Using winter wisely...

Winter, for all its disadvantages, does give you time to have a rest and do some much needed training. A lot of people give their horses a few weeks or longer completely off work and turn them out. As this is my third winter with Toy I have finally got to know him and now know that this does not suit him. I can give him four or five days off in a row but any more and he drops condition, especially on his neck and I watch that hard earned top line disappear. He has had a few easier weeks, where he has been ridden just two or three times out hacking for nice long walks and there is no pressure. We have both enjoyed a few quiet weeks over the holidays and took part in our yard Christmas ride.

 

We are using the extra training time to go back to basics and perfect our schooling. I jump Toy about once a fortnight, normally in a lesson so that its a really productive session and we are not just cantering around endlessly. Getting on and off to adjust jumps when you are on your own is also quite annoying so it helps to have some one on the ground! I have also been doing flat work schooling with Toy about twice a week and we have monthly lessons. We are pushing ourselves and working harder than ever, trying new movements like walk pirouettes and practising our flying changes and counter canter. We have been out once a month to do some British Dressage, it keeps Toy happy that he's been out in the lorry and also helps to get different opinions about our work. We have been competing at Novice level but things are going so well that we will step up again to Elementary in January.

 

I once heard some one say that your summer beach body is perfected during winter gym work and I really should be taking this advice. Not that I will be anywhere near a beach next summer but X-Country and extra trips to the gallops are going to be a shock if I don't get out running and get myself fit too! I braved the cold and went running with Hicksy the other day, my legs are still aching but it wasn't as bad as I had imagined so we will go out again soon.



I am trying to use my non-riding time wisely too, I have applied to be a Horslyx Ambassador for 2015 and also to represent a company called The Active Rider, they provide on-line support for riders about exercise and nutrition and have some really interesting blogs and advice on their website. I am trying to market myself as a realistic sponsorship opportunity and have started a Twitter account and will now also be posting all my horse related news on my new Facebook page.

I have also been busy planning for 2015, I love the start of the new year as it always makes me more ambitious and enthusiastic about my goals. There was a really good article on e-venting yesterday about goal setting and I loved the Ingrid Klimke quote "write your goals in concrete and your plans in sand". I have been incredibly lucky as 2014 went to plan with no major hiccups so fingers crossed for plain sailing in 2015 too.




 

Team Toy....

No amateur or professional rider can seriously compete without extra pairs of hands and I am incredibly lucky that I have such a lovely group of people who are an enormous help.

 

My Mum has always loved horses but never had the opportunity to have her own. She started riding properly when we were looking for a horse to buy and been hooked ever since. Dad encouraged my love of horses as a child and we often went to the races. The plan was for Dad to drive and pull the trailer to events but unfortunately Teller had other ideas and would much rather travel in a lorry. Now, my Mum and Dad live about 4 hours away in Devon but they regularly drive up the motorway to watch me compete.


They are both incredibly supportive and share every high and every low. They can be found at events half way round the XC course cheering me on!
 

My long suffering boyfriend, Mike (aka Hicksy) is not from a horsey family so I think the equestrian way of life came as a bit of a shock to him. He has just about got used to my busy, overly organised schedule and has learnt a huge amount about horses along the way. A keen rugby player, he is very good at sports psychology and can often be over heard giving me a pre-show jumping pep talk. He can be found at events helping in the show jumping warm up or near the burger van!

 

Lynne and Connie are a mother-daughter partnership who have horses on the same livery yard as me. About a year ago I was hiring a little 3.5t lorry and driving myself to events, Lynne volunteered and said she would happily drive the yard lorry for me and since then has been invaluable. She has mastered driving an old and sometimes stubborn lorry with ease and never once have I worried about the precious cargo. She has a busy full time job, her own family and 3 horses but on top of all that, Lynne is enthusiastic and always willing to help. She can be found at events supplying a fantastic picnic and taking lots of photos.

