Lunge Lesson

The reason for delaying this post until today is because I really wanted to blog about a lesson that happened today, so I've decided to postpone what I was going to write about at the weekend until this weekend. Now that that's been explained; on with the post!

Some students at my university are training for their Preliminary Teaching Test so that they can go on to teach riders of all abilities. In order to do this, they need people to be the 'guinea pigs' if you will. I signed up to do this, and today I had my first lesson. It was a bit different as rather than the bog standard group lesson, I had to ride on the lunge as it is one of the skills the PTT candidates need to demonstrate. Keep in mind that I haven't sat on a horse since the week starting September 12th, and I may as well have been a new rider. All the hard work that went towards sorting out my lower leg issues (those of you who have read my previous blog posts will know all about this!) has basically come to nothing, so the girl teaching me had plenty to work with.

To start with, we did a bit of walk and trot (rising and sitting) on both reins, and it was quickly established that I have multiple problems. One of these is my back: I sit up straight, but my lower back is curved too much. This all ties in with my lower leg issues because if there is tightness in my hips and/or knees, then my lower leg will go forward. I have quite a weak core and I sometimes have issues with my back in day-to-day life, so I wasn't too surprised when we talked about this causing my leg problems. Nevertheless, it was decided that no-stirrup work was probably the best exercise to do as I was quite tight in legs.

Now I don't mind no stirrup work, because I know that it is beneficial. What I forgot about sitting trot is that when the pony gets going it becomes a bit less pleasant. It wasn't bouncy, but there was still leg tension (as the lesson was so short we couldn't really do exercises to lengthen them) which made it not as good as it could be. What was quite interesting was that even just five minutes of working without the stirrups made quite a bit of difference when I took the stirrups back. My leg was much closer to where it should be, and it was a lot easier to sit with my back less arched.

Riding on the lunge is something that has never been an option to me before, simply because it wasn't offered at my first riding school and I'm not even sure it is offered at the stables I currently ride out (I've never asked though, so don't quote me on that). It was really peculiar to have someone else in complete control of the horse, but it was great as it meant I could just concentrate on my position. I'm going to carry on with being a rider for the PTT students, and hopefully I'll be able to ride on the lunge again and try a couple of different exercises. Maybe I can be a project rider? Haha :)

Have you ever ridden on the lunge? How did you find it? Let me know!

Until next time...

Monty Roberts' Demonstration

For those of you who follow me on social media, you'll probably know that this weekend I got to see a Monty Roberts demonstration (you can follow me by clicking on any of the icons over on the right hand side of the screen) and oh my goodness, it was amazing.

Monty Roberts is one of the leading trainers in what has been dubbed Natural Horsemanship. I based my entire EPQ on the effects of natural horsemanship, and to see a live demonstration having completed that project only helped to reaffirm what I had learnt, and made me wonder what the future of the equine industry has in store. Roberts has many positive aspects, such as the basic principle of listening to the horses and letting them figure things out, rather than resorting to a whip and beating them into submission, which is kind of what happened in the past and still today in some places. Natural Horsemanship isn't for everyone in terms of practice, and indeed it is not perfect, but I think it is an improvement on what has been considered the norm for so many generations.

There were five horses involved in the demonstration. The first two were ponies, one of which was being started. This was the 'opening' horse for non-members of Intelligent Horsemanship (the event for members started at two hours earlier), and it was a great start. The little filly just did not care one bit, and was cool as a cucumber about both the saddle and the rider. Her only wobbly moment was when the rider, Jake Harris (and I do apologise if I got that name wrong - someone feel free to correct me if I have), asked her to rein back. She took a few steps back, but she was a bit all over the place. Nevertheless, it was incredible to see her started and I wish Penny and her owners all the best for the future.

The next pony was a very typical cheeky chappy. She'd clearly had some negative experiences being handled, because she had a whole long list of issues. If you were leading her and pulled in any way, shape, or form, she would rear up or pull back.  Frog did not want to be caught in the field - the moment you tried to attach the lead rope she was off like a racehorse. She didn't like her feet being touched, to the point where she had to be trotted on roads etc to give her hooves a 'natural' trim as the farrier was her arch nemesis, and I'm sure there were some other issues there too. It was really interesting to see her being worked in by Monty Roberts and the improvement by the end of the allotted amount of time was huge. Of course there were still instances where she would pull back, but theses were much fewer and far between. With correct handling her issues should fade almost completely. The fact that Jake was able to handle her legs as a farrier would, and that another member of the team (I'm really sorry, I forgot her name, I just know that she has helped Monty with wild mustangs. Again, if you know the correct name please let me know!) was able to run up to her while she was loose and make a fuss of her, was really great to see.

The next horse was a beautiful spotty horse who hated many things, but especially hated plastic. The intense reaction was awful to watch, because when Monty used a stick to touch the horse you could see him shaking. This was the horse that I struggled to watch, because this element I did disagree with. The horse was being restrained with the dually halter, and so I wouldn't say the horse had a free choice in learning to accept this element. It had a choice later to jump the tarpaulin 'stream' next to the 'lake', but I would have rather seen more time dedicated to the horse and have the build up be incremental. Maybe that's just me, but all the same I think both the horse and I were glad when the plastic was gone. He was then loaded, which he had issues with, and he was quite quick to adapt to that although he wasn't very sure-footed on the ramp!

The next two horses were both problem loaders, and given the time restriction Kelly worked with a very handsome cob whilst Monty worked with a bay called Chantelle. Both were worked over a wooden panel that was laid flat on the floor, and Monty also used fencing to create a narrow space to walk Chan through, so that she could get accustomed to the smaller space. I don't think the cob had as much time to be worked with, especially as he was being loaded first, so he took a bit more convincing to go in the trailer, but in the end both did. I'm sure their owners are all very happy about the success here, as they reported having to spend 5+ hours at home to attempt to get their horses loaded! Here's hoping the problem is now gone. 

A great bit of advice for problem loaders is to use a fence behind them and have them face the stables if possible - heading home is a lot more comforting to a horse than leaving it, and having no exits out back limits their options.

Overall it was a brilliant and thought provoking evening. I wish I had better pictures for you guys, but the whole demonstration was filmed by a cameraman from Horse & Country, so you'll probably see a great deal of the demonstration on TV at some point anyway. If you can get a chance to go see a demonstration in person, please do. You don't have to agree with all of his methods, but it is interesting from a behavioural stand point. For more information about the UK tour and to buy tickets, visit intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk

Until next time...

Pride & Prejudice theatre trip!

Hello, everyone!

