Increasing Difficulty!

So, Sunday came around and my Stepdad (Philsey) suggested hiring an arena down the road and taking both Herbie and his eventer Tilley to do some jumping. I jumped at the chance to ride in a bigger arena than the one at our livery yard. This gave me the chance to help Philsey with his jumping as Tilley can get rather keen and also lunge Herbie with the Side Saddle on him. I wanted to give him the chance to get used to trotting and cantering with it on before I add in my weight on top of it! 

Herb was, of course, absolutely fine with the Saddle on. I even lunged him over a 2ft upright and he jumped nicely, although I think I need to work on Herbie's jumping from Canter as its when he jumps from trot that he can jump you off very easily! He has done it to a few people now! 

When I got on him I decided to just stick to walking around doing circles and figures of eights to get used to the movement and improving on my posture and balance! I've found that wearing my lower back support has helped greatly, it just gives me a bit of a reminder about sitting up and not slouching! I am feeling that I would greatly improve from a lunge lesson, so I might ask my Mom or Stepdad to lunge Herbie with me on soon... I've not had a lunge lesson since December 2012 out in Adelaide when I was training with Double Olympic Gold Medalist, Gill Rolton ('92 and '96 I believe...) and jeez were those lessons hard work but SO rewarding. 

But as seems to be the case, when something is going well there is always someone or something ready to rain on your parade and Herbie definitely got rained on! 

I lead him back down to the lorry and only once walking on hard ground again he was lame, and I mean LAME! He would barely put any weight on his near hind foot. He had pulled one nail out of the shoe a few weeks previously so we immediately thought he had something stuck between the shoe and his hoof. Luckily they were being shod again on Monday so we called over the lady who's arena we were hiring to see if she had any tools and thank god Tanya and her lovely husband got Herbie's shoe off. Was there any heat? No. Nada. Zilch! So back to the drawing board. We were all feeling his legs and his back trying to figure out what was wrong with him and it wasn't until we were standing behind him, scratching our heads we realised what was wrong. His pelvis is out! There is what looks like a good 4 inches difference in height of his points of hip. Poor Herb! I felt awful! I couldn't believe I didn't notice! My friends have since pointed out that Herb isn't exactly the most normal moving horse in the world so it would be hard to notice in his gaits. (FYI, I still feel bad now!) 

My parents have hopefully spoken to our Physio today as we want them to come out to sort Herb ASAP. Herbie has a very busy calendar for the next two weeks. He is meant to be a Nanny Horse for my friend Tara and her horse Charm at the Atherstone Hunt Hunter Trial, where we are doing the 75cm pairs class and then Thursday 23rd we are planning on going Autumn Hunting. We are doing all of these Astride though! I am no where near fit enough for Aside Hunting yet!! 

73 days to go! 

Lets do this! 

LNC. xo

Wobbly and Walking

So, in my last post I wrote that the Side Saddle fit my horse Herbie well and that there were 77 days until Boxing Day. 

Now there are 75 days and I have ridden in the saddle twice...

The first time was difficult to say the least... I mounted in the yard and walked around to the arena where I rode, just in walk, for approximately 10 minutes. I felt so wobbly and off balance and I was constantly checking with my brother as to whether the saddle kept slipping whenever I turned a corner. The saddle didn't slip once which was a major relief! 

We have had lots of issues with slipping saddles in the past with Herbie with him being a barrel shaped Cob with barely any visible withers. In the past 18 months we have changed from a Close Contact Harry Dabs SJ saddle to my old event horses's Monoflap Barnsby Xtreem Eventing saddle. This change means that the saddle fits even closer to his back and weighs barely any weight at all. So you can imagine my worry with suddenly having a heavier saddle on him again. 

After walking around the arena doing circles and figures of eight for 10 minutes for the first time I was aching like hell. 

I honestly raise my imaginary hat to you ladies who hunt and jump side saddle! 

The second time I rode aside was this morning. I rode for about 15minutes this time and still stuck to walk. I'm still feeling slightly wobbly but that is mainly when Herbie and I turn to the right. To the left I feel more balanced and I ache a lot less! I confess to wearing my lower back support today though which is definitely helping my back as well as my posture! I need to sit up more! 

I am lucky enough to have found a Side Saddle Riders group on Facebook and the ladies in there have been so, so, so helpful with helpful tips and fitness exercises for both on and off the horse. So I have formulated a plan! 

Week Days are as follows. 

Every morning: 

30 Sit Ups, 20 Push Ups, 45 Second Plank. 

Monday evening:

Pilates class at the local gym. 

Tuesday-Friday evening's:

Riding in the Side Saddle in the School and a Gym session (I am lucky enough to have a basic gym at home!) comprising of: 15 minutes on the rowing machine, 15 minutes on the cross trainer/ bike, 2 songs of crunches, 3 songs of using the weighted hula hoop and an 'abs' session on the Power Plate machine (which takes about 7 minutes). 

Weekend plans are to carry on with the morning routine and to hack out in the saddle to get used to riding it in for a longer period of time as well as going out for long walks with my dogs as well. 

So, my plan is set. 

75 days to go! 

Lets do this! 

LNC. xo

Riding Aside

So firstly I find it really hard to write blogs so I'm hoping you all can bear with me, I may waffle a LOT in this blog but here goes....

Firstly an introduction to me is probably in order. I have been riding since before I could walk, in fact my parents bought me a pony (called Major) when I was probably about 1 or 2 years old. Ever since then I have been hooked. I started off mainly Hunting and Show Jumping and gradually moving into being an extremely keen Eventer by the time I was 14! 

My horse of a lifetime came around when I was about 15 years old. Originally my Mom and I were looking at a more experienced Event Horse however ended up falling in love with a 14.2 Irish Sports Horse by Moores Clover (Remi). Luckily Remi ended up growing to about 15hh, he took me from Novice Pony Club One Day Eventing to winning the Intermediate Pony Club Eventing Championships (both as a team and an individual!) in 2009 and then onto winning a British Eventing Novice in 2010 as well as Top 10 placings along the way. Unfortunately he injured himself in the field at the end of 2010 which ended his competitive career. 

 

(Remi and I at the PC Champs 2009)

Since then I have lost my confidence greatly and now focus on having fun on my family's 'Pet Cob' called Herbie. Herbie has been amazing for my confidence, we enjoyed the 2013/2014 Hunting Season greatly, going out at least twice a month and doing a few SJ competitions along the way! 

 

(Herbie and I competing at Solihull Riding Club in 2013. Photo courtesy of MDP Images ) 

This year I've decided to try something a bit different. Side Saddle riding. 

Now, this wasn't a completely spontaneous decision. I did a bit of riding aside when I was about 12 years old on my 13.2 pony and I LOVED it. My family were traveling around on weekends running Napoleonic Battle Reenactments and Displays at County Fairs with a group of friends. The men would do Tenting Pegging and Skill at Arms displays at the women would do a Side Saddle Quadrille and so it was only natural when I was old enough that I would do a Side Saddle Display alongside! 

However now my aim is slightly different...

Hunting in a Side Saddle on Boxing Day. That is 77 days away. This blog will follow my journey along the route to achieving my aim. I have 77 days to get "Aside Riding Fit" and master the art of jumping up to 2ft9 Side Saddle... 

Last night the Side Saddle I am hiring arrived for a 2 week trial and today I finally got to try it on Herbie. It fits! So tomorrow I am going to lunge him in it before having a mooch around the arena to slowly get to grips with it! 

Lets do this! 

77 days to go! 

LNC. xo