Dressage Road trip to hawkes bay champs

last fri there was a few of us Taranaki riders that took the long trip to Danevirke for the southern hawkes Bay Dressage champs...its a great road trip but the Gorge at Palmerston north has been totally wiped out so we had to go over the Saddle road which is pretty knarly in a truck, very windy and really steep on each side, but you get to go thru the wind farm and that was pretty cool to see up close how big those wind machines are...
Anyway 5 hours later we arrived...all a bit tired of the travel but glad we made it there all right and horses were great considering I have never truck autumn before she was great and she didn't even poo the whole way, she must have been quite comfortable and happy....
So I am first up on saturday to go the girl in front of me on the draw scratched so I jump on at 7.30am autumn feels great, she does a really nice test after having to warm up for nearly an hour as they had a bit of a stuff up with the judges and surposed to ahve started at 8am I think I rode about 20 past, anyway I am back at the truck by 8.30am and its already sooo hot, I already have sweat running down my back and its only 8.30am!!! going to be a long hot day, thankfully the grounds have trees all around and lots of places to stand and watch under trees while horses can have a bite of grass...my next test doesn't go as well Autumn a bit flat and hurried I am only guessing it was so hot that she just didn't really want to be there since we were riding at 1pm part of the hottest time in the day...thankfully the truck I am in has a nice shower and was so nice to jump in and cool off...that afternoon was so nice, we sat in the grandstand with our bubbles and blue cheese and crackers and got to watch all the advance and grand prix horses do tehre musicals, was so nice and relaxing....first day I came 3rd and 14th...not to bad since there was 33 in the class.
Sunday wasn't going to be my day either my challenge class I just tried to hard that I really lost the whole feel of the test and came 14th again but my last class I really concentrated and we ended up 4th, once again it was a hot day but autumn was really great the whole time and we did have a wonderful horsey girly weekend....rollon the next one can't wait already just got lots of schooling to do so I can do so much better at taranaki champs in january.

End of an era

Well as of today my restaurant is no longer ours settlement happens tomorrow, the new owner has already made her mark on the place by being in over the last few days doing alot of redecorating, hope for hersake it all goes well, will be a bit weird going in there and having to actually pay for my meals and drinks but at least now I won't have that worried feeling when friends are there for dinner and hoping they aren't disappointed with there meals etc, it was always on my mind and trying to please people all the time is really tiring...its been 7 years our baby and tomorrow is a new start for us and I know its a better one too....I have soo much work still to do on the book work side of things but roll on this weekend off the Dannevirke for the southern hawkes bay champs will be a fun get away with the girls...just hope Autumn goes on the truck!!...

BYe Bye Waiau...it sure was an experience I won't ever forget...

Back in the sulky

Oh my goodness, I have not trained the race horses since before Holly was born so nearly 3years ago now I think and this morning I had to get up and go help my fatherinlaw train his horses and we had to do a fast run, first day back and a fast run!!! its actually quite freaky to go flat out round his track which is only just wide enough for you to go side by side...the wind today is incredible, my hard hat was getting pushed right back off my head, the track was swirling all over the place so there was grite in all the places it could fine, including the eyes....anyway I did survive although I did get a bit freaked out, as davids young mare kept trying to buck him out of the sulky and then when we were going fast the track was a bit to tight for her and she would swing quite wide and push me over to the fence, so glad thats over with but have to go back tomorrow and do it all over again....hope this wind stops before then though....

Stratford Show...and wind wind and very strong wind!!!

Took Autumn out today to the show, it was actually a really nice day with the sun shining but the wind was so bad, that on the way to the show I was driving along and next thing a big tree fell on the side of the road!! was bit freaky...
Anyway the show organisiers had our dressage arenas right up next to the show hunter classes, and I was warming up thinking I so hope that jumping stops when I go as the rails were falling and making a huge noise and autumn is not used to that...anyway long story short my bell went to go into my arena and this girl crashed through a fence and autumn just exploded, so because my bell had gone I either had to just go in and try to do a ok test or just scratch, well I trotted in and did a pretty good display of passage and piaffe up the center line, and as a friend said I should have agot a great mark for that but of course no I didn't...all a bit tense and lets just say I certainly didn't win that test!!!...still don't know what the results are for the other test I did but at least it was better and there was no jumping while I was riding thank goodness!!!!!!...maybe I should start jumping autumn, anyway I am off next weekend to Dannevirke dressage champs...yippee girls weekend, but its a long haul....

