29/9/12 – Starsky & Winston

This morning, I chose to take L’s advice and ride Starsky – she says I need more experience at the gallop on faster horses to prepare me for Common Rides and to increase my options. When she saw me get on him on the yard she came over and asked me if I’d chosen to ride Starsky or if I’d been given him: I told her that I’d requested to ride him and she told me she was proud of me, as he’s just what I need to help push my boundaries.

Not long later, the YO sorted out who was taking whom on which trail, and I was delighted to have L as our designated ride leader. She wanted to ride Lucky, but typical TB, he is lame from a tiny slip up, so she chose Winston instead. She told me Winston was an older horse, and when I saw his hackamore on top of his age, I assumed he was a quiet ride. I Jguessed wrong… 

L called me up to the front of the ride. She said she wanted ‘the geldings together’, with the two mares Abbi and Sophie following, but not only was my horse bigger and faster than the two behind, I’m also more chat than the two ladies riding. We proceeded across the river without a hitch, and L said Winston had two moods: he could be quiet and slow, or he could show that age means very little to a TB and run around with his nose in the air. With L’s love of speed and her electric bum, Winston was having a ‘Lucky’ day. L seemed to know this in advance, so she asked us all to stop when we hit the woods, where our first canter is (up the hill). She asked if our stirrups were okay, and my suspicions about Abbi’s rider being a bit novicey were confirmed: she’d okayed her stirrups at too long a length on the yard, and struggled in our first trot without realising why. Still, we got her sorted and off we went.

Winston, upon hearing the word canter, tore off up the hill. He’s not just as fast as Lucky, so didn’t get the same gap on me and Starsky at first. Starsky and I still lurched from nothing to gallop pretty much, but I didn’t have the anxiety that came with the adrenaline rush last time out: the lurch wasn’t as harsh, and after coming back smiling from a ‘Lucky hack’, I now felt comfortable with tearing off from a standstill.

Starsky and Winston blew at the top from working hard, while Abbi and Sophie had happily cantered up at their own speed, unconcerned about the race up ahead it seemed. Not much later, and we hit the overlapping canter tracks in the woods. L, as usual, warned us about puddles and checked if we knew if we were riding puddle plungers or duckers, ie if our horses charged through them, or dodged them at the last minute if their rider didn’t steer. After the puddle, we got up to a good lick as the rest of the path was dry, and there’s room at the end of it to come back down through the gears gently. I sat to the canter to bring Starsky back, and while me and L were in trot-to-walk, we heard hoof beats pelting towards us – Sophie was coming at us at speed and without her rider. L went back to find her, while I desperately tried to hold Starsky. Not only was he excited at Sophie cantering about, he was also now ‘lead horse’ and we were on the foot of the next canter track. He was not keen on being still! Sophie started to canter directly towards me, but finally slowed down at the last minute. I couldn’t reach her rein, and despite Sophie saying hello to Abbie, I had to instruct the rider to grab her – she seemed happy to let Sophie continue being lose in the woods, despite her rein being in easy reach!

While I finally got Starsky to settle, L came back and gave me Winston to hold. Apparently Sophie had dodged the puddle at the last minute, and that put her rider out of the side door. I’m not sure why the lady didn’t steer Sophie when she knew she rides around the puddle, instead letting the mare decide when and how sharply to move to the left, but the good news was she was merely embarrassed rather than injured, and was happy to carry on. L got her up, so I gave her back Winston. There was a rock, only about 1ft tall, but was the only make-shift mounting block available in one of the more open areas of the woods. Winston kept moving around though, so I had to bring Starsky in for Operation Body Block. It took a few minutes, but eventually L got back on and we went on our way.

The next canter track pretty much started from where L remounted. However, even in the height of summer, this canter track has a big puddle that takes about 90% of the width of the track. While L had confirmed it was safe to go through as it had been cleared (it’s never been safe to trudge through before), she still recommended choosing a side and steering. (Last time I’d let Starsky choose well in advance, and we’d gone right, as Lucky had gone left so we had to split sides in order to have any chance for Starsky to keep racing them). This time, we weren’t allowed to canter until AFTER the puddle given Sophie and rider’s departure at the last one. Holding the horses was hard, especially Winston and Starsky, but we managed it. In fact, when we got to the puddle, we found a fallen tree: the right side that I’d planned on taking again was now impassable as was the centre of the puddle, so it was left only. The left side’s also cutting up a lot as it’s been the route of choice for most horses all year: I think everyone thought it worked out well that we walked past! Winston then took off like lightning once we’d gotten by, as did Starsky and I. I had thought L might slow up to steady the pace for our faller (as hacks are ridden in line with the weakest member’s capabilities). However, Abbi was being slow enough that there was no racing at the back, and I saw how high Winston’s head was – he was entirely evading the contact and running right through the bridle. L couldn’t have slowed him if she’d tried! Starsky also really curved his neck and put his head down: all I could think was “he’s preparing to buck, and with his powerful backend at this speed, momentum means I’m in for a Thelwell style fall with visible trajectory!” Luckily enough, he was just tucking his chin in to stop the mud getting in his eyes on the loosest part of the track. Phew: I Jwasn’t relishing the idea of bouncing into the mud at the speed! lol. 

