Morag O'Hanlon - Life on an Eventing Farm.
My blog started in August, 2005 to chronicle my progress in training “A First Romance" (a.k.a. Solo) into a world class Eventing horse. Now eight-years-old, Solo is close to competing in the Intermediate 1 division. He's fabulous XC but does still tend to voice his opinion during dressage... never a dull moment.
Solo's ridden by my daughter, Selena, who competed at her first Olympics in 2008 with Colombo. Selena also rides several different horses out of our homebase, Hawkridge Farms, which is owned by the Davies.
This blog chronicles both our adventures as we continue to train Eventing horses. Occasionally, Selena will make an entry on her progress at competitions particularly on the lead up to major events. Please feel free to ask questions or send comments.
Posts
subscribe
The Count Down is On
July 26, 2006 | Comments OffThe weeks are flying past and Solo’s first under saddle show is fast approaching. This time in two weeks, he will be on the road to Millbrook NY. So far we have not worked out a way of getting him to another small show beforehand. Selena’s show schedule is intense and the spaces in the trailer are allocated weeks in advance. Read more »
Dressage Days
July 19, 2006 | Comments OffSolo seems to be growing up, he is easier in all sorts of ways. Easier and calmer at feed times, less anxious when his buddy Waldo is working and quieter to turnout and bring in. He is also getting better to pony, he was always a bit of a pain to pony as he just couldn’t keep himself to himself, but always has Read more »
Doing The Ditch
July 11, 2006 | Comments OffFinally the sun shone and all the cross country fields dried up. Even the water jump is at a fun level for the first time this year. I was also able to get my camera out again without fear of ruining it in the incessant rain. Solo has been hopping neatly over the little logs quite easily for a long time now. Read more »
Psych!
July 4, 2006 | Comments OffAs it turned out, the dressage show was NEXT Sunday the ninth, and we couldn’t enter him. It was a question of too many young horses at once. We have already entered two big four year old Holsteiners for the show - both of whom are at their first show and both of whom are over 17hh. On reflection, we decided that trying to cope Read more »
First Dressage Test
June 28, 2006 | Comments OffSolo had his first school in a real dressage arena on the weekend. He was not terribly impressed….as per usual, he had opinions that had to be expressed. He looked and spooked his way around the ring, and mumbled and grumbled about it the entire time. We have found that he generally tends to discuss everything new, but on the second time around, he says Read more »
Leaps & Bounds
June 20, 2006 | Comments OffSolo’s education continues to progress fairly smoothly. It isn’t so much that he has stopped arguing and giving us all his opinions, more a question of us wading through his lengthy discussions over every aspect of his training. He ALWAYS has to say SOMETHING!! While we were at Bromont, the Pony Club were here at Hawkridge doing some show jumping. We left the course up Read more »
The Horse Cottage
June 9, 2006 | Comments OffSelena left for Quebec on Tuesday with Peanuts but life at Hawkridge Farm is NEVER quiet and this week seems to be particularly hectic - so….I am still not at Bromont, I am hoping to leave later today after our mare Be Bold Juliet is bred (everything happens when you want to go away). Since Solo is not working this week I thought I would Read more »
Almost All Grown Up
May 30, 2006 | Comments OffI have noticed since the Pat Burgess clinic that Solo even looks more grown up. He has been much better behaved since his ‘dive in the deep end’. His body looks deeper and stronger and his neck is finally starting to fill out. All in all he is beginning to look more like a horse and less like a string bean. He Read more »
A Star Pupil
May 23, 2006 | Comments OffI know I said Solo was too young to last throughout a whole jumping clinic… but… All last week he did nothing but argue. He argues about leaving the barn, he argues about going up hills in walk, he argues about whether he wants to lunge or not….altogether, as per usual, he has way too much to say for himself. It’s not that we don’t Read more »
A new addition
May 12, 2006 | Comments OffWell, it’s very unlikely that Solo will do more than be ponied out or a quick spin on the lunge - reason being??? We were up half the night welcoming our newest equine. Selena’s retired eventer, Be Bold Juliet, had her first baby and it’s a HUGE chestnut filly. Or at least it’s huge for a first foal out a 15hh TB. Read more »
First Jumping Pix
May 8, 2006 | Comments OffSolo is now ensconced in his new barn at the back of the property. The six horses that we moved over there seem to be settling in. As always, there was a bit of running around the first night we turned them out but the new pastures were too big a temptation and everyone had their heads down pretty quickly. Solo and Waldo Read more »
Summer Planning
April 28, 2006 | Comments OffSolo is ‘up and running’. He has hacked alone and in company and he works in walk trot and canter in the outdoor, or the indoor arena - again, either on his own or in company. He is 4 years old now and he can hack, do big circles at trot and canter in the ring and jump small fences from trot and canter. Read more »
