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Post by maxandpaddy on Mar 29, 2014 19:59:41 GMT
First show of the season today and it wasnt even an early start but I'm knackered!! Fretting, getting daughter ready, getting pony ready, delayed class times, two younger children ate 10 tonne of rubbish then had a well deserved sugar rush Brush/wipe/gloss/pamper/polish/panic/tie on number/do quarter marks/bish/bash/bosh Then at the end of it all when all you want is a glass of wine and a hot bath you KNOW you have to unplait and put them to bed!! ....the pony not the children Maybe im getting old but tell me it gets easier as the season goes on?
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Post by ponymum on Mar 29, 2014 20:07:44 GMT
how did you get on at the show?
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Post by maxandpaddy on Mar 29, 2014 20:24:22 GMT
They took 3rd in the mixed height Open show pony class so very pleased....but still knackered lol x
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Post by sparkysunny on Mar 29, 2014 20:33:16 GMT
I think it's an age thing - well, it is with me! I go to bed as soon as my daughters do (they're 14 and 12 so they don't go to bed too late!) But if you have a good day out and come home happy, it's all worth it, in my opinion. Have a great, if exhausting, season! x
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Post by maxandpaddy on Mar 29, 2014 20:44:45 GMT
Thanks sparkysunny I think its partly juggling a 3 year old and a 5 year old ......then the two teenagers (pony and eldest daughter) and the prep 1 a month is going to be my limit this season, I need the recovery time
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Post by ponymum on Mar 29, 2014 20:57:09 GMT
Great Result! Well done , yes , I find it more difficult these days , than I did 10yrs ago!!
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Post by Philippa on Mar 29, 2014 21:04:19 GMT
I did my first show of the season last weekend and it took me the whole of Saturday to prepare everything. I kept saying that you would have thought I'd never been to a show in my life before!!!!!
I feel completely disorganised at the moment but I'm convincing myself that it's all going to be easier at the next show!!!! I am however doing my first LR season with a 3yr old so it's all new to us, easy when it's in hand or just me riding!!!!
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Post by maxandpaddy on Mar 29, 2014 21:28:03 GMT
I've spent most of the week not sleeping well, waking up at 3 in the morning thinking 'need more plaiting thread' 'need to get a red ribbon' ' need to buy hair spray' 'need more buckets' 'need something for water'..... 'need to stop waking UP' I hadnt plaited before today for ooooo errrrrr nearly 25 years....so the pressure was on Set off time was 11.30, so no rush there, no need to panic, so yeahhhhh 5am is the sensible time to wake up/get up and start the day I'm not even sure at the moment I enjoyed it?...Maybe showing is one of those things u look back on and enjoy but at the time its a stress fest!!
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Post by comanchediva on Mar 29, 2014 21:36:56 GMT
All we've done today is get 2 ready for tomorrow and I can't keep my eyes open. OH just prised me off the sofa to send me to bed lol. I think I'm getting too old but it'll all be worth it if we have a good day tomorrow
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Post by maxandpaddy on Mar 30, 2014 10:11:39 GMT
The clocks changing really wasnt on!!!
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Post by Philippa on Mar 30, 2014 14:34:28 GMT
OMG your not wrong. I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been out on the beer all night with a couple of hours sleep and eyes were like pee holes in the snow!!'n I think it's called old age
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Post by comanchediva on Mar 30, 2014 15:55:00 GMT
The clocks have messed me up as well. On our way back now and just as shattered as I was last night. Good result with our baby fell stallion has made it worth it though
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Post by maxandpaddy on Mar 30, 2014 17:03:31 GMT
Well done!!...now grab a glass of wine and have a well deserved snooze x
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Post by comanchediva on Mar 30, 2014 18:25:50 GMT
Already got the wine open lol
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Post by fanfarefan on Mar 30, 2014 20:09:46 GMT
Ooooo im so glad its not just me , i was begining to think i was the only person around who needed 2 days to recover ,,, new season ahead now i think i need a good balancer , chaff for slow releaseing heat/ energy , and a good scoop of oats and a good farrier to put some good comfy shoes on my feet , plus a super duper thick straw bed for when i get home and awarm super ,,,,,,, not forgetting a bucket of wine !!!!!!
