Posts Written By Chloë

Throughout the winter months it is so hard to keep up regular jumping sessions, when it’s so wet and windy that the fences fall down and float away before you even have the chance to jump them you know it’s time to admit defeat! Thankfully I have discovered a new indoor venue right on my doorstep and it’s available to hire midweek after work, fantastic!!! So I tacked up and set off in the lorry (with mummy groom) for some flatwork and grid-work in the comfort of an indoor arena, luxury! I worked on the flat for 30 mins and…

I feel like it’s time for a plan. So here it is!   These are my 5 aims for Dustry and myself over the next 6(ish) months… 1/ Break that illusive 70% score barrier in an affiliated BD Prelim test (68.6% our best score to date! argh so close!) 2/ Begin work on medium paces, improve transitions and accuracy so that we can attempt our first Novice level dressage test (either affiliated or unaffiliated, not fussy for the first few) 3/ Get Dustry confident and competent in his job when show jumping around 90cms – 1m (build on his training so far…

With the help of a friend with a sewing machine I have been getting crafty with some green and white checked fabric. I bought this fabric from eBay ages ago with the intention of making a matching stock for my cross country colours and have only now got round to making it!!!                 Stocks are relatively easy to make as they are essentially just a flat shape to cut out and sew. I didn’t do a button hole like many stocks have A/ because I can’t sew button holes! and B/ because even…

I love watching old/rare/unusual video clips of equestrianism in all it’s forms. This week I have spotted 3 corkers being shared on social media, so if you’ve missed them you’re in for a treat! Firstly the Dromin Athlacca Community Ride  in Ireland it’s a 15 mile charity ride over seriously tough terrain, oh and some clapped out old cars! You have to see it to believe it! Read more about the ride here The second is an oldie but a goodie from 1920, black and white footage of cavalry riding training, where by no means the hardest thing the horses and…

Hard work = results, right? well yes, but progress is sadly not quite that easy or linear when it comes to horses. When things are going well it’s easy to imagine that success can be incrementally built on. In this ideal situation if you charted your progress throughout your riding career it should appear as a straight line graph beginning at the bottom with competing at little local competitions ending up at the peak with you storming round 4*’s with the rest of the best! If only…. Along the way there are many moments when things seem to fall apart,…

On Saturday both Dustry and I worked our little socks off in our lesson, concentrating on really getting him to give in the neck, round, work over his back, and take more weight on his hind legs. On my front I really need to work on riding better in general (don’t we all!?) but in particular maintaining my body position, core and seat, keep my elbows bent and soft and not letting my hands go hay wire when he becomes fussy in the mouth. My brilliant instructor Amanda Brewer really put us through our paces and by the end of…

I am very excited to announce that I have a new sponsor – MacWet!  MacWet have very kindly agreed to sponsor me with some of their gloves, which is well….PRETTY MEGA! I love their gloves and have been wearing them for years. I have several old pairs which have died through over use, but I still hold onto them so that I can cut the (now open ended!) fingers off and use them as fingerless gloves in the summer! Cunning huh?… I now have 3x lovely new pairs of their short cuff styles, some in their ‘micromesh’ fabric which helps…

Summer seemed to be over in a flash and as of last Sunday night Dustry is now back in and stabled at night which can only mean one thing for me, early starts until the winter is over! Big waaaaaaaaaaaaah! I am not a fan of early mornings, in particular the initial getting out of bed bit!. Once I am up and awake I am then though unbearably smug and self satisfied at this gargantuan achievement of mine, so it’s best that there aren’t too many people up and about at that hour, as I feel my chirpy mood might…

I have always thought of the show jumping phase of eventing as my weakest link. Give me a xc course or a dressage test any day, show jumping and I just didn’t get on. I’ve never had a horse that was talented or experienced at show jumping, and as a result I’ve never gained much confidence as a rider that I can ride a good sj round….until now…..             2x things have slotted into place recently. Firstly my mega instructor Amanda Brewer has had me doing a brilliant straightness exercise that has worked wonders on…

….if my head gets any bigger! 😉 First of all I get a heads up on facebook from a friend saying she has spotted me in the latest Rideaway magazine in one of the product shots from the Mountain Horse shoot I went on! Here I am doing my best ‘feeding a treat’ pose. Then secondly tonight Horse & Hound published a piece I wrote for them about getting sponsorship! Wowzer do I feel famous, or what?… Pretty sure tomorrow my hat will be a snug fit, but not to worry I’m sure Dustry will help bring me back down…