Sadie (Steeler's Singalong) Training begins

Introducing Sadie (Steeler's Singalong) who is my own homebred mare 4 years in May and the last few days she has really made me smile through what have been exceptionally tiring and hectic days. She is out of my 'horse of a lifetime' mare who went clear at CCI*** by Up with the Lark (one of his first crop of foals) and we nearly lost her to septisemia when she was 2 days old. Coupled by the fact that both her younger sisters were lost through tragic circumstances, she is very special and means the world to me. I backed last summer and just hacked her a bit and she then had the winter off before coming back into work a few weeks ago. However as I have 11 other horses to ride for owners it is hard to find the time to fit her in and she is ridden 3-4 times a week and lives out.

I have however just managed to ride her a few times in the arena and started some trot and canter poles/cross poles and I haven't stopped smiling since. Understandably she tires after 20 minutes but as such enthusiasm for it all and whilst she may look a bit plain just standing comes alive when she is moving. I put the back protector on just in case, but really she feels safe as houses just quite bouncy.

On to trot poles and initially she found it the best thing ever to bound through them jumping each one!

I did however calm her down and make her trot through properly



On to jumping. She has never loose jumped as I just don't have the right facilities and I was so unsure how she would react. She is such a laid character I could imagine her just ploughing through them but how wrong could I be, she can get that huge stomach off the ground and be co-ordinated when she wants to!





Understandably did tire quite quickly so we kept the session short, but have since gone back in and jumped a small double plus a filler which she didn't really notice at all.

Choccies all round to those who have got this far. I am just so pleased she is enjoying herself and it is like having her mum back again (hence the awful grim I seem to have in most of the photos!). Also so nice to get on a baby who feels safe! Plans for the year are not fixed as I will be taking it slowly, but a 4 year old class later is not out of the question building upto badminton in 5-6 years time!!!!