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• Red Upbeat the Last Blog14 October 2022

  

  The last Blog!

  Yes, by the end of this blog, Homer will have been here a year and I will sign us both off. But first… Homer came back from Riding Club camp and had a few days in his paddock, then some hacking out. He had lost a few inches of gut at camp and was very pleased that we opened up another field with fresh grass for a few hours a day. That expanded him quickly! He also started shedding, a white flurry of hair over everything.

  

  Camp seems to have deepened our connection. I guess he had been somewhere slightly scary (flappy tent and worried horses plus loads of horses doing stuff in all directions) and I had been right there to help him. I’d also proved reliable: early every morning and much hand grazing. He’d been so good, I almost wanted to wrap him in cotton wool but no, he was happy and healthy, so we could push on with education and fun. Not only that, but we only had 2 weeks before our next camp- a beach camp with a pro photographer doing a sunrise photo shoot.

  We started with a local dressage competition. At camp, we had a lesson with a new trainer who really helped me get into Homer’s mind by only asking a tiny amount. He became cheerful to offer more forward. We schooled, short sessions, a couple of times then did the competition. In schooling and in the warm up, we did the techniques we had been shown and… The scores were similar to before but the picture and feel was way different. It was the first time Homer had come forward into the bridle as opposed to me picking up the contact to find him. It was the first time I felt we were really riding forward and it felt great. The canter was still rather agricultural, but then we didn’t cover canter on that one, solitary lesson, so that was to be expected. I know how we do doesn’t really matter – as dressage test results are an indication of how everyone else is doing, not necessarily a reflection of your own progress – but I am happy to say we won nevertheless!!!

  We celebrated the next day with a box out to ride with a friend and her horse. The ground was too hard to do anything but walk, but we had a fab, relaxed time. I was glad to have 2 very low key outings after camp as I think it can stress them out and I wanted to ensure Homer doesn’t think that a box journey means hours travelling, hard work, and not returning home to Rigsby for days at a time.

  A few days later, we went to an evening SJ show, knowing that the evening shows were slightly less busy than the weekend ones. This was his first proper dress up jumping show, but we stuck with the 65-70cm clear round. It was hot and in the warm-up he was a little dozy. I need not have worried, as when we went into the ring he came alive. He even did a whoopee-do: at the time I had no idea why but looking back at the video, someone either smacked their horse of patted it violently, just as we passed the collecting ring. We did another round, both clear, but again the phantom patter/smacker did it again. Homer will get used to it, and his whoopee-dos consist of a burst of energy rather than anything sinister. Each time we were back organised and ready for the next fence. 2 more rosettes for his collection.

  Because of his extra energy and good behaviour, I decided to brave the weekend show jumping too. I wondered if I had made a mistake when we arrived as it was indeed a lot busier an atmosphere and Homer was a little worried. However, the last camp was also busy and he’d coped, and we were there early to soak up the atmosphere. I found a friend there with a sensible horse and saw an opportunity, to benefit us that day but also for the upcoming beach camp.

  When I booked the beach camp, I was aware that Homer wasn’t prepared. We usually hack out alone and, because of the heat this year, and hard ground, we had mainly walked only, with a little trot on occasion. Homer had not ever cantered alongside other horses, not even one, and this was going to be a big group going onto the beach for photos. I decided it would be OK, because I was there to decide what to do. It’s like going to a show: entry gives you permission to be there, it doesn’t force you to do/go to anywhere you don’t think is safe.

  I decided that, on the first day when we arrived, it wasn’t necessary to go to the beach at all if no one was happy and willing to be Homer’s escort. I did think he would need an escort on his first time on the beach. The venue also had a farm ride, which he could easily do alone. On the Saturday, I booked a lesson, so if I decided that beach riding was still to fraught, we could simply have a lesson. By Sunday I reckoned that everyone would have galloped themselves out and someone would like a steadier ride on the beach. However, I really wanted to go there with Homer at least familiar with cantering alongside another horse as to do that for the first time when also worried about the new and strange surroundings seemed unfair.

  

  My friend and I went into the massive field at the show centre and had a little trot. This had the benefit of bringing Homer back from his worry at the business of the car park area and also, once he was settled, we had a canter. My friend was perfect for a young horse having his first canter alongside another horse. She waited for us to get into canter, didn’t crowd us, then kept half a head behind so Homer wouldn’t feel like he was left behind. When we verbally agreed to stop, she made trot first so Homer could stay confident. Perfect. We only did about 50 yards, but as a first experience I was very happy as he met strides with the other horse, didn’t panic or speed up, remained polite in the hand. Plus, he was then is a fabulous position to tackle the busy collecting ring.

