Isn't it funny how some people consider success only to be winning competitions and titles, whereas for some it's moments and events that go well which can be successful or not? For my, it's the those moments where you achieve something that you've work so hard towards for so long, that's what I call success. And the arena hire on Monday was a resounding one! 💙
Although it may sometimes look it, my horses have never been easy. My pony was so quick and hot that in the beginning I fell off him every week, if not more often. Basse was only a 4 year old when I got him and I had to learn how to ride a young horse and go up the levels with him, but his heart of gold and willingness to work with me made him entirely worth the time it took. Vallu was a "ready made" school master who I technically could have competed the advanced levels with, but his spooky/hot temperament and his injuries meant that I never quite got to go in the white boards with him. Erik is a wonderful combination of the two others before him, the talent of Vallu with the temperament of Basse - but on some days he needs that extra bit of hand holding and understanding. He's very weather sensitive (if it's raining AND windy I need to wear my best sticky breeches, that type of sensitive!) which makes him just that little bit harder to work with. But yesterday it finally felt like I'd cracked him and learnt at least a little bit of how to help him deal with anything different, like going to an arena hire, where there a million and one things to spook at.
Although our previous arena hire went well overall, there were several things that I wanted to improve on such as quicker loading into the trailer, less screaming at other horses at the arena hire and both of us being more relaxed when riding there. This time, Erik loaded into the trailer like all of our horses do - relaxed and on the first attempt! I'm SO pleased with this, as I hate the struggle of trying to get an unhappy and uncooperative horse to walk into a trailer. Last time it took us 15 minutes both times, so I am over the moon with how it went ✨🌙 He was a really good boy to ride, after a long walk warm up he was 100% with me and after just another 15 minutes he was ready to practise our upcoming test, which he aced! There was no shouting at the horses turned out around the indoor and there was no spooking at the scary corner. In fact he was so chilled out that when I was warming up in trot he even stumbled a few times because he wasn't focusing enough and I needed to get after him a bit more. A total 180 degree change from the last time we were there a month ago!
I also got the chance to practise my very rusty plaiting skills, it's nice to know that all those years of plaiting my pony and Basse over a decade ago haven't gone to waste as my plaits managed to stay in the entire time AND did not look too horrendous considering that I only had 20 minutes to do them and I am much worse at plaiting with just rubber bands rather than the good old thread and needle! 🙌🏻 So this is me now mentally ready for our competition debut in a few weeks, after more than 5 years since the last time I've been inside those white boards! Exciting!!
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