The last canter through the woods was glorious: it was flat, and all the puddles were unavoidable, meaning there’d be no walls-of-death to dodge them by anyone. For that reason, L let us open the engine and off we flew! I also made sure that I’d achieved the aim I’d shared with L – to not put my fingers under Starsky’s martingale strap. I usually ride horses with no strap to speak of, so adjust the contact with my elbows to follow the horse’s natural movement in canter and gallop. I prefer doing that – it’s more adjustable, rather than keeping your hands in a fixed position, and therefore needing to have a longer rein so you don’t sock the horse in the mouth when he’s reaching forwards. The Jesus strap gave me confidence on the Lucky hack as the speed and the lurching were new to me: this time I felt really comfortable, so wanted to not  I feltJtouch the strap to show myself I didn’t need it. Well, I didn’t  glued on top of Starsky, no matter how fast we were going, or how suddenly we accelerated!

The country park’s closed for the winter, but the rest of the walk-trot work on the roads was glorious. Starsky was still spooky though, and the same things set him off: the mounting block, the skip, the parked red car (but no moving cars and no parked cars in any other colours). We also met the hack in town and had to pass them. A beginner was on Hutch, and as soon as they’d heard our footsteps, Hutch turned around to see Starsky, looked longingly at us, and whickered. I know that reaction was solely as Starsky’s his best mate, but it was a rather glorious sight seeing a horse look and call towards me, especially one as sweet as the beloved H Still, Hutch joined in with Starsky’sJutch  spook at the skip, and I actually had to take Starsky out of the way to get past Hutch without him following. The poor girl had washing line reins, and despite L making her fix them, she couldn’t have held Hutch if he’d really tried anyway. Luckily we got past, as there’s no way his rider was up for a canter!

We finally got to the railway line, and Winston and Starsky were snorting and dancing, ready to take off as soon as L shouted and the contact was released. We waited for a family to go past us on bike, and no sooner had that happened, than another one appeared. The next family that went past told us that there was a sponsored charity bike ride on: we literally passed over 50 bikes, all along the length of the railway line. There was not so much as a trot to be had, never mind a canter or gallop. At least L was able to phone ahead to the trek we passed to warn them of what they were about to face! Starsky got the idea half-way along the line and stopped motoring, but Winston never settled. He’d got so het up that his neck and under his saddlecloth were foaming. In the end, he huffed the whole way home with L about that. He’d been desperate for a gallop and hadn’t been allowed! Normally, a horse naps going away from home as it doesn’t want to leave, often spinning and planting to try and get their own way. Most horses are happy to go home, some naughty ones even making a dash for it. Winston actually napped on the way home, the whole way along the riverside – he did not want to go back without his gallop, so regularly planted and snorted. The poor chap was going home in walk, and was about to have a cold shower to wash off his sweat! I also rode Starsky with no stirrups along the riverside – something I’d not done before as he’d been spooky and I wasn’t comfortable. I hadn’t let it worry me this time, and I rode him on the buckle without my stirrups to warm-down. I’d had a fab hack, and could really gauge my own progress from my first time on him, and my first truly speedy hack with L.

I got off Starsky, had a few moments with him, then he was stabled. He was on the accessible part of the yard though, so I could still pat him. He also came forward to the door as soon as he saw me, whereas lots of the horses aren’t fussed on over-the-door affection, as they’re usually privately stabled. I got a few pics of Starsky in the sun, and got lots of cuddles in. I left the yard a very happy bunny, and L was pleased with my progress. I’ll definitely be choosing to ride Starsky again – I trust him, even though he is a div about monsters in the hedge! (My OH has however taken the transfer cable to work to charge his phone, so I’ll have to add the pics later). I wasn’t looking forward to waiting a fortnight for the next ride!