Ponies & Prosecco
Another month gone and another trip to Lodge Farm in Matfield for a cheeky Cross Country training session. This was definitely my best training session of the year, Wigs and I went off by ourselves and cantered around the course. We could find our rhythm and were able to simulate what it would be like to do an actual course together. We tackled new jumps with a new sense of confidence, thanks to our fab previous session with Ben Hobday at Tweseldown. Wigs has become a lot more bold. He came to one jump that was half in shadow, stopped dead and then decided he had nothing to be scared of and leapt the jump from a standstill before carrying on to the next fence.
I was left buzzing from the session! I’m having too much fun.
A week later we had the Petplan Area Festivals at Speedgate Farm. One of our favourite venues and it is so local that it is only about 10 minutes from our yard. Perfect. Meaning we get a bit of a lie. I was competing on both the Saturday and Sunday which meant double bathing duties. First up was the Prelim Area Festival on the Saturday. I got my qualifying scores for this before Christmas and have been competing this whole year at Novice. Therefore I knew I should be able to produce a good Prelim test. I also wanted to make the most of the opportunity as this will probably be my last Prelim Area Festival. As a result I put too much pressure on myself and over rode Wigs. I then also messed up my left canter work resulting in him falling out through the shoulder on the circle, then putting in a change, then a change back and I had become so flustered that I then done my second canter circle in the wrong place. The marks varied from 66.26% at the highest to 60.83% at the lowest. This gave us an overall score of 63.47% and resulted in us coming 8th. The judge that gave us the lowest score had said that the test was tense which was probably a fair comment as I was definitely not relaxed in the test and this would have transferred to Wigs. However finishing in the top 10 means we qualify for the next round. I was not pleased with our test but at least we would have a chance to improve it at the next round.
My Dad then advised me to go home and have a few proseccos that evening in the hope that I would be more chilled on Sunday for my Novice Area Festival. Well I am pleased to report that it worked. We rode a much more relaxed and harmonious test. The judges obviously agreed and all three marks were within 1% of each other and all roughly 68%. Our overall score was 68.28% and we came second out of a class of 24. I was beyond thrilled and got to take place in the mounted prize giving.
I have chosen to do my Area Festival final at Oldencraig Equestrian Centre on Sunday 7th October. Luckily both the Prelim and Novice test are on the same day so I will only have to bath Wigs the once. Time to crack on with the preparation now.
Last Thursday I had my first official event as a blogger. I was invited to the Jockey Fit event at Epsom Downs Racecourse. I was invited along with fitness and lifestyle bloggers and journalists to take part in a new fitness programme launched by Great British Racing. The work out is inspired by the fitness test that Jockeys have to pass to them to race. I was a bit panicked when I arrived and was just surround by fitness bloggers. I was sure I was going to die. However I relaxed when some journalists turned up who also appeared to have a normal level of fitness. I really enjoyed the day and will be publishing a more detailed overview of the workout on my blog and the benefits of it as a rider.
Hopefully I will have abs of steel by the time I write my next blog!
Love
Lizzie and Wigs
xXx
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]]>Ponies & Prosecco
Holiday done and we are back to business and hitting the ground running. Two show jumping and two XC clinics done already this month with a Dressage Show and Gridwork clinic left to go.
With the Area Festivals next month maybe we should be paying more attention to our flat work! But let’s be honest it’s more fun to leave the ground especially when you can be on a group with friends.
Our first trip out was to Carmen Court for a jumping clinic with Janine Lamy on the first Saturday of the month. I took both Wigs and Buzz. It’s fair to say I was pretty tired from just bathing and scrubbing them clean, let alone riding. Both boys coped so well with the heat and I think it was the best Wigs has ever felt. Of course Buzz just loves being out and thought it was great fun. What a pair of dudes!
Janine had a double dose of us as the following Tuesday we went to an all day clinic at Lodge Farm in Matfield. In the morning we had a show jumping clinic. This was the first time I have ever show jumped Wigs on grass so I was more nervous about this then the XC. However Wigs thrives on the freedom that came with jumping in a larger arena and was super keen. Hopefully next time it will be a bit less exciting and we will be able to slow our tempo a bit.
After a quick lunch break and gear change we went out onto the XC course. This was my third time going to Lodge Farm for XC training this year so we both felt confident and soared around the course. We even tackled some new fences.
