🐴Wessex Trec Camp🐴
An amazing 4days away at Bucklebury camp with Wessex TREC
Arriving Thursday to settle in, with Ponies enjoying some grass before bedtime stables. Onto a yummy dinner and a talk on goal setting!
Friday Duke had a nice rest in the field while I taught the flat work sessions. Focusing on a few PTV obstacles to work with in the arena with the help of Erin Baldwin who kindly wrote notes for everyone to take away.
Early evening Sheila Jones and I had a hack round some of the xc course. It was a Little exciting with so much going on and other horses on the course.
Another lovely dinner and talk on Medical Detection Dogs, this was truly amazing.
Saturday was the POR. A quick lesson on map reading for me before we started. Thanks to Sarah who kindly partnered me on the ride and got us home along with helping me learn to map read. A lovely fun ride with bridges, fords, gates etc.
Duke was super happily excepting my flappy map and rucksack!
Sunday we started with a course walk to go over the PTV and MA. Also nice to learn how to score so we could help judge between riding.
All very exciting… after the most horrible rain all night we were thrilled the course was so good and safe to ride.
Duke hadn’t been in this situation yet, so I was open minded on how best to handle things with no expectations.
Sue kindly rode down to the xc course with me, after I had a little warm up in the school.
The weather had been horrid over night and I wanted to settle Duke in the arena and check how he felt before going straight out into a new environment. We hadn’t been on this part of the course yet.
He was super, stood and watched a few then straight off into his MA cantering all the way up nicely, to turn round and quietly walk back down! Chuffed!!
On to the start and off we went…walking before obstacle to give Duke chance to see and assess things.
He confidently rode through all the obstacles till the ditch where it was coming down towards home, with lots to see and I could feel him getting over loaded. The ditch had a large puddle before and after and he wasn’t sure and a lead didn’t help so I jumped off, walked him over a few times In-Hand and then jumped back on to finish the last few. The last was the water and altho his good with water it was a funny colour and deep and he was tired at this point so I felt best to get a lead to keep his confidence and finish on a hi!
A big carrot at the end and some fuss. I jumped off to walk him home as I could feel he was holding it together well but the pressure valve needed to release 🤣 he soon settled back down and went back in the field while we all went off to help everyone else and judge.
To say I was over the moon was an understatement. This pony is such a star and just wants to please. A nice rest now and time to enjoy his friends back in the field at home.
A big thank you to everyone involved at this camp. To all that supported me and Duke, making this such a lovely experience for us both!!
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