This weekend I went to see a Pride and Prejudice theatre production with a twist - the entire cast compromised of only two actors! This production is put on by Two Bit Classics, and they've done an amazing job. With just two actors on stage, the audience gets to see Darcy, the Bingleys, the Bennets, Collins, the Gardiners, and Charlotte and Sir William Lucas to name just a few! It was very funny and entirely engaging, and you can probably get away with not knowing the story line before you go and see it (which I really recommend you do!).

To the left we have the design for the adverts etc, and on the right we have the stage set up (there is an additional chair next to the 'mantel piece' on the right hand side, but I accidentally cut that off!). If the production design doesn't tempt you to see it, I don't know what will as it is wonderfully whimsical~ The stage and prop designers really do deserve a round of applause for such a clever set!

The actors were absolutely incredible. The transitions between characters was seamless, and I don't think I'll forget Mary and Kitty in a hurry! The mannerisms of each character were well thought out, and the change between narrative and dialogue was spot on. Each bit of comedy only added to the performance, and nothing was left out. I honestly cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a trip to the theatre so much, and the friend who went with me was laughing just as much as I was and loved it just as much! I think the attention to detail, such as having different body language for each character, is what makes the production to fantastic. Nothing is ignored, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to watch or read Pride & Prejudice again without remembering Kitty's cough.

If you would like to see the production (which you really should because it is totes awesome haha), then visit this link and you'll be able to see some photos as well as book tickets. The production will go to Bracknell, Exeter, Chesterfield, Colchester, Margate, Greenwich, Aberdeen, Livingstone, and Musselborough in the rest of this month alone, so you have to be quick to organise your trip out!

I simply can't recommend this show enough, and I would like to congratulate everyone who is part of the project for doing such an incredible job. Everything from props and costume to script writing to acting and music was just amazing and the atmosphere was perfect. Good luck with the rest of the tour, and I look forward to seeing what your company does next!

Until next time...

Learning to Lunge

This week I have tried my hand at lunging (or is it lungeing?) horses. It's all part of a horse handling module for my university course, and needless to say it was rather entertaining.

Some riders will have learnt to canter or worked on their sitting trot or any other number of things on a lunge line, or will have had a round pen at their riding school/stables in which to see the exercise in motion. I am not such a person; the closest I have been to a round pen is via Monty Roberts' demonstrations on Horse & Country, and Heartland via Netflix. This meant that I had to learn about tack that was entirely new to me on top of learning to actual practical element of lunging the horse! I wasn't alone in this, thankfully.

We were split up into groups. In my group, there were two people that knew what they were doing, and then me and another girl who didn't have a Scooby-Doo. The other girl and I helped one of the more competent individuals tack up a giant of a horse so we could start to get to grips with the cavesson headcollar and the side reins amongst other things. The original plan was for me to lunge the horse the other girl had tacked up, whilst the two I had been with in the stables took turns working with the horse the three of us had all tacked up. That didn't really work out, as the other horse turned lungeing into Join-Up after being startled by some students appearing in the gallery, so we were getting no where fast - but it was absolutely hilarious, and even the member of staff with us couldn't resist a little play!

Picture courtesy of Pixabay. Shows a horse being lunged in a headcollar,
and wearing boots to prevent injury. What other tack would you usually
see on a horse being lunged? 

When it was actually my turn to lunge, I quickly discovered that there is more to it than just standing turning on the spot and using voice aids. The gentle giant was a tad lazy so frequently required you to step closer in an authoritative manner to keep him trotting. There was also the fact that because of his size and his age, the circle had to be slightly larger than usual, so walking around my own small circle was kind of a must. Sorting out the knitting (which is a brilliant term for the length of lunge line coiled in your hand) was a bit more fiddly than I would have anticipated as well. It wasn't so much all fingers and thumbs as much as just letting it get a bit slack and then not really being able to wrap it back around my hand as I was using the whip to keep him moving. 

There are multiple reasons for lungeing, such as for training young horses and exercising horses that are exuberant or have been out of work for a while, but there are other reasons too. If a horse has a sore/injured back and/or is being brought back into work as part of rehabilitation then lungeing can help develop the muscle and build up strength. This does require extra care to make sure the workload is equal on both reins, and in some cases may be unsuitable (long-reining may be a better option as the horse is moving in a straight line), but it is a very useful method for bringing a horse back up to condition when it is too soon to be introducing the weight of a rider. Alternatively, a horse might be lunged if the human is injured and is unable to ride for whatever reason. This should again only be done if it is safe to do so - I really wouldn't recommend someone with a broken arm or leg going to lunge a horse, especially if it has been out of work and has a lot of pent up energy!

If you can learn to lunge, I would recommend it. You'll need the skill for some of the BHS qualifications, and if you ever own a horse then it would be a great skill to have. Why not contact your local stables to see if it's possible to lunge? 

Until next time...

Settling into Uni

Ah Fresher's Week... the time where most people go out and have a good time, unless you're a bit like me and prefer an early bed time.

This is my second weekend at university, and I've gone out in the evening once. Even then I stuck to my J2O! I'm not a massive fan of alcohol, and there has been so much to learn over the past fortnight that it didn't seem like a brilliant idea to dull the capabilities of my precious few brain cells. Alas, I am a terrible Fresher. Oh well, I'll just leave the partying for someone else!

Induction week was a blur of trying to figure out where things are, signing off risk assessments and being introduced to the staff who will be teaching/supporting me and my fellow students for the next three years. First year electives have been chosen, and those who wanted to have signed up for the college BUCS team. We also visited Cartmel Racecourse, which was interesting even if we did end up damaging a changing room - sorry again about the bench!

That was followed by first lectures, and visiting the partnering university for their Freshers' Fair. We've not been thrown in the deep end as such, but we certainly will be as of next week now that the introduction to all of our classes has been completed. I'm actually really looking forward to getting stuck in, even though I know it's going to be a lot of hard work. There's a lot I need to learn and brush up on just to be able to be at a level in which I can properly understand what's going on in my lectures, but I'm eager to get going so all will be well.

I've met some of the college horses, and I have to say there is a very handsome horse with a beautiful appaloosa markings who seems very sweet if a little mischievous, and yet more with fantastic stable names. Adjusting to yard procedure might take a little while, but getting to spend time with these guys makes it well worth it. One of the things I'm really excited about is getting to use the spa. It looks like a beast of a contraption, but it is really useful for the horses if they have injuries to their legs and stuff. Apparently there have only been a couple of horses that had to be taken off straight away because they absolutely hated being so closed in, so I'm hoping we don't find another one when we get around to using it - it sounds very stressful when that happens!

There's still a lot of skills I need to develop, but I honestly could not be happier with choosing my course. Whilst I would have enjoyed doing English at university, studying an equine-based subject is just so different and I think it'll really help me get to where I want to be in terms of my future career. If anyone is considering at equine course, please go to some open days. You never know, you may fall in love with a uni like I did.

