Racehorse to Riding horse

lauren123

Well-Known Member
Feb 3, 2007
3,329
1,397
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East Yorkshire
Well tomorrow is the big day! Ridden gelding and Racehorse to Riding horse! :D
One of the girls has very kindly offered to take me and Sox 15 mins down the road to a local show. First time for him travelling to a show in a open field, normally we hack. I shall be a mix of cruella devil and tigger tomorrow. Hopefully somewhere inbetween!!
Bathed him yesterday, worked him today. He was fresh! Then did his socks.

Going to be a early start tomorrow. Update and photos added when I can :)

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Yesterday after his bath.
 
Well!! What a day today was!!
I was up at silly o clock to get to the yard at half 6 to lunge at 7. Sox had been *a little fresh* recently and this was giving me anxiety...
So got him lunged, tack, boots cleaned. Scrubbed his stable stains did his plaits and brushed out his tail. I set off early to see what classes they were on as.. they said it would be 15 mins per class eventhough some was split? So Sox arrived around midday. As a friend was bringing him.
He stood ON the trailer, no issues. Got him off and tied him to the trailer he freaked out as my friend tied him and she knows he pulls back but hasn't really seen it. I looked at the rope and thought it's too short. With that Sox paniced and pulled back. Luckily my friend quickly undid it. This didn't do my anxiety ANY good!! But we made it longer and had some twine and he was happy in the shade eating grass.

A hour later the dreaded put the tack on.. Sox like the freedom to move around and doesn't like feeling.. trapped even at home. So saddle went on he walked off. Ok. Bridle went on no issues. I hopped on and he shyed at the different colour grass ( we were in a field for hay) silly boy!

Nervously took him in the warm up.. walked had a tiny trot.. he worked well. Slight communication error. I was dying for a drink YO went back to get me one and thought I was following. So that was a tad confusing. Next thing we are been called for the Ridden Gelding. 10 in our class. We pull into the middle. Do our own show, all went well. I thought Sox did fab. No leaping, shooting off, bucking. There was someone else who had all the gear, very fancy horse. You could tell a mile off they do this weekend in weekend out. Stupidly there was a girl I was next too who I knows so we chatted. While the judge was at the other side. The fancy horse came 1st. Then she pointed at me and Sox! I thought she had made a mistake or was pointing at someone else! Nope!!! So we took 2nd.

Next class was retrained racehorse. Only a few of us in again. He did very well and we came 1st!!! So we went into the championships , didn't get placed but it was my first ever one!! Sox was faultless!

I spoke to my YO later and she said I should have won the Ridden Gelding as the fancy horse was on the wrong leg where as Sox didn't put a foot wrong. Also found out then when I was chatting to a old friend and Sox was.. half asleep in the line up she was debating first or second. Lesson learnt. While I am in the ring I'm showing him off.

Got back to the trailer, unplaited him, sponged him off. Loaded him up and got back home. He spent the rest of the day ( We got home at 5pm) chilling in the field.

Oh! We also qualified for the Northern Lights Showing Championships too!!!20210718_175422.jpg
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Well!! What a day today was!!
I was up at silly o clock to get to the yard at half 6 to lunge at 7. Sox had been *a little fresh* recently and this was giving me anxiety...
So got him lunged, tack, boots cleaned. Scrubbed his stable stains did his plaits and brushed out his tail. I set off early to see what classes they were on as.. they said it would be 15 mins per class eventhough some was split? So Sox arrived around midday. As a friend was bringing him.
He stood ON the trailer, no issues. Got him off and tied him to the trailer he freaked out as my friend tied him and she knows he pulls back but hasn't really seen it. I looked at the rope and thought it's too short. With that Sox paniced and pulled back. Luckily my friend quickly undid it. This didn't do my anxiety ANY good!! But we made it longer and had some twine and he was happy in the shade eating grass.

A hour later the dreaded put the tack on.. Sox like the freedom to move around and doesn't like feeling.. trapped even at home. So saddle went on he walked off. Ok. Bridle went on no issues. I hopped on and he shyed at the different colour grass ( we were in a field for hay) silly boy!

Nervously took him in the warm up.. walked had a tiny trot.. he worked well. Slight communication error. I was dying for a drink YO went back to get me one and thought I was following. So that was a tad confusing. Next thing we are been called for the Ridden Gelding. 10 in our class. We pull into the middle. Do our own show, all went well. I thought Sox did fab. No leaping, shooting off, bucking. There was someone else who had all the gear, very fancy horse. You could tell a mile off they do this weekend in weekend out. Stupidly there was a girl I was next too who I knows so we chatted. While the judge was at the other side. The fancy horse came 1st. Then she pointed at me and Sox! I thought she had made a mistake or was pointing at someone else! Nope!!! So we took 2nd.

Next class was retrained racehorse. Only a few of us in again. He did very well and we came 1st!!! So we went into the championships , didn't get placed but it was my first ever one!! Sox was faultless!

I spoke to my YO later and she said I should have won the Ridden Gelding as the fancy horse was on the wrong leg where as Sox didn't put a foot wrong. Also found out then when I was chatting to a old friend and Sox was.. half asleep in the line up she was debating first or second. Lesson learnt. While I am in the ring I'm showing him off.

Got back to the trailer, unplaited him, sponged him off. Loaded him up and got back home. He spent the rest of the day ( We got home at 5pm) chilling in the field.

Oh! We also qualified for the Northern Lights Showing Championships too!!!View attachment 107586
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How brilliant are you two!!!! Well done, that is one successful day. You both look fabulous. 🤩
 
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Bet your glad you went. Congratulations to you both.

You look very happy in that 2nd picture. You must have been enjoying yourself.
 
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Well done well done!

Of course it's great that you did so well, but I am happy that Sox was so relaxed that he was dozing off in the line up. He was obviously enjoying himself!
 
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Well thats his stable all booked in for the northern lights showing championships at Bishop Burton! We are doing Novice ridden horse and veteran. Eventhough se are 20mins away i decided to hire out a stable so sox can settle. Plus there is the overall championships at 19:30 and you can bet that if we didnt book the stable se would be in it! So sox is having his first sleep over on the 16th oct
 
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