Time to give XC another go

Decided after the disaster of Flynn being scared of the XC jump at Clevedon A&P, it was time to have an XC school to remind him that there is more in life to jump, than just coloured poles & pretty flowers. So arranged to go round the Papatoetoe course with Jannine. Just pottered around over the intro fences and only had one moment were he stopped & gawked but thankfully it was so low that I could just get him to pop over it from a standstill. Think we might go out & do some intro ODEs over summer as we never really going confidently on the XC course last season, stops all over the show, we never did get a clear round, so maybe its time to go back to basics now that he's finally grown a somewhat sensible brain & put some effort into creating his brave button...

Clevedon A&P

Last year I went and watched Tara and Lynette competing at the Clevedon A&P and decided it looked like fun, so entered Flynn in this years one, to give us something different to do. Figured it would be good for Flynn to get out in a different atmosphere, so entered the sporthorse classes, including the inhand classes.

However. I didn't think it through very well. Had a big OH SHYITE moment a few weeks out when I realised I had no idea what I was going to wear, or even what colour gear to use. Debra & Dana very kindly leant me all their flash black gear, however I then realised that I have a brown saddle for the ridden classes, so needed to stick with brown. However I didn't own an "A&P appropriate" browband as I'd attacked my ribbon browband with scissors LOL. Whoops. Kyrie was a godsend and leant me her lovely cream browband with diamantes on it. I got Chris at Horsesports to order in a silver chain to attach my single plaited Sparrow rein for my inhand bridle, Jenny went out to Pukekohe and got me a brown number holder, and that was Flynn's gear sorted. Then out of the blue, I had a revelation that I hadn't sorted myself out anything to wear. DUH! Rach VERY, VERY nicely sent me a grey suit to wear for inhand, I managed to find a lovely little hat, bought some new gloves & bobs your uncle, I'm pretty much sorted!

Jannine gave me some clear highlighter to play around with and on the Saturday, I decided to just give Flynn a quick wash as would give him a better all over wash on the Sunday morning. Hahaha so glad I did, by the time I got all my gear organised on the Sunday morning, I had completely run out of time to give him another wash. Started plaiting and carefully sewed up my plaits, only to find that nope, as much as I thought I could, I definitely can't sew LOL So redid all my plaits & just used rubber bands. Had planned on leaving paddock around 12, to give him time to soak up the atmosphere before we were on at 1pm. Hahahahaha left paddock at 12.45. Gawd I'm useless!! Got there, raced around getting ready, with Flynn swinging off his leadrope as the polo players and the bagpipes had upset him. Lead my now piaffing horse, over the sporthorse ring, only to find out that we 15 classes before ours. Went back over to truck & redid hoof oil & brushed his head & got myself sorted out properly. So glad we didn't have to go straight in haha!
Flynn eventually settled, and even contemplated having a sleep, which was refreshing,
except he kept sidling over to me & trying to have a cuddle & everytime I stepped away he's sidle closer again. After giving him a smack on the shoulder, he gave up on that & kept his distance. Contented himself with smooching all over 2 young girls that wanted to pat the "goldfish pony" LOL the dad was an ex polo player and was quite impressed with how Flynn was just letting his 2 little girls stick their fingers up his nose & pat him all over. Eventually it was our turn to go into the ring and Flynn woke up. Unfortunately... cause then he thought it would be funny to charge & canter & shake your head threateningly in the trot up in the first 2 classes. 15 horses in the ring and the only funnyman had to be mine. *sigh*

Got the hang of just trotting though, in time to get 2nd for suitability for SJing

Judge was very complimentary, said he would have been first, he has the perfect back end, but that his front end doesn't quite match, he needs to fill out a fraction. Which is great, as Claire McGowan said he's got 1 more growth spurt to go & will fill out his front end nicely.




Then it was time for the 3 ridden classes I'd entered. Only 4 in these classes, had a feeling we were going to be a bit embarrassed & sure enough, we were! LOL We bombed out in the first 2, Flynn got a bit excited & very elevated in his canter, so suffice to say we weren't placed for the dressage one LOL He then packed a screaming hissy fit at the intro xc oxer we had to jump for suitability for jumping, so again, we were 4th out of 4 LOL. Then it was the SJing class and thank gawd he got his act together & jumped very nicely, to get 2nd. Judge was again very complimentary, saying his antics had let him down in the previous 2 classes, but she was hoping to see him out & about next year when he's a bit more mature as he had really nice movement, just needed to be a bit more settled. So lovely hearing that from someone I haven't paid PMSL



Was a great day though & I have to say, I'd be very keen to give it another go sometime!!

Flynn gets a travelling palace

After competing down in Cambridge in the pouring down rain, hail and thunder, I decided enough was enough and I am not doing the car and float thing anymore. With both me & Lynette there, the float was full of 2 lots of wet horsegear, 2 lots of wet people gear & there was just no way of hiding from the weather. So I came home & started hinting to Richard that maybe a truck might be a really, really good idea... Then as I was browsing TM, I came across the cutest little 2 horse truck. It already had the basics, accommodation, fridge, cooker, running water in sink, hot water washdown, shower etc. Its a 3L Ford Trader, so definitely gutless, goal is to change cabs on it in a years time to something more powerful, but in the meantime, it will definitely do!! It passed its prepurchase inspection and came home with me.

And so far I've managed to successfully drive it into my car... Yes, yes, laugh it up, my Ford truck ate my Holden Commodore :( Was a big wake up call when trying to do a reverse hill start whilst turning with no powersteering. Thought I'd left enough room & went to go forwards, only to my horror that I couldn't turn it in time before it smacked into the back of my car. Funny now, but I was in tears at the time LOL

Its got a good size box with a raised roof and is 2.2m wide, but the dividers pretty much go straight across & Flynn's a bit long for that, so he's currently travelling with the middle divider pushed over against the first one to give him 1 1/2 spaces and he's happy as larry. Luffs his truck, he's walking up the ramp before I've even gotten myself organised, you can throw the leadrope over his head & he goes & turns himself around & everything. Its very cute.

Adult Ride Show Jumping Lesson

Had a group Show Jumping lesson courtesy of adult ride with Jacob Razak (Currently riding grandprix) He set up a few related lines which we had to vary our striding down, which was a lot of fun. Flynn even had his listening ears on! Found out that by just sitting & doing nothing, he would lenghten his stride, no need for kicking on or flapping as he already has a really long canter stride. We found getting in the extra stride a little harder, but once we got the hang of it, we were away laughing.

We then moved onto the next exercise, over a small jump, roll back & up through the line, putting in either 4 or 5 strides as requested, then another roll back at the other end. Once Flynn figured out exactly what his job was, he started really enjoying himself. When Flynn enjoys himself and thinks he's done something clever, he starts leaping around. So after nailing the exercise, we had funny canter with knees flying past his ears.

Jacob said that he was very talented & should be able to go grandprix in a few years, which was very, very cool to hear. Also said he'd compete him for me as I'm apparently wasting him LOL So might take him up on that offer later in the season