This was the perfect confidence boost before our clinic this week at Tweseldown with Ben Hobday. I was super nervous before this clinic and had a few trips to the toilet before hand. 13 years ago I had a nasty fall XC here and I broke my leg so severely that I was left in a wheelchair for the best part of a year. This was the first time I had ridden at Tweseldown since that day. Luckily I have a lot of trust in Wigs and he definitely looked after me. By 20 minutes in we had done several courses at about 80cm. We tackled our first corner with out hesitation and a step to house combination. Ben then challenged us and gave us a new course to ride which included some BE90 and BE100 jumps. This definitely got my nerves going again as this was out of our comfort zone and I became a bit of a passenger riding to some of the bigger fences resulting in us stopping at a couple. However I gathered my senses and which some wise words from Ben we sailed over all of the jumps. I was so proud as these were the biggest and most technical XC fences I have ever attempted. Ben is really good at inspiring confidence in people and will stop and tell you what went right and what went well, and how to correct it. I left the session feeling very inspired and determined to ride much more effectively.
Now it’s time to crack on with our flat work and try to slow our canter back down after all this fun galloping across country. We have the Area Festivals at Speedgate next month and I am hoping to give it my best shot, so now the hard work starts!
Love
Lizzie and Wigs
xXx
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]]>Ponies & Prosecco
Wowser a lot has happened in a month. Welcome to our second blog. This month we have attended a jumping clinic with Janine Lamy. This was the day of the royal wedding. A day for a harmonious partnership, and Harry and Megan to tie the knot. We felt a lot less rusty and were more in sync with each other. My cross country session had reinstalled self confidence and helped me to find my jumping rhythm again.
I was keen to repeat this experience. A lot of confidence building is repetition. So a week later I joined my sister Laura for another cross country training session.
I rode Wigs whilst she rode her Novice horse Alf. Whilst she made the biggest combinations on the course look like child's play I picked my way around the course keen to have a good positive day out. We jumped more fences then ever but stayed within our comfort zone so that it remained a confidence building exercise. I was also aware that there was no one on the ground to scrape either of us up if we did have a whoopsie moment.
We also completed our second elementary test this year together, Elementary 40.
This was definitely our hardest test to date (it was challenging enough just reading the test let alone riding it) and I was over the moon to score 67.09% . This was with a BD judge as well and the perfect confidence boost before the dressage master’s league.
If I am honest with myself I probably did not leave enough time to prepare for the Dressage Master's League Semi Final at Hickstead and as a result I piled the pressure on myself. In the week leading up to the DML I had a lesson with my instructor Tania. In the lesson I found that we were over bending in canter to the inside on right rein, so that Wigs was going around the school in a banana shape and falling out through the shoulder. We practiced a lot of canter work off the track and worked on straightening him by asking for a bit of counter bend. I then repeated these exercises in our Thursday night schooling session.
It seems I had been too successful in correcting the problem as when I received my sheet for my Prelim DML class. I had scored mostly sevens apart from my right canter work which had been marked down for being bent to the outside! We still scored 65.09%. Still a good score but those lost canter marks were expensive.
In our Novice DML class we achieved a score of 64.91%. I had been really pleased with the test and came out smiling. We were among very good company in the class and had been drawn first to go. When I received my sheet I was thrilled to see that we had received 7's for our medium trot and counter canter work from both judges. These are probably the hardest movements in the test, but we had lost marks for smaller errors that are much easier to correct. I felt hopeful as I have sometimes felt that I am out of my league at Novice level.
Following this I met up with fellow blogger Katie Lawrence of Deciphering Dressage. She was kind enough to give us a fab lesson and we had a very helpful chat on mindset. Katie encouraged me to not worry about scores or who else was in the class but to set goals within my control, e.g. getting a nice photo, remembering the test, etc.
I came away from our meeting feeling so positive and like a weight had been lifted. It was also nice to finally meet someone in person who I have talked to and asked advice off online for quite some time.
With my new positive attitude, I attended a competition yesterday and felt so much more relaxed. I even allowed myself a few cheeky proseccos the night before. I entered two Novice tests. Both tests felt so fluent and Wigs felt so active, keen and obedient. He could not have done any more for me. I had already said to my dad that what ever the scores, I was pleased with how the tests had gone. To my amazement when I looked at the scoreboard we had achieved 71.04% in our first class and a win, then 68.06% in our second class landing us in third position. I never thought I would achieve 70% at Novice and the best part was I scored six eights in my first test!
June has definitely been a fab month and now we have a X Country Clinic with Ben Hobday to look forward to in July.
Love
Lizzie and Wigs
xXx
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]]>Hello and welcome to my first blog for Pony & Pup Photography.
This month has been full of firsts for Wigs and I. The month started with our first cross country session of the year at Lodge Farm in Matfield. This was only our second cross country session together ever. The nerves were delayed until last minute when we were packed and ready to go in the lorry. The weather had been torrential rain for the 24 hours prior to the training session and so I think I was convinced it would be cancelled. However, there were powers at work beyond my control and suddenly as we drew nearer to Lodge Farm the dark clouds parted and the sun made an appearance. As the temperature suddenly soared, the thermal softshell breeches and thermal base layer seemed like a bad idea. Well at least the softshell breeches would be useful if I took a dunking in the water!