  

  TBH, the round wasn’t as good! He was so happy and calm, he knocked a couple down. Doh! Still coming away from that as a good experience though. That is all I can do when training a baby, many small experiences building confidence.

  

  Just before camp, Rigsby took centre stage. His asthma is now controlled by the inhaler prescribed by the vet. He was initially reluctant to sniff it in but is an obliging chap and soon learned to take it without fuss or fanfare. It meant he was back to fighting fit and ready to do his annual trip to the local care home. They have a wonderful outdoor garden area, he has to enter via the conservatory, then he parades until he is settled. Once he is relaxed, we tour the garden, Rigs being petted and patted. He is great, reaches into the wheelchairs and allows strokes, nuzzling and being his marvellous self. Got to love a Rigsby!

  

  Beach Camp! I was lucky to find a friend had booked into the same camp! She agreed to be a schoolmaster for the Friday, so Homer could get to the beach, just the two of us. It was fantastic. The sun shone, the sea sparkled and the photographer took sunny photos. Homer had a little paddle but was unsure of being chased out of the water by waves. That is OK, he was experiencing something new and getting braver as he went. Many wonderful photos. He had a canter alongside and behind the other horse, he was fab, found his rhythm and was polite and having fun himself.

  

  Thant gave me confidence to try the main event, the sunrise photography session. It was silly o’clock, tacking up at 4am. It was a fair hack to the beach, many horses, in the pitch black. It started on a downer. My little baby was a star. A few people couldn’t mount in the dark, Homer was a star and let me hold their horses, adjust their tack and do whatever, before standing like a rock for me to scramble aboard off a table. He then stood like a champ at the side of the yard while many other people tried to get sorted when… someone led their horse right up to him, turned away and their mare double barrelled us both. Crack. The kick was powerful enough to kick my foot out of the stirrup, I doubled over. Homer flinched but stood firm, didn’t move a foot.

  
  I was really silly. I was happy that the horse had kicked me, not Homer. In my panic and pain, I somehow thought that me being kicked meant he hadn’t been. I used my phone to have a look and saw a hoofprint on his shoulder. Nooo, poor Homer. Of course, when a horse double barrels, there are two hooves come up. Not like when a person kicks and only one foot comes up!!! I leaped off, someone came to help as my foot hurt, we dragged Homes back to the light in the stable and I examined his shoulder. It seemed OK. Homer seemed OK. I guess my foot had stuck out further than his shoulder. I presume it will have smarted but he seemed not to have long term damage.

  Fair credit to the horse, he walked back into the dark, rejoined the group and allowed me to scramble back aboard. He then walked into the dark, in the biggest group he had ever been in, for a moonlight hack to the beach.

  Homer is fabulous.

  I also thank my lucky stars that we have done so much to make his education work, one link at a time. This time, he knew the beach, has cantered alongside another horse, has been in busy atmospheres; the only new item to contend with, apart from the dark (which, to be fair, he experiences every night LOL) was the large group. On the beach we split up and had a walk/trot/canter in small groups. Ours was a group of three, we were just fine. Before the sun came, we had a paddle, about 10 of us. Homer was braver with more in the sea and we actually got out further than the waves, where it was flat. Good boy.

  

  The sun started to make a glow in the sky. The only glitch was that I knew it was going to be a silhouette type photo shoot, with the sun behind, so I had worn clothes suitable for a nice silhouette. Clothes suitable for a nice silhouette are not warm! I was bloomin’ freezing! Darkness and a sea breeze wearing just a base layer is not to be recommended.

  A glow appeared in the sky. Around 15-20 horses circled. Ready. There were some spectators who had driven down with their dogs to watch.

  Suddenly, there was the sun, shimmering and peeping over the horizon.

  Only 10 minutes of good light for sunrise photos!

  The photographer wanted us to canter, one by one, past a spot for the photo. That seemed a simple request, it was a 100 yds stretch so at first people had a little canter, turned and waited for others, then got ready to have another go. Suddenly, the atmosphere seemed to change. Dogs were released by spectators as people wanted them in their photos, people were galloping, it was a hive of movement.

  Homer was ace, minded his business, had a canter, was ready to pull up. It was that moment, I realised that others were not stopping and we were overtaken. I followed a while, but Homer hasn’t learned to flatten and speed up, so his canter amplified in boing-iness but not speed and he began to get left behind and worry. I pulled up, thinking I would re-join the group near the photographer. He pulled up beautifully, turned and…My mistake. I thought the people who had galloped the other way would have pulled up - nope. All gone!

