Saturday 23 February 2013

Posy blots copybook again!

Until today, Posy's jumping has been progressing very well and she has bravely jumped Her entire stock of fillers, bar the arrowhead.  Today She put out the arrowhead, confident that Posy would leap over it without thinking twice.  Now She realises that She was being overly ambitious, even if it was very small.



There was much guffawing from those watching in the stables I can tell you!

Monday 18 February 2013

Performance Targets Update

I have found that my new job does not have many treats associated with it.  It's not fair as Posy goes out and about and gets carrot rewards on her return, while I can only glower at her through the grille.  She has also usurped my place in the arena.  Here I can be seen gazing wistfully over the fence while she prances round.
I am the forlorn figure on the right
I was so annoyed that I ambushed Posy on her way out of the arena and bit her.  Now I am confined to my stable while Posy is strutting her stuff.  However, I think I made my point because She has organised a number of outings for me with my chum Freddie.  We entertain ourselves with a contest to see who can snatch the most snacks on the way round, plus I get my rightful quotient of carrots when I get back.



I was secretly pleased to find that Posy has just blotted her copybook.  Posy was meant to be making her dressage debut at the weekend, but turned up on the morning of the competition smothered in mud and minus one shoe, so she couldn't go and is in disgrace.

Horse of the Month is Hanuman.  He got 87% in his Horse Agility class.  Although he only came 21st out of 24, the judge's comments read 'This was a beautiful round. Don’t look at the score but see where you are headed which is to the top with these horsemanship skills.'  For the tarpaulin exercise, where Hanuman decided to inspect the tarpaulin closely before going over it, the judge wrote '...this was poetry in motion, beautiful horsemanship in your WAIT. Lovely.'  She suspects that it would be better not to be waiting at all, but was very pleased with the comments anyway.
A special rosette for a special boy


Sunday 10 February 2013

Promotion!

I have been promoted!  My new job title is Head of Field Operations.  My old performance targets have been cancelled, and I am now in charge of making sure that everything in the field runs smoothly.
 
I am to create and oversee the implementation of tools utilised in the field with the aim of enhancing operational effectiveness.  I am to oversee the implementation of best practice in the field to make the overall operation more efficient.  Identification of field operational solutions that will improve productivity is also part of my responsibilities.  This may include repelling deer, sheep and any other intruders.  It is clear that I have the gravitas needed to be successful in this role. 
In addition, I am tasked with carrying Her to collect eggs and escorting Freddie the cob from time to time.  I have been allocated an assistant, so have added management responsibilities as well.   Phew, that must be worth a raise in my carrot quotient.
Here I am kept busy supervising my young assistant

Here I check that all is well in the field

My underling sleeping on the job, you can't get the staff these days...

Wednesday 6 February 2013

From Hero to Zero

The vet came last week to stab us with needles and scrape our teeth.  He also had a look at my hock which has been playing me up lately.  They were shaking their heads over it and decided that I needed some rest.  This sounded good at first, but my head has been down a bit lately as I see that it is Posy who is earning carrots and peppermints.  The lorry that was hired to take me to my first hunter trial has been rerouted to give Posy a jaunt.

All I have been getting is an unpleasant herbal concoction sprinkled onto my breakfast.  I have tried refusing it and wearing my most pained expression, but no untainted breakfast has appeared to replace it.  In the end I have been forcing it down, but throwing bits on the floor to show my displeasure.  It seems only yesterday that I was the darling of the cross country clinic and a star jumper in the making.


Monday 4 February 2013

Posy's show jumping debut

Posy went along to the babies' clear round show jumping on Sunday.  She was shocked by big pictures of elephants at the first fence so stopped and then did a cat leap over it.  She jumped the second and third fences but was alarmed by another scary filler at the fourth and slammed the brakes on, twice.  Then she realised it wasn't too awful after all and jumped it, and the rest, without dislodging her rider.  After receiving a peppermint and having a few minutes to think it over, she had a second go round.  This time she flew round for a clear and was showered with peppermints and carrots, and was awarded a ribbon.
Posy proudly models her clear round ribbon
Posy didn't fail to point out that on my show jumping debut, I didn't even recognise that the objects in front of me were jumps, and has put her superior performance down to six generations of KWPN breeding, and the fact that none of her ancestors were required to plough fields.