could a girl ask. (And a break from the kids too which was lovely although I was glad to see them when I got home.)

I stayed at Los Alamos Riding for a week and it was lovely.  After being collected from the airport, we drove to San Ambrosio, a small hamlet along the coast from Cadiz.  The rooms were lovely with their own ensuite and mine even had a little balcony.  The first night began with a beautiful meal on the patio for the eight of us riding that week.

Galloping on Sarita.

The following day, we went down to meet our horses and get ready for our first ride.  Due to the heat, we rode every morning from about nine returning about one.  The first day I rode a 16"2 black spanish cob cross called Sarita who was very responsive but not too forward for a fairly novice rider like myself.  Until I arrived, I was under the impression they catered to beginner riders but soon found out it was aimed at intermediate and above so was pleased to keep up pretty well with the riding.

We rode in the National Forest which as well as being very picturesque was nice and cool when the weather was hitting 35 degrees at the peak of the day.  I had a few nerves when we started the first canter, having been told we will start off in a canter and then go to a gallop in the clearing but managed it with no problems.

After riding, we dashed back for a quick shower and then out to get some tapas for lunch.  This was followed by a lazy afternoon by the pool and dinner at 8pm followed by a fairly early night.  The food cooked by Rhiannon was very good and we had a three course meal every night with not a bad meal all week.  Drinks soft and alcoholic were freely available at the villa on a help yourself basis as were snacks like crisps.  This set the routine for the week and very nice it was too.



Cantering by the beach

 The second day, we rode down to the beach although because it was holiday season we could not actually go right down to the water and stayed on the sand dunes.  Virtually all the riding was on sand, as even the forest was growing on a great big sand dune.  The views were lovely and we stopped at a cafe for a coffee before heading back.  The riding was mainly walking with the odd trot and three or four good canters or gallops each day. 



Me and Trueno

 My riding must have impressed to some extent, because on day 3, they offered me a pure bred spanish horse (PRE) as they call the Andulucian horses which was a bit more forward and much faster than Sarita.  His name was Trueno and he was about a 15"2 bay horse.  I find him quite hard to handle in the morning but by the end of the ride had got the hang of him although I did earn myself a glare from one of the other riders for being too close on the canter and a little slow stopping bumping her horse when I tried to stop on the first canter.

The fourth day was a rest from riding and we went off to Jerez to see the Royal Equestrian show display of "Dancing Andalucian Horses", along with Carriage Driving.  All the horses were stallions and it was magnificent to see the ease with which the riders controlled these beautiful horses.  We followed up with a trip to taste the local drink of Sherry.  I bought a couple of bottles to take home as a souvenir.

The fifth day, we had another ride to the beach and we were joined by two more people but in a deviation from the normal routine we went out for the evening to Vejer de la Frontier.  First stop was the stud owned by the Corales family who specialise in breeding and training Andalucian horses for Doma Vaquera.    Antonio Corales is a top Doma Vaquero and Doma Classical teacher, having trained with the Royal Equestrian school of Art in Jerez and he showed us some of his stallions and gave us a display of his horsemanship before letting some of us sit on one of his stallions and walk a short distance round the ring.  Although I have to say, not only was it the first time I have ridden a stallion, it is the first time I had got on a horse in a short dress with no riding hat!  After our visit to the stud, it was off to a restaurant for some paella.



My first ride on a stallion

 Then all too soon, it was our last ride of the holiday on Saturday.  I had a lovely ride and felt like I had clicked with the horse and was riding well.  I was sorry to leave and finances permitting would definitely go back to Los Alamos.

My Favourite Horse

Some weeks ago, one of the trek leaders where I ride mentionned perhaps I should find a horse I like and stick with it because this year I have been riding lots of different horses, some of which I have got on better with than others.  Whilst this idea held a certain appeal, I have enjoyed trying different horses and because I ride at the same place most of the time, I was a little worried about getting in a rut and being scared to try new horses if I get used to riding the same one all the time.  At the moment, I am looking forward to my riding holiday in Spain so this wouldn't be good as I am going to have to ride a different horse there.  Also, of the horses I like, there are various reasons why I can't ride the same one all the time. 