Well we both survived the session riding several combinations and some scary skinnies. My pony was a dude even if we were both a little green. Me in colour, him in giving a few extra foot clearance for every jump. I am now feeling so confident and looking forward to our next session.
My sister Laura then gave us a gridwork session. When you go cross country you jump from a more open pace and you are in a more defensive position cross country. So, it is good to follow up with a gridwork session. I used this to regroup and re-balance. Practising coming to a fence in a steady canter with plenty of jump. If you do have problem with rhythm I would always recommend putting placing poles in front of jumps. The placing poles will help set you up to a fence. And if you feel nerves whilst jumping then remind yourself to breath as you go over the placing pole this will allow you to relax over the fence.
Next I headed to Badminton for a bit more Cross Country inspiration and a great deal of retail therapy! We went on the Friday, dressage day. To be honest I spent most of the day shopping and then went to a bloggers and photographers meet up in the afternoon, where I enjoyed a prosecco or two, naturally. I did glimpse a horse but missed quite a lot. I then caught up on all the action over the bank holiday weekend via the fabulous BBC coverage. It will be a Badminton to remember for many different reasons but I was so pleased to see Jonelle Price win. Girl Power! She is so consistent cross country and she truly deserved to win!
I was feeling inspired after Badders! I put an entry in for our first Elementary competition. It was unaffiliated, so that I did not put myself under too much pressure and implode as a consequence. I told my instructor Tania my insane plan and she helped me to learn and practice the moves required to complete our Elementary test. The test included half ten metre circles in canter which I thought might resemble a gymkhana race if I was not steady and balanced enough. Luckily Tania was there to assist me and made me practice the movements over and over again until we could perform the movements to the best of our ability. I had also entered a Novice test but I didn’t practice this instead I pumped all my efforts into the Elementary.
Sunday was D-day. I arrived at the show and looked at the board to see who would be judging us. My heart sunk when I saw who was judging our Elementary. I had always tried to impress this judge whose name gave me ‘judge fear’ whenever mentioned. I felt doomed before I had even begun. Not because this person is a bad judge, but the opposite, you have to earn your marks with this judge. But there was no turning back, I knew this judge would be honest and I would truly know whether we were up to the level of Elementary or not.
First the Novice, I messed up the second canter transition. If I am honest I did not give my full concentration or respect to this test as I had the Ele on my mind. However we scored four eights and a total score of 67.9% and fourth. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.
Next up the Elementary. The test went without a glitch bar a few problems in the downward transitions. Basically I didn’t have many breaks but I was pleased Wigs was forward and enjoying the test. We managed to keep the canter balanced and come back from the medium canter quick enough to perform the half ten metre circles. I felt myself smiling as we completed our halt and salute. I gave Wigs the biggest pat. He had done all that I had asked of him and I think he had felt the importance of this test to me. As we exited the arena, the judge opened her door and said ‘ he has really improved, he looks on fire’. Well this comment made my day. The marks suddenly became irrelevant as I had received the highest complement in my eyes from a judge I have always tried to gain approval from. I was grinning like a Cheshire cat! After skipping back to the lorry park and loading Wigs back on the lorry I then went back to see my score. 66.09%! I would have been over the moon to score 60% so I was elated with this result. Both my sheets had lovely, positive comments. We even got a 1st rosette. This has now been put up outside our stable to mark a special day and memory.
We have also received the news that we have qualified for the Dressage Master’s League British Dressage Semi Final at Hickstead next month at Novice and Prelim level next month. Report to follow in next months blog!
Love
Lizzie and Wigs
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]]>Thank you to everyone that applied to become a Pony & Pup Photography Brand Ambassador - we were absolutely overwhelmed by the response! Thank you for all of your interest and support and sorry that we couldn't get back to you all individually. We have now selected our new brand ambassador and even found time to take a few photos!
Welcome to the team
We are extremely excited to announce that the latest of our new Pony & Pup Photography brand ambassadors to join our team is none other than Lizzie Robinson of Ponies & Prosecco! We are really excited to be working with Lizzie and we will be following her and Wigs on their journey together this year. We will be there taking photos to share with you all and can't wait to support them.
Over to Lizzie to tell you a bit about herself:
My name is Lizzie and my horse is called Hazy’s Boy (aka Wigs). I work full time as a Finance Manager in Sydenham. Wigs is a 15’1hh registered Connemara and we compete mostly in Affiliated Dressage. We are your not your typical dressage rider (pretty sure I have the biggest set of lashes in the South) or horse but we are playing with the big boys and trying to climb our way up the ladder. We currently compete at Novice level but have Elementary in our sites.
