Archie on cross country at Tonimbuk
Photo: Jenelle Christopher
I am finding it a fun exercise in reflection sitting down on a monthly basis to write these blogs - I think as sports people we’re always so focused on ‘what’s next’ rather than the process of sitting down and thinking about what the ups and downs of the past month have been, which can be very valuable.
I really feel like my life has revolved around horses the last few weeks. Archie and I attended a clinic with Megan Jones when she was over in Melbourne at the start of the month and we had a very exciting weekend. With Megan’s help, we finally unlocked Archie’s trot and BANG - we had cadence! SUCH a great feeling! It was really like the final piece of that puzzle fell into place and he figured out how to lighten and bring his withers up and push from behind all at once, wow! I now need to remind myself NOT to get too greedy - he’s got to build up to giving me that trot all the time and he is still too tense to do it out and about in a test … patience young grasshopper.
The other very cool thing that happened at this clinic with Megan was we put a little strap on the back of Archie’s gag to add some pressure to his jaw and gee whiz, all of a sudden I had brakes and steering on cross country too! The final result of the weekend was that Megan gave me the thumbs up, all clear to take Archie 1* and really go for it in our aims for Melbourne 3DE. YAY!!!! Needless to say, this was an awesome confidence booster and I’m super excited to have been given the green light. I’m now in overdrive ensuring that we’re prepared, qualified and ready to go.
The weekend after the Megan clinic was Tonimbuk Horse Trials where we were in the pre novice class. My immune system chose the Friday leading into the event as the date to throw the towel in and get sick, which left me feeling light headed and nauseous! Not a great way to start an important event that I needed as a qualifier. Thank the ‘Draw-Gods’ I had a 4:05pm dressage time so got to have a sleep in on Saturday morning, which I think was my saving grace. I put my new tools that Megan and I worked on into practice and Archie was a heap more ride-able than he normally is on the flat when he is out and about. He didn’t score as well as I might have hoped and we were in the bottom half of the class after dressage, but I was stoked with the improvement in his attitude to ‘trying’ in the warm up and not just chucking a tantrum when it all got too hard.
Show jumping in the indoor at Tonimbuk is always an experience. Archie had a good spook at a filler under one of the oxers, which put him too deep to the following vertical which he then had down, but I was pleased with one rail for his first pre novice of the year. The real fun came on cross country where I was super excited about getting out and tackling the course, and Archie really came to the party, he was bold, ride-able and ate up the course. There was nothing out there that I felt him back off from and although we got quite a bit of a time it was a super confidence building experience! I purchased my video of the round from An-Eventful-Life and found that to be an awesome learning experience too because I could see that the reason Archie feels heavy on course is NOT fact that he’s going too fast, it’s the fact that he’s on the forehand when he gets tired – what a great learning tool. So I came away knowing that his fitness needs to improve a great deal, but the jumping was on the ball. Yeeehaaa 1* at Camperdown! We’re now only one qualifier away from being able to go 1* which we will pick up this weekend coming at Wandin Horse Trials.
Archie and I on cross country at Tonimbuk … I’m pretty sure these pre novice fences are bigger than he makes them look
Photo: Jenelle Christopher
Over in camp Muz, things are not going quite as well as they are for Archie. He’s still out in the paddock and slightly too lame to work. The vet came in last Friday to check him and we trotted him up and he is looking heaps sounder, however a few days later he then had another ‘lame day’. We’ve given him now till the end of March before we call in another vet for a second opinion … the joy of the waiting game with horses.
On the upside, I now have another horse to ride. A girlfriend of mine is pregnant with her first baby and therefore not riding. She has sent her young thoroughbred gelding, Lazy Boy to me for the next six months to get him going before her baby is due. He is pretty green, but a sweet horse with a great work ethic.
Lazy Boy
All in all it feels like my focus right now really is getting these horses to where they both need to be, Archie - ready to go 1*, Muz - sound and under saddle again!
I’m looking forward to the adventures of the coming month and in my next blog I’ll be writing that Archie and I have done our first 1* event together. Can’t wait!
Best riding, till next time.
Nicole
