It's no secret I'm a big fan of making eventers out of ex-race horses, and currently I have 2. I'm an even bigger fan of the Racing Post website because you can look up horses' breeding, and race history for free. Having a little dig about to find some more info on Mr Jack Fry I discovered his grand sire is non other than Mill Reef! I found this lovely picture of Mill Reef being ridden by Geoff Lewis in 1971. So it turns out the scruffy little grey thing that I'm begining to reschool has quite a pedigree!
Jack and Soap were complete duffers when it came to racing. Soap ran once ridden by AP McCoy and finished 8/11. Jack faired slightly better managing 2 seasons, but with little success until he started Point to Point. Let's hope One Day Eventing is more their cup of tea!

If anyone knows what colours Mill Reef used to race in i'd be interested to know, it would be nice to wear them XC on Jack when he's up and running.

Jack and Soap's race cards below, click to enlarge

Thanks to my sponsors Equestrian Vision for providing the prize, and Equine Adverts for hosting the competition you can win Badminton 2008 on DVD. All you have to do is click here to enter and answer the competition question...
Who has won Badminton 6 times, on 6 different horses?...
Good luck!

He may not look much at the moment, but he's going to be fab!
Jack Fry is a 12 year old tb ex-Point to Pointer who we aquired after he fractured his leg. He had a very fine spiral hairline fracture which meant the poor chap had to spend several months boxed in a huge splint. He recovered well, and is now starting to come back into work. He is now doing his 1st months lunging, and long reining in preparation for ridden work.
Depending on how he recovers willl determin his new career. I am hoping that we will be able to do some unaffiliated dressage and sj this summer in preparation for a BE80 (possibly Intro) later in the year. I don't think that being an ex-PtoP the XC is going to phase him much! He looks whippet thin at the moment despite the amount of feed he is getting, but I think some long awaited work will bring the muscle and top-line he needs. He has the nicest nature going so I am really looking forward to riding, and competing him.

Watch this space for Jack updates...

In an atttempt to keep costs down I asked my instructor Steven Way if there was a way I could have a XC schooling lesson for less. So............. 6 mucked out boxes, and 2 hacked out eventers later I had earned myself a XC schooling lesson with him at Boomerang for just £10!
I took Soap in a Cambridge Pelham XC schooling for the first time, and I think it's going to prove a good choice. The whole lesson was really a case of him and me getting used to having brakes, he had a few temper tantrums, and I need to get used to letting the bit do the work, and just keep my body position tall in order to steady him up. If you can get to Boomerang to school then do it, it's a great course, and if you get there you can also sign their petition to stop it being closed which would be a huge shame.
Here are some videos of our day...

1st Video - Tyres to "axe" fence, finding the brakes a novelty, and seeing a short stride as a result

2nd Video - We started to string together some tyres, tyres on a bank, trakehna, house, brush, steps up/down, and through the water. Soap was still getting used to his new brakes so there was a bit of fighting from him. On Steve's advice I just put him to the step up with a ditch infront and said "you work it out" and he did! Clever boy :)

3rd Video - Into water and out up a step more settled now in his mouth. (look at the crocodile fence to our left, it is fab, there's even a plastic leg in its mouth! We jump it in the next video)

4th Video - Into water over a log on a step, and nice big jump out over the crocodile!

I think after a bit more schooling we will have these new brakes licked, so fingers crossed for Tweseldown Intro on the 15th March, just checked the ballot and we got in! Yipeeeeeeee.

I had a great SJ lesson today with Liz Peerless. She set up an exercise (see image on left) Intially it was just 3 trot poles between each jump stand, which then built to canter poles, and eventually 2 uprights each with a canter pole in front.
The aim is to (on the left rein) come round to the first fence, land and circle 10m to the left, then jump the 2nd fence. This is repeated on the right rein.

It really made Soap work from his hocks on the circle and it stopped him from becoming stronger and faster after the fence. Intially he has issues with it and was strong but after one run through he had the idea.

What bit?...

Last year we competed SJ and XC in a Dutch Gag on the bottom ring, but I wasn't totally happy with it. Soap wasn't quick enough to respond to a half halt, and he would become heavier and lower as the round went on. I had a little practise with a Dr Bristow today but he didn't like that either.
 
I think he doesn't like jointed bits as he is alwasys fussy in his mouth with them, so I have bought a Cambridge Pelham to take him XC schooling in tomorrow (will take the gag too just incase) I have never ridden in a Pelham, and am aware that they are a very strong bit used incorrectly! I think the solid straight bar will suit him better as he schools in a Myler Solid Drop Snaffle and goes very sweetly in it. Hopefully it will give me enough control to make a half halt count, but not so much that he becomes behind the bridle. Watch this space...

As a result of a well suppoted post on H&H I have knocked up a directory of small private and large professional venues at which you can stable your horse when competing away from home.

Its success is dependant on peoples submisisons so if you have a spare box or bed to rent then get in touch

www.boxandbed.co.uk

join the boxandbed facebook group here

We set off for another lesson with Liz today. Practise since our last lesson 2 weeks ago had been rudely interuppted by all the poxy snow we had, so I had only managed to exercise Soap 4/12 days, but he was on good form. We started with trot/canter poles on a circle, moving them to raise one end. This is to get him to think about where he is putting his legs not just blunder on through, as he needs to start thinking more about his job.

We moved on to a x pole bounce, the video below shows how much scope he has, but also how green he can be when it comes to sj as he missreads the trot pole as part of the jump and takes off before it!

It only takes him one attempt though to realise his mistake.

All the work eventually builds to a x pole bounce, 1 stride to a parallel, which he finishes on sweetly. I need to work on keeping my shoulders back, and waiting for the fence, whilst sitting on, and maintaining a bouncy canter, as I have a tendancy to lighten my seat. Naughty habit!

The nice folks at Youngs Animal Feeds couldn't offer me any sponsorship, but they did send me some vouchers for their product "Stamina Mix" It's designed for horses who are in medium to hard work so should be ideal for Soap this eventing season. He gets rather heated by sugar beet so is on a very fibre heavy diet. Stamina Mix is a combination of chopped fibre and cooked flakes so fingers crossed it will provide the right balance to give him energy but still remain sane, I will let you know if it brings any exciting results!!!
Thank You to Becky for the vouchers.
If you would like more info on Youngs Animal Feeds click this link.

You can now keep tabs on what I am up to with my dobbins by having a look at the NEW GHE CALENDAR! I have updated Feb and March so far, and will try to get fixtures up a month in advance. The calendar will show the events I hope to do, and reports, and photos of each competiton or training session will of course be posted here on the home/blog page.
Adios
Chloe x

My Mountain Horse goodies arrived!

There was a knock at the door and a delivery driver holding a big brown box covered in Mountain Horse tape! With snow on the ground and presents being delivered it must be Christmas! The box was packed full of lovely products, breeches, socks, hat, gloves, scarf, and a great red jacket. I dressed myself up to the nines in all my new clobber, and headed up the yard.

Below is one of the only pictures where Soap has his ears forward, he is a very difficult subject! It took some persuading to convince him that I had no treats left in my pocket.

As you can see from the pics I'm testing out my natty new breeches, jacket and gloves. The breeches fit really well, and have some very flatteringly placed seems. The jacket is toasty warm, and has lots of nifty little pockets, including one on the left wrist, which I think is a great place for your mobile as I can never get to mine in time if I have it in an internal pocket. I will be testing out all the other products in the next few weeks, but so far I am very impressed :)