Eventing Season!

I'm so so excited, the season officially starts in one week from this Sunday! Starting with the Monmouth ODE (which i tragically can't attend as Georgie's not fit enough!) i can just tell this season is going to be especially amazing! However what i am most excited about, and a little nervous, is getting back into eventing again after a year off! I'm really putting everything into making little Georgie the superstar i know she is.
As you guys all know, she's straight OTT, very green and never evented before in her life so this season is going to be huge. I'm hoping to start her off with one grade 5 (for the people who don't event or aren't horsey or don't know the height of the grades, grade 5 is 50cm.) and then if she does well, and is quite confident and relaxed i'll move her up to grade 4 (65cm) in time for the next ODE. My plan is to hopefully do two of them, and then mover her onto grade 3 (85cm) in time to qualify for State Trials in March next year. This is my goal, however i'm keeping realistic and non-competitive too. If Georgie doesn't take to eventing like everyone thinks she will, then we'll take the season slow. This is her very first season and i'll have her forever so i don't need to rush anything.

On top of the above, i'm debating whether or not to do the Royal. We'd be entering the 65cm show jumping round, Novice Hack, Pony Club Hack, and a Rider Class. I know Georgie could do it all, however i don't know how she'd handle the noise, the crowds and the rides.

On top of that, she's actually not even in work at the moment! So starting tomorrow, look out Little Porge! Boot camp alert! I'll start with some lunging i think, because although i don't personally like lunging horses she is going to be a little bit spazzy, and i don't feel like injuring my shoulder again. And then i'll do lots of straight line work, transitions, and maintaing the same rythm. On Sunday i'll work on her canter transitions, which are a little messy at the moment, and maybe some cavaletti.

AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT, i'll keep a long story very short but basically Georgie is about to have the company of two very special 4 legged friends sharing her paddock, SLATE (who you all know, if not read below!) and Georgie's Mum! Not owned by me though, but by Francine who gave me Georgie in the first place! I'm very, very excited! So excited i honestly can't put it into words!
Georgie's mum is coming tomorrow, and Slate in a week.

So guys, i'm very very busy at the minute but lucky school holidays are only a week away!
Also, thank you to my 8 follows, especially the ones who regularly comment on my posts, i want to say that i'd really love to comment back to you all but unfortunately something is wrong with my Blogspot account and won't let me! Sorry! But thank you all very much for reading these, and if you had questions or something, email me on facebook!

Gold Wraith Photography

I've started my own photography buisness, 'Gold Wraith Photography'! I mostly just photograph horses, and horse events. My first was last weekend at the Hunter Trials that turned into a Show Jumping training day.
I've always really liked photography, but now that i have my pretty special little camera that i got for my birthday i just love it!
Here are just a few of the very many photos i got last weekend!

One Slightly Insane Horse....

Well guys, i have to say that at the moment i have one very insane little horse!
Because of my shoulder injury and the fact that its been way to wet to ride, Georgie has literally had no work for about a month. She has become slightly feral and destructive...
Last weekend she got so destructive she thought she'd organise a break out at midnight on Saturday night. She went through the fence and took her boyfriend (My friend Sarah's horse, Monty) with her.

I cannot wait for next Saturday when i can bring Georgie back into work, and also have an indoor arena to ride in. I also cannot wait for thisventing season to start, two weeks now! Of course i can't do the first event on September 4th because obviously Georgie won't be fit enough, but ive it 6-8 weeks and we'll be out there!
I think when i bring her back into work i'll start by re-enforcing the basics like standing still while i mount and responding to my leg aids immediately.

Sorry this blog update is so short but with no riding and foul weather my 'Progress Reports' are very limited, unless you'd like to hear about trying to get a feral 5y/o to stand still long enough to fit new dressage saddle?

Curiosity

I've been noticing with Georgie since i got her 8 months ago, but especially now, that her reaction in a 'flight or fight' situation is always to investigate . I don't just mean in a normal 'Look at that scary blue pipe xc jump!' either, blue pipes are no problems for Georgie. I mean in a 'German Shepherd dog jumps out of a bush from behind her on a trial ride' situation. Her reaction is always to spin around and make friends. Always. Thats a bad example, and i know, i'm lucky she doesn't spook at dogs.
One morning i got down to my agistment and i couldn't find Georgie anywhere. I was getting rather panicy when the owner of the property had a call from a neighbour saying that they had a 'Chestnut who seemed to be having a nap on their lawn'. We raced up there to find Georgie lying down and completely passed out on their lawn. All because she'd got curious about whatever was on the other side, and jumped the fence.
Despite that, her curiosity has got to be one of my favourite things about her. I love that when she doesn't want to leave the paddock i only have to pretend to be looking at something she wants to see, and over she comes. Or that when i take her into the barn she'll put her nose into everything she's not supposed to. Or, my personal favourite, that she's so interested in her grooming tools that when i need someone to hold one of them i can give it to Georgie, and she'll hold it in her mouth. She's definately a cutie.
I think what adds to this, is that she's very, very bold. About everything. I don't know if i've written about this in an earlier blog, and if i have then feel free to skip over this.. On Georgie's first trial ride i took her on with two of my friends who both have geldings who are over the age of 10, one slightly less mature than the other though.. There were several times when the two boys would not do something that was apparently life threatenly scary, (like walk past some goats) and little baby Georgie would have to step up and take over, which she did perfectly every time without making a fuss.

I think i made my point, Georgie is a pretty non-fuss horse. Its hard to believe she's only been off the track 8 months.
We have our first Gymkhana this Sunday, if i can ever get better from this terrible virus. I'm pretty excited, get to make Georgie look all clean and well presented. Although that is actually quite hard as i have never actually seen a TB that gets a winter coat like Georgie, she looks like a wolly mammoth. Ohh well, i'm sure we'll have pictures by Sunday night.
Thanks for reading!

P.s, The above is a video i made of Slate and Georgie (read earlier blog post about Slate) on youtube, please subscribe to me if you like it!