Real track riding!
I've had an interesting day!. Or few days...
Went hunting yesterday, it was great fun as usual!. It was a pretty slow, cold hunt, with a cold SE wind which just ripped through you. Still, once we got going a little after about 2 hrs of wandering about after the hounds, it got a little more interesting (and warmer). The spars on this hunt were interesting, a lot of them seemed to be on the top of a steep hill, and quite narrow, and with the rain we've had, the ground is pretty slippery and muddy all of a sudden. So there was some tricky riding to be done!. One spar was nicely placed along a narrow ridge (just wide enough for one horse to go along it) and after jumping it you had one stride of flat ground before having to turn sharply and drop down a pretty steep hill for a couple strides before heading up again. Good fun! Ping was on form though, loving it!!!
One jump was pretty funny - it was 2 narrow spars abutting a fence line. We followed the hounds over the one to the left, but stopped a little way along the fence line. Looked back, and we saw a rider along the other side of the fence, he'd aimed for our side of the spar, but his horse had jumped diagonally and over the fence to end up on the wrong side! pretty funny. Was a pretty good day, with much welcome soup to round it off and warm us up afterwards.
Today was a mission!. I've just about gotten used to getting up at 4.30am every day to cycle to work, but today it was freezing! Nice and still though, so no worries. Took my two horses to the track, and suddenly I'm told to go out and take Jow for a round of the track (it's still dark, and busy with all the others exercising their horses). So I shortened my stirrups and off I went. He was brilliant, he'd raced saturday and come 3rd, but he's an old hand and went really nice and easily for me. Then I was straight up on Syd, who was a little keener for two rounds. Now, I've only ridden one horse, Buzz before on track, and that only at about 10am (in the light) when there's noone else on track. But all went well, and I took those two back, brought Buzz out and did 3 rounds on him. Now, he goes nicely, but is very keen to run, and after that my legs and arms were jelly and I'm sure I was puffing louder than him - this jockey position uses completely different muscles and boy is it hard work!!!. But I was quickly up on my 4th one - who luckily went nice and quietly for me - he'd recently come 3rd in a steeplechase!
Was so knackered afterwards though, had trouble getting the saddle off! And carryign the feeds (which aren't heavy) was suddenly a tough job lol!. Biking home was pretty difficult too!!!
But, am thrilled, it's good fun riding track, and each horse is so completely different!. I'll be fit soon, though am dreading the thought of sore muscles, biking, riding and getting horses ready for the hunt tomorrow, and hope i manage to survive through the hunt wednesday too!!!! lots to do, but will have to get fit fairly quickly I expect!!!
Went hunting yesterday, it was great fun as usual!. It was a pretty slow, cold hunt, with a cold SE wind which just ripped through you. Still, once we got going a little after about 2 hrs of wandering about after the hounds, it got a little more interesting (and warmer). The spars on this hunt were interesting, a lot of them seemed to be on the top of a steep hill, and quite narrow, and with the rain we've had, the ground is pretty slippery and muddy all of a sudden. So there was some tricky riding to be done!. One spar was nicely placed along a narrow ridge (just wide enough for one horse to go along it) and after jumping it you had one stride of flat ground before having to turn sharply and drop down a pretty steep hill for a couple strides before heading up again. Good fun! Ping was on form though, loving it!!!
One jump was pretty funny - it was 2 narrow spars abutting a fence line. We followed the hounds over the one to the left, but stopped a little way along the fence line. Looked back, and we saw a rider along the other side of the fence, he'd aimed for our side of the spar, but his horse had jumped diagonally and over the fence to end up on the wrong side! pretty funny. Was a pretty good day, with much welcome soup to round it off and warm us up afterwards.
Today was a mission!. I've just about gotten used to getting up at 4.30am every day to cycle to work, but today it was freezing! Nice and still though, so no worries. Took my two horses to the track, and suddenly I'm told to go out and take Jow for a round of the track (it's still dark, and busy with all the others exercising their horses). So I shortened my stirrups and off I went. He was brilliant, he'd raced saturday and come 3rd, but he's an old hand and went really nice and easily for me. Then I was straight up on Syd, who was a little keener for two rounds. Now, I've only ridden one horse, Buzz before on track, and that only at about 10am (in the light) when there's noone else on track. But all went well, and I took those two back, brought Buzz out and did 3 rounds on him. Now, he goes nicely, but is very keen to run, and after that my legs and arms were jelly and I'm sure I was puffing louder than him - this jockey position uses completely different muscles and boy is it hard work!!!. But I was quickly up on my 4th one - who luckily went nice and quietly for me - he'd recently come 3rd in a steeplechase!
Was so knackered afterwards though, had trouble getting the saddle off! And carryign the feeds (which aren't heavy) was suddenly a tough job lol!. Biking home was pretty difficult too!!!
But, am thrilled, it's good fun riding track, and each horse is so completely different!. I'll be fit soon, though am dreading the thought of sore muscles, biking, riding and getting horses ready for the hunt tomorrow, and hope i manage to survive through the hunt wednesday too!!!! lots to do, but will have to get fit fairly quickly I expect!!!