We also enjoy jumping, cross country and we are aiming to do a one day event this year. We have a few training sessions booked in to help us get closer to this goal.
I have owned Wigs for four years and in that time we have progressed a long way from happy hackers that were too scared to pop a trot pole. I started my blog Ponies and Prosecco two years ago to keep a track of our thrills and spills, and it has grown with our confidence. I have met many new friends through my blog and hope to meet more by working with Pony and Pup Photography. I am proud to be a Brand Ambassador for a company whose work I have always admired and who also shares a love of Connies! It is such a privilege as an amateur rider to be given this opportunity and I look forward to sharing our adventures with you all through our monthly blog.
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]]>Tying-up Update
I had so hoped to have a really interesting update for you this month, as after 2 weeks rest Socks appeared to be recovering well from her tying-up. I built up slowly and by the 4th session in the school I felt we were back on form and hadn't lost any ground in our training.
Cross-County
We have had a Cross country lesson with Janine Lamy booked for what seems like ages, Socks' first experience of solid fences and open spaces! As the day drew closer it was questionable whether the course would be open, the never ending winter has seen ground waterlogged everywhere and many events cancelled. Two days before, the clinic was cancelled, so her XC debut will have to wait a bit longer!
Wobbleberries
In the mean time my Wobbleberry buddies and I took a girl's trip out to Munsted horse trials. This is the course we have planned to do our challenge at in September (although a deferment is looking ever more likely). As we drove through the gate I think all our faces went grey. The place was a mud bath with a million horses and people everywhere, or so we thought at first impression. We watched a good few very pro looking riders on very posh horses showjump the 90 course, then headed out for a walk round the cross country. The ground out there looked a lot better and we realised although it was cut up in places, it was surprisingly not slippery at all. The 90 horses were running but we had a good look at the 80 course as we walked. A nice cup of tea and some lunch followed, by which time the showjumps had been put down to 80, they looked SO much smaller and it was nice to see some more 'normal' horse and rider combinations. We took a second walk of the xc course and this time started to discuss lines of approach rather than brown underwear! We left feeling like we could possibly attempt it after all!
Dressage
This week I had a super duper schooling session on Tuesday evening and was so looking forward to dressage at Stilebridge. However the night before, I rode her and she was very uncomfortable when I asked for canter, humping and changing legs. She had not had her gut balancer supplement for 2 days due to my online order being delayed. I double dosed her dinner and popped some in her breakfast too, hoping it would be enough to settle her tummy at today's competition. It wasn't. She warmed up so sweetly in walk and trot, but as soon as I asked for canter she was so unhappy and even popped a few bucks, which she never does. So unfortunately I made the decision to withdraw, there will be plenty of other competitions for us. Another trip to Speedgate for some Protexin Quick Fix and hopefully she will be all good for our lesson with Bobby Hayler next weekend.
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So we started March with more winter than spring but enjoyed some beautiful snow photoshoots. I'd been looking forward to getting some snow photos since the first mention of the 'Beast from the East' and I was very lucky to have lots of local bookings for the snow days.
Olivia, Zeus and Freddie
Lauren and Ziggy
Amanda and Aura
Unfortunately I wasn't able to get round to everyone that wanted to book as many of the roads were blocked but to make up for it, I'm offering a special discount on mini-spring photoshoots instead - so please get in touch if this applies to you! The snow made a surprise reappearance mid-month and was definitely not welcome, warm sunshine one day and minus temperatures and blizzards the next, come on Spring, you can do better!
The diary is open for Spring and Summer photoshoot bookings so don't delay, contact us to make a booking! There are only a limited number of spaces and once they're gone, they're gone!
Horsebox Safety
Once the snow thawed it was time to do our post snow lorry checks before taking pony on an outing. Diesel engines like to be driven and unfortunately, especially over the winter, I find it can be quite tricky to make sure it gets driven enough. This usually means the battery going flat just when you don't need it to! I try to take it on a drive every week, even if empty just to keep the engine running. It's good to take it out without any horses loaded too as it means you can really use the brakes. So after winter, it's a great time to check oil and water levels and tyre pressure before thinking about any outings with a horse onboard.
As usual though, I didn't do any of these sensible things until the day I needed to go out so it was a mad rush, jump starting the engine, inflating the tyres and generally running round like an idiot and wondering why everything takes longer than you think it will. I'm sure I left loads of spare time but was still at risk of being very late! Oh well, next time I will definitely be more organised.......honest!
