Training rides

Im in the process of planning a 'like real' training ride. My plan is to take both horses, ride one and lead the other and ride east along the South Downs Way to the National Trust Gumber Bothy on the Slindon Estate, this is about 15 miles from the yard, so a nice easy day to start with. The next day we are going to ride 25 miles to Pyecombe ( and head down to the fantastic pub!) from here we may continue along the SDW to Alfriston or turn around and head home, I will decide nearer the time, depending on how we fit the ponies are. We are setting out on the 9th April, it'll be a great trial run to try out the distances and new equipment and also a good training exercise for the horses. We will also be accompanied by a friend.

What a crazy week!

I have been so busy this week, I feel as if the ride is starting to come together now- all of a sudden it feels very real. Last night and work I got the go ahead to have six weeks off, I just need to let them know the dates. I have decided to start the ride as near to the 1st July as possible, to utilise the long daylight hours and to get home before september, when the weeks can be a bit hit and miss. I have just emailed a transport company that regularly does trips up and down the country with horses. i am just about the email a B&B in Caithness, at the top of Scotland about me and the horses staying there the night prior to the beginning of the ride, giving the horses chill out time after a long and tiring journey up the country, allowing me time to get my gear together and hopefully a big breakfast in the morning before I set off!

Since I bit the bullet and started to buy maps the route is starting to take shape, at the minute I am looking at the Great Glen Way and West Highland Way, both in Scotland and trying to get help with planning a route through Devon and Dorset.

I've been walking Cognac up some steep hills, which he has easily taken in his stride and I have also increased his schooling sessions to 30 min sessions, while asking for tighter turns and more uphill paces from him. I am also including lots of lateral work. Harry has been doing lots of trotting and cantering in the school in an effort to tire his mind out after he threw me out hacking at the beginning of the week- turning for home and running back with out me! and then a couple of days late, while hacking with two other horses he tanked off with me down a track. After break failure I am going to hack him out in a pelham bit with two reins, so I can ride him on the snaffle rein and if I find I need more control I can pick up my curb rein. I will continue to school in a loose ring snaffle as he is fab to ride in the school and very light in the mouth.

I have also been practising riding one horse and leading the other in the school ( with the gate closed!) I have only tried riding Harry and leading Cognac in a headcollar so far- we can stop, turn and even trot with little hassle, now I need to try them the other way round, which I think will be more difficult because of Harry being quite strong to lead at times. So far I've lead Cognac in a bridle , but will use a bridle with a lead rope for Harry.

Hopefully next week we can progress to short hacks out with company.

Tired after all those training rides!

Cognac chilling in the field

Lish and ireupe, who accompanied us

Cognac listening to the children playing in the school next door

11 mile pub ride!

It is my plan to get my route sorted and down on paper by the end of the month. Over the next few days I'm going to have to buy all the maps I need, I have been trying to find a way to sort the route without having to shell out £200 for maps, however i can't find away round it. I have started planning my route backwards, from Cornwall up, this is because there are no bridle ways in Scotland so I'm finding it easier to do the England planning first. Today I took cognac for an hours hack, we did a new route and encountered a few challenges! We tried out a new bridle way today and this involved crossing a little wooden bridge over a weir- cognac was worried, but calmly followed me over on foot after having a good look, we had to pass cows, just on the other side of the hedge, a large articulated lorry on a country lane, which released its air brakes as we went passed and a bus! I love my pony, he is such a good boy! Katrina

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Buying maps

I just went on Amazon and ordered six OS Explorer maps, covering Cornwall and Devon, can't wait for them to arrive! I know that I am going to follow the Kernow horse trail through Cornwall, but I still need maps to follow, especially if I come off the trail at any point, and also to find my accommondation each night, which will be off the trail. I'm not sure of my route through Devon yet, so I hope I have managed to choose the right maps. I want to go through the north of Dartmoor and then head north- east towards Bristol via Cheddar. Once I have decided on my rote through these maps I can get my next set and do the same- I am heading for the Pennine Bridleway, which ends near Derby.

Today I took Harry for a 30 min hack in high winds, where he proceeded to neigh most of the way- very irritating! But the was well behaved. I then took Cognac out for 1hr and 15mins with a friend, and he was an angel as always.