Black Sam is lovely and although he can be a bit of a plodder, since my riding has improved and I borrowed him over the winter, he goes very well for me.  He will even canter quite fast when the opportunity arises unlike last year when I struggled to get him out of trot on some of the canters.  However, when they are busy and have lots of first timers, he is one of their stalwarts and is needed by the riders with less experience.

Jewel is another favourite and she is very nice too- a bit more forward going.  But she is used as a guide horse some of the time, which means she is not always available.

However last weekend I got to ride Penny again.  I have ridden her once before but on for a walk and a trot and she has a reputation for being one of the faster horses.  It has taken a while before I have been allowed on one of the faster horses again after my unplanned and uncontrolled gallop across the side of the mountain hanging on desperately for dear life the other month but finally had another chance to ride her this time, when we were going to do some cantering.  She is a beautiful bay horse, unusually though with blue eyes.

We had a lovely ride in the morning with a nice steady canter behind the trail guide and I enjoyed riding her very much.  She didn't put a foot out of place all morning.  Then in the afternoon, we had a smaller group.  Myself, the trek leader, two first timers and a french exchange student.  This meant I was closing the gates as there was only one trek leader and I love the chance to practise.  Penny was superb.  My control is not always the best and sometimes not sure the best way to approach the gates but she was great and didn't hesitate to go back to the gate to latch it etc. unlike some of the horses who don't really co-operate.  Then towards the end of the trek, I got to lead a couple of canters with the french student as the others were not up to cantering.  It was fantastic.  I turned her round to wait for the others to get ahead a bit so we could canter to catch up and literally all I had to do was turn her round and we went from stationery to a lovely fast canter.  I think I even hit a gallop briefly at one point.  I have to admit I did have a good handful of mane and found it quite difficult turning round to check on the other girl behind whose horse wasn't so fast but it was such a buzz.

I have definitely found my favourite horse.  The only blip was when I tried to put my coat back on towards the end when the rain started and she really didn't like it!  Nearly took me down a vertical slope.  It was strange because she wasn't bothered by me taking it off but they all have their quirks and I know flapping coats is quite a common one.

Beach Riding

Our group cantering on Newgale beach

I've just come back from the most fabulous riding ever.  A bit sore and achy but was worth every bit of it.  I went off to Nolton in Pembrokeshire, West Wales.  There were beautiful beaches, which were huge and the riding was fantastic.  I went with some people I met through trekking and a minibus of 13 of us arrived in Pembrokeshire Friday evening where we stayed in a lovely house with eight ensuite bedrooms and a vast living room and kitchen.  The weekend started with a trip to the local pub for dinner and drinks.  It was convieniently located about 2 minutes from the pub which was ideal.  The guy from the stables came down the pub to chat to us and allocate horses for the next day.  I was a little bit apprehensive to be assigned a horse called Thunder although I shouldnt have worried he was lovely.

Me and Thunder cantering on Newgale beach

Due to the tides, we had an early start the next morning 9am at the stables.  We collected our horses and set off for Newgale Beach, about a twenty minute walk on horseback, where we spent two hours cantering up and down the beach.  I was advised my my riding friends to be honest and to make sure I asked for a quiet horse.  At first, having been initially put in the slow group with another relative beginner, I was worried I had played it down too much after a very very short and steady first canter.  However, once they saw we were comfortable with that, we joined another group although still slower than some of the others (thankfully) and had some lovely canters.  My horse was great and although I was worried I would either end up with a horse that was so slow I struggled to keep up or one that was too fast and strong for me to handle, they seemed to have found the perfect horse for me.  The sun was shining and it was absolutely superb.  I have never had the opportunity to do so much cantering, even on the few hacks I have done.  The beach was fantastic and it was so flat and the canter on the sand was a lovely and smooth motion.  It really gave me the opportunity to concentrate on my position, rather than worrying about the horse stumbling on uneven ground and holding onto the mane, just in case.  I didn't actually manage a canter in the water the first day as we were advised that sometimes the horses spook at a wave so we would be better off stayin


Thunder and I paddling in the sea

 g on the sand unlike the more advanced groups.

