The Training Diaries With Allie Knowles: Part 3 What to Get Out of the First XC School of the Year

It’s high time we caught up with Allie Knowles again and see how her couple of lovely, talented mares Roxy (above) and Komik are doing. Now 6 years old they’re heading to their first event of the year at Full Gallop this weekend. If  you missed Chapter 1 or Chapter 2 you can catch up with them to find out some more about their background. Typically for January in most places, and for Kentucky at any time of the year, the weather had been playing havoc with her plans to get out and cross country school but we managed to co-ordinate a day in between the ground being completely sodden and deep, and before the big freeze set in and temperatures plummeted to single digits the next day.

Roxy was coming to Masterson Station Park for the second day in a row but was still spooky, not necessarily at the fences, and Allie told me this is what makes her quite challenging to ride because she’s simultaneously quite strong.  Now that I have children, on the rare occasions that I ride it’s like therapy for me, and when I was competing I definitely preferred straight-forward, uncomplicated geldings. When things went wrong it was usually my fault and of course I bore the guilt endlessly, but loved my horses unreservedly.  I have immense admiration for Allie who, especially for a young(er!) rider, is incredibly  thoughtful, and treats both these mares (and in fact a bunch more of them in her string) with endless patience and empathy, exactly how I (would like to) treat my own children in fact! I daren’t ask in what form she takes her therapy!

Komik could not be more different to Roxy – barely glancing at the fences but every now and then arguing with Allie in between them, and definitely an Alpha mare; she’s sometimes maddening just to watch, let alone I imagine to ride, and once again I marvel at Allie’s maturity in coping with them both with such grace and even good humour. However, when they’re not maddening to watch they’re pretty exciting; very talented and scopey, both good looking, super-moving horses, and Allie rides them both so quietly yet effectively, and in such a nice balance and rhythm that it looks easy. I change my mind again, I need to get over my bias against mares, they’re just like women and have superior brains!

Allie and I chatted after she rode so she could tell me herself exactly how the horses felt and how they’re shaping up.

Wishing Allie and the girls the very best of luck at Full Gallop, and also of course to all of the Eventing Nation who are lucky enough to be out competing this weekend.  We’ll check back in with Allie for an update on the competition and bring you Chapter 4 of the Training Diaries soon. If you have any particular training questions relating to your own horse, Allie’s mares or anything you’d like her to address, please leave a comment below.  Go mares and Go Eventing!

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