Saturday 31 July 2010

A Tiger update






Diva is normally studiously waiting by the gate each evening against the perils of being left in the field overnight (heaven forbid) but this evening she had moved up to the top field and so Charles set of to collect them and as i had the camera out, here's our little tiger. His name is steadily metamorphosing into its adult form from Tiger Bay to The Magic Tiger to just plain Magic. So Magic it is a name road tested for centuries that rolls easily off the tongue in a gateway
"Magic"

Super for two



Super for two this evening - Sophie has become bored with stealing her mothers tea and has upgraded herself to sharing Toffee's instead............or maybe she noticed that Toffee gets stud mix whilst plump mum Lizzie has a more chaff based mixture!!








Dolly has grown on this Summer and i suppose in the "real" world she would be racing by now instead of wrestling with the concept of keeping her bucket the right way up

Thursday 29 July 2010

A visit to PMG


Dani and I unexpectedly had the chance of a couple of lesson with Peter Madison Greenwell this weekend and so this time we arrived in plenty of time!! Dani really enjoys parking as he can survey the scenery from a comfortably stationary position and the corner of Rachel and Paul's indoor school at St Pirans was a perfect view point up the valley for him. p.s Charles is threatening to crush my hat but every body needs a lucky hat don't they?


Our first day started gently with work at trot and canter and I claimed "lack of rider fitness" ............ which worked for one session ah hum. The canter transitions were to be ridden more forward giving the feel of a strike off from an undulating wave or rhythmic round cycle of the back. I was pleased with Danni as most of his preparation has been schooling whilst hacking around the roads and our daily more intensive car park training in hand. (See Jenny Rolfes book for details.......car park optional of course)
Peter felt Danni's stride had improved and he was generally more forward which was good news but now as Danni approaches a more meaningful collection he can become "unsettled" for which read hold on tight mum, before giving his best work that has progressed a notch up the illusive ladder of training. Peter said this was not unusual as the horse explores the new energy and that it was important to persevere at this stage as it could be a major barrier to progress if not addressed leaving many horses and riders in a permanent elementary/medium limbo. At least I was not alone and in fact when I struggled with one transition and said "all that is happening is his back is going up and up" Peter said Good.........strangely I felt oddly reassured!! and pushed for more from Danni. Our last exercise of the day was to canter large trot before the corner and then strike off again into canter


For our second session we wanted to concentrate on the illusive half pass.......and did we work!!
Danni gave his best most balanced engagement yet (after a small whip around) and felt superb. I wasn't always fit enough to follow each exercise to a neat conclusion but I think we grasped the essentials in a process that saw us shoulder in up the centre line, then turn again to traver then turn again to half pass in walk trot and canter. I didn't really get the degree of lateral bend that I should have done at times but we did get some nice steps. As i tired Peter allowed us to counter canter then leg yield to the quarter line before half passing back to the nice secure fence. He remarked at the end that the more difficult work should be at the beginning of the session and then give easier exercises towards the end to encourage the horse.



My nemesis was attempting to cater up the centre line right leg leading to half pass to the track --Cue a change of legs each time as my weight went to my outside seat bone.......very embarrassing but Peter changed the exercise to catering large and then strike off in true or counter canter on the straight sides to position the horse before returning to the centre line to apply what I had learnt...........and phew - made it. Thank you Peter and Thank you Danni. To say I was cooked was an understatement!




Dani drying out in our car park after his shower - I think I'm talking to some guests





Sunning the other side with "dad" Charles - if he goes into his stable damp he covers himself in shavings and poo................horses are all the same!!!

Tuesday 20 July 2010

An orderly line up



Super time at Ednovean forms an orderly Que, the only rule is that Lizzie is fed first!




Belle is strangely insistent that she has to have her bucket next to Lizzie with her satellite Toffee in attendance



April arrives next and poor young Dolly has to stand on the end - I'm not sure how they arrived at this opinion but peace and quite reigns provided that this order is strictly adhered to!



Meanwhile, Our little tiger is still in his private nursery, with his mum Diva until he gets a touch larger to join in the fun and games with the other two foals.

Isn't it strange the things that you meet out hacking? The oddest ride I had the other day with Danni, was when I met the Marazion Iron man challenge ( Marathon section).....So what to do when faced with about one hundred burly men earnestly running along the road? Well, I chose one competitor that looked as though he would run at the same speed as Danni and trotted up the hill in the midst of the marathon until I got to our junction. Very adaptable things Spanish Stallions!!!!!

Friday 2 July 2010

Ladies who lunch


An evenings blogging would not be complete without our "ladies who lunch" with quite a few shots of Sophie aka Summertime, Lizzie's filly by Danilon



'cause with a star like that............



she's just going to steal the show





in front of ST Micheal's Mount



TB Dolly by Replendant Cee, half sister to Tiger colt (see next post) with Toffee by the Holstein Lenard - he's working on the fur coat and no that's not our house in the background!! We live to the left behind the hedge...............


good night from Sophie and check out the other two posts for the days picture fest

Yearling patrol


Archie is coming up to his first birthday soon

Whilst I had the camera out I thought I'd record the yearlings from last year - Danni seems to be throwing some big stock!





Annie part Holstein with Charles born last May (that's Annie not Charles!)





Tidy the mane for the camera.........................




"Aren't i sweet" Amie who was born last June -

We abandoned the letter prefix this year as too complicated as we stuttered and mumble "Annie no Amie, I mean Archie"
Read the next post for our new baby.........

Tiger, Tiger burning bright



Diva and son with human helpers Ryan and Charles going out to the field

Tiger Tiger burning bright...........................We switched on the camera first thing this morning to see Diva curled up in the middle of her bed with the little chap cantering around the stable using her as a marker - every now and again he would look pointedly at the spot the milk bar should be............"priorities old boy priorities!"
Later on, our little chap had his first outing into the outside world, after yesterday which could be described as a wash out. Diva refused to move very far from the safety of the gateway but at least he felt the sun on his back. Look closely and you'll see he has tiger stripes across his back to go with his eel stripe - he is the most gorgeous colour and we are starting to wonder if it would be worth testing Danni for the super duper opalescent or is it pearlescant gene..............ah horse are made of dreams!


an uphill conformation........with stripes















his grey rimmed eye so I suppose he will go grey - shame about the stripes though!



Well he has a big frame to fill so is making an early start on the milk bar