Autumns inhand show...how hard was that!!!!

Today I went to the first A & P show of the year at Hawera, the Egmont Show, as per usual Hawera was blowing a gale and was really cold...takes just over an hour to get there from home and all the way I was praying the rain would stay away until I was done....Well it didn't!!!!...to start with they had put us on a sand arena, and the wind just wipped it up and I think I had that sand in every nook and cranny on my body, it was so bad...normally you get quite dolled up but i had to give up on the pretty hat as the wind was just going to take it away every time and I didn't want to wreck it as it was a good friend of mines so it went back into the box....Then add the rain and autumn hated it, kept trying to get her head out of the direction of the rain and nearly knocked me out in the process....
Anyway getting to the inhand classes, Autumn was her usual pushy self and when we had to trot she was like Yipee I can trot really fast, and in that sand trying to keep up without yanking her head off to come back and stay looking like we had control and still look pretty was quite near impossible, but when I did get a quick glimpse around Autumn wasn't the only one being dick and I have never done this before so it was a great learning/training day for both of us...
Didn't end up to bad, got a 2nd and a 1st which put me in champoion and I got reserve so hey not bad, and got a couple of really nice sashes...and I figure the sore legs I have now from so much running, has got to be good for me!!

Autumn hating the rain

Starting the work out

Standing square and actually being quite patient

Holly's new friend Tiger

My little girl has a new friend. My fatherinlaw used to race tiger he is now 12 years old and has been ther done that, in the trekking area, this year he did the great NZ horse trek which is awesome scenery and terrain, he now has come back to Davids to hopefully live out the rest of his years as a nice quite hack for myself, friends and Holly to enjoy....
Here is a photo of Holly giving tiger a drink with the hose...She loves him tells everyone he MY horse!!!

First show of the spring summer season

Well I have been a bit useless of late and not done any blogging, so much has happened especially to my horse, I have spent the last 10 weeks trying to keep her sound, first what I thought was a pulled tendon turned out to be a blow to her leg so thank goodness that healed then she hooned around the paddock and hurt something in her hind quarters, after nerve blocking and flection tests the vet was still unsure where or what she done at least ruled out anything to do with the stifle or hock, so just more rest and walking...
Anyway finally after all about 9 weeks I got to go to the first big show of the season, the Wellington Dressage champs in Foxton. Its a 4 1/2 hr drive from taranaki and we were well represented by taranaki with 2 champions one reserve and lots of placings amongst the 9 of us that took the trip down.
I managed a 5th, 6th and won an overall prize so not bad for my horse considering she had had no traiaing for that last 8 weeks before hand.

Receiveing my overall prize for back on track

Jordan Renee and I with our prizes

Winter Blues

Well I have not ridden my horse now for over a week and I am getting the gitters....Just about this last week here in Taranaki has been terrible just rain, rain thunder lightning, and more rain....and its expected to last for this whole coming week as well...I wish I was a millionaire and had lots of acres, my own full size arena and big stables but alas poor autumn has to endure this horrible weather outside, although she is all snugged up in her cover, and horses were born to be outside with no covers on, I just feel sorry for her out there standing in mud with the hail storms battering down on her...bring on summer I reakon I am over winter now!!!...

Working Autumn with Boris the pig

Took autumn out to my friends last sunday for a work out as she hadn't been out and about much since I had my miscarriage so she was feeling rather good with all the grass and no riding....and Boris my friends Kune Kune pig thought that he would just come and hang with me int he arena but he was actually a bit of a pain...he is kinda cute for a pig and considering I don't like pigs thats saying something...lucky for me Autumn actually quite likes Boris so it wasn't really a problem and to be honest he seems to have a calming effect on my horse...autumn was worried about the new mounting block that sarah has purchased well Boris just goes up and gives it a rub and autumn is like ok thats not so scarey anymore and I can trot past it now cause Boris is ok with it...funny when you trotting down longside and boris is trotting and grunting behind you!!!...


