Birthday party

Today was Pait's 4th birthday so as a loving mother I decided her present could be her first ever ridden show!
Picked to do a walk dressage test at a local outdoor venue which is always nice. She travelled fine but came off the other end completely soaked in sweat and a bit stressy, so quick tack up and clamber on board.
She stood like a rock for me to get on and warmed up nicely if a bit worried with other horses constantly moving round her. Didn't do too much warming up and took her out when she started getting tense and scowling at other horses coming close so we went and stood outside the ring and watched a few tests.
Finally time for my test and took her in with a friend very kindly walking up the spooky side with me at which point Pait decided she had to go peer into the judge's shed just to check for monsters.
She did a brilliant if babyish test and I was shocked when she scored 65% and came 5th out of about 11, not bad for her very first party and also the first time we've managed to do the test as all practice time kept going wrong over the last few weeks. No pics of the birthday girl as I had nobody to take any pics but here's the comments sheet.

Really good day with Rory and Pait. A friend came over having offered to ride Rory out as babysitter so I could take Pait. Both ponies were on best behaviour and I quickly realised Pait has a much bigger stridding trot than Rory and she is definately bigger height wise aswell as he looked diddy from the top of her.
You know your on a Dales pony when the wheelbin turns from being scary into a potential source of food when allowed to sniff it to check for monsters.

The lovely view from my baby 4 year old Pait

A brilliant day with my top lad Rory. We FINALLY got out to our first event of 2013 and it wasn't even showing. Local riding club was running showcross so decided to take him and enter the prenovice as he wasn't been jumped properly since last year and actually has very little experience jumping in a competition environment.
First had to get him in as he's currently living out and decided that the major advantage with jumping is that he's black and doesn't need to be clean (as long as mud was flicked off he looked fine). He loaded himself as I was tying his haynet up in the wagon and Em let him go at the bottom so he promptly came and joined me.
He really was mr cool to warm up with loads of other ponies whizzing round the only bit of interest was a coloured mare he took a fancy to.
The round was brill he was so honest if a bit looky and went round with only one refusal at a fence that caught nearly everyone out.

He went straight over on second attempt and rocked round the rest of the course. As I had gone first I then had a very long wait as the class was huge. Didn't really expect anything but the fence had everybody and Rory only went and won the class as the only one on 4 faults.

Now all I need to do is get Pait in the school to practice a dressage test for her first ever ridden outing, walk/trot test next sunday!

As much as I curse Rory and have days when he's got stupid head on and I could seriously beat him within an inch of his life and he still wouldn't behave. There are also days when he positively saintly. Went out for a hack in horrendous winds with YM's young mare who hasn't been out in months she was good barring a few little spooks (apparently grates eat horses) and did Rory bat an eye of course not he blocked traffic went in front and went behind on tracks. Cantered at slow speed and was an absolute angel. Why I can't always have this is beyond me, even met another horse which can produce some nasty spins and bugger off away from it at mach 10 but today he just pricked his ears and calmy went past. Gah I will never understand him.
Pait got the day off as school is currently very deep and it was rather a bit too windy to do baby hacking.

Rory is rugged. Duke unrugged.

Well I've ridden both ponies today and had an extremely heart-stopping moment with Rory.
First up to ride was Pait, went to get her in and I walked half way down the field then shouted her. Que her cantering up from the bottom field through the trees and presenting herself for the headcollar (she is so cute at times). Did a quick ride in the school as she hasn't been ridden for a few weeks and we had walk, trot and a few canters! The canters were half the school as well and lesss mad rush from trot more actual transition.
Then went to go and get Rory in. Was watching him and Duke hoolying round the bottom of the field quite upset as I walked up the road, then to my horror saw Rory try to jump the stone wall from standstill (he got both front legs over) he'd freaked at ruddy traveller with pony and overloaded scrap laiden cart coming by the field who didn't even stop!!!!!!!! Luckily a few scraps no major injuries done and he then went out for a quick blast hack with Dudie so was certainly feeling ok.

One thing is for sure life is never dull with these ponies.

Normal sevice is resuming hopefully!

Well Pait decided that Rory gets too much fuss and came in very lame in trot. Was thinking abcess but she did have a bit of a swollen leg so box-rested her until the farrier could come. Pait picking easter to be lame wasn't helpful. She was very, very naughty to poultice and fyi she is a very balanced dales youngster who is capable of rearing a 5m circle landing on 3 legs as I was clinging onto the other one.
But the rest has done the trick and farrier couldn't find an abcess so she had a very long buck and blast round the school yesterday and proper turnout today.
Rory has been kicked out with Duke 24/7 due to me needing the stable and other than a huge fight when they first went in both are happy as larry. Rory is currently being mr mellow to ride, hack, handle so he may stay out lol.