Eaglesfield Jumping Clinic with Emma Harrod
So with the lorry ready to go and me trying to put my brave pants on after the buckeroo episode, pony and I headed out to our regular jumping clinic at Eaglesfield with Emma Harrod. Eaglesfield is one of my favourite local venues to head to, it's got great parking on hard standing, which is essential in a lorry over winter! It's got 2 fab arenas, an indoor and an outdoor - which are both a great size for jumping. I was being a real nervous nelly after the bronking and after not having done much jumping over winter but I was determined to get back out there and get going again. We had some early nerves but the more we jumped, the more confidence I got to ask for the big powerful canter and the better it felt. It was great to be jumping a course again and I can't wait for us to get out more regularly. It was a great confidence building session and just what I needed.
Hacking
Feeling so motivated after the fun jumping session the day before, we also got out hacking again. We hadn't been out in a while with the snow and the box rest meaning a fairly fresh pony and was really missing it. The weather was calm and so out we headed in the mud, I love love love hacking. There's something so perfect about enjoying exploring together in the countryside, so peaceful and so beautiful. I can't wait for the ground to dry up a bit so we can do some fast work out hacking, it's still too deep unfortunately. Nothing like a blast around the farm to blow the cobwebs away and it's great for keeping fitness levels up. All this cold weather and spring grass has made for a very fresh little pony so we may have to think about heading to the gallops to have a real blast!
Injury Update
Unfortunately, the jaw injury just wasn't looking right so after the snow I booked in for a visit to Bell Equine so they could take a closer look at what was going on. Unbelievably, the xrays showed that there was a fracture up through the jaw and into the tooth. Poor pony has been such a little trooper and coped very well with this. Luckily the vet confirmed that riding was fine and so I didn't have to feel guilty about having carried on! No one could believe that there was that much trauma from what had presented like quite a neat tear. The options were more antibiotics, remove the tooth or do nothing at all and leave it to heal on its own. The decision was to leave the tooth and re x-ray in another month, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that it continues to heal on its own.
Products of the Month
And this month, we just couldn't have made it through all the rain without my lovely Eurostar winter breeches - softshell to repel the rain and fleece lined to keep me toasty warm. Also, couldn't have survived the never ending mud and puddles without my Hunters wellies.
]]>Goals
I have decided sharing goals and plans is a sure fire way to curse them! I managed to squeeze in a jump lesson and a dressage competition before the snow hit. You can read the full story here: https://kk-dressage.blogspot.com/2018/03/2-steps-forward-1-step-back.html but whilst we are still very much on a tumultuous journey, I felt like we were heading in the right direction.
Lecture Demo
After a week of snow, everyone's spirits were feeling pretty low so it was great to get out to a lecture demo at Belmoredean, with Paul and Bobby Hayler. The focus was on balance and comparisons were made between horses working at levels from Novice to Grand Prix. It was an interesting and inspiring day, so inspiring I couldn't wait to ride when I got home and jumped on in my jeans! I loved the feeling I got from Socks working through some of the exercises we had been shown. She then had 2 days off due to a busy work schedule and Mother's day, enjoying time in the field with her friends.
Socks - Tying Up
On the Tuesday, we were about half an hour into a schooling session when she tied up. It was awful, I immediately recognised the symptoms but had never experienced it for myself. Luckily we are so close to Bell Equine, a vet was with us within 15 minutes. She was treated and has been resting ever since, having just spoken to the vet on the phone it will be another week before she is ridden. Look out for a post on my own blog for a detailed focus on tying up.
A bit about me
I thought you might like a little history on me instead, seeing as there is no news...
I don't come from a horsey family, but learnt to ride from a young age at a local stables; then at Bradbourne riding school from about 5 years old. I had a couple of short loans but then along came Bohemian Blue Rhapsody, a 13.3hh Welsh x who was 18 years old when I got him aged eleven. He was a speed demon and I used to fall off regularly; even buying a webbing bridle as I was sick of snapping reins! Once I grew up a bit and gained control (most of the time) Blue was a rosette machine, jumping, working hunters and showing as a veteran. Strangely enough though we never once attempted dressage! He saw me through my teenage years, including losing my Dad and was always a loving gentle boy. I finally lost him to cancer in 2007 at the grand age of 33, after a very short retirement.
I bought Vinds Mindes Midway (Mouse) in 2001 as an unbroken 4 year . I just fell in love with him and had to have him, using the money left to me from my Dad to buy him gives us an extra bond. He was easy to break in and we had a lot of fun in the first year, but the terrible 5 year olds hit and we had to concentrate on flatwork for a bit. Cue our first dressage test and haven't looked back since!
Over the years we have been to 4 regionals from prelim to advanced medium, 3 area festivals and an inter-regional. We reached the heady heights of inter 1 before he 'broke' due to arthritis in his neck and front feet. Mouse now enjoys retirement with the odd hack, and is helping me teach Socks the ropes.