Until next time

Final Pony Club Lesson

As the title suggests, this weekend saw the very last of my Pony Club lessons. It was a great lesson - there was jumping and racing and laughter - but at the same time, it was bittersweet leaving the stable yard that final time.

The reason for it being my last lesson is that next week I head off to university. Whilst this is a fantastic opportunity and everything, I know I'm going to miss the stables a lot. It seems really weird to think that I won't be seeing my favourite horses in a fortnight as I have done for the past few years, but I fully intend to go to the stables for a lesson whenever I'm back home from uni. My curiosity wouldn't have it any other way!

There are a lot of things I could write here, about how wonderful all the staff members were and how much fun I had with my riding groups over the years, but I honestly don't think it would sound as sincere as I would mean it to be. My riding has improved so much since being at that yard, and as I have every intention of returning I also don't want this blog post to turn into a fond farewell. Much like the sign off on my posts, it very much is a case of 'until the next time'.

Between the ears of one of my faves :3

One thing I do regret though, is that I don't have a lot of photos from my time there. I only realised this as I went to make this post and had a look through my things. 2014 is the last time my lessons were really recorded. My dad tried to film a few of of the show jumping rounds and dressage tests from competitions, but sadly the quality is really bad and I also think his SD card destroyed them recently anyway. The picture about, as well as a few others, are the most recent I have and I only took them because I knew it was my last time on the yard. Usually I leave my phone behind in the car or at home, but I made a special effort to get a few snaps this weekend.

I'm excited for university and meeting the college horses, but I don't think any will replace those I'm already in love with at this stables. This post really doesn't do justice to my final lesson, but I can't really find the words to express how I feel right now. All I can really say is this:

To everyone who has made Pony Club so special, thank you! I wish you all the best, and I hope to see what you get up to through social media. I'll be sure to see you all soon with tales of the horsey things I have learnt, so long as you fill me in with everything that has been happening down here! Good luck with the new horse, and have fun earning your badges x

Until next time...

Film review: The BFG

On Thursday I went to see 'The BFG' at a local cinema, and as I had no Pony Club this weekend (which means a month of no riding - can you feel my pain?) I figured I may as well use the trip as a blog post.

When I was little, I absolutely loved 'The BFG'. I had the book and the DVD (of the 1989 film), the latter of which came with a newspaper that my grandad had bought. It was one of my favourites, so I was a bit apprehensive of seeing a live-action remake. I was aware that throughout the film I was making comparisons from the film I remember fondly to the new, big screen production. I'm just going to go ahead and say it right now that I prefer the old version. It may be a case of I saw the original first (similar to the Monster Inc films - whichever one you watched first is probably going to be your favourite of the two), but there were multiple things that I missed and/or felt critical of in the Spielberg version.

I'll be honest with you, I didn't particularly like Sophie. She came across as too arrogant for my tastes. Yes, it's great that she's strong willed, but the whole scene at the beginning when she's talking to the drunkards just felt very unrealistic. And the orphanage as well; she got away with wondering around in the early hours of morning with no repercussions, which begs the question of what punishments are for if she can collect post at 3am. Furthermore, she never seemed to really show much emotion. Part of this is probably directing, but I am much more accustomed to the girl who is scared but overcomes that, rather than the girl who seems a little arrogant. I don't know, maybe I'm being too picky? Regardless, not liking her definitely made the film a little harder to watch because there didn't seem to be a genuine friendship between Sophie and BFG for much of the film. Whilst her reactions at the Palace were quite funny, it also came across as her being ashamed of him so I didn't really like that too much because they are meant to befriend each other, and care for each other equally.

The CGI and special effects were fantastic though, so that made up for the character disappointment that was Sophie. I loved how the dreams were portrayed, even if I was expecting the cloud-like realm from the original. The reflection of the tree was pretty cool though, and definitely fulfilled the dream-like quality needed. The giants were created brilliantly. Mark Rylance, who played the BFG, was recently on the One Show, and he gave a brief overview of how it all worked in terms of there being a computer version and actual version of the set. All I can say is that the behind-the-camera teams deserve a massive round of applause for some truly stunning work. The make-up teams were fantastic as well. Additionally, credit must go to the script writers for getting the BFG's language so spot on. It's such a fun play on words, and I'm really glad they did it so well (even if it took Sophie way too long to appreciate the BFG's way of speaking).

The element of humour added to the film were very welcome as well. For example, the cat sitting on the bed covers as Sophie walked was amusing in the simplest of ways, and the corgies towards the end were brilliant. It made up for the lack of the creature in the 1989 adaptation - which I cannot remember the name of - who loved Snozzcumber. Much of the breakfast scene was also very good, particularly the giant deciding to spit out the coffee onto three of the people who were serving his breakfast. The comedy was light-hearted to say the least, but it was welcome, especially after the somewhat intense scene involving the other giants invading the BFG's cave. It was also quite fun to have the giants hate the water so much, which made the sudden onset of rain so great earlier on in the film.

Another thing I didn't really like was that there had been previous humans that the BFG had taken. It kind of felt like it undermined his guilt at taking Sophie in some ways. Part of his guilt is that he took her, but it makes it a bit darker to assume that his guilt is primarily based on the fact that his last ward died via giant. Also, surely the giants would be more suspicious if they suddenly smelt a human in Giant Country? Wouldn't it be a case of "who do we know who brings back humans every once in a while to live with him in his cave?". Apart from showing how old the BFG is courtesy of the Queen Victoria picture, it did very little else. I much prefer the first adaptation which had the BFG use the bedding to make a dress for Sophie, rather than the Spielberg version of the BFG handing her the clothes of dead children. Speaking of, I don't think it ever showed the giants in the human world stealing children. On their way isn't really the same thing as seeing them actually taking someone.

Overall, I would recommend the original adaptation of the BFG rather than the current cinema release, but it does come down to a matter of taste and how close you would like the film to be to the book. The currently-in-cinemas film is good, I won't deny that. For an audience who has no prior experience of Giant Country and all that jazz, it is very appealing. In terms of my own, personal preference however, I wouldn't really give it more than 3.5/5 stars. Sorry to those of you who love it, but there were too many flaws for me!

Until next time...

Put Your Best Hoof Forward

Yesterday saw us Pony Club lasses working on our canter leads, with somewhat interesting results. We weren't attempting anything as fancy as flying changes, but I think cantering is one of the gaits where you don't really have to pay attention. It's always beneficial to think about what the horse is doing, and whilst flatwork feels like it will be the death of me, there is seemingly no end to the bonuses of keeping the jumps disassembled.

