Our first few day trips

So after a few months of just settling Tor into work at home, we have started taking him out to Gisborne and Lara for a few different outings, and to start training him over some different cross country fences, just to see how he reacted to them.

I would have to say he is probably the easiest horse to take out somewhere new, never gets hot (and he's a chestnut!) and behaves almost exactly the same as he does at home, which is a nice change!

I took him for a walk around the xc course at both places, where we popped over a variety of fences, such as banks, steps, ski fences and ditches, all of which he jumped straight over with no hesitation. He really is such a pleasure to work with, he is always wanting to please, and I believe once we start having a few dressage and jumping lessons, it will not take long before it all comes together, and he will be starting his eventing career :)

ESB Irish Visitor

After Legs left to become a showjumper, I spent some time just working on my own TB, until it became apparent that something was not quite right with him, he no longer wanted to jump they way he used to, so after some discussions with Vanessa Hawkins, it was agreed that I needed another horse. I decided to take home ESB Irish Visitor (Tor), a 17hh chestnut gelding by ESB Irish Edition, and Tor has now been with me for 3 1/2 weeks. My first experience with him was attempting to get him off a straight loader, as he had never travelled in one, and didnt know how to get off the float!! Eventually we took the centre divider out and let him turn himself around as it was getting late and I needed him to see his new paddock before dark!

Other than that, Tor has so far been a dream to work with. He has the sweetest temperament, and is always wanting to please, which makes life so much easier. We have since done some float training, and although it takes a bit of encouragement and time, he now backs off the float. I have just been doing a lot of basic flat work with him, working on our leg yields, and starting shoulder in, turns on the haunches (he already does turn on the forehands) and a lot of long and low work. Hopefully he will be out and about in a few months time, just at some small events, and in the meantime, a lot of training and taking him out to new places :)

My first ESB horse

My first ESB horse is ESB Irish Legacy (Legs). He is a 16.2hh grey gelding by ESB Irish Descent.
Legs came with a few issues, such as spooking at nothing, panicking when horses came near him when he was under saddle, and has an exceptional talent for bucking! I got him in Jan 09, as a 12 year old. He had never done dressage or cross country before, so I was basically starting from the start. Over the past year I have mostly been working on getting a consistent rhythm, learning to take the contact forward rather than coming back behind the vertical, and becoming a calmer, more sensible horse when it comes to strange places (or in his case, the arena!) We have come quite a long way, slowly building trust together, and he has taught me to keep my heels down and how to show jump properly!

Unfortunately after quite some time training cross country with Legs, we decided that he was not brave enough to continue to the level in which I am aspiring to compete, and therefore it was decided that Legs was best off in a showjumping home, and he is now with Josh Dawes and Elia Lom, where he is going really well.

Current activities

Currently I have two horses (only one competing at the minute), I am learning to play golf, and I am starting to play tennis again...an odd mix, I know! The horses are the main focus, however I like to do other sports to break it up a bit :)

Competition history

Legs has not been out doing loads of competitions just yet, however he came 8th at Prelim at Tooradin in 09, and his dressage is improving very much, he is now scoring between 60 and 65% :) He is doing his first Pre-Novice at Geelong the 13th/14th March 2010.

Other interests

Well, my life is horses and working to pay for them, but in the spare time I make about once a week I like to go out and play some golf, or have a hit of tennis, or just sit down and read for a while. I also like dancing I'm just not very good at it, so that only happens if I am home by myself :P

Career Path

Further education

Apart from studying the Cert II in Equine Studies during school, I have also just completed the Certificate IV in Massage Therapy (for humans), which although it was taught to be used on humans, the horses structure is fairly similar in a lot of ways, and therefore my horses benefit from me learning to massage as well. I am also currently learning to bake with Bakers Delight, but have not yet started an apprenticeship.

My Schooling

I spent the first few years at a school in Beachport, a small town in South Australia, before moving to Victoria. I went from a school of 80 students, to a school of 800, which was pretty scary at the time!! I completed the Certificate II in Equine Studies during years 10 and 11, however I left after year 11 to work full time on a horse property in Winchelsea, where I gained invaluable knowledge in all aspects of riding, grooming, and looking after a property of 50 horses, and too many cows and sheep to count.

My Childhood

The first 7 years of my life were in a motel. We owned and ran a motel in Beachport, SA, and there really isn't time for much else when you run a motel! I started gymnastics at about 2, and continued until I was 9, but decided to give it up just after I was offered a place in the VIS (Victorian Institute of Sport). I first began to ride around the same time, just at a little riding school not far from home, and shortly after I was given a pony to lease, ride and care for as my own. Unfortunately I did not get all the basic lessons I probably needed right from the start, so I basically just watched what other riders did and copied (or at least I tried to!) and after a couple of years I moved on to another horse. The next horse didn't work out, and so he was sold and I free leased a little arabian pony, Zahra. Zahra was probably one of the best ponies I have ridden; after a bit of working out who was in charge, she would do anything for me, and she took me to PC grade 3 (from grade 5) and I jumped her at home over gr2 fences. She was a great confidence builder. The next main horse was a slightly bigger, more solid Arabian, and he taught me a lot more in the dressage, but was not a confident xc horse, but I persisted and he became a lot better, but he was never going to be the horse I wanted/needed. I then moved onto 'Gary' (bad name I know). Gary was off the track and had been handled by people who were not confident on the ground with him, therefore resulting in VERY bad ground manners. He had hardly jumped, never done dressage, never been to Pony Club, but after 2 1/2 years he was competing grade 1 (EFA Pre-Nov). I still have him, but he is currently turned out with an injured tendon. And now for Legs. I started riding Legs in Nov 08 whilst staying at Vanessa's place in Goornong, and within about three weeks we went to our first showjumping comp at Tonimbuk, jumping 1m, where he jumped one clear round, and had a rail and a stop in the 2nd, but nevertheless was very good. At home he is now doing leg yields, shoulder-in, starting travers and half pass, and is starting to establish a medium trot :) However he does get upset at events, but he has improved out of sight, and I believe the more he gets out and has no bad experiences, the quicker he will improve even more. He is doing his first Prenov this weekend :)

My Family