I will have had Socks 2 years this June, having bought her as an unbroken 3 year old. She is currently competing Novice BD and has just started jumping with the goal of completing a BE80 by the end of the 2018 season.
Personally, I left Hadlow College in 2000 after studying for a National Diploma in Equine studies (Distinction) and doing my BHS exams. I have had a mixed career path working at vets, yards, in retail and for the last 5 years purely freelance teaching. I am a BD List 4 judge and aim to work my way up to List 1, there are also some other professional qualifications and a possible redirection on the horizon.
International Canadian 3* Event Rider
Hello equestrian world!!
As you may or may not have heard of me my name is Madison Penfound, I am 23 years old- born and bred Canadian, currently competing a team of 11 horses in the UK from youngsters to 3 star event horses. I recently was lucky enough to receive sponsorship by Pony & Pup Photography who I am very excited to work with.
I will be posting frequently- from funny stories, experiences, inspiration for all you determined riders, and of course lots of helpful information from my time training horses from beginning to the top level and also competing at the top level.
A bit of my story (not too much as I don't want you to get bored yet haha)... I began late for a rider at the age of 12, shortly after I rescued an off the track horse rehabbed and re trained him (yes I was only 13). Following that I learned what eventing was- the first description of eventing that I was told is 'you get to jump picnic table type objects'. To me that sounded like the dream!! Until I heard dressage came first.
Later I got my first horse who was only young, together we flew up the levels to 2 star. That was it... I was hooked and knew my calling in life. I immediately looked for universities I could get a degree and continue to train and compete- that is when I found Hartpury College. With my very supportive families help we moved myself and my horse to England! I received my Batchelor of Honours in Business as well as picking up my second horse. Ella was 5, a pure bred dressage horse. As I brought her up the lower levels I was told multiple times to sell her, that she wouldn't go above 1 star. Well this past year Ella jumped double clear around her (and my) first 3 star! Anyways after a lot, I mean a lot of hard work and persistence I just started a business of training elite horses for sale and I've got an exciting team of horses which I aim to represent Canada at 2019 Pan Am's and 2020 Olympics.
My story has not been easy, I've had many lows, but I've also used that to push myself to be the best I can be. I hope you follow along and can learn or just enjoy some of the posts coming your way!
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February has been a very hard month and I can't wait for Spring! With the evenings getting lighter and the snow melting, there is light at the end of this winter tunnel.
New Job
February started with a great opportunity for me to move to a home based role for my part-time job which would mean more flexibility, more time at home and more time for photography. It's always stressful moving jobs and this was no different but as it turned out, it was such perfect timing given the awful month that followed. I don't know what I'd have done trying to do twice daily visits to the yard for exercise and wound care whilst commuting to the City, what a relief to no longer have to battle with the trains and travelling into London.
The new view from my desk and my new workspace is far more peaceful than my previous open plan office (next to a building site) and I get to have the pup keep me company all day long which is just fab! What more could a girl ask for. I'm feeling very lucky indeed.
Injury
Early February I got a phone call from my YM to let me know that the pony had had an accident in the field, he had cut his jaw open and blood was pouring down his chin. Luckily there was a vet already coming out on a clinic day and I rushed home from the City, worried about what I was going to find. Luckily, the bleeding had stopped, he was in his stable and despite looking a little bit sorry for himself, he was happily munching hay while waiting to see the vet. A few staples later and all was fixed but he was confined to box rest for a while to try to prevent further injury or him accidentally pulling the staples out. He also had to endure twice daily penicillin injections for a few days and was fast dreading seeing us heading into his stable with the needle.
Fast forward a week and the wound had scabbed over and become infected so another emergency vet call out was required, the staples removed and the wound opened up and cleaned. More injections , more antibiotics and twice daily flushing of the wound were required. Pony was less than impressed with this development but we soldiered on with help from friends. Unfortunately as the wound was open, it meant more time on box rest to prevent infection. Luckily I was able to keep exercising him during this time but took the noseband off his bridle so as not to affect the wound. The vet was concerned about the swelling on the jaw and thought that an x-ray might be needed to see what was going on. The wound has now healed but the jaw still doesn't look quite right. Fingers crossed that it continues to heal and won't require any further treatment but time will tell.
Fresh Pony
So after 3 weeks with no turnout but twice daily exercise, I thought I would give the pony a little jump to cheer him up. It worked! Unfortunately there was a lot going on and it was a bitterly cold day so he was quite tense. Having jumped the first fence beautifully, the excitement took over and we bronked half way round the school! Each buck got bigger and bigger and I was starting to worry how much longer my balance would last - I'm definitely too old for these kind of shenanigans! Anyway, we kept working and tried to keep things calm and had a few more little jumps before calling it a day.
