Hopes and Dreams for 2012

Tilly at Bradwall BE100 2010

Where shall I begin.....I have lots of hopes for this year and my main one is to event Tilly again.  She is sound now and is continuing with her canter work, although not quite as much as I would have liked but the weather has been so awful that I have not been able to do much riding at all.  My next step with her is to up the canter work and begin a little jumping.   If all goes well and she stands up to the work then we will aim to go to the BE80 at Stafford on 30th March.  I would like to have a lesson with Richard Barton at Osbaldeston sometime before then and if at all possible go and do a little XC schooling.  Make no mistakes as excited as I will be I will also be bricking myself!!!!  Once I have got over the 'is she going to be so excited she bucks me off ' bit then I will be fine and love every minute of it again.  After Stafford is Kelsall Hill BE80 and then we will have to see how she is.  I would like to do some BE90 and maybe even finish on a BE100 but I am probably just getting carried away with myself....the main thing is that Tilly stays sound.

Mez in our one and only lesson Jan 2010 with Stephen Clarke.

My hopes for Mez.....well I am in two minds whether I should sell her....Peter refuses to be drawn into this conversation as I always change my mind!!!!  I know it makes sense and I am going to be overrun with horses this year but I do not know if I can bring myself to do it.  The thought of her being someone else's makes me want to cry and I would be completely heart broken....but how does Mez feel???  Would she prefer to be an only child instead of having 4 siblings?  Selling aside I would like to try and qualify her for the Prelim nationals and by the end of the year have had a go at some Elementary tests.  She has 27 BD points now so I would like to add a few more to the count and start getting around 65% consistently in the Novice classes.  I am also being persuaded to enter her in the Search for a Star competition this year but I am not convinced yet and it won't have to clash with my eventing!  OHHH what to do???

Maisey summer 2008

I can not believe that this little foal is turning four this July!  Maisey will be going to my friends up the road with the school for a few weeks this spring whilst I break her in.  We are planning to spend the year having fun and getting her out and about doing a little bit of xc schooling, clear round jumping and some dressage.  Depending on how things go then she may go eventing next year.

Kirkby brand new!

Kirkby turns three in April.  He is now about 16.1hh ish and is starting to mature a little bit.  He is still very special and can not be treated in the same manner as other horses.  If you tell him off he just gets worse so he has taught me a lot about patience in the last three years.  Sometimes he gets to the hysterical point and then you need to shout at him to bring him back to the present!!  I may take him round to my friends after Maisey comes home but I think he will be quite hard work!  He really needs backing this year or he will be to big and strong by the time he turns four.

How I am going to manage with three if not four horses in work is really starting to worry me now.  I don't want to do them all half heartedly but am not sure what alternative there is at the moment.  If anyone has any ideas please feel free to get in touch!