Boris even smiles for the camera



Holly loves horses but the rocking horse has to do for the moment

 Holly also loves the cat..

My last dressage day in May...

Autumn was soo quiet she fell fast asleep at the float....but we did end up with a second and a third..

Winter wet days

Today has been the worst rain day we have had for a long time it really came down hard and my poor horse was standing up to her ankles in water...getting rather soaked I quickly moved her fence so she was on higher ground and on fresh grass, threw autumn so fresh hay and already being so wet I thought I may as well muck out her paddock...poor Holly had to endure this 15mins sitting in the car, bribed her with a piece of chocolate but that didn't last long enough but she was ok, she just wanted to come and feed autumn as well...

Couple weeks ago I clipped Autumn she didnt like it very much but I got there in the end....photo of her with her clip...

Progress with Autumn

The last couple of days I have been going up to my friend judes arena to work Autumn...I have a dressage comp on Monday and lately I have really not been doing a whole heap of dressage with autumn, I have been enjoying just mucking about around Davids race track and having a break from riding....
Yesterday Jude helped me out with a few of the exercises she does with her horse, Jude rides western and as a english rider I am really interested in the way they train there horses...
So today I rode up the road to Judes and when I got there i just started to do the things she showed me, and really its so simple and it really works for autumn, I just had my hands out wide and high and turned her in small cirlces like I was going to do a serpentine just lots of small half cirlces down the arena then turn and go back up..it really gets her thinking and brings her head down and she stretches and then becasue I am asking ehr to do the small half circles she naturally becomes round....
I rode like  this for about 10mins then gave her a walk and then brough her back up in dessage mode, and she was soft and relaxed, I was so pleased..when I went to canter she was soft and I asked her in the canter with wide hands and just moving the bit and being very soft with my hands and she went nice a low which I wanted and I pretty much had no contact on her mouth and she stayed in the same frame plus she didn't go any faster I actually was able to do and really nice trans to the tro and back to canter all nice soft contact and low round head/neck....this would be the best she has gone since I ahve owned her and I feel like its a bit of a break through with her leftside stiftness....just hope on monday she goes like that!!!...

Mr Grey.....is sold..

Am feeling a bit sad as tomorrow my young horse I bred is off to start another chapter in his life with his new owners....I have got very attached to him lately as I have been doing so much more with him and he really is sooo sweet...Can't keep them all I guess but would love to have seen him grow up and what he would be like as a grown up...Hope you have a happy and spoilt life Mr Grey...

Our restaurant getting down to the last few weddings

now married and having photo's




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  So far our Autumn weather has been great, we really haven't had a good rainy day for weeks, which is just what a bride orders for her wedding and yesterday was certainly another good one for the wedding party at our restaurant....Here are  a few photos of the set up which we did and my motherinlaw did a wonderful job on the flowers, she also did all the brides and bridemaids flowers plus about 10 button holes and sprays..she was a bit buggered at the end of the day to say the least...Waiau sure scrubs up well for a wedding..my friend sally came and helped as well which was great as her kids came along and were able to keep my little treasure happy while we got to work....Although freckles my dog sat happily next to Holly it was for only one reason and yes he got her sammy's!!!!

schooling on the race track

Great when you don't have to walk to catch your horse, so nice for autumn to be in a big paddock instead of the normal break feeding small area I normally have to do

trotting along the track by the roadside

riding back towards the stables and tieup area

Autumn not quite sure of the tie ups but she happy to stand there without having the tie ups on

Autumns bad mud fever...even though there is no mud its an infection from the grass..white socks are terrible for it, trying very hard to get rid of it..