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Post by maxandpaddy on Mar 30, 2014 21:34:07 GMT
<<<< still recovering
And I'd settle for a day out in the field with no washing/ironing/cleaning/cooking
xxx
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Post by comanchediva on Mar 31, 2014 5:14:40 GMT
Just got up for work and absolutely shattered. Wish I was having a day in the field with the ponies.
Apparently I do this showing thing cos I enjoy it!!??
Edited to say, can we keep this thread going all season, please everyone, I feel a bit better knowing it's not just be that's knackered!!!
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Post by showingforfun on Apr 2, 2014 19:57:11 GMT
I my daughter has changed her allegiance to dressage and I have to say it is far less stressful and not such long days.
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Post by mady on Apr 2, 2014 20:08:26 GMT
I know what you mean.
I spent all week psyching myself up to go to our first show this year with our yearling. Bathing him midweek, plaited him Sunday and panicked all day about being late. Woke up Sunday realising clocks had changed even tho class in afternoon. Had a row with hubby as stressed. Then got stuck in traffic to get there and we'd just missed the class!!!
A positive tho baby yearling went in horsebox and was a gem so can't complain really I suppose.
A G&T was definitely on order
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Post by Philippa on Apr 3, 2014 6:19:24 GMT
Well having done a clinic and first show with a huge entourage of people I'm going to brave it again on Sunday with just mother to help!! This lead rein carry on is a fiasco. Was bad enough getting me & pony ready and keeping clean but we've got a 3 yr old to do as well now!!!!! And I've got another show next weekend too !!!!!!
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Post by nici on Apr 3, 2014 7:55:46 GMT
Lol our first show in about 2 years this weekend! Fortunately just a local RC show a few miles from the yard. Cerys showed a friend's pony last year, so I only had her to get ready, and she can do most of that herself. Lots more stressful taking ponies too, especially as we're taking 2!
One is going out for jumping-away-from-home experience, so will be doing SJ clear round and WH clear round. If the WH clear round goes ok she may also do novice WHP. She's never done a ridden showing class before so that could be entertaining. Not plaiting her up for it though - she's a Welsh C but the M&M WHP class is too high for their first time. She'll have a leg & tail wash on Saturday, may hot rag her if she needs it - she's clipped out so no long coat to worry about. The other pony is a black wash & go who has been rugged up well all winter and is lovely and clean already, so hoping I can get away with leg and tail wash. He's not been to a show for a few years and is only recently backed so will just do an inhand class or maybe novelty ridden.
Roll on autumn - hunting is a lot less stressful!
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Apr 3, 2014 8:27:03 GMT
Shows are supposed to be fun, if not why do it?
On a purely personal level, I never could understand why anyone does posh showing LR anyway (now I duck!) - it must be so boring for tiny children standing in line for hours, and lots of work with leader, pony and small child to get and keep ready. We only did the very odd class for fun, not until daughter was I think 6yo and in those days leaders weren't dressed in Ascot/wedding outfits as they are now. More fun and they gain more when the child is older and can take part more, and there are lots of different things to do with your pony, cf nici above! I believe an all round riding education and experience will stand them in good stead later on, with their fair share of playing cowboys and indians bareback, gymkhana games, PC and hunting. There is more to ponies and riding than just showing!