  Suddenly Homer and I were alone, with the photographer and a few spectators, on the beach. Homer whinnied. He did 2 little half-hearted spins to see if he could see his mates, but no, they had all gone a long distance. We did some figure 8’s to keep focus. He was a brave soldier and did as he was asked. This was not what I had planned: I had no right to ask this of him at this age and stage but he was a star.

  I thought this was bad, but then, people started to gallop back! Thundering hooves coming right at us. Oh Homer, I have no right to have such a superstar horse as you. He was nervous, worried, scared. He stayed with me. I am so lucky. As soon as they were back, Homer went back to his work. We all hacked back for breakfast, no worries, and I saw, on my ‘memories’ on Facebook, that today was…. Our 1 year ownerversary!

  

  If anything, that increased my happiness. One year ago, that day, I’d taken a big risk and bought a horse off video from Ireland. One year ago, that day, he’d arrived in our yard. I had agreed to make a blog of our first year together, not knowing if that year would be happy or sad. Yet, one year on, the photographer came back from the beach and showed me some fabulous photos in the camera. Me and my horse, cantering in the sunrise, coping with adversity, a team. Photos courtesy of Victoria Adams Photography.

  I did take Homer to the beach the next day, just us and someone who wanted a quiet time. We had a paddle, a canter. Homer was tired and just blobbed along. My horse. My hero, I think! So, that is my year-end blog. I have done a couple of other things since. We did barrel racing for a jolly, went for another camp less than 2 weeks after the beach one. Homer won a rosette for the barrel racing and at the other camp, a highlight was a farm ride with a friend where we took turns jumping in front or behind. But, those experiences are not in the blog as Homer and I retire to doing things more privately.

  Our plans? It is already getting nippy in the air and I’m going to take Homer’s shoes off for a few months and turn him away to be a horse. He is a big boned Irish and they are late maturing. Homer was backed last year and has been in pretty consistent and increasing work since. I think it will do us both good to draw breath. I know his shoes need removing or I will just keep riding!

  

  Not that our time will be wasted. I usually do a heck of a lot more ground work with a horse than I have done with Homer; he has been so obliging I just sort of started riding and having fun. I think it is time to re-visit some other stuff. We can try some liberty work, some clicker training, some poles on the floor or in-hand hacking. He will have 6 weeks off-off then we will start again. Just playing in-hand to start with and see where that takes us.

  What a year! Homer did hacking, trick riding, cattle herding / sorting, cow cutting, schooling, clinics, cross country, show jumping, shows in dressage and jumping. He learned to carry a sword and lance, hit a Quintain, went to 4 camps, galloped on the beach and loafed in the field. He has done barrel racing, learned to put the bins out and collect the post. He will ride with others, leave others, ride alone, travel, jump steps and ditches, stride through floods, streams and into the sea. He carries the flag for Ireland (literally on one schooling session) and has been just so much more than I could have hoped for.

  Any disappointments? Yes, he came with a yellow tail. I have washed it pretty much daily, with all sorts of products and it still has a yellow tinge!

  Rigsby? He has also been a champ. He started the time as escort for Homer, but then one of his riders emigrated and the other got her own horse, so he kind of retired as Homer was doing just fine solo. Rigs gave us a shock with his colic but that hasn’t returned, and he has since had a few new riders taking guest spot. He has taken care of them all. He was fab at his visit to the care home, did a few box trips out to hack with a friend, his asthma is controlled and he has, in fact, just been ridden by me again. It was prompted by me watching Emma, the horse of Queen Elizabeth II: Rigs looks so similar. Oldies are goodies. Rigs too is in a good place.

  

  I used to train horses and riders professionally. I had a confidence coaching business too and used to say that my speciality was to help nice people help nice horses to go nicely, so they can enjoy their time together. Some other trainers mocked that, thinking I wasn’t aiming high enough or something. But, for me, that is the biggest part of horse ownership. I no longer train professionally, life gave me a kicking and I stopped enjoying training, or riding come to that. I bought Rigsby as a non-pressured way to re-start and put myself through my own confidence training program. You joined me when Homer came, he and I have both been through my own training program, incremental steps, manageable chunks.

  This year was always meant to be about Homer and I getting a relationship together and having confidence building experiences. Next year will be about more formal education. This year, I have kept things short because he isn’t mature. Most lessons, we stopped half way through, keeping it light and fun. Hopefully next year he will be stronger. Hopefully, over winter we will cover the gaps we left whilst concentrating on having fun. In spring hopefully learn to use his quarters and learn to take weight behind to become more balanced. But still have fun - that is kind of the point!

  But, that will be our private journey. I hope you enjoyed our one-year blog, and that you are all out there, planning fun with your horses too. For now, I just turned the boys out. It is a chilly morning, they trotted off, tails aloft, oblivious to my many plans.