Overjoyed and Overweight

I've been so terrible with updating this blog. Time just flies - and it really doesn't help that I have nothing interesting to write about... 

Apart from the fact that my horse is awesome!!! 

We've failed in having a lesson in a while. With small at-home comps happening everywhere, my instructor being away, me being absent it hasn't happened in about a month. 

During that time, I've been forced to work under my own instruction (and I'm still not sure how I feel about that). 

The "long and low" game is happening. Which is good? Maybe? But I feel there's a very thin line between it being good and basically teaching him how to yank the reins from my hands and get praised for it. That'll definitely be a question for our next lesson... 

I also decided to chop all of Mate's lush mane off not long ago! (All though, mind you it's already grown back a lot more then first thought. )

And it honestly just makes jumping 1937264% more scary..: 

This, was last weekend at the end of year JRC (junior riding club) gymkhana - where I think Mate surprised us all. 

1st in Hacking/Rider class. 

2nd in flags. 

3rd in presentation.

3rd in bending. 

3rd in barrels. 

3rd in post the letter. 

4th in jumping. (!?!)

And a 4th for dressup. 

I also received a metal thing for attendance, a bottle of shampoo (which works a treat for ponies who like to cake themselves in mud right before something important *cough* Mate..), some stickers (equally as lame as it sounds), a bag of carrots and we also managed to come out with the instructors award. 

Fighting back the joyful/surprised/over-tired tears was a touch difficult. But the fear of humiliation outweighed the need. 

We scored the 3rd highest point score of our group!

In other, possibly more interesting news, I've been offered to ride/work an extremely lazy and fat thoroughbred named 'Archie'. Cared by my instructor an friend over at The Young Horse Experience. 

This seems to be an incredibly good angle for him. But he is wide! 

He's definitely a funny one - but I do like him and his weird views on life. 

All of last week I did work experience as part of school up at my agistment place - so I got to ride him a fair bit (more than Mate, actually!) The conclusion was...interesting. But, as I said before, I do like him! 

Hopefully many more adventures to come with all the overweight ponies...