With the imminent snow and an almost healed jaw, there was some reprieve from pony prison and a couple of days of turnout in anticipation of the snow that was due. Another week of no turnout, due to the snow, certainly didn't help the energy levels either! Here's hoping that Spring will see a return of my chilled out little pony.
Snow
So the last week of February saw hideous weather forecast. The snow was due on Monday afternoon so I very smugly rode on Monday morning to try to get some exercise in before the snow came. The weather forecast wasn't quite accurate and I ended up riding in a blizzard! Poor pony was not impressed and I'm sure everyone thought we must be mad. The snow then seemed to disappear again and we had a non-snowy ride that evening. We squeezed in another ride on Tuesday morning before the snow really set in. The week that followed saw 2 or 3 trips a day to the yard to try to give the pony a leg stretch and to deliver water as everything had frozen at the yard. Winter with horses is hard, it's a good job we love them!
Products of the month
A massive shout out to Ariat for keeping my hands and feet warm through this freezing weather. My Ariat insulated tex grip gloves are the only gloves I've ever had that have kept me warm and dry and survived a whole winter of being on the yard - just amazing. They are thin enough to be able to ride in, not at all bulky but still incredibly warm and dry - an absolute lifesaver. And another amazing discovery this winter has been my Ariat Wythburn H2O insulated boots - stylish and warm. I couldn't have got through winter without them, thanks Ariat!
Snow Photoshoots
The one positive from the snow was that I was able to fit in some snow photoshoots which were absolutely stunning. The snow just makes everything look so peaceful and beautiful. Here's just a few of my favourites.
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This week, Kate asked me to write her an update of what I have been up to over the last month. She probably noticed the grimace on my face as I thought well, this isn't going to be very exciting!
As the New Year dawned I was full of goals and aspirations for the year ahead. Having bought a new planner, my aim was to get Socks out to some dressage and begin her jumping training; all working towards the goal of BE80 in September and as many BD championships as we can qualify for. We started well with a jumping clinic at Four Elms in Edenbridge, a really smart venue with the fantastic Janine Lamy. It was the first time she had met Socks and instantly understood her; giving me lots of advice of how to nurture her enthusiasm whilst not standing for any napping.
After that things went rapidly downhill! Mouse can be intermittently lame, due to having arthritic changes in many of his joints; so when he came in hobbling one evening I didn't panic. Some warm soaks of his foot, massage therapy from the equissage boot and a bit of pain relief for a few days he was soon right as rain again... but for Socks to present lame as well I was more worried. My first port of call was my farrier, he removed the shoe and pared her sole back a little to reveal some bruising and a soft orange patch. I poulticed for a week before producing any pus, by which point I had convinced myself she had laminitis. The laminae certainly looked compromised so for piece of mind I booked her in for Xrays, I am very lucky to be stabled only 5 minutes from Bell Equine so they see a lot of me! Fortunately the Xrays showed no signs of anything except the abscess, but highlighted some slight hoof imbalances so her shoeing has now been adjusted accordingly. (The full story can be found on Karla's blog at https://kk-dressage.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/no-foot-no-horse.html)
Add to that the continuously awful weather, clients being laid up with flu and some of their horses out of action too; January has been really rubbish! It has been hard to stay upbeat but now we are in a new month, Spring is rapidly approaching and I have two sound horses. This month I have a BD competition booked and another jump lesson, I have also got SJ and XC clinics booked for the coming months and a couple of CPD days through BD and the BHS. Hopefully my next update will be a little less doom and gloom, and full of positivity....
We are extremely excited to announce that the latest of our new Pony & Pup Photography brand ambassadors to join our team is Canadian international 3* eventer, Madison Penfound. We are really excited to be working with Madi and following her on her journey through the eventing season this year. We will be there taking photos to share with you all and can't wait to support Madi this year.
Be sure to follow our social media channels to keep up to date and let us know if there is any particular topic you would like to hear more from us on.
Madison Penfound Eventing Facebook Page
Madison Penfound Eventing Website
Pony & Pup Photography website
Pony & Pup Photography Facebook
]]>We are extremely excited to announce that the first of our new Pony & Pup Photography brand ambassadors is the lovely and talented Karla Knapp. We are really excited to be working with Karla and following her on her journey from the highs and lows of competing, her experiences as a trainer and dressage judge to her exciting new challenge of becoming a Wobbleberry and doing some eventing. We can't wait to share this journey and support Karla and of course, we'll be going along to get some photos and keep you updated on Karla's journey with regular blog posts.
