Cruise Update

Well his weight gain has slowed gain unfortunately, hes not skinny any more just a tad light, I'm going to look into buying something a lot better for him though, He going into light work over the Christmas holidays and hes getting two weeks off when I got on a family holiday to the south island. But as far as his work is coming along he going great, hes a quick learner and enjoys the jumping and fast works, not so much the dressage though, he find that a little boring.

Dressage: In the beginning he was really heavy and on the forehand, obviously due to being really under muscled and being turned out, but a couple months on hes improved heaps, still has a lot of work to do in the top line department though! but now he a lot lighter and works in a more lighter contact, he isn't so down hill in trot or canter now. although still a tad unbalanced as drifting occurs when he not being held together, so self carriage is a definite goal!

(Nope i cant find a dressage picture either!!)

Show Jumping: Show Jumping is the only discipline he done competitively with me so far. Hes really taken to it as well. hes coped with the step up - Before i got him he was casually popping around 90cm) He has done two Show Jumping shows, both at 1m and 1.05m. going clear at the 2nd show in 1.05m. Next show planned is the Waikato 1* where we will do our first 1.10m start.

Eventing: Hasn't seemed to happen this season yet, i had plans of eventing mainly and that went out the window when i realised hes not very confident with scary jumps. he find Banks, Ditches and Trakehners all quite terrifying, anything simple he will casually jump but if is a bit scary and XCish he will stop at it even if its PT (80cm) level. But schooling around Pio pio pony club grounds and LVF, he was doing quite a few Open (1.05m) obstacles -So theres still hope, just have to focus on getting him over his fears! I plan to next year do a Training HT on him and if that goes well and hes ready i have plans to enter the Kihikhi 3DE (Pre Novice - 1.05m)

A of Couple New Drawings

Gemma and Sydsational

Lizzie Brown and Henton Attorney Genral

Katie McVean and Forest II

Taumaranui Show Jumping trials

Cruise did well today!

Again I did 1m, 1.05m and 1.05m Accumulator.

1m - Had a couple of rails, nothing major.

1.05m - Another couple of rails

1.05m Accumulator - He went clear! So happy. I didn't try the joker though - A single pole at about 1.15m I imagine we would have gone through it!

Lemington SJ - Best photo of the day!

Thanks to Kate! shes so pro

Lemington Show Jumping

Cruise went so super!! baring in mind hes never show jumped over 90.

He went real well in the 1m, Had one stop and the first fence in the double (He hates doubles and i gave him a shit line coming in.) And one rail down.
In the 1.05m he went really good I actually think he was really tired, he had no stops but had a couple or rails. but overall I'm happy with his first 1m and 1.05m attempt.

Cruisy warming up for his first round.

Cruise looking ultra cute

Cruise putting in a big effort over 1.05m

Cruise tankin off!

Last jump over 1.05m

Cruise Jumping 1m - Note the extra height due to lack of abilty to lift feet.

CRUISE!!

Cruise Free Jumping

Cruise Start jumping!!

Cruise's condition has improved heaps (Week four)

Cruise over 90cm

Cruise over 1.05m

Cruise over 1.05m

Cruise over 1.15m

Meet Cruise

Cruise had pretty much been abandoned since last autumn. through winter without a cover too. i finally got him -rescued him!-on Tuesday. he looks so horrible - Poor Pony.

So a small fact file...

- show name is Hailwin

- 16.1hh

- 11 years old

- hasn't done a lot, basic dressage and PT eventing.

I have cruise on free lease for this season and if hes going well probably the season after too.

hes a real mellow horse who I'm thinking will do well in dressage. but eventing is our plan. hoping to get to Pre-Novice at the end of the season.

But not looking like much of a show pony now!

hes..

- Hes skinny, Brought loads of feed for him the other day and really feeding him up, so hoping he gains weight soon.

- Possibly got worms, brought a drench asap, I've no idea when he was last done.

- He had rain scald all over his back! most of which has healed up but now hes left with bald patches everywhere. but I've been washing him every sunny day with a medicated wash.

- His mane was down do his shoulder and tail o the ground, washed all them and trimmed the tail, and nearly finished pulling his mane - Big job!!

here's some pictures of him yesterday and his current condition, already I've noticed his coat shinier, and hopefully he will fatten up soon.

Cruise saddled up for his 3rd ride. he looks a lot nicer with gear on!!

Saddest Day Ever - Twiggy Sold

Twiggy sold yesterday! =(

To a lovely home in Orewa. She has gone to a 14 year old girl called Shinaed, although she isn't as confident as we would have like. she is a nice rider - Smart too, shes going to take things slowly and get lots of lessons and do lots of flat work to get to know Twiggy. No trial wanted - they just wrote out the cheque and took her! Going to miss her heaps.

but I can now lease my friends horse Cruise, and bring him on and go eventing again! So my next blog will be about him =]

New Drawing

A Random drawing of no horse in particular. i just really liked the photo i found on www.deviantart.com.
Know idea how long the picture took. its done entirely with HB and 2B Mechanical pencils.

