An honest rundown of the days events and a breakdown of costs
(from @the_poor_horse_girl)
Photo credits Amy Griffiths Photography
After missing the Breed Show last year (because Nutmeg had a cough) I was devastated. This year, I was determined to attend.
Bishop Burton College is where I went to Uni - and more recently done some guest lecturing/demos for students - so it's a very familiar drive and venue to me. I always enjoy going back.
I'd been preparing for weeks; making various lists of things to remember for me and Nutmeg, making sure I had all the right tack - rose gold stirrups aren't welcome in the show ring! - packing it all in the horse box and preparing everything for the day...
I've never been to a show and had a stable before so there was bedding, tools and haylage to consider too. I'd finally have the opportunity to use my branded stable drapes that hadn't yet had an outing. I was excited!
I'd planned the schedule for the day to the hour so I had a prior plan of action. Nutmeg had had a bath the night before so she was clean and ready to go early in the morning. I'd been gradually packing everything into the box throughout the week. We were ready.
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Nutmeg has always been a little bit "sticky" to load. She likes to put her front feet on the ramp and check it all out before going on. I don't mind this and I never rush her or pressure her too much, for her, it's normal and I don't blame her for wanting to make sure she deems everything safe before climbing in. I'd say on average it takes about 3 approaches before she marches (or trots!) up the ramp. Today was no different... I always lead her at the side just like when doing Groundwork and wait until she loads herself. Ultimately, she needs to make the decision to trust what I'm asking of her is safe to do. There's no way you're going to push or pull half a ton of horse anywhere it's not willing to go!
She has also always been a bit of a diva when in transit. She usually paws the ground and can do some "mini" rearing (which can be quite unnerving for me!) but I know she has a good sense of self-preservation and is generally level-headed so I trust her to not do herself damage. It's not like she panics or is in distress, she just quite impatient and doesn't like being confined. Which is completely understandable. The fact that its a 7.5tn helps me relax as it feels more substantial and balanced than a 3.5tn or trailer. Again, today was no different! She doesn't get sweaty whilst travelling (another sign that gives me hope she's just being impatient Nutmeg and not actually stressed or finding travelling difficult) and on arrival, to say temperatures were already heading towards the low 20's by that stage, she was dry... and keen to see where she was!
I'd said to my Other Half beforehand (need to say here that he was THE BEST unpaid groom I could have asked for in the absence of #TopHorseDad - He single-handedly carried both the bale of shavings AND the small bale of haylage from the box to the stable in one trip much to the amusement of onlookers! He got totally stuck in and was a fantastic support for me throughout the whole day) that my stress levels would drop once we'd got there and Nutmeg was settled in her stable.
Ben making Nutmeg look like a pony! (He's 6'7" and she's 15.2hh!!!)
Our first class was an in-hand one which I was treating more as an arena familiarisation. Nutmeg has never been in an arena anything like the BBA International; Flags, galleries, advertising boards... and it's BIG. It was as if she'd ridden in there her whole life, she took it all in her stride and never batted an eyelid at any of it. However, she didn't want to stand still.
It was HOT and on arrival she'd been confined yet again to her "new" stable for a while as we'd got there early (always a good thing!) so impatience got the better of her again. We were placed last out of 6 but the aim of that class wasn't to be competitive, it was to see how she took to the unfamiliar arena. The feedback from the judge (who actually didn't really comment on lack of standing still) said that she wasn't tracking up or using her back end very well in the trot round so I think she'd got a bit tense from the drive and whilst settling into her stable. I knew she'd work better under saddle.
Photo credit my OH (Unpaid Groom!)
We enjoyed some food and drink sat outside next to the box in the hot sun over lunch before the ridden classes. I'm really glad I'd gone for the day stable because Nutmeg would have been way too hot if she'd had to stand on the box and definitely wouldn't have stood still tied up next to it for the entire day. It meant I could put her away and let her relax without worrying about her.
Wearing a full tweed jacket, long sleeved shirt and long riding boots in 27 degrees was not fun I can tell you!!! Before we went into our first mounted class I had a walk, trot and canter in the (refurbished since I was a student) indoor arena. She felt great; transitions on point, working well and flowing paces...
I don't know if it was because I was absolutely cooking or just nerves but my heartrate was so rapid when we were stood outside waiting to go in. I knew if she was going to buck it would be the first group canter (she of course did just that right under the seats and kicked the wall making everyone jump) but I knew I would relax once we'd done our first individual show.
Yep you read that right! even I get nervous sometimes! I think it was a combination of the adrenaline from being in unfamiliar territory (as in, we are NOT show-ers!), hoping I remembered my ring craft and show, Nutmeg behaving... and also because I was so hot and feeling like I was going to pass out!
She was fab. Impatience aside - we we're both very hot and bothered by then - I could not fault her riding at all. She listened to me perfectly, the canter transitions were spot on, she got the correct lead every time, she wasn't bothered at all for the other horses. I was proud of her for taking the whole day so well.
Photo credit Amy Griffiths Photography
I was never going with any intention of being "competitive". It was an experience I wanted to tick off our bucket list. Supporting and being part of The British Appaloosa Society is a nice feeling. Being part of an Equestrian community outside of the yard or childhood pony friendships feels good. Everyone stewarding, judging and generally running the day did a fantastic job and all competitors had smiles on their faces. I was just happy to be there! It was good experience for Nutmeg and I am so proud of how well she gets on with things. After years of anxiety with Maz, it's nice to be able to attend such a big show like this and not be so stressed.
It's the farthest journey I've ever driven the box myself too which I felt proud of. The whole day went according to plan and exactly how I'd envisioned it unfolding. Nutmeg had taken everything in her stride and had been beautiful to ride. By the end of the day I'm pretty sure she'd fully accepted her stable as her new home! She had her usual look at the ramp to go home and travelled well - she's usually too tired for the ride home to be carrying on!
I think we were all grateful to be home after the 14 hour day! It's an experience I'll never forget and that I'm proud to say we did.
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Breakdown of costs
from @the_poor_horse_girl
Entry fees:
4 classes at £10 - £40
day stable £35
first aid donation £2
show donation (to the society) £5
PayPal fee £2 Total = £84
Extras:
small bale of haylage £6?
Bale of shavings £7.25
food and drink for the day (for 2 of us, snacks and from the canteen) circa £20-30
a commemorate t-shirt £14
paying a friend to clean my tack £13 Total = £65.25
Overall TOTAL £149.25 (This doesn't include diesel or horsebox upkeep etc)
This was by far the most prominent show day/event in my calendar and a once in a blue moon thing! I am proud to be part of and support an equestrian society - having a spotty horse was never a specific goal in my life but its lovely to have a community. It was an enjoyable day and I'm really proud to have had the experience for myself and Nutmeg. I'm not sure if I would make the investment again as it was full on and quite a stressful day for Nutmeg (and me!) Plus "showing" is also definitely NOT our discipline. But overall I do feel like it was money well spent to have the experience and support the society
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