Sarah & Jack’s Diary, Part 4

Monday, December 30th, 2013

2nd October

At the end of this month, we are off to Alison’s for some intensive training, before an outing to Step-Aside (Royal Leisure) at the end of October, and Plumpton Dressage at the beginning of November.

Jack is having a bit of a break from hard work, we have been using our new Liz Oakenfold downloads to do plenty of stretching and massaging, while Doozer the baby horse steps up. Doozer is being a Guinea Pig in a demo at Belmoredean Dressage at the weekend I’m a bit nervous of what the baby horse will make of it. Jack loves anything with an audience as he is a bit of a diva, but no idea how Doozer will cope!

Lovely lesson with Alison last week, so I know he is going well. Jack going to Plumpton College tonight to have some fun at Area 13 gridwork with Donald Kear.

3rd October

Jack was hilarious last night, behaved appallingly on the lorry as usual, but then shone in the gridwork. He jumped incredibly well. We have renamed him Mariah (as in Carey)! Glad he got to let his hair down…

5th October

Demo at Belmoredean was well attended and Little Doozer was a superstar. He was initially petrified by the crowd, the mirrors, the noise and the plants everywhere but took literally five minutes to settle, then worked beautifully. I am a very proud mummy.

9th October

Jack, Bracken and Doozer and had their teeth done today, Doozer has a wolf tooth that needs to come out and has been causing him some pain. Feel both sad that he has been hurting and I didn’t realise, and proud that he has being going so beautifully despite this. Makes me realise once again what an incredibly genuine and helpful little soul he is, I am so lucky to have him.

I am off to France for the weekend for a break so the horses are having another little rest after their dentistry.

14th October

Weather atrocious over the weekend, poor ponies but they seem to have survived. Lunged both today.

15th October

Rode Jack on the flat this evening, he feels good for the break whilst little Doozer having his wolf tooth out tomorrow.

16th October

James from Priors Vets came today to sort out poor Doozer’s tooth bless him he was very brave. No bit for ten days, which means it will be difficult to keep his fitness up as well as this horrible wet spell, sometimes lunging is our only viable option.

17th October

Have been using Amy Stovold’s “Pushing Power” download with Jack, and the improvement in his canter is incredible!
Went to Belmoredean today for subsidised Area 13 DTM training and put together a Kür floorplan for Jack at Novice. It is hard to make it look exciting, as the compulsory movements for which you are marked are are not terribly interesting at this level. At least now his canter is more balanced i hope we have a smart movement at the end with the “wow” factor! Will run through it with Alison at hers later this month and see what she thinks.

21st October

I have had a weekend away and ponies have had a rest. Alison here today to give me and Jack a lesson. I have carpel tunnel syndrome in both hands, and had terrible problems today as both hands were totally numb throughout my lesson. Frustrating.

22nd October

Good friend Karin and I are off to Lyndhurst tonight for a night away, and to visit both the Beaulieu Road sales and Tamrik Stud tomorrow to look at youngsters. The sales has two foals listed that are of interest one PBA x Section D and one PBA x WB from the same breeder and the bigger of the two might be a good purchase if it moves well and doesn’t go for two much money. Very much looking forward to seeing the Studs babies again and having a stallion cuddle.

23rd October

Lovely evening with Karin and nice trip to the sales. The foal that was of interest wasn’t put forward, which was a shame however the smaller PBA was lovely. Saw a very nice NF chestnut filly too that would have made a great BYRDS pony, but sold for a relative fortune…

Great to see the team at Tamrik Stud on the way home, I have missed them. We don’t catch up often enough. Tamrik Hyjack, Jack’s half brother, is utterly captivating, and they think the best they have ever bred. Met the new section C baby too, currently nicknamed Lowjack. Scamp, the Section A stallion, was cute as ever, and had great cuddles with Mr Bits, Doozer’s daddy. Was lovely to see two of the other stallions living out together in harmony, not something you see often. Their horses are the happiest, most chilled out horses you are ever likely to see… I want to get a sign made for their gate saying “bred with love”.

25th October

Jack re-clipped and both lunged, ready for boot camp next week. Have applied for associate registration for Doozer so he can compete affiliated.

28th October

The horrific weather over the weekend which killed at least 4 people and left 600,000 homes without power has put pay to my boot camp prep. We had 93mph wind recorded just off the coast here. I was terrified for the horses, but at first light my husband drove me up to check on them and amazingly, they were larking about in the wind enjoying themselves. Luckily we sustained very little damage. Lost a garden fence and had to fix some scaffold, the yard lost a bit of post and rail fence and little else. Thank heavens.

29th October

First day training at boot camp with Alison. Rode Jack in a new saddle Alison has found me that is for sale, the difference in his way of going was astonishing. Am going to take it, so mine is going on ebay pronto! Worked through bits of Prelim 19 with Doozer once he settled. Particularly proud of him for settling so quickly away from home, despite so much time off under saddle prior to us coming.

30th October

Sorted a little muddle over classes and times with Step Aside, but it leaves me with very little time between Doozer and Jack’s classes for working in. Have seconded friend Rachel to assist on the day, especially as this is the first time I will be taking Jack with another horse. I fully expect Doozer to be absolutely fine, but Jack is likely to protest about being left when I ride Doozer first. Training was brilliant, I feel I have learned so much in such a short space of time.

31st October

Weather atrocious. Conditions at the Royal difficult as a surprise jumping show meant both tests were outdoors with only one warm up. Sadly warm up was flooded due to such terrible weather over last few days. Doozer was a little stressed but great once in the ring, scored sevens and eights for walk and trot work, but lost marks for a few handstands in canter! Still, just under 63% in his first affiliated and second ever test is pleasing.

Jack on the other hand behaved like a monster. Was atrocious in the car park when he was left with Rachel, then furious in the warm up. I had him settled just in time for the test, sadly the judge was very late and then stopped the test as she was sure we were riding the wrong test… which we weren’t, so we had to restart! By that time he had gone somewhat off the boil and was inattentive due to the hideous weather, so not the world’s best score, and we went home tired and very soggy.

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