After we returned to the stables, we went off for a pub lunch before the afternoon ride which would take us into the woodland and the valley where there were some bridle paths and through some fields.  Talk at lunch turned to the cross country jumps in the valley - a narrow bride path with six low jumps.  The rest of my group persuaded me that I should give these a try even though i had never jumped before as they were very small, but when we went back to the stables they said they wouldn't let me try the jumps.  I was happy to take their advice but at least because they told me no I felt I was being sensible rather than chickening out of something I might have loved.  I ended up in a very small group with one other trekker and two guides which was great although I did feel like we had a big label on our backs saying crap rider: needs 1:1 supervision.  I was surprised, I found the afternoon a bit more challenging as it was more the type of riding I am used to although not quite as many canters normally. Going into the field from the road, my horse spooked momentarily, at some ballons someone had tied to the fence by the road.  After he had calmed down we rode through some fields, where we cantered around the edge, splitting up into small groups to ensure we all got a decent canter.  If the group is too big, you don't seem to get much of a canter at the back so this was definitely a good move.   Then in the valley, the groups diverged in different directions as some people went off to jump and the rest of us cantered round the various woodland bridlepaths before going into some big fields for a canter up and across the fields. canter felt very bouncy after riding on the sand and the cantering in the field was very different to the bridle path through the woods but after a canter or two in each I quickly got used to it, although my horse was being a bit lazy and I could have done with a crop.  This was soon remedied in the wood, where the guide found the perfect stick.  Just holding it seemed to make all the difference, although I used it a few times.

After returning from the stables, we drank champagne and ate strawberries before heading off to shower before dinner at another pub.

Sunday morning, we awoke to persistent and heavy rain but this didnt deter us from our last ride of the weekend. Off to Druidstone Beach and some more time in the valley.  Today. we split up into groups of four of our choice with a guide.  Druidstone Beach was slightly smaller partly but only due to the tide of the day and rockier than Newgale Beach.  We had lots more canters across the beach and tried my first canter in the sea, although it didnt last very long as my horse wasn't keen and ended up on the sand eight foot wide of the  the rest of my group rather than directly behind as I was meant to be.  It was great fun despite the wind and rain although I didnt relish the sand blowing in my eyes and mouth as we cantered into the wind.  Having got thoroughly soaked, despite our waterproofs, we headed off to the valley to find some shelter.  We had a few more canters through the valley before a quick trip down to the beach opposite our accomodation to wash the horses feet in the sea.  The rest of the group then headed off for a last canter through the fields.  I was told by the guide, I should skip the last bit as the fields were pretty slippery and along with a couple of others who were fed up of the rain we trotted back to the stables quarter of an hour or so before the rest.  Whilst I was a little disappointed to miss the last canter, I was soaking wet and could feel the water squelching in my boots despite having a pair of chaps over the top and my ankles were killing me.  I decided,against arguing, because I had managed the whole weekend without falling off and didnt want to tempt fate in the last ten minutes.

Cantering in the rain at Druidstone Beach

Back at the house, we all stripped off our soaking wet gear.  Even my underwear was soaking despite several layers of clothes under my waterproof jacket.  The showers were luckily very hot and very powerful and after a quick change, we headed off for a three course sunday roast to debrief the weekend before the journey home.  Without doubt, it was a fabulous weekend and I was chuffed to hear the stables had told our group leader they were impressed with my riding after having only been riding a year with no lessons.

Pony Trekking this year.

I have been meaning to post since the pony trekking season started again having done lots of riding since April but have had some temporary work and just been incredibly busy.  Season started well.  The weather in April was fantastic and we were riding in vest tops, it was so hot.  I have been having a go at actually opening and shutting some gates on horseback which was new for me although now it is busier there are more guides so not done much of that recently. 

I have also been trying out some different horses this season.  Sam, who I struggled with over the winter, goes like a dream for me on the treks now and can get a lovely canter out of him and feel like I am in control much more so than on some of the other horses but risk being a bit complacent when I am riding him. 

