The diary of a Cornish Eventer – Life just doesn’t get any quieter!

My life just doesn’t seem to get any quieter! Although when does horses and quiet go in the same sentence?! I end one week thinking next week will be better but by the time Monday comes round again I’ve already got every evening booked up. I still end up like a mad woman rushing here, there and everywhere… at least I can never complain that I’m bored!

Sprite is now back in work feeling great and keen as ever. Despite getting her checked over and thinking she was better, I was still not happy with how she was feeling once I upped the workload. I was really struggling to put my finger on it as she wasn’t hopping lame just a bit sensitive at times. Desperate to get her back to normal I took her to Kenwyn Vets where she showed she was only 1/10th lame on the lunge. She was nerved blocked from the fetlock down, which resulted her going lame on the other leg. X-rays were taken while we waited for the second nerve block to take effect and I couldn’t believe how good they were. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know much when it comes to x-rays but the vet and my farrier were quite impressed, not what you would expect a 22 year old’s to look like. After further investigation Sprite seemed to have a couple of deep corns that were a bit infected and bruised feet, bless her no wonder she felt uncomfortable!

Sprite now has different shoes to help relieve pressure points and give overall more support. I’m aiming to get out to some dressage over the winter and I’m hoping to look into dressage to music, if anyone has any hints and tips please send them my way as I’m not really sure where to start?!

Lola has been super busy this summer and I’m pleased to say that my aim of becoming more consistent across all 3 phases is getting there – slowly but surely! We been working really hard having lessons with our fab instructor Fiona. Fiona has seen Lola since she was 4 and she definitely knows her quirks just as well as I do. Can’t thank her enough for all her help over the years!! I’ve also been having regular jumping lessons with Fred Scala at a great new venue down here in Cornwall know as Pendarves Equestrian Centre. There is always a course built so it’s great for practicing the ‘competition’ feel.

Lola and I have had some really great results so far and now only have a few events left of the season 🙁. We travelled all the way (4 and half hours!) to Wiltshire for West Wilts BE where we had a calm dressage but the show-jumping demons came back to haunt us unfortunately. We then went out on the XC and flew around clear inside the time. I have put it down as an educational day!! We all have them don’t we?

Only a few days later we then went to Launceston for their unaffiliated event. This is where we had been a few weeks earlier for their BE and gain our first BE double clear and finished 8th (so no pressure!). At the BE event it was boiling hot and the ground quite firm, well what a contrast, this time it was like a bog and very deep going. Lola did a lovely test for a score of 28, we had just the one down show-jumping which given the ground conditions I was super pleased with.  Yet again she did another amazing clear XC and resulted in us taking the win!! Yay!!

More recently we headed to another personal favourite – Trebrough Hill BE. It is located on the edge of Exmoor and on a gorgeous sunny day like we had the views are just breath-taking… you can even see Wales! Lola did another nice relaxed test to scored 32.5. We then also got a CLEAR showjumping… Whoop! I was feeling ‘slightly’ nervous before XC as half way round the course you had to go back past the warm up  on one side and the start on the other, I was concerned that Lola was going to nap but golly no chance she flew from start to finished ears pricked giving me such a buzz! We stormed round clear inside the time and finished in 9th.

I also have a big introduction to make to you all… Millie!! If you haven’t already seen her, she is our new springer spaniel puppy! She is adorable, mental and such a little character. She will be a gun dog by winter and eventing dog by summer 😉 Can’t wait to take her on overnight trips 😊

Like I said we have a few more events of the season with Pontispool looming this weekend. It’s such a pressure when you only have one horse, you feel like you have to make every time really count as we don’t do many but we can so easily forget it’s just a hobby and to enjoy it!! I had a timehop come up recently of a status I had shared about Lola – “I successfully rode Lola up the road on my own today” and to think now she gives me ‘the buzz’ out on XC!! We’ve come a long way!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend

Love

Emily, Sprite & Lola