Show day is finally upon us, and Lottie is not okay.

Before I start, this was written 31st mah and I apparently forgot to post so here you go!

Aloha!
Well, today was show day and I woke up feeling like I was going to be sick and could taste the dinner I had eaten the previous evening. Safe to say, I was not excited.
After some arguments with myself I did finally manage to get out of bed and get ready for the show and so we went to get the trailer and go get a pony!

When we got to the yard we were running quite behind schedule (turns out we were super super early anyway) and I was still feeling nervous with a very soggy pony from the rain that night and a voice in the back of my head telling me to go home. Either way Star on the trailer and we set off to the show.

we got there so very early we were waiting around for 2 hours! Many thanks to my amazing support team for staying so long in the freezing weather and to Star for being impeccably behaved despite the standing around, and some rather rude people who clearly do not understand personal space and that horses can sometimes kick.

Back with a bang.

(Before I start, I wrote this about a week ago so it made sense then promise)
Helloooo!
Safe to say I am feeling extremely good about my riding recently and the ponies. I just feel like they're really coming along and we're just really starting to get to where I want us to be. I've also really been working on my position the past couple of rides and more myself than the horses and I really think it has aided me quite a lot.

I also think that recently my jumping has come back better than ever. I really am starting to get back into it and really love it how I used to! I think most of that is down to Star though as he just makes me feel so safe and allows me to sit back and focus a little bit more! He is just ace!

He proved this yesterday when we took a little trip to Ashwood to have a play round the xc course! This was our first time out on a xc field alone with no other horses and he was so well behaved and jumped everything I asked of him minus one fence which I was wrong to ask him to do and so I am going to forget that as it was unfair of me to expect it of him. I don't really have much else to say because he was just so awesome for me, emma and beth! Here's some photos :-)

star looks cute and then there's me....

ass for days son (also v impressed with my position here)

awww

need to learn to stop leaning on him

having a great time clearly

jumping big scary corner for Beff, good boy!

easy peasy

emma's head will forever amuse me hahaha! v proud of her for this though

Thoughts, Feelings and Ginger ponies.

This week for me has been, let's say, pretty awful.
I've just had the worst week I've had in a while and just when I thought I was doing okay, I seem to be right back to where I started, where I was around two months ago.

All I can say is, I am very lucky to have my pony.
He is my absolute world and without him, I would probably have given up a long time ago.
And this is super gay but he is my bestest friend and the love of my life. I honestly do think he is my soulmate without sounding like a forever alone horse lady.
I mean do not get me wrong, I do have a special person in my life but I also have John who is just my absolute best friend and he is the equine version of me in all he does, it's quite scary actually. He is literally the best thing that I have minus my friends/family right now. We've just had him over a year and it's crazy to think that just over a year ago I had never even met this pony or even heard of him and now look at us, a pair of crazy gingers!

I think my last ride on him sums it up really.
Emma and Beth came to see him and have a play because it has been so long since John got to show off to my friends! He was a star and it was so nice to hear the people who have been there from day one of me owning this pony saying how much he has come on and how wonderful he is becoming. It really warmed my heart I won't lie. Even just saying how much his weight has come on made my day.
When he was stood on the yard, we had next to no fidgeting, he was a gentleman to groom and tack up and was fantastic to put his bridle on which we used to have a lot of problems with! He let me get on from the mounting block, from the right side!!!, and proceeded to give me one of the most fantastic schooling sessions we had in a while. He was using himself, not looking at anything else going on, listening to me and even did some fancy welsh trot when changing the rein, just because he can and there were people watching, and then his canter was prefect, using so much power from his back end, really pushing off and even trying his hardest to give me a few strides of contact in canter. Safe to say I was thoroughly chuffed with my little ginger pony. He even schooled well for Emma and did everything she asked of him even when he knew it was hard work. It's just crazy to see how much he has come on, filled out and grown up. I'm so very proud of both of us, because he has not been easy to crack but he has shown that is really is worth it and all he seems to do recently is progress.
So all I can really say, is here's to the next years pony because I know that he is going to be one stunning, amazing, little horse and I am so very excited and nervous to say that it is me who is going to get him there and has got him to the stage he is now.

Here's some John photos from over the last few weeks!:)

After we had a very brave session of desensitizing! 

Mr. Fancy Pants he is becoming!

Contact in canter nearly?!

More KitKat please Mummy??

