We have had a few changes at Kilminster HQ.

There have been a few changes made to our small yard of ponies since my last blog.

Jamaras Hugo The Boss was successfully weaned and sold, he should make a superb addition to someone’s blood lines.

Lovins Valkyrie was also sold, she has now gone to live in Wales and will become a broodmare after this seasons showing finishes.

So left at home is Cledlyn Rocky and Boothsdale Dawnus (AKA Dinky).

Dinky has been busy with her motherhood duties so has had a season off from the showing, she will possibly do some winter shows though.

Rocky on the other hand, as a 2 and a half year old and standing mover 15.1hh, his future as a ridden horse is dawning rapidly, so this season has been all about him, getting him out and about, letting him see the world and take it all in.

He has started long reining, this he absolutely loves! We go around the lanes and woods, meeting people and traffic etc.

Here is a short video taken while we were out in the woods:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoyYNMNfHEM&feature=c4-overview&list=UUve3aX0Xomg6P8OZk1W3F8g

Rocky has also been to a couple of shows, recently he attended Littleton Horse Show, a “local” level show with a variety of classes, of which he contested the young stock class, gaining a 4^th place.

From Littleton, we stepped up to our first “big” show, The Romsey Show, an agricultural show with much more to take in for him.

Unlike Littleton, we had a specific age and breed class, so we had some good competition in the ring!

Once again though, Rocky stepped up to the mark and took everything in his stride, he was an absolute gem, didn’t put a hoof wrong and came home with a 6^th place.

I look at shows, not with winning in mind, but as a learning stage for all my horses, by attending shows, of any size, allows the young horse to absorb the atmosphere, accept strange things like the loud speakers, flags, other horses working around them etc. Once they progress to the ridden part of their career, their visits to competitions won’t seem so daunting, but a happy memory of their younger years.

So for rocky, there will continue to be more shows, his education will continue on the long reins and above all, he will remain a happy young man.

Another visit to The Balanced Rider….

Back in January 2013, I had my first experience of riding the mechanical horse “legless”. Click here to read about my first experience of "legless" the mechanical horse.

As you will read in my previous blog, my first visit was not long after my accident in 2012 which left me paralysed for a short while, the mechanical horse was a great reintroduction to the saddle, highlighting my weaknesses.

Following  8 months of being able to get back in the saddle and get back to “normal”, the memories of “legless” and the computer report which highlighted all the problems, enabled me to address them and therefore improve them, I felt it was about time I revisited Clare Howard and see if my efforts had been worthwhile….

Having told some of my regular riders about “legless” and the benefits to you and your horse, I arranged for 6 of us to attend an evening workshop, even though I had already been to the workshop, it is always good to revisit previously learnt knowledge.

So at 7pm on 11/9/13 we met at Quob Stables, where a warm and friendly greeting was waiting for us from Clare.

The format was very much the same as my previous visit, beginning with introduction to “Harry the plastic skeleton”, a very informative section of the workshop looking at the human anatomy and learning about how our body works on the horse.

We then moved on to the gym ball, having done this before and failing, it was very interesting for me to feel an improvement immediately (not falling off it!) The group was in fits of giggles and a great, but informative time was spent on those balls, leaving everyone more aware of their body balance (or lack of it!).

This part of the workshop was completed, an hour and a half had passed so quickly, and part two beckoned.

Part two being “legless”.

With the previous visit to Legless still very much in my mind, I mounted.

Strangely I immediately felt more “at home” on legless than previously, was it the familiarity? I wasn’t sure.

As Legless went through his paces, I was focussed on “riding” like he was a normal horse, to get the full benefit of the computer reading.

Clare remembered my previous ride and was happy with the results, but not as happy as I was! Previously the results were ones that a heart monitor could have produced! Bouncing unbalanced lines everywhere!

These results were ones which showed an enormous improvement in my balance, a more central, following seat, even rein contact and only 2 minor leg “aids” given. Not perfect, but a huge leap forward.

This is my resuts sheet:

Then we were introduced to the Flexi Chair, another great invention! This seat is linked to a computer and by the use of your balance and pelvic moves only, you guide a spot on the screen around different simulations such as a vertical tube where you guide the spot from top to bottom through a central circle, this was the beginning exercise, we graduated to doing a figure of 8, again, this highlighted weaknesses in our pelvic movement and how we compensate by using/twisting/loading different areas of our body when out of our comfort zone. Everyone found this hard, but the key to doing it well was to not try too hard and allow our body to take over.

All in all, those 8 months of working on my own seat and balance had paid off and I had the computer reading to prove it!

I still don’t ride frequently, only approx. once a month, due to not having my own ridden horse yet, but even the work I do on the gym ball, the stretches, the “everyday” things have obviously paid off.

My riders all thoroughly enjoyed themselves too and I see a visit to buy gym balls in the very near future for them!

As for me, the next stage is to have some” one to ones” with Clare, that way I know as rocky matures into my ridden horse, I will be giving him the very best start to his ridden life.

If you want to know more about The Balanced Rider, and what it can do for you, here is a link to their website: http://www.thebalancedrider.co.uk/