Miss Megan

My first proper goal with Meg is to attend the Solway Dressage Group's winter series and stage one of preparations for meeting this goal started this week. It was a week of firsts. Our first ride in my old and Meg's new saddle (we're going to be using my flat seat jumping saddle as neither my dressage or GP saddles fit her properly), our first lesson and we cantered our first 20 metre circles (although, to be honest, I think they were probably more like 30m squares but it's a start!). I emailed off my entry last night. Should provide entertainment for all! We're just doing Training 0.1 and 0.3 but that's more than enough for my little three year old clompety and me!

Meg's such great fun. As my friend and trainer says, she really 'gets her clydie on' when under saddle and just loves to get down and boogie. I was in a really dark mood before I rode yesterday and Meg just caterpaulted me right out of it and back into the light again - LOVE my girl.

We have LOTS to work on so should keep us both very busy and give Meg plenty to think about. At this stage I will only be riding her 4 days a week with one ride being a lesson, one being schooling and two rides being 'fun'/fitness rides (so hacking out over hills and around the roads here). D-day is 16 May and I have a week in the SI next week so I calculate that gives us ... 11 rides or approximately 5 hours to practise. I probably should not have worked that out coz now I am panicking! LOL!

Nick was kind enough to take some photos of me riding yesterday. They're not pretty (well Meg is but I look like some sort of a roly poly pumpkin - bleurgh!) but my mastery of photoshop is non existent so, for now, I can't get me out of the photos!

A nice sedate walk

Trotting a corner

More walk

Trotting a corner

Obliging girl

Letting out the rein

Go Meg GO!

Look up Lou!

Wheeeeee!

Goig so fast we're just a blur, haha!

Bye bye Rory

Yesterday another baby flew the nest and now I am sad. Rory (TF Rory O'Moore) is by Coalmans Touch and out of my lovely Laughtons Legend mare, Hooty (Wynyard Night Owl) and he was SUPPOSED to be a dark bay filly (so I could retain her for the Irish breeding program) but instead we got a bright red colt! Rory has a wonderful personality and has always been a friendly and gregarious boy, afraid of nothing and into everything. Yesterday as I prepared him for his road trip with a brush and a yummy feed he decided to check out the inside of the tack shed/shipping container. Nothing phases this boy, I tell you! The truck arrived to take him away and I had to hold him back as he was ready to get on before we were ready to let him! There was a silly kicking, screaming TB in the compartment behind him but he could care less. On he marched and away he went off on his new adventure, leaving me standing at the bottom of the driveway in a puddle of tears.

Bon voyage Rorror, I know I can't keep them all but you truly are one right out of the box and I will miss you very, very much. Be a good boy now and please keep in touch xoxox

So what do you think you might find in here Rory?

Rory the day before departure - Aged 18 months

Final TF nomnoms

A career in modelling perhaps?

Best kisses in the world

Bestest, softest, most kissable whiskery nose

Waiting oh so patiently

Loading like a pro

Some nibbles to say farewell

Door's up and he's on his way

Megalumpin'

So I figure if I actually want to ride Meg in the winter dressage series and not make a total and complete idiot of myself, I should probably ride her a bit at home. My ankle is feeling pretty good and, after two rides, I think it should hold up to regular riding so it's all on now. I'll just hack her out for the most part and throw in a few short schooling sessions and hopefully a few lessons. She's still only very young and not really strong enough to hold a frame for an extended period plus, she is not really built to be a dressage horse and, I think, is going to find the work quite hard but she's got a pretty good work ethic and I think she will continue to try hard to please. She's shown me the last two rides that she doesn't appreciate being asked to go forward and up into the bridle and her displeasure has been noted - she's just going to have to suck it up!

Here are a few photos that Nick kindly took for me today:

Trotting up the fenceline

Being a bit of a baggage - she makes I larf

Trotting down the fenceline

Telling me just what she thinks of being asked for more forward

Pretty girl

In the shed - it's nearly finished!!

Nice hock action Meg!

Getting some forward

Good girl

I popped down to Solway this afternoon to catch up with Nicola and Lagan who were taking part in dressage competition (registered). Lages is looking great and Nicola was much happier with both her tests today and whilst the tests may not have set the world alight, the improvement from the last time I saw them was definitely noticeable. Great work!