Twiggy gets Photoshopped

Twiggy's advertised on TradeMe right now - So as her main photo Ive photoshopped one very unbelievable picture to really grab viewers attention. Must be working her views have gone up heaps! Here is the Pictures so far i rotate between.

Twiggy takes "Jumps anythinng" to a whole new level!!

Twiggy back in work

Well Twiggy actually came back into work a while ago, I'm just slightly slow to update this blog, but nevertheless. Twiggy's been back in work about a month. Shes been doing lots of Dressage and long road walks. a little bit of jumping but the ground is still so muddy so i avoid jumping at the moment - And Twiggy is barefoot still.

Twiggy tried hard but i don't think she will ever be a top dressage horse! she will never master the essential "calmness" needed for dressage!

But she is being very soft, and often takes the rein and works long and low, you can see in the above photo shes on a loose rein, a year or so ago Twiggy would never trot nicely on a loose rein. so she has improved. slowly. but its still progress for Twiggy

Yes i am doing Dressage in a Jumping saddle too - with jumping length stirrups...

So Twiggy's jumping is pretty good for being muddy and barefoot. Theses photos are taken from her first day jumping since being back in work. so keeping keeping it low in the winter conditions. I'm happy with how shes going. I've also noticed shes become snappier with her front end too. Wearing Open fronts on her I've found shes a little more careful when she jumps. i think she got used to having closed XC boots all the time and wasn't bothered when she knocked a rail as it would never hurt her. now that she can feel the rails i think shes being more careful.

I have set up a down hill jump which leads into a small dip with water (from rain and flooding) I've had this set up a while and shes become very confident jumping big heights into water. Even though she often over-jumps it and launches herself into it. its better than timidly "climbing" down it how she used too.

Twiggy also made a huge improvement when it comes to combinations. She has never been the most confident horse jumping over on strides and other related distance combinations. and bounces she has always seemed to fail at hugely. preferring to go "through" them rather than concentrate and go "over". so setting a a small bounce a few days ago i wasn't expecting much of Twiggy. But to my surprise she went over the small 50cm Bounce perfectly. to make sure it wasn't a fluke that she left the poles up. i did it a couple More times, fro the other direction too. and again, she did it faultlessly. so up wen the poles to 70cm - and again shes jumped them with perfection, not tipping the rails once. So i put them up to nearly 1m - and popped through it once again without hesitation. I Stopped while i was ahead and ended on a happy note. Twiggy is getting much better and focus on more than one jump.

Twiggy impresses me sometimes.

New Jumping Saddle

Christmas has come early for me.

Recently bought a near new Wintec Close Contact off Trade Me. Its so comfy - I love it.

It fits Twiggy really well, and also has an Interchangeable Gullet, so that always handy.

Misty Drawing

MISTY

Time Taken: 7 Hours ish

Pencils: 2B and HB Mechanical Pencils, Solid Graphite Pencil

Cake Drawing

CAKE

Requested Drawing of the horse Cake.

Time Taken: about 7 hours.

Pencils: HB and 2B Mechanical Pencils

I love how lovable Twiggy is...

This is what Twiggy gets up to When I'm at school.

Completely un-bothered that shes is immobile.
Totally impressed with her cover-ripping skills.
Thoroughly Un-phased She is nearly falling over.
Pretty Stoked to be but-Naked.
I do love my horse a lot...

Someone Comes to See Twiggy

Well Twiggy has bee for sale for quite a while now - On trade me. And the other day ( I cant remember the exact day but it was roughly a week ago) I had a girl called Rebecca from Cambridge comes out to have a ride on her. I think she was about 15... Or nearly 15. Anyway she was such a nice person. and even better she a really nice rider. Twiggy was a proper arsehole to be quite honest! even though i rode her that same morning to try get her to behave! she leaped around and resisted Rebecca a little. but Rebecca completely fell for her (why, i don't know) but she really liked her. i was hoping so much she would buy her =[ but nfortunaly i got the phone call with the news she had decided to stay on ponies until she was 17! Bugger
But all was not lost i though, as i got another phone call from someone else wanting to come a ride her. So yesturday a girl called Georgia from Te Puke (i think all these maori place names sound the same anyway!) but to be quite honest she was no where near as nicer rider as Rebecca. Rebecca was kind and soft. This other girl rode Twiggy much to hard and she bounced around and struggled really, all this stressed Twiggy out and she just fought - Is "fought" a word? - her our of frustrtion =[ So i am rather glad she decided not to like Twiggy...
Man i think im destined to keep this damn horse forever... Oh well that fine by me i think i like Twiggy too much anyway.

Anna Trent Drawing

Is Finished...

- Anna Trent and Cortaflex Muskateer

- HB Mechanical Pencil

- Drawing Time: 8 - 10 hours

I'm pretty pleased with how Anna Trent turned out - But not at all happy with how the horse did, i think my patience ran out and i finished really fast..