However, I have had a few "moments" too.  I rode one horse who the guides normally ride and was warned he only needed a squeeze not a kick.  Being used to the beginners horses though I have got into the habit of having to give a good kick to get the horse to canter.  He went beautifully on the trek, until we got to the canter.  Most of the trek were youngsters who hadnt ridden before so the guides said I could have a little canter on the bottom track whilst the main trek went on the top track but under no circumstances to overtake the back of the trek above, in case the other horses wanted to canter too.  I forgot to squeeze not kick and overtook the guide who was leading the canter on the third stride, nearly fell off several times when I ended up nose on the mane and panicked and completely forgot about the correct riding position until I heard the guide yelling sit back!!  By the time, I got back in control I had not only overtaken the back of the trek but the front of the trek 26 horses later and then some - a canter of nearly quarter of a mile by my guess when I looked where I had been the following week.  On the plus side, I stayed on.

The following week, I rode a new mare who had only been broken in about three weeks before although I definitely didnt risk a canter on her.  In the first half hour, she spooked and charged about six metres straight into a fence although she didnt actually hit the fence.  To be fair, some guy chucked a feed bag over a stable door just as we were passing and I think most horses would have spooked a bit.  Then we passed some horses coming the other way and she didnt like it went I made her go on instead of stopping and bucked a few times.  Was pretty nervous by the time, we got out in the open on the side of the mountain, where I had my long "canter" the week before but got home with no mishaps.  She wasn't actually a fast horse just a bit sharp cos she was a young horse and new and inexperienced.

The riding bug has still got me though and I booked a weekend Beach riding in Pembrokeshire which was last weekend and a weeks riding holiday in Spain in Andulucia in August which I am really excited about.

First Weekend back Pony Trekking

After what seems like a long winter the pony trekking season has finally started.  I celebrated with a marathon weekend of two full day treks.  Although it was actually only four hours the first day and four and a half the second day, it felt like a lot after not getting on a horse for over a month.  I was riding Black Sam again this weekend but am hoping to try out some new horses this year now the season is starting again.

On Saturday, there were two half day treks so we went up the Grange and onto the mountain which was nice because didn't manage to get up the top over the winter.  The views never fail to amaze me and I feel very lucky to ride in such a beautiful place.  Having become such a regular, I've been asked to close the gates as I always seem to end up at the back of the trek, my favourite place.  I didn't get off to the best start, by completely forgetting to keep my hands down when I pulled him to a stop just before we left the yard and got a nagging reminder to look like I actually knew how to ride if I was going to be helping on the trek.  I had varying degrees of success with the gates in the morning and ended up dismounting quite a few times rather than risking leaning to far over and falling off.  By the afternoon, I was starting to get the hang of it and getting to know the which gates shut easily and which had required a certain knack.  I managed to shut virtually all of them on horse back that time.  We also had a couple of canters which was nice as there was limited opportunity over the winter, as the ground was a bit hard and we spent a lot of time on the road.  It is lovely at the moment up there now that Spring has well and truly arrived and there are cute little lambs everywhere and daffodils and other flowers starting to appear too.

Having stayed over at the farm last night, it was an early start to get all the horses fed and those who were riding tacked up before the other trekkers arrived.  There must have been twenty horses coming in for food this morning, now that most have arrived back from their winter holidays.  Today, I did a full day trek up to the Queens Head.  I made a bit of a faff of the first few gates.  I think I need to have a think about how to approach them before I get to them so that I can concentrate on controlling the horse instead of having to experiment with the best way to approach each gate and confusing the poor horse who hasnt got a clue what I want him to do because I wasn't sure myself.  After a slow start with one beginner rider who struggled a little in the morning, we made fairly slow progress.  The horses are a bit slower than at the end of the season as they need to get their fitness back after their long winter holiday. Whilst the beginner went on a head with the trek leader, her friend and I managed managed a lovely long fast canter before lunch.  The four of us finally arrived at the pub for lunch at 1.30 and had a quick sandwich and drink before heading back.  The ground is still quite boggy in places but we managed another short canter before the day was out (even the beginner managed to join in this time).  Finally, we got back to the stables at about 4.30 where I had to untack quickly and rush home to collect my kids and open my mothers day card.  Roll on next Saturday, another day's pony trekking already booked.

