Chloe Chubb’s showing blog: wrong canter leads and RIHS prep
For once it was a pretty quiet weekend for me, with only one small show on Sunday to go to.
I’d been working hard on Sandy all week, so I was pleased to be taking him out. He has really started to look well and go very nicely — except for the slight issue we are having with getting the right canter lead. It’s typical that when he first learnt to canter we couldn’t get a wrong leg, and now it seems to be the other way around!
After a busy Saturday morning working, I headed up the yard to ride, bath and trim Sandy. He was such a little star, standing so quietly to be bathed and trimmed — he even fell asleep while I pulled his mane!
As I had a late night out in London planned for Saturday night, we decided to arrive in time for the later class at the show, which was an open class but meant not such an early start! When we got to the show I discovered I didn’t have much time until I was in. Well although it was only Sandy’s second competition appearance, he acted like an old pro and after 15min working in we headed down to the ring.
There were nine different breeds in the class and I was really pleased with how Sandy coped. He hardly ever gets to work with other ponies, and certainly has never had a Highland cantering up behind him, but he didn’t care at all. We had a few issues getting our right leg in the go round and I knew it would be a problem in the show.
As predicted the first trot change of rein and canter was perfect — then came the wrong leg … a couple of times. We did eventually get our right canter lead and completed our show. We ended up 5th and, although the wrong legs weren’t great, I couldn’t really have been much more pleased with his behaviour, especially as he was against some HOYS open ponies. I am hoping to get him out again soon as he is such a lovely pony to ride and all the work we have done on our trotting seems to be paying off.
So this week Sandy and I have been practising our canter leads with a pole and we are already almost there! I’m sure by the end of the week he will have learnt on canter on the right leg, but then he will then have probably forgotten how to canter on the left!!
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I’m really busy this week with Jacob going to the Royal International Horse Show on Friday, I am honoured to be judging on Saturday (new hat at the ready!) and then I have Toby competing on Sunday. I really love the RIHS and have been looking forward to the show all season. Let’s hope the sun shines for us!
Good luck to everyone competing at this lovely show.
Chloe
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Chloe is a successful amateur showing rider and judge, who has been blogging on Horseandhound.co.uk since 2010. She mainly competes in ridden Mountain & Moorland classes with her team of ponies, as well as riding for other people. She lives in Kent and works full-time in London, so has to fit the ponies in around work.