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Post by maxandpaddy on Apr 3, 2014 9:42:29 GMT
I agree....I'm still not sure if I enjoyed it or not. I'm trying to encourage Hannah to give the Dressage a try, my secret hope being that if I can get her to do just one, then her competitive streak will coming ROARING out and she'l want to do better next time
On top of that - my turn to duck - part of me feels like no matter how hard we work, no matter how good we get her looking, no matter how much effort we put in.....we'l still be little fish in a big scary 'Producers pond'
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Post by nici on Apr 3, 2014 13:17:58 GMT
Even now at 10yo Cerys isn't interested in doing "proper" showing. While I will stress a bit about getting everything ready for Sunday as it's the first time we've done it for ages, and new experiences for both ponies, we're actually going for a fun day out at our local show. It's always full of friends, many of whom we haven't seen much/any of over the winter, so we're keeping classes to a minimum and allowing loads of time for socialising The new pony is very nicely put together, and would give Cerys a chance to compete in FR classes for her last couple of years if she wanted to, once she's schooled him on a bit... I had vague thoughts about taking him to Cheshire and showing him off properly, but Cerys was firmly against the idea. She doesn't mind a bit of local showing with half a dozen or so in the class, but no way is she going to sit there for 2 hours while 30 or 40 people do the same boring show!! OK, we'll stick to Handy Pony then - she loves that!
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Apr 3, 2014 15:36:22 GMT
I loved my dressage, not that I was much good. You do your stuff by yourself, it is carefully marked movement by movement, none of this blowing the whole thing by a minor mistake, and you are given a time in advance so if necessary you can turn up, do it and go home again! But beyond that I felt that learning to dressage is - or should be with a decent trainer - learning to ride correctly and gradually improve your horse and its way of going. I don't think anyone could say the same of showing! Yes I showed under saddle a bit, but I'm primarily a breeder and did it to get my breeding stock and home bred babies out in public and seen, not for love of the discipline.
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Post by Philippa on Apr 3, 2014 16:22:06 GMT
Lol Sarahp each to their own. As it is Maisie loves the ring and doesn't want to come out. She's full of herself. So while she enjoys it she can do it. We aren't doing lots of big shows this year. Mainly WPCS association ones, agricultural the odd bsps and the great Yorkshire. Pony is top notch but has been in hand the last 2 years so needs her enthusiasm curbing slightly.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Apr 3, 2014 17:33:57 GMT
As you say, each to their own! As long as she's enjoying it, that's what matters.
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Post by maxandpaddy on Apr 3, 2014 17:46:21 GMT
It doesnt bode well that I feel like this after one show does it....we fell into showing by accident with Hannah picking up a ride for someone in 2012 and she got the showing bug. We've met and been involved with some lovelyyyy people along the way but with my own history being more the show jumping/eventing path with a bit of showing for others thrown in (cant say I enjoyed it) I find the show pony scene a bit cold A friend of mine said the other day ''How do you tell them all apart when they all look so alike'' and thats a bit how I feel about the show pony class. Beautiful ponies (usually bay) all wearing a variation of red in their browbands. Beautifully turned out jockeys (in a Navy Jacket with some red bling thrown in via the tie/pin hole/ribbons in hair) All look amazing with minuscule things deciding the winner Hannah still enjoys it but was leaning towards the Workers side of things and wanted to aim down that route next year - Yeayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy jumping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But and its a big BUT our show pony and her have had an amazing - not always easy -journey and the two moody teenagers have now developed a close relationship. Hannah wants to finish what shes started So I'l quit moaning For now
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Post by comanchediva on Apr 3, 2014 21:11:48 GMT
We took our baby Fell stallion to dressage a couple of weeks ago for his very first outing under saddle. It is soooooo much more civilised than showing, in the ring at 10.12am, all over by 10.30am, pony away ,breakfast, results and home for lunchtime. Pony was amazing BTW came 6th and behaved like a true gentleman. Then yesterday I get a call from my sister, our boy has his picture in Northern Horse magazine. It's only a small one along with the results but I've had a smile on my face all day. And for me it's the little things (to me anyway) like that, that make the early starts and being shattered worthwhile. And I know what you're saying maxandpaddy about the producers, etc, but at the end of the day we've had all our boys since babies, done all the work ourselves and all us home produced peeps should be very proud of what we achieve Also just done 11 hours at work and I'm shattered lol!
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Post by mady on Apr 4, 2014 20:26:17 GMT
I know what you mean maxandpaddy!
We go to shows and I like the hack/ pba's and sometime who would know??
I went with my friend last year to the dressage regionals and you know what it was so relaxed.. The people actually spoke to you without looking down their noses at you, I was amazed!! It was after 30yrs showing a total different experience
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