We started of with a usual warm up just to get the horses listening, but then it was our turn. Our instructor decided that we should play Simon Says. If you did something that 'Simon' didn't say you could, then to the back of the ride you went. One of the things we ended up doing was sitting trot (my equitation went out the window at this point but hey, I stayed in the saddle!) with our left hands on our heads. It felt really weird to have a hand on top of my head. Somehow it made me so much more aware of the bounciness. I think normally your eyes just compensate, but with my hand there this function stopped. Needless to say, I was quite glad when I could both go back into rising trot and also take back the reins with both hands. The other particularly memorable part of the game was having to do around-the-world. Now, I haven't done that since 2008/2009 - when I was learning to ride. I remember it being a lot easier than it is. The bigger you are, the less room there is to manoeuvre in the saddle. Bails was oh so helpful as he decided to start walking when I was facing sideways. He wasn't the only one to do so, and if I was a spectator I would have found it more humorous than I did at the time. Still, I managed to complete the circle and was quite relieved to take the stirrups back.

After that, we got on with learning about canter leads. I knew going into the lesson that the inside front leg is the indicator that you're on the correct lead, but it was only this year or perhaps last year at earliest that I actually learnt this. Horses do tend to pick up the correct lead, and instructors are quick to point out if the transition didn't end with that result, especially if they know the horse in question has difficulty on a certain rein. I was quite happy to canter at the A end of the school, go along the long diagonal, going back to trot around X, and then pick up canter on the other lead because Bails is very sure of himself - he knows what he's doing, so I almost didn't really have to ask too much (except for the whole coming back to trot - then I really had to ask haha),  It also helps that Bails has big strides, so it's really easy to tell if he's on the correct lead.

As me and one of the other girls were familiar with checking the lead, we did a small circuit around the school where we crossed the FH diagonal and then the MK diagonal a couple of times, transitioning down to trot each time we crossed X. The remainder of the group simply went large on one rein and then the other simply to see the inside foreleg coming further forward in order to check the lead. In fairness, the ponies they were on didn't make it easy for them. One was quite small so his legs were flying very quickly, and one of the others kept slowing down so it wasn't as easy for the rider to determine whether she was on the correct leg.

Overall, it was a useful lesson. Sometimes relying on feeling isn't enough, so being able to visually check is a great way of making sure you and the horse are balanced. I definitely can think of a noble steed or two whose wrong diagonal/lead feels like it should be the correct one!

I hope you're all looking forward to the fast approaching summer holidays, and that all of you can find some time to get to the stables.

Until next time...

Period dramas galore

As of late, I've really been getting back into period dramas. I can mostly blame Pinterest for this for showing pictures from scenes of 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'North & South'. I'll admit, I was more interested in the recreation of Austen's work rather than Gaskell's. In fact, I was only led to 'North & South' because I recognised Richard Armitage, who I know from the BBC version of Robin Hood. It's always interesting to see if a character has been type-cast, and I have to say I was happy that he managed to get the girl for once!

Last academic year, I was studying 'The Great Gatsby' and, for my coursework, I had to compare it against a partner text from a given list. One of the texts on this list was 'Pride & Prejudice'. Now, normally I wouldn't go for a book. I definitely had it labelled as a soppy, old book that I felt confident I would dislike, as the only other classic book I had read had not engrossed me as more modern texts of different genres. I am so glad I ignored my own prejudice - if you'll pardon the slight pun - and bought the book because my how it has turned out to be a favourite. It took me a little while to get used to the language (and to be able to find some level of tolerance for Mrs B) but within a few hours I was shipping Jane and Charles, and temporarily hating on Darcy as much as Lizzie. Since reading the book, I have seen the 2005 film (which I strongly recommend watching, especially with the British ending because the extra bit at the end of the American version, I feel, is out of character), watching 'The Lizzie Bennet Diaries' (a must-see YouTube series), Lost in Austen (again, this is well worth a watch), and the BBC series starring Colin Firth (if you like him, then go for it! Not my personal cup of tea though). For those of you familiar with the film, I also strongly recommend searching for 'Darcy's inner struggles' on Pinterest because the results are absolutely hilarious.

It is actually through following various Austen boards on Pinterests and through searches regarding 'Pride & Prejudice' that I came across the other dramas. First up was Sense and Sensibility, which had been sitting on my Netflix watch list for a few weeks. It has not by any means replaced 'Pride & Prejudice' as my favourite Austen work (well... at this point I only know the two!) but it was certainly enjoyable. It is clearly by the same author as 'Pride & Prejudice' from the way in which the encounter between Colonel Brandon and Marianne ended up with her distancing herself and falling for the more sociable, younger and out-going Willoughby, and later finding their way back to each other after finding out that Willoughby had done something despicable. Whilst it may have been predictable, the characters were different and the settings new. I'm definitely going to get a copy of the novel to see whether it is very different in writing.

http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/186266134567309727/

Alongside images from 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'Pride & Prejudice' were pictures from 'North & South' and my goodness is it sad in parts! I think the best description of it came from a blog which said something along the lines of it being similar to a Jane Austen work in terms of romance but without the wit, and like Charles Dickens in its trials but without the broad humour - whilst I am not very familiar with Dickens, from what I know of his novels I agree entirely with assessment this person made. From the outset I knew that Mr Thornton and Miss Hale would end up together, and I could kind of guess which characters were bound to come a cropper given that they were already ill, but there was one that I did not expect until he said that he felt much younger. Even then it was rather sudden. I think I will need to read the book to gain a better understanding of the characters and the contexts etc, but if you are looking for a tall, dark and handsome gent then it's well worth the watch.

The next period drama on my list is 'Daniel Deronda'. I'll let you know what I think of it once I have finished watching it! In the meantime, everything I've mentioned above I'll link below so that you can find it. Sense and Sensibility and North & South are currently on Netflix (UK), as well as the Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice if you wanted to watch them on there.

Until next time...

BBC Pride & Prejudice     

IMDb Pride & Prejudice 2005

IMDb Lost in Austen                     

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

BBC Sense and Sensibility            

BBC North & South

North & South review            

BBC Daniel Deronda

Keeping Busy

It's been a few weeks since I last posted, but I am happy to report that I am no longer a secondary/high school student! My exams are over, and the next time I'll be in school is to collect my A Level results. Where the time has gone, I have no idea, but I'm excited for the next chapter of my life and everything the future has to offer.

