Sadly as you may have noticed, the site has not been updated in a while. This is due to Zeb having a niggling injury that has been ongoing for near enough 6 months now. He has hopefully been cured, though, and will have 3 weeks box rest before we can re assess the situation.

Shame to be missing the Eventing season!

Our flatwork has been spot on recently (including 2 time changes even minus a dressage saddle) but I've just not been nailing it jumping wise more so due to lack of runs and confidence. Anyway after a few months off due to inflamed tendon sheath we went SJing today at Parley (www.parleyequestrian.co.uk ) it's relatively local (Hurn Airport) and they've got a lovely big arena.

Entered 1.05 and 1.10 as haven't been out for a while and I couldn't be happier with the results...

He's only been to this place once when we went gridworking/teaching about a year or so back on a bleary cold day. So to arrive on a bright, hot, sunny day with the fences gleaming must have been an eyeful! Not for Mr Z True to the professional that he is, he popped out of the lorry, was tacked up loose (lol) and stood like an angel to get on (for once!)

We warmed up on a hard field and then wondered in to the ring to an array of bright fences, fillers, and nice lines

Popped the first quietly and then went "oh mum can I pop in 4 on this 3 stride distance?" "NO" was the reply so he stopped ooops!

Not to be deterred (this always happens at the beginning of our seasons and it's been something we have been working on as we would both rather add in related distances than take away) we popped it and finished on a clear round:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jules89z.../1/eg7lpQWb4XA

Came out with lots of pats and flapjack as he was just cracking. His teeth are due hence only in the mullen mouth and cavasson noseband (on loosest hole) and I can't really touch him mouth wise so really REALLY pleased he came back to me when I wanted

Then onto the 1.10 where I hardly warmed up as the ground was just so hard and he's so lovely that I can just go in and jump (didn't want to risk legs either on the ground)

He was super dooper, going for the first clear untill numpty on board decided that because we were trying to ride "forwards" she would go for the longest shot known to mankind and attempt to take off a mile from the double (which was actually at 1.20 lol!) oooops! clever pony put brakes on but popped it fab 2nd time and came through previously demonising 3 stride related perfectly see vid:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jules89z.../0/ZcaiMdLhs98

So I am chuffed with my little man. So we had a pole in the 1.10? Who cares, he jumped superbly, I am keeping my position a lot straighter and less over his shoulders and I am SO pleased with how we are going. I am pleased I am trying to trust myself a bit more, and deciding on an incorrect shot will be ironed out once I'm riding a few more horses.

Vid of him enjoying sand:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fz6Em-2y0g

And a vid of my crazy dog, if you want a giggle

http://www.youtube.com/user/jules89z.../2/nP9DrbkhOpQ

Hello

To cut a long story short Mr Zebedee has had some time off due to an inflamed tendon sheath and we didn't want to push it and break him. However he seems to be ok now and is back on form!

Sadly Zeb is not going to Moreton as planned this weekend due to a few glitches which meant he missed a few days work. However he is back working and in the last two days has produced some of the most fantastic work. We are hopefully going to purchase a new dressage saddle as I've sold my Jaguar saddle (which didn't fit him) and when I tried one on Thursday he felt like he loved it and was so soft, loose and supple! I couldn't believe it!

Today I have just jumped him and aside from all the bucking and squealing, he jumped superbly.

Paragraph.

Today we pootled down to my new PC’s local Dressage today to do Prelim 10 and Novice 20. I scrubbed my pony to within an inch of his life as he had deliberately gone out and rolled in the morning (I should have taken a photo, he was completely covered, he is posh after all, likes his mud baths ;) ) and he looked beautiful by the end of it, however, I did not. His plaits were semi in place (half of them were “gel twizzles”) as he has no mane to speak of after this winters rugs.

 

We got to the competition, stopped, and it tipped down. Great omen, that!

 

However we warmed up ok, rather lively (few airs above ground in true Zeb styley ) and went in for the first test. This is the centre line, and as you can see, he thought the crowd at C were there just for him...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML0WntQboco

 

He also did the same in the free walk...!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zna4cUfDLM

 

You can’t help but laugh right? “ooo look there’s some of my fan club, they must be for me, right!?”

However after some lovely canter work he redeemed himself, and then I rode a truly awful centre line so he decided to once again smile at spectators for watching his test...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rjIY1PPwqY

 

Anyway he came 2nd on 66.81% with some good collectives and very fair comments.

 

Then we did the Novice 20 which I thought would go really well as he warmed up fabulously (not quite as I would like as I had him too much into my hand but nevermind) but once again went down the centre line and thought it would be more fun to smile ;) :grin: :D you can’t take a boy anywhere can you!?

 

However after a lovely test I decided to go and do some freestyle and instead of doing the 20m trot stretch circle I did a canter to trot over diagonal (as in P10) and finish my test ;) whoooops! :)

 

After that we thought I had come last but it turned out even with that mistake he had won - ooops :)

 

Clever boy.

 

Lots of claps, carrots and cuddles from Granny (for Zeb, not me!) we went home and he modelled his rossies

 

So maybe it’s time to turn to pure dressage rather than eventing?! Not got any bling yet, mind, let alone a dressage saddle!

Today after much deliberation we popped down to Quob to do some Showjumping. Originally we had planned to do the Newcomers and then 1.15m Open but when we got there they were only just starting the 2nd class! So we decided to just pop round that HC and the next class (also HC) and Zebedee was a complete superstar. He knew exactly what he was there to do and seriously pinged his way round. Smiles all round.

Today we took Zebedee for some cantering as it was finally soft enough to do so! We are lucky enough to live right on the New Forest so we took advantage of this and went up to the Wilverly Plain and did a few circuits and he was super, just narrowly missing a few dog walkers!

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are looking forward to going Show Jumping at Quob Stables on Wednesday.

Yesterday we had a little trip to Sparsholt College to do some BSJA showjumping. We decided to do the Newcomers and then the 1.10open as it was our first time out in a while.

Zeb got really excited as soon as he saw the lorry being prepped but jumped fantastically and was really pinging. We weren't in the placing as we went slowly and added a few circles for training purposes, but we are very pleased with our progress!

A big thank you must go to Real Shows and Events who organized the event, and are lovely people!

As you may well have heard, England is currently under a blanket of snow. As a result of course the horses activities have ground to a halt, but the camera has been out in force! Enjoy! (Note: the camera still doesn't know what the date is!)

Hi!

As this site is brand new and live today, I thought I would give you a round up of the 2009 season.

Zeb entered his 2nd season Eventing and made a strong start, but then Showjumping demons started to filter in to our results - a few unlucky falls developed into a problem for me, and I started to forget to believe in myself. This was finally cracked at Mattingley where he would have won his section but alas it was not to be, and I retired him on the XC.

It turned out that Zeb had been kicked in the jaw by Daisy (her own back for being retired from Eventing, we think!) and after a month of trying to diagnose him, we finally X rayed to find a rather large crack...! However he came back into work as good as gold and after a good double clear at Chilham Castle, went on to Aldon to do a 3day to finish the season.

So 2009 wasn't as good as I had hoped, however I still have a sound, happy horse, who is definitely ready to get going again!