Connie, Lynne's daughter, has come along to events to groom for me when she is home from university. Always one step ahead with the next piece of tack or brushing Toy until he shines, she is a brilliant addition to the team, hopefully one day I can return the favour. She can be found at events walking the course and with a constant supply of cake!

 

Our livery yard owner, Anne, is on first impressions a tough cookie but she has a soft spot for horses and I could not keep Toy without her. When I am at work she brings Toy in from the field and luckily doesn't stand for any of his nonsense. My search for a horse took about 10 months and 5 failed vettings, at the point when I had given up hope Anne suggested I went to see Toy. I would not have continued the search if Anne had not been there to encourage me and I certainly wouldn't have ended up with such a lovely horse. Not one to give praise easily, I know I have done well when she gives Toy a mint!

 

I have been having lessons with my trainer David Britnell since I bought Toy. He is a wealth of knowledge and has been a huge help. He puts up with my grumpy, stubborn and impatient ways
and I would not have had the confidence to compete without his encouragement. He is always keen to know how I got on after events and is the first to send a good luck text.

I have recently started having dressage lessons with Ann Bostock, she has an eye for detail and takes no prisoners but that can only be good thing. It is early days but I have a feeling she will become a regular addition to our training and will hopefully help us to achieve great things in the future.

 

Last but by no means least, our dog Hamilton has become our Team Toy mascot. He is a typical Staffie and loves to lie in the sunshine. Not so keen on the cold weather and mud I think its a good thing that eventing is a summer sport. He hates travelling in the lorry but once at events he can be found asleep or rolling in the grass.

 



Team Toy at BD Regionals 2014

 

 

 

Introductions....

My name is Fran and I am 29 years old. I work full time as a nurse in a busy A&E department and in my spare time I am completely horse mad! I have been riding since I was about 5 years old and used to spend every waking moment at the local riding school helping out. The experiences I gained there were invaluable as I learnt so many skills and was lucky to ride lots of different horses and ponies. There are so many horses that I could talk about but there are a few that will always be extra special to me.
 

After helping at the stables for a number of years one of the instructors offered me the opportunity to ride her horse for her. Killarney was a lovely cob who never really put a foot wrong and gave me so much confidence. My Mum and I used to go over to his yard in the mornings at weekends, he was the first horse I ever hacked on my own and he took me round my first hunter trial. Looking after him also meant my Mum learnt lots of stable management skills too!


A year or so later when my Mum and Dad realised that horses were not just a phase, I became the very proud owner of Teller, a 16.1hh Irish X mare. Teller challenged my riding in every way but we hunted and schooled and had a wonderful time. Never keen on jumping, Teller wasn't the event horse that I thought I wanted but looking back that didn't really matter as we had lots of fun doing other things. Teller now lives with my Mum in Devon and is still hacking, schooling and competing in unaffiliated dressage. She will always be my best friend and she knows a lot of secrets from my teenage years!

I had a short break from riding when I went to university but started again when I was offered a horse on loan by a friend of a friend. Frankie was lovely to handle and had a heart of gold but he also had a very naughty streak! I fell off numerous times but loved every second and will be eternally grateful to him as he got me back out there doing what I love.

 Frankie has retired to a life of luxury in the field and I now own my own horse, "It's Toyboy" or "Toy" to his friends. He is a 16.3hh 12 year old German Warmblood and I have owned him for nearly two and a half years.

 

 Since owning Toy, competing has been my main aim. We have spent the 2014 season competing at BE90 and successfully completed 8 one day events. Although they were not all double clears I learnt something from every mistake and feel like Toy and I are now an invincible team.

We have also been competing at BD Prelim and just stepped up to do our first few Novice tests. We have been placed on nearly every outing and the judges seem to like him, which always helps! Toy seems to be good at everything he turns his hoof too and has made anything seem possible. My ambitions are growing and I feel like I will fulfil life long dreams with him. This blog will document the highs and lows of our future training and competitions.