In terms of catching you all up with what's been happening: I had the dressage test, and it was okay. For those of you who don't follow me on Twitter and/or Instagram, I finished sixth (last) in the Novice class, but considered that I had never ridden the test before the day nor had Rowan been used for the novice test until I rode him, it was fairly decent. I did get a little lost at one point. I had a complete mind blank and couldn't remember the FEM section of the N33 test, but as it was a just a fun competition the judges told me what to do. Rowan also had difficulty with the medium paces, as I'm not sure how recently he's been asked for that sort of movement. He did a brilliant extended trot in the warm up, but sadly in the actual test he tried to break into canter. There were various other sticky points, such as the give and retake of the reins. I felt as though I was doing it, but it didn't seem like that to the judges. Things like that wouldn't have been an issue if I had been able to have a practice ride, but it's just something to bear in mind for the future. Rowan really was trying, bless him, and I can't thank my stables enough for holding competitions like this as flatwork is definitely my stronger point when it comes to competing.

My last two PC sessions have been on Bailey, and let's just say that in comparison to the cobbies I have been riding he feels gigantic. I've missed his forward going nature, but I've found him to be a little flatter than usual and a lot stronger/excited in the approach to poles and fences. Usually anchoring the reins so to speak will get him to listen and collect, but he's not doing much collecting. If I had a private lesson on him this is something I would really like to work on, but in a pony club lesson there's not too much I can do apart from circle him where possible to get him to ease up and slow down. It was quite funny yesterday though, because we were doing a bit of grid work and on our second go Bails decided that the first two jumps were too small, so he decided to demolish them and then jump the 3ftish final fence cleanly. He's certainly a special horse, but I love him for it (except at competitions - his lack of respect for small fences certainly becomes an issue there!). I have to say though, there is something quite satisfying about being on the tallest horse in a lesson. Does anyone else ever feel that way?

Now that my exams are out the way, I'll be able to focus more on increasing my horsey knowledge and going back to nature a little. Not having to stay in to revise means that I can go on walks and hopefully get some photography done now that the weather is improving. Having said this, I went out on Friday and ended up getting rather burnt, so I may hold off on the whole outdoorsy thing for a few more days to let my skin heal a bit more - it doesn't need to get any more painful!

Whilst the results of the #eureferendum may be disappointing, my afternoon walk was anything but. Definitely cheered me up, even if I did get a little caught by the sun 😊🌞 #summer #nature #walking #channelingmyinnerelizabethbennet #sunshine #countryside #river #fields #flowers

A photo posted by EquiHolly (@equiholly.blog) on Jun 24, 2016 at 9:05am PDT

Until next time...

Lean Back!

My horse riding instructor imparted some words of wisdom to my group yesterday, and I felt like she was making a really good point so I wanted to share it with you all, especially if you're like me and have a dodgy canter position.

We were doing typical flatwork, but my instructor noticed that all of us in the group had a habit of leaning forwards in the canter. This wouldn't be so much of a problem in and of itself - once you know, it's not too hard to fix - but none of us were aware we were doing it. I could look at the others and see that they were leaning forward slightly, but when I was cantering I felt like I was sitting up straight. It was the same for the others as well. I don't have any recent videos of my riding, so I went back through some old ones and made a little gif to show what I mean. 

Although this clip is taken from a jumping video (this is part of/just after the get away), you can quite clearly see that I'm leaning forwards. I can't recall whether I thought I was sitting upright or not when this was taken, as the video this comes from is a couple of years old, but this is pretty much how we were riding in my group. Not brilliant, right?

My instructor decided to do an exercise with us where we had to lean back in the trot before we asked for the canter. When I say lean back, I mean actually going past straight (because in trot we actually look like we can ride!). The point of this was so that when we were in canter, we would still think we were leaning back, when in actual fact we were just sitting up straight. I have to say, it was a really weird sensation. I'm guilty of leaning forwards in my transition anyways, so having to lean back to go into the canter and then feeling as though I was really far back was so confusing.

It was quite effective though, because I now know how it should feel when I'm sitting up straight. The horse's neck seemed quite far away, but I suppose that's something I should get used to. It was quite fun because we all got to partake in it because we all had the same issue. After the canter work, we completed the riding section for the mini road rider badge, and part of that involved trotting. The canter work had me sitting back to much that when I went to have my turn of looking-over-my shoulder-to-name-the-picture-on-the-card I chose to stay in sitting trot. As I was going around by myself, I could keep the horse at a pace that felt comfortable, and as I was sitting deeply into the saddle I felt like I could do it all day. As someone that usually disliked sitting trot with the stirrups, this is saying something!

All in all, the lesson was great. Not only do I have a brilliant bit of advice for cantering in the correct position, which will be very useful for the dressage test next week (wish me luck, and keep tuned for the results of that), but I also earned my mini road rider badge, which is pictured to the right.

Until next time...

Budding young photographers (promo)

Two of my friends are photographers, one of whom will go professional and the other who's a hobbyist. Coincidentally, both are named Becky so I'll try to talk about them separately to save from confusion. Anyway, I would like to take this opportunity to promote both of their Photobox accounts because they are both very talented and if you do have any spare money and are looking to buy some photos, then both of them will very much be appreciative.

The first Becky I'd like to talk about is a school friend, who has only just set up her account but still has lots of images. Here is the link, and below are some examples of her work (note that I have taken these from the account which is why they have the watermark):

How brilliant are these photos? And these are just three that I randomly picked! Becky will be going to university this year, and so anything you can spare to support her will be a massive help (and you'll end up with some pretty awesome photos out of it) so please go and check her page out. These photos are cheap too. I've not checked all of them, but most are around the 20p mark. Even something as little as this can help her put food on the table, as I'm sure by now you've all heard about student debt. If nothing else, enjoy looking at her wonderful photos. I look forward to seeing more work from you, Becky!

On to the next Becky. She has been taking photos since before we met, and her work is awe inspiring. Her Photobox is here but please note, that she mainly uses Photobox to upload the pictures she has been commissioned to take (such as wedding photos). To see more of her work, her facebook page, flickr and instagram are worth a visit. Another note, the following pictures have been cropped given that the watermark doesn't cover the image and she has been a victim of copyright infringement before.

As you can see, Becky is a brilliant photographer who hopes to go pro so any feedback and support you can give her is also much appreciated. Make sure you follow her on the links I provided to show your appreciation! 

Well, that's all from me. I hope you're having a lovely weekend wherever you are. If you have any photography you would like promoted, please email me and I'll take a look at your work and potentially share it in another post.

Until next time...

Leavers' Day, rugs, and in need of new gloves!

Good evening everyone, how are you all?

I've reached a point in my leave where things are the same but are also changing, and I think everyone that has had their final day at school can relate to this. On Friday, my years turned up at school at 7am in fancy dress to decorate the school in a theme of our choosing to mark that our seven years had come to an end. I joined my secondary school in year seven, and I honestly couldn't have wished for a better experience, so it was quite strange to hear goodbyes and best wishes. It hasn't quite settled in yet because even though I've had my last day at school, it isn't the last time I'll be at school. Friday simply marked the end of timetable for sixth formers and the start of study leave, so over the course of this month and the next, I'll be going back in to sit my exams. As I'll also be going in to see some teachers to get feedback on practice essays, it doesn't feel like anything has changed. After all, I had study leave last year too. It's a strange feeling, and the final assembly certainly made me quite nostalgic!