Can't get rid of me that easily I'm afraid! *APRIL*

Well, let's start with an apology. Since we have spoke I have had some major issues with my laptop and have since had to purchase a new battery and charger in order to be able to use it again. My new battery arrived today so I'm back with regular bloggings again! Yay!!

Warning, lots of updates to be shared with you!

Since we spoke, I guess quite a bit has happened!
Star and I have been on more outings, with a venture to Somerford Farm Ride to kick off April for Beff's birthday! I had the absolute best time and may have got dunked in the water at the start but I still think Star gave me a super ride and jumped some fences I would probably never even thinking of looking at not so long ago! I could not stop for most of the ride, granted, but I still had so much fun and I nearly fell off a couple of times, purely because I was laughing so much I just did not have the energy to hold on after about two hours of riding and jumping xc fences! Considering how unfit Star was that day, I cannot thank enough for trying his heart out and letting have the most fun experience round the track! Safe to say, Team Rhubarb and Custard are officially a thing and pairs hunter trials may have to be a thing at some point this year! We shall see what happens!

Promise this looked wide from where I was! Eek!!

They love each other. End of.

I rode Sunny after a very long time too! And completed one of my goals for the year, and cantered him! Now I would like to say I am quite a confident rider but I know my limits and Sunny pushes these quite a lot so I often just sit back and do not really ride him very often as he is a horse I can honestly say I know would take the piss with me, badly. So to say I cantered him has made me very happy! I cannot honestly remember the last time I did and it felt so nice to do so again. So thank you little Sundance for being a good boy for Auntie Lottie, she appreciates it, promise.

See I can ride!

My little baby pony also came back into work after quite a bit of mild work and quite a few days (or weeks) off! All I can say is, thank you to the world for letting me find this horse. He came back so much better and since he has continued to flourish into a fantastic little horse (as you will see later). He was so much more willing, more well behaved and more than anything, he had built up so much more weight and has continued to look fantastic for it.

Could I look any happier to be back at home?!

I also had an old school pony day with Hannah and Beff and it was sooo good to jump little Viccles again! I had ridden him about a week and a half before this and I was so happy to see his little face again, but being able to jump him again absolutely made my day. I love that little pony and he taught me to ride/jump and I am forever grateful to Hannah and her pony for that because he is a gem and will always have a special little place in my heart. Hammy made me do a course on him and despite him being a little unfit, he gave me such a good time, flew the fences and reminded me why I loved my jumping so very long ago. It just felt so natural to be back on him flying some decent size fences, I will never stop calling him my second pony and if he ever needed a home and I could give him one, I would snap him up in a heartbeat because he really is just great. I 'm looking forward to seeing him so much more over this Summer.

Fave. Pony.

I then had a birthday!! I turned the age I have been for far too long now, 16, so it was safe to say I didn't feel much older lol. I had a fantastic day. Beff came and took some photos of me and Little John which I am in love with and John really showed how much of a show off he is, posing for the camera like the true model he is. I finished off the evening with dinner out, thanks to one of the most wonderful people in my life right now and a sleepover with my most favourite persons ever. It really was one of the best birthdays I've had since I was little and I am very grateful to my mum for that because I really do think she tried her absolute hardest to make sure I had a good day, I am so very lucky to have a woman like her to not only call my mum, but to call my role model. She is truly fantastic and I do not know how I would have coped over these last few years without her, I really don't and I hope she knows that because I'm so very grateful for everything she does for me every day.

I could not love him more if I tried.

We got mum in front of the camera too!!

Sign us up for the Joules catalogue now yeah?

WE WENT TO A SHOW.
Me and Star tackled our first show, in style, dressed as minions, of course.
We went to a team jumping event and we got eliminated but I really do not care because Star went out, saw jumps, fillers etc, jumped the jumps and really did try his heart out, not only for me but for Emma too and that's all I can ask for. He handled the atmosphere perfectly, did not chuck me off and was a perfect pony all day, so thank you pony, I'm very thankful to have had my first show without falling off lol. We came 4th (last) but we got a very pretty rosette and I actually did not cry at a show for once which I cannot remember never doing so I am over the moon with how that day went considering we were running extremely late too!

The bromance continues. Squad goals.

Super Star!

And then to end the month, John and Star met properly for the first time, and had a fantastic time running around the school together. It was so lovely to see them having fun. Especially John who seemed to love having a friend to play with and he really showed his baby nature!
Good boys!

And that concludes April! I will post what has happened over the past couple of days in another blog. But I hope I haven't bombarded you too much!