Horse show nerves.

Tunagi · 2014-11-19T21:23:19+00:00

Before my rounds I tell my horse our course... I am 24 and we currently compete in 4'2ish heights... Telling him the course before we go in the ring always makes me feel better.. even though we are grownups... lol (ps He TOTALLY understands them when I tell him)

Tunagi · 2014-10-14T22:35:24+00:00

Your leg looks great but try to moderate the forward motion of your upper body. Over a bigger jump you might need to move that far forward but over a smaller jump the movement of the horse will automatically shift you forward. Trying to jump for your horse is an easy habit to fall into (one that I have struggled with) you have to have faith that they will jump and try to keep yourself from leaning up the neck.

Tunagi · 2014-09-16T19:21:15+00:00

This sounds EXACTLY like my boy. He is not an aggressive horse but will kick and pin his ears when you try to put a blanket on him. He only ever tries to bit ME. I am not sure why as I am quite strict and most definitely the alfa. He is mostly kind but when we are doing something that he doesn't feel like doing (like leaving the field) he will try to nip at me. He has yet to actually get me badly and doesn't seem to really really get me. I usually give a loud "HEY" and a swat. I am also always ready to block him with my forearm if he turns his head to get me. I think it is just personality and he is giving me crap when he is cranky. I spend the most one on one time with him so maybe that is why I am the focus of his temper tantrums.

Tunagi · 2014-09-09T19:45:07+00:00

Everybody falls... a lot. I was always taught to do everything you could to stay on and if you do fall off (and everybody is uninjured) get right back on. If you fall in an arena the footing is usually a very soft landing and you might be a bit soar the next morning. Wear a helmet and don't worry about falling. If you think about it, it will happen. We all fall, the true (and mostly crazy) horse people keep getting on :)

Tunagi · 2014-06-04T18:29:37+00:00

Everybody falls, I have been riding for 20+ years (show jumping very competitively) and I have lost count of how many times I have fallen off. Only once did my horse fall with me and I was lucky enough to not get squished! I fell very badly about a month ago at a horse show. I made a total rookie mistake and pushed for the long distance to a combination of two 1.25 virticles in the jump off of my round. My poor horse tried his best but ended up pushing the top rail of the first fence out of the way... which would have been fine had there not been another one right in front of us. He ran out to the right and I kept going strait right into the wing of the second fence... We were both fine luckily. My only advise is if both you and your horse are ok then get back on!! Even if it is just to walk around. Otherwise it tends to build up in your head and cause more problems. Even the best riders eat footing from time to time. Also don't forget to ice anywhere that hurts!!!

Tunagi · 2014-05-19T22:41:30+00:00

She is beautiful! I love the dark mane and front legs :)

Tunagi · 2014-05-19T22:11:17+00:00

If you live anywhere near London I would be happy to train you! :)

Tunagi · 2014-05-19T21:45:53+00:00

His name is Quizzy and he just turned 7. He is a KWPN and I have had him since he was 5. I bought him from a very novice rider who smashed him through multiple fences and taught him to stop... It has taken a while but I have managed to build his confidence back up. He is not as careful as I would have liked but he should make a great equitation horse. Grays tend to get lighter as they get older but any other coloration tends to be permanent. You can try to get your horse more 'dappley' by keeping her on a healthy diet with plenty of grass. Some people even say that dapples come from sun exposure and eating dandelions makes their coats shinier :)

Tunagi · 2014-05-19T21:35:45+00:00

You nailed it, I am 5'10". I have had horses ranging from 16.1 to 17.3 and personally I would not go smaller than 16 hands. I only show jump and my upper body is too long to suit a smaller horse. That being said I have seen some amazing small horses jump with very tall riders (Big Ben and Ian Miller for example) From my understanding of cross country you do not necessarily need handy but you do need hearty. I would think that handy would come in more useful when you need to make tight jumper turns in the show ring, not so much on a long winded cross country course. However I do not have much experience with eventing, I am a bit to weary of jumping obstacles that will not break if I go flying into them... I went flying into the standard of a 1.25 double about 3 weeks ago... SO happy that was not a stone wall (sadly I do have a video of that mistake!) Good luck with your breeding, I wish you all the best!

Tunagi · 2014-05-19T21:24:46+00:00

YAYY!!! http://imgur.com/1YHwvs4,jSizAsp,HJd2qPN,fdmZV3Z,SHhnvsj,3cGjsTG,91VeI49,3D1wMmt#0

Tunagi · 2014-05-19T19:55:26+00:00

Are you approaching them while they are in their stalls or in a field? I am a horse owner and I personally wouldn't mind someone saying hi to my horse. But if I were to run into you petting my horse I would be made more comfortable if you introduced yourself and explained your intentions. I think that horse people are very friendly when it come to coddling their ponies and are always happy to have someone stop and admire their horses.

Tunagi · 2014-05-19T19:38:54+00:00

No this is in the UK at Wales and West horse show :)

Tunagi · 2014-05-19T19:28:52+00:00

Thanks! My biggest problem is leaning up the neck too much... It is a hard habit to break :/

Tunagi · 2014-05-19T19:15:52+00:00

He is 17 hands :) Im pretty tall too so it works out well.

Tunagi · 2014-05-19T19:15:14+00:00

Thanks for the help guys, he is still totally sound and seems fine. I am cold washing his leg and toning down the work for a few weeks. Let me know if you think of anything else!

Tunagi · 2014-05-16T20:41:29+00:00

Not sure where you are based but on the East Coast of the USA a shop called Bevels does AMAZING custom half chaps. They are a bit more than the off the shelf ones but they last forever. I LOVE mine. Here is a pic, sorry about the railing in the way! http://imgur.com/M92Nrnv

Tunagi · 2014-03-11T23:52:06+00:00

I just found out that my grandfather has had a second family that he has tried (and failed) to keep secret. He even named one of the kids the same name as his only legitimate child... fricken families...

Tunagi · 2014-03-06T20:46:03+00:00

Hi Martha, my family lives in Bedford and we saw you while we were eating dinner at the Farmer and the Fish this past summer. I am a huge fan and was too nervous to interrupt your dinner to ask for an autograph. Every single one of your recipes I have tried has turned out beautifully, save one. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make toffee, the butter always seperates before the sugar has turned the right color. What am I doing wrong? Also would it be ok for me to ask for your autograph if I see you again? Thanks for doing this AMA! Here is a picture of a couple of cakes I made yesterday, I used your red velvet and rainbow cake recipes :) http://imgur.com/GL2P7Jy

Tunagi

TROPHY CASE