After we left school at midday, me and a few friends went to have a picnic. It was so relaxing, but the
high UV levels meant that I inevitably ended up a bit sunburnt and from the activities at school, I had also managed to pull my quads a little bit. All in all, horse riding the next day became a bit of a challenge. From my sunburn I was warmer than usual, and from my achy legs I hated light seat/jumping position. Actually going over the jumps was fine, but the practice lap to get us into the correct seat (and having to shorten the stirrups) was a tad painful! I'm so glad I went though, as Mary has a fantastic jump in her. In all honesty, jumping her felt the best that jumping has felt in a while because she didn't change her stride at all, and it felt so exhilarating. The downside to Mary is that she can be quite strong, and she doesn't always like to carry her head. Without gloves, my hands are still sore today so I definitely need to get a new pair soon. Does anyone have any recommendations?

In the stable management section of the lesson, we learnt about different types of rugs. It was a bit difficult cramming so many of us into the rug room, so I think all of us a bit iffy, but it was still a good crash course. For the most part we were okay at identifying indoor and outdoor rugs, but knowledge of specific types - such as waffle - went straight over our heads. It was still interesting to look at however, and it certainly made me think when the instructor for the day and one of the stable hands discussed whether to leave one of the horses in the rug he was in or change it to a heavier one. It's not something I've ever really thought about, having never owned or loaned a horse, but it's something I'll be sure to keep in mind for the future!

In other news, I now have a Pinterest account, which you can follow @EquiHolly. Be sure to follow to be updated on the fandoms I love!

Until next time...

Badminton Horse Trials 2016

The Mitsubishi Motor Badminton Horse Trials have once again played host to some of the best eventers in the world, and there was definitely plenty of exciting moments to keep me gripped. I was unable to watch the coverage of the cross country on Saturday, which is why this post is so late - I spent Sunday and Monday catching up with the cross country, and was only able to watch the show jumping of coverage last night! There were many hours that had to be dedicated to watching all the footage the BBC had to offer on iPlayer, and it was definitely worth it!

As always, there were some riders that really stuck out for me. The first of these was Ben Hobday, because he's had such a difficult year what with battling cancer and on top of that he is now patron to Hannah's Willberry Wonder Pony charity, a fact highlighted by the fact he had Willberry strapped to his back when he rode the course. It was such a lovely thing to do, and I think it highlights the entire Willberry's Wishes aspects of the charity. The course he rode was brilliant, and I think the entire crowd were right behind him. A fantastic rider, and I certainly wish him all the best in both riding and for supporting such a great charity. 

The second rider that stood out from the crowd for me is someone who didn't finish the cross country course but chose to retire. Nicola Wilson had a bit of a fall at the PHEV oxer after Mirage Pond. She stayed on, and the horse managed to stand, but nevertheless the two retired and I thought it was such a brilliant thing to do. I think it would have been tempting for many to try and carry on, seen as the horse almost immediately set back off, but she put the horse first and pulled up a little bit further on. The commentators noted how the horse looked fine, and I think that in itself demonstrates her consideration. She was never going to place with her horse anyway, so the pin related penalties wouldn't have made much difference if her aim was to simply get around the course. Her compassion is inspirational to me. 

Taken from the Badminton Horse Trials website

I could name so many more riders (Mark Todd, Jock Paget, Oliver Townend, Andreas Ostholt, Emily King) but to keep this blog post somewhat concise, I'll discuss just one more. Michael Jung. What a rider! I felt very privileged to see history being made, so I'm quite envious of people who got to see him ride in person. First German and second Rolex Grand Slam Winner! Not something that happens every year, but he really deserved it. His horse is brilliant. Did you see the show jumping? Not a hoof put wrong! Many congratulations to him and the German team because they had a brilliant result every day.

Well done to all the riders, horses and teams that took part, and to everyone who suffered an injury then I wish you all a very speedy recovery. Let's hope next year will produce equally outstanding performances.

Until next time...

D+ Training

Saturday saw myself and the other Pony Club girls working on our positions and trying to remember why we do things in certain ways as part of our training for the D and D+ tests we will be completing this summer.

Going back to basics is really useful because for the most part you don't need to worry about the horse in a way you might if you were doing something more advanced. So if you were doing something like a leg yield or a shoulder in, you would have to think of yourself and the horse but things like walk to trot/halt transitions are pretty standard. The D and D+ tests require knowledge of rider position, and whilst I think we all knew what we went over at some stage in our riding life, where we haven't gone over it in a while it's falling through to the very backs of our minds.

I think my biggest problem is my legs. On some horses they don't sit in the right position, like on the horse I was riding yesterday. On bigger horses my legs will sit beneath me, but on 'skinnier' steeds they have a tendency to shoot forwards. Standing up in the stirrups would probably solve this, but as it wasn't too bad on Saturday I think I got away with it. With conscience effort I was able to bring them back underneath me, it just didn't come as naturally as it does when I'm on JD. Of course, this could also be because my stirrups were longer. It'll be something to consider next time at any rate.

In addition to answering questions about what makes a good position, how to give certain aids and how to ask for bend etc, we also worked on our jumping positions. The cross we went over was quite small, but the point wasn't for us to be going over massive fences. It was simply to show that we could actually go into jumping position.

My favourite moment of the session was when we attempted to sit to the trot. Thankfully the horse I was riding wasn't too bouncy so I could sit to it, even if I had to start cutting off corners to keep up with the lead horses in the ride. It was great fun though, especially when our instructor imitated us by showing how we kind of just collapse in the saddle. She commented on how our positions change even though they shouldn't. It was very generous of her to say I wasn't as bad as the others, but I think that was more a result of the tension I felt doing sitting trot! I didn't mention that part; it's an ongoing thing haha.

Flatwork is always really useful for me. I think I'm naturally better at dressage of the three main English disciplines, so I always appreciate a good flatwork lesson simply because it impacts on jumping as well.

I hope you are all enjoying the bank holiday weekend. The weather isn't brilliant where I am, but it's nice to have an extra day of relaxation!

Until next time...

Photography Walk

The weather today has been a bit temperamental, but I really wanted to get outside and do some photography. The heavy cloud cover at times delayed my outing, as my camera doesn't have any waterproof coverings to speak of, so I was reluctant to get caught in the rain. However, there was only so much time that I could spend cooped up with my homework and revision before I simply had to go for a walk at the least even if my camera stayed at home.