I am currently grazing Autumn back at my inlaws property and they train harness racing horses....David has an all weather surface track, stables, wash down area and undercover tie up area....I have to say I am really enjoying troting around the track and working with autumn on staright lines as being a young horse keepoing her straight is probably the hardest part of all our training at the moment...so easy for them to drop there shoulder to the outside or go on the forehand, so working around the track enables me to just keep the forward momentum and concentrate on her shoulders and head neck all being inline with out having to turn any corners its great...plus I have to say its a bit of fun going for a bit of a blat around the track...good for autumn to go have some fun in the training session...
David has been using his ute to tow around a couple of young horses he has had turned out for a bit, its quite good as they get worked behind the ute and so when he puts the sulky on and drives them they have got any sillyness out them...as its not that great to get the boot from them when you are sitting so close to the back end...

Holly loves sweet things...oh no...

Holly was given a marshmellow snowman, she very much wanted to eat the whole thing but I managed to pry it off her thank goodness I am sure I would have had a very sick little girl...lets just say she didn't get to see it the next day...but no I didn't eat it!!!!

Teeth filed

Poor autumn has had a bit of a battle with her teeth by the looks of things. on Thursday I had Shelley the equine tooth dentist come and look at Autumns teeth as she had been a bit swollen up her jaw a few days earlier and even though I had got her teeth done only two months ago I wanted to get her checked incase she had a bad tooth. Her gums were all ulcerated again and she had quite sharp edges...she was not really very happy about us poking around, obviously quite sore on her side that she had been swollen, so yesterday I got the vet to come and sedate her so Shelley could have a good go at her teeth and also look at her bad mud fever...

Anyway long story short she now has a great set of teeth, sure makes things easier to do when they are a bit sleepy am hoping she will go much better in the bridle as she was still leaning a bit and twisting...and really hoping the swollen jaw thing won't reappear again, she may have an infection from the ulcers but vet wasn't to sure about that so she got another shot in the neck of penicilen just incase of infection and also for her bad mud fever on her legs which I am having a very long hard battle against, lets hope that will come right now....just got to be on top of it..

NZ Horse of the year

This last weekend was soo much fun, myself and two of my friends made the very long trip over to Hawkes Bay to watch the biggest show in NZ...
Its a horse lovers dream of anything and everything to do with horses, so shopping was very much on the menu and I have to say we couldn't fit anything else in our car even if we wanted to it was jammed packed.
The Hawkes bay certainly turned on the weather it was just so hot, I felt for the riders in all thejackets etc we were sweating just sitting down watching !!

The calabre of horses at the show was amazing and my friend was riding in the grand prix dressage and she won the title on her horse KH Arvan...she is now preparing to go to Sydney and compete there before making the big trip to England where she will be based before the 2012 olympics. She actaully gained a Olympic qualifying score this weekend so good on her and her efforts, she is a great rider and I wish her all the best. Its was just such a nice trip away with the girls and being able to just sit and watch with out husbands and children..I would love to be there one day, I have a goal to ride there but it would have to be a high level so Autumn has 4 years to get to at least open medium if not advanced...but little steps first...

Grand prix riders warming up arena

Vanessa about to go in and do the winning test

Sally steiner completing the 1.45m class..I rode against Sally when we were kids

Andrea banks and stallion Limonit, about to be shipped back to Europe

relaxing hack out over farm

Last weekend was our Taranaki aniversay weekend so my friends all had a long weekend which means more riding!! great... I had a lesson on friday with jutta and Autumn went really well but it was just so hot so made the lesson even harder than it was, Jutta worked my butt off that day but autumn has improved lots and I am sure so has my riding.
On sunday I went to the taranaki masters equestrian comp, it was such a nice relaxing day no pressure was a great training day and I got the chance to step up a grade and practise a higher level of test to see how Autumn would handle it and she went pretty well, since it wasn't a grading day I thought I may as well give it a go...I got a silver medal for my age group, 35-49yrs...have to say it sure makes you feel a bit old when you say you can compete in the masters!!!!..

Last two days I have been hacking around my friend Sally's parents farm and I think autumn is loving the change from being schooled alot to long rein hacking out, I know I am...tonight Sal and I had a lovely evening ride, it was such a nice time of day to go while the sun was setting, we have to make the most of these days as the winter cold days are looming...