A Canter on the Beach



Me riding Monty



Haven't been blogging much for a variety of reasons.  Few things going on at home which included once again the breakdown of my computer and I managed very little horse riding this year disappointingly.  Have been feeling a bit down recently and so the weekend before last, I decided that it was time I went riding again as it always lifts my spirits and I feel much better physically and emotionally.  I decided to try a different trekking centre that I have been meaning to try for the last year.  Various reasons why I haven't, not least a feeling of loyalty to Trevelog where I love riding and have made lots of friends.  However, I decided time for a change and decided to try out the trekking at Ogmore on Sea in South Wales. It is very different scenary from the mountains where I normally ride but it was fantastic for a change.  I was a little bit nervous trying somewhere new, where they didn't know me or my riding abilities but I had a lovely time.



The view from the top of the dunes.

They offer two hour treks to the beach or one hour treks in the countryside so I opted for the trek along the beach.  It was a beautiful route with no road work at all.  We set off across the river and then followed the river down to the beach, where there is a large open sandy bay - cue time for a canter across the bay.  I couldnt believe how different it felt riding on sand but it was a lovely experience.  As instructed, I had been given a nice slow horse coloured gelding by the name of Monty.  Unlike my previous experiences of cantering on a trek where everyone stayed strictly in line one behind the other, the horses lined up in a row across the beach next to the sea and then we just took off across the bay.  I did get a good canter along with some fast trotting which suited me fine.  I managed to nearly lose my reins but recovered myself just in time to avoid any major problems.  It was very exhiliarating and I thoroughly enjoyed.  On the way home, we went up onto the sand dunes along a path, with the opportunity for another canter.  When I asked for a slow horse though, they definitely took me at my word.  No amounting of kicking or tapping him with the crop could get him out of a fast trot and into a canter.  As the rider in front increased the gap and went out of sight around a corner, I was convinced this would be his cue to canter as I have so often found on a trek before but still no joy.  That said,  I was not too disappointed as this was the first canter I had had since I fell off in November and was still a little nervous.

 At the end of the ride, I was a little achy but amazed to find myself still aching after four days.  Trekking at Trevelog starts back next weekend but I have unfortunately got no childcare so won't be joining them til the following weekend where I am planning to do two full day treks.  I guess I better plan on an easy week the following week as I will be walking like John Wayne if last time was anything to go by.

Down at the Farm

Unfortunately my blog posts have been fewer and far between this winter than I would have liked.  This is due to a combination of things including less opportunities for me to ride and therefore less to write about, partly due to the weather and partly due to my lack of experience meaning that even though I had a horse available to ride, I have found him difficult to cope with outside the organised pony trekking season because he prefers a big group and my riding skills are far from good and I just don't have the confidence or ability to make him do what he doesn't want to do. Added to this the bad weather and snow in December and the start of January has made it even more difficult.  If that wasn't enough, there have been various personal issues like redundancy and job hunting to contend with.

This weekend, I was hoping to go horseriding but the weather was horrible and the rain came down all day.  I would have braved it but no-one else wanted to brave it with me so contented myself with hanging out at the farm feeding the horses, checking out the new foals that have just been brought down off the mountain and ooohing and aaahing over the first baby goats and lambs of the year.

I even had a go at bottle feeding one of the baby goats which was great fun and reminded me a little of when my boistrous noisy boys were tiny babies on the bottle.  I am kicking myself because I forgot my camera and so have no cute photos to share with you.

On the upside, trekking starts again in six weeks on 1 April 2011 when Trevelog opens for business again so i am looking forward to some decent treks again.  Anyone who lives in the West of England or Wales and fancies some pony trekking in the beautiful scenery of the Brecon Beacons or who is planning a holiday in the area, prices are £25 for a half day and £40 for a full day.  Incredible value and highly recommended by me.  I wouldnt trek anywhere else.  If you are interested in booking check out the link to the website.