 This afternoon brought with it the perfect opportunity. One of the dogs wanted to go for a walk to escape the relatives that had popped by for a visit, so I followed suit. The pooch didn't really feel like staying still long enough for me to get many photos, but it was nice to go on a longer walk than usual. I still felt like a Billy No Mates as Molly was walking ahead of me for the majority of the walk, but I think she enjoyed getting to go a bit further than usual. It was quite refreshing to see lots of other people enjoying the day as well. It wasn't exactly warm outside by any means, but the rain largely held off so it wasn't too bad.

I did manage to get some photos (although I haven't yet edited them - so if the quality isn't brilliant then this is partly why) and it has definitely inspired me to get outside more. My Dad mentioned going for an early morning walk at some point so that I can try my hand at getting some snaps of the birds, so I look forward to that. I really love wildlife photography, but I don't practice it nearly as much as I should if I want to improve! 

I've also recently tried to be big and brave and move away from automatic mode. I had to use manual for the school production in February given the stage lighting and not being able to use flash or even the auto-focus light to help me, and it did give me some confidence, but the environment then was quite controlled. Being outside where the sun can't make up its mind is more of a challenge, but one I will consider broaching when I don't have a dog wrapping the lead around my legs.

If you have any photography tips then please let me know. I'd rather have too much advice than not enough, especially as I broach the scary world of the exposure triangle.

Until next time...

Where's your leg?

Good evening, everyone. How are you all?

Today I wanted to talk to you about exercises to improve your leg position. I am the sort of rider who typically has a lot of issues in getting my legs to stay in the proper position. They move too far forwards, they wiggle and back when I was first learning to canter they flapped around quite a bit too! I was and still am far away from the control elite riders demonstrate, but over my years of riding I have realised that there are lots of little exercises that can be done to improve my leg position. I've opted to focus on three in this post. They've really helped me improve my equitation and I hope that they will be able to help you too.

The first and perhaps most obvious exercise is riding without stirrups. I know, I know. It's not the most pleasant thing in the world, especially if you have a particularly bouncy horse, but it does work wonders. If you can open your pelvis up then you'll be sitting deeper in the saddle (and there's no harm in having a more secure seat. Yes, Snip, I'm thinking of you!) and your encouraging your legs to hang long. By swinging your legs backwards and forwards from your knee and then hip, or by catching your ankle and pushing your knee downwards, you're loosening up all your joints and stretching your leg muscles. That's why when you take your stirrups back, you quite feel as though they can go down a hole or two. More importantly, your leg is more likely to fall naturally into the position its supposed to be in. I could go into a great level of detail about all the different mini-exercises within riding without stirrups, but I think I'll make that into a separate blog post at some point.

If its a sneakily rising heel that is getting you in trouble with your instructor, then the second bit of advice I would give to you is to stand on the bottom step of a flight of stairs, with your balls of your feet against the edge. Once in position, push your heels downwards. You can do this one leg at a time or both at the same time. It's really whatever you feel comfortable with. You don't need to do it for long, but doing this daily will encourage stretching and hopefully you're heels will start to stay in a more appropriate place. If this still isn't helping you keep your heels down, then I have this other piece of advice which my instructor told me a year or so ago and has helped me greatly; rather than imagining a weight in your heels to keep them down, imagine that there is something connected to the front of your boot pulling your toes up. It sounds strange at first, but try it and I think you'll be surprised!

The third pearl of wisdom I will share is this; stand up in the stirrups. This is, without doubt, the exercise that has made the biggest difference for me. This is perhaps partly due to the minor conditioning of the previous two finally encouraging my heel to stay down, but standing up in the stirrups is what has really made a different to the placement of my leg in  its entirety. I'll be the first to admit that I have very little balance, but it is completely fine to use a neck strap/chunk of mane in helping you stay upright. By walking around whilst standing up, and throwing in a few transitions up to and down from trot for good measure, some sort of magic occurs and you'll find your legs are naturally in the correct position. This happened to me a few weeks ago, and I was absolutely thrilled because I felt like I could ride reasonably well (for those of you who have problems with riding position, I'm sure you'll understand!). The absolute best part of this exercise, for me at least, is that my legs were still automatically moving to the right position a month later!

If you have any exercises, please let me know! I'm always looking to improve my riding and if your technique is particularly inspired, I may include it (with credit, of course) to the future blog post about non-stirrup riding exercises.

Until next time,
EquiHolly

Earth Hour

It's that time of year where people turn off the lights in their homes for an hour in order to raise awareness for climate change. It always seems to monumental when governments get involved and allow the lights on Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House, amongst other, to be switched off.

Earth Hour is such a wonderful event because it's so simple. You can even sleep for the hour if you can't think of anything else to do, and so long as all your lights are off then you are technically taking part. It really is that easy. If you didn't take part this year, then remember for next year because it is it is only by raising awareness that we can start to actively fight climate change on a bigger scale.

I first found Earth Hour through WWF. I can't remember exactly why I was searching on their website, but I'm glad I did. As I follow WWF on Twitter, seeing all the excitement in the build up really made me consider the impact I had on the world, by living the way I do. I'm not a materialistic person but I do use a lot of electricity. It inspires me to walk to more places rather than drive, and to unplug for a while as well, something quite difficult in an age where technology seems to be the only past time.

It's also around this time of year that I also find myself watching The Lorax. This is one of my favourite films, and I absolutely love the message behind it. We destroy the world so much without even realising it, and one day it will be too late. We will have gone past the tipping point. I find the quotation at the end of the film particularly moving. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing's going to get better. It's not." Dr Seuss was a brilliant man. I would love to have that quote plastered on my bedroom wall. If you haven't seen the film, I would recommend it because it has songs, humour and an important message all in one.

I feel like I've gone off topic, and I'm tired enough from sitting in a dark room to know that it's probably time I ended this post. I hope you all had a wonderful Earth Hour and that those of you didn't take part will do so next year.

Until next time,
EquiHolly

Sutton Trust Summer School

It's that time of year where year 13 students are starting to fret about upcoming exams and year 12s are organising and booking their places at open days to universities, thinking that if they haven't decided what they want to do by now then they'll be wasting the next two years and if they don't go to university then they are failing in some way.

At least, that's how it feels at my school.

I mentioned in an earlier post about my discovery of equine related degrees, and I felt that there was something else I should also mention. Summer school. There are a lot of companies out there that arrange time for a group of year 12 students to get the feel of what a certain university will be like, and one of these is Sutton Trust (http://www.suttontrust.com).

Sutton Trust is a brilliant programme because it's completely free so it means anyone has a chance of going. It is aimed at people who cannot necessarily afford to pay for one of the other summer schools, and it offers places at some of the leading universities. I was lucky enough to get a placement and I had such a brilliant time that I wanted to tell you all about in the hopes that you will apply or recommend it to someone else who is considering university.