Over to Karla now on her first post:
I am a freelance instructor/coach specialising in grass-roots dressage and general flatwork. I am also an advanced BD competitor and List 4 BD judge, meaning I get to see dressage from all angles! My clients range from nervous middle-aged ladies, through competent allrounders, to talented riders training at Advanced Medium. I get as much pleasure from helping someone to enter their first come-as-you-are Intro, as I do warming up a combination at the Regionals. It is my passion to make dressage accessible and achievable for everybody.
In work, as in life I am firmly stuck in the middle... halfway between amateur and professional, trying to keep up with the big names but with no yard and no sponsors! Just a pony mad girl who is a bit short, a bit fat and a bit skint! However, I am grateful to have two super horses and alongside my dressage aspirations, this year I have entered the Wobbleberry challenge so will be trying my hand at eventing too. Watch this space!
The opportunity to work alongside Pony and Pup Photography combines all my interests, I love art and interesting picture compositions; I also love to write, so being able to blog about my experiences to share on social media is fulfilling a big goal for me too.
Be sure to follow our social media channels to keep up to date and let us know if there is any particular topic you would like to hear more from us on.
Karla Knapp Dressage Facebook Page
Karla Knapp Dressage (and friends) Facebook Group
Pony & Pup Photography website
Pony & Pup Photography Facebook
]]>So now it's time to think about resolutions and plans for the year ahead. At the end of the first week back at work, it’s a great time to review, refocus and re-energise. In all the mud and rain, it feels like winter is never going to end and it can be hard to stay motivated without goals. Horse and Hound had a great article on goal setting with great tips from Charlie Unwin, Kate Honey and Nic Turner, something I'm definitely going to have a think about. http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/setting-horse-riding-goals-640605
When I was asked recently, what were my horsey goals for the year ahead, it got me thinking, what do I really want to achieve? A good question! I just want to get out and about with the pony and have some fun with him staying fit, healthy and happy - and hopefully I'll get my competition mojo back - more dressage, more showjumping, more hunter trials and to step up a level in ODEs! On the fun side, I’d really like to find the time to try a bit of horseback archery, so watch this space.
In terms of photography goals, I want to continue learning and trying new things - I've been lucky enough to meet some inspiring photographers who have taught me a lot and I can't wait to learn more! I have so many ideas for Pony & Pup and will have to sit down and think about what can be achieved this year and in future years.
The last year was hard on a personal and professional level but I took the opportunity to re-evaluate what was important and I’m hoping for happier times in 2018! There's still a long way to go but I'm so excited for the future, I don't know what that will be yet but I'm just going to work hard and enjoy the journey. For now, the destination doesn't matter.
So in the spirit of doing more of what makes me happy, here’s hoping for more horsey adventures, more photographs and more fun times with family and friends.
Happy New Year!
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To enter:
- Head to our Facebook or Instagram pages
- Like the competition post and like our Facebook page or follow our Instagram page
- Comment with your location (winner to be based in London, Essex, Kent, Surrey or Sussex)
- Entries close on 28 January 2018
- Images from photoshoot will be shared on our social media channels and website
- First prize includes a free up to 2 hour photoshoot session and 1 free digital high res image, other images from the shoot will be available to purchase as prints / digital files
- Runner-up prizes of discounted photoshoots!
Get your entries in!
]]>On behalf of Pony & Pup Photography, I'd like to wish you all the happiest of holidays - and say a massive thank you for your support in 2017!
We only started out in August but it’s been an amazing few months - and we've achieved a lot thanks to your support:
- Attending our first events taking photos under full press accreditation with the Events Through a Lens team, including Blenheim International Horse Trials, Olympia International Horse Show and working as part of the Events Through a Lens team who are the official photographers at the Liverpool International Horse Show;
- Enjoying many wonderful photoshoots with new clients and competition winners;
- Creating new partnerships with amazing brands;
- Selecting our first brand ambassadors - watch this space to find out who will be joining our team!
- Growing our following on Facebook and Instagram;
- Planning some great blog posts for 2018; and
- Introducing special portrait session photoshoot packages for 2018.
We can't wait to hit the ground running in 2018 and look forward to sharing an exciting year ahead.
Please like, follow and share our pages - we're on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - and look out for our New Year competition to win a photoshoot!
Festive wishes - and all the best for the New Year!
Pony & Pup Photography are currently looking for brand ambassadors to join our team. We want to find people that are passionate and enthusiastic about all things equestrian. To be a brand ambassador you have to be authentic and be able to share your thoughts and experiences with others on social media - whether that's about your favourite product or your horsey adventures. You don't have to be competing at high levels or always winning red rosettes but you need to care about what you do and what products and services you use. You can participate in any discipline and at any level. In return, we will support you by providing high quality images you can use on your own social media and by sharing your stories on our social media channels. If you think that you have a good story to share, please get in touch, we're looking forward to hearing from you!
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