My baby Girl loves to mow the lawns

I had to post this photo of Holly sitting on her dads knee while he mows the lawns, she loves it, she has her own ear protectors and sits there till the end and sometimes she even falls asleep...

My young fella is growing up

Today I went to see my yearling as Davids was surposed to be going on a transporter to be broken in as his is a harness horse and they get broken in early. Anyway we brought them in put them in the tie up area. I wanted to get some photos of Mr Grey to put on trade me as I am selling him and the photo's I had weren't that great..So heres my baby( horse) getting bigger by the day.

Mr Grey getting some cover experience

keeping up with the feet picking up

Summer is leaving us...

Today is the 3rd of March and offically we are now in autumn...although today was still rather hot you can tell by the sky and of course the mornings are slowly getting darker and the nights are creeping in a bit quicker that summer is on the way out. Tonight Kaz and I went for a lovely stroll up the road, it was such a nice evening and we decided that it would be nice just to cruise not push the horses as we had both had a full on day and really if you could do it it would have been nice to sit and relax back on the horse with a glass of wine in your hand sipping away and watching the sunset start to creep in.....but of course horses being horses there is no way you can do that...we wish!!!...anyway we are walking up the road and we get to the big Kaipikari Hill and there is some clowns hooning down the hill on there go cart, with a car following close behind and they stop just at the bottom of the hill with a big sideways skid...Great!!! thats going to be fun for our horses!!! so we decided to turn around and go back and down another road, so luckily for us we are just a few trot paces away from the next road and they come down the road with the car towing the go cart and it was making a terrible noise on the road so off we went heading for Wilson road, thankfully we got to the road and down a bit before they caught up...so all in all was a nice ride and was so nice just to cruise...surposed to be raining tomorrow.

Horse Power

Just wondering how many other people got to watch on TV the programme that martin Clunes is doing about horses, its really interesting, he has gone from country to country to find out about the horse and what makes them tick and how they have evolved over the years. He even went to mongolia to see the Takhi horses they are surposed to be the oldest living breed of horse still alive and there are only 250 of them left in the wild. they kind of looked like a cross between a zebra and a shetland pony, and are only ever a sandy brown/honey colour.
Its a series so am looking forward to the next one, I recommend any horsey person to try and get it to watch, Martin Clunes Horse power....

Taranaki Hunt Show

Competed at Taranaki Hunt show couple weeks back. Autumn's first round the ring dolly classes, I call them, went for a day out and to see how she went, really wanted to see what she would be like when the judge said prepare to canter and all of us canter on, we had a couple of leaps but otherwise Autumn went quite well, she ended up with the lightweight Hunter Champion....so way better than just an outing for her she was champion...

I'm back

The last few months have been pretty busy for me and have not had the time to get into my blog, I now have a new laptop which can run the internet by wireless so now I ahve the time at night to sit in front of tele and do some blogging...

Last time I blogged was back in Nov...soo much has been and gone since then...
I was working towards our Taranaki dressage champs, they were in the middle of January and we received over 100 entries from all over the north island.. there was some really tough competition and was great to see some of the big names there and the many stallions that we have now around the country that have been imported from Europe, turn up and see them looking very magnificent in all there testosterone...

Autumn went really well over the two days and we had some very well established horses in our grade...our rules here are that you don't have to move up a grade until you have 30 or more points in the grade above you so people tend to stick in the lower grades until all the big comps are done and the Horse of the year show and real in the prises then tend to jump up two grades the following year, it all seems a bit unfair when riding against tem but you just have to suck it up and do the best and try and achieve a good result for yourself. Autmn faried pretty well with over 30 entries in most classes getting great marks and being mid field in 3 tests and a 5th and 6th so overall I was rally happy with her whole attitude and her behaviuor for a young horse and second big show was outstanding.

I ahve been getting coaching with Jutta Rosenblatt german lady, she has a stallion called Vollrath Lessing he is very nice and she competed at the show with him...our lessons are going really well and She is helping me so much. I have another clinic this weekend so two days of hard dressage going to great for my legs!!!..

Jutta on Vollrath Lessing behind awakino Stallion