When I first applied to the programme, I didn't get a place. I wanted to do English at Durham because at the time I applied, I was still primarily thinking of studying English and having considered all the universities Sutton Trust has a partnership, I really felt drawn to Durham. It was so disappointing to not get a place but I understood. There are others my age who were more deserving, and English is always going to be an over-subscribed subject. Imagine my surprise, then, when I received an email offering my a place on their Theology and Religion with Philosophy course! They offered me a place because they knew Religious Studies was one of my A Level subjects from the original application and because they had spare places.

I was hesitant as first, I admit. I had already decided that I wanted an equine degree so part of me felt a little selfish in  taking a place on a course at a uni I wasn't going to go to, but I reasoned that they wouldn't have offered me a place if there wasn't a spare one going and it wouldn't hurt to be sure in my mind that I definitely wanted to go down the university route. Deciding to go was one of the best decisions I made.

Durham is an incredibly beautiful place, and the student ambassadors were so lovely and the course professor so friendly that it was actually really upsetting that we were only there for a week. Each day was so full on so that they could demonstrate all that was available that, although exhausting, we settled in pretty much after the first day. Six hours each day were dedicated to the subject stream you had a place on, and then the afternoon would be something else, so on one of the days this was a personal statement workshop and on another we got to look around one of the libraries. In the evening there were various activities. These ranged from creative writing to Quidditch so there really was something for everyone! My favourite part, however bitter sweet, was the formal dinner on the last day because it was followed by a silent disco, which was pretty hilarious!

I loved it so much that I considered using my spare uni application place for a Durham application because part of being accepted on the Sutton Trust programme at Durham was a conditional offer and they allow you to enter a separate personal statement. I would highly recommend Durham to anyone because honestly, if they offered something equine related, I would be there in a heartbeat.

Sutton Trust provided this fantastic experience free of charge, and I gained so much. I met brilliant people, and part of the scheme is a mentor who is always available if I need to talk to her. It was so rewarding and it excited me about life as a university student. If that wasn't enough to tempt you to look at the Sutton Trust website, then consider the fact they also have a link to America. I know less about this as I never considered it, but the website is very clear so if this tempts you be sure to look!

If you need more tempting, then take a look at some of the images I took over the week.

Any Potterhead should recognise this - Durham Cathedral!

The view from the bridge over River Wear

The bedroom I stayed in! Comfortable with plenty of space to relax

The view from my  bedroom window!

                                     

                                       

I sincerely hope you consider applying for a summer school. It really is beneficial, and whilst I may be a little biased towards Durham, all of the placements are great. Good luck!

Until next time,
EquiHolly

Product Review: Gaiters

So as I mentioned on Christmas, I was lucky enough to get a pair of gaiters. My reasons for wanting either these or half chaps was quite simply due to my jodhpurs riding up and also one instructor had recommended I get long boots to help with my leg position. Gaiters felt like  a happy medium.

My parents invested in a pair from Ride Away for me, and I have to say I really like them. The leather is synthetic (i.e. not actually leather), and it isn't a suede-like texture at all so it doesn't rub the horse. They are so easy to care for as they are wipe clean, and it only took a couple of Pony Club sessions before I was able to quite easily able to put them on in a moving car.

At first I was little unsure about whether they were too small, as I hadn't measured my leg very accurately, but they seem to be okay now. No doubt they have already started to mould to my leg shape in some way like a back protector, but also because my heel stays down (I'll explain this in a second). I would definitely make sure you measure accurately though, and I will bear it in mind for the future because I would have felt awful and impatient if I needed to send them back to exchange them for a bigger size.

Right, so the heel thing. When I first starting to wear them I found that the zip was constantly riding up. This was a bit irritating, especially when it was half undone by the end of the lesson, usually after jumping. I didn't really know what to think because I couldn't be certain that it was the product or if I was wearing them incorrectly in some way. Rather than worry about it I just made sure to push the zip back down whenever I had stopped moving in a lesson. Then I had a flatwork lesson and it suddenly all became clear.

My heels are notoriously bad. They constantly creep upwards, and I realised that this was causing the zip to unfasten. The back of my jodhpur boot causes enough stress for it to start riding up. When I had the flatwork lesson they still rode up, but I was more aware of my feet and eventually put two and two together. I recently had a lesson in which my heels were surprisingly well behaved, and the zip hardly moved at all.

Given that it was my fault that the zip doesn't stay still, I don't think I could honestly blame the product. It's my heels that are causing the issue, and that's just something I'll have to work on seen as heels are meant to be down anyway. Can't exactly criticise a product given that I'm the one that's doing something wrong! But they are very comfortable, and they don't slip downwards at all. My reason for wanting them is because I was getting fed up of my jodhpurs riding up and exposing my socks. Since wearing the gaiters, my ankles haven't gotten cold once and I don't end up with horse hair in my boots either.

I would definitely recommend this product because it's giving me more motivation that usual to keep my heels down, and having them on encourages me to ride with stirrups that aren't too short.

Do you wear gaiters/half chaps when you go riding? If so, what do you think of them?

Until next time.

Dressage Competition

Hello everyone!

Can we take a moment to appreciate how pretty
it is? Absolutely love the colours!

I had a brilliant time at the dressage competition today. Rowan was absolutely fantastic, so willing to
respond to me and he was so straight on the free rein section. He was so fabulous that we were awarded second place! Having never so much as placed at a competition before I was in a state of disbelief. It was only a friendly competition that the riding school hosts for its clients, but honestly I felt so proud (mostly surprised though).

My test was flawed, I won't deny that. On the first 20m circle we picked up the wrong canter lead, but I didn't really notice until the second circle at E, and then I was unsure what to do because I didn't want the instructors judging the competition to think he'd broken or that I forgot where the transition was supposed to be. It was this that cost us first place, but this is just something I will learn from.

Whilst I was at the stables I realised, a little belatedly, that they are holding a dressage championship of sorts. There are another two dressage competitions this year. Unfortunately I don't think I will be able to do the third competition as chances are I'll be on the other side of the country at university, but I can't wait for the summer for the next competition!

For today's competition I entered myself for the prelim test, but I'm thinking that for the summer show I may try novice for the first time. I'll have to learn an entirely new test which is exciting (the dressage competition before today was also prelim 16), but I'm not 100% yet on if I'll move up a group. I may stick with the prelim if the test is different so that I can establish whether I did so well because I knew the test just that well or whether it was because I can actually ride. I really hope it's the latter!

Have you participated in any shows recently, or do you have plans to? I'd love to know.

Until next time!