Lissa on “Jack The Tourist”
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I couldn’t be more excited to announce that Lissa Green has kindly agreed to start writing for Eventing Nation on a regular basis. Preparing to start her season in Wiltshire she’s penned a fabulous first piece introducing us to her yard full of horses that will leave you feeling like best friends and longing for more. Many, many thanks to Lissa for taking the time to write, and wishing her the best of luck as her spring campaign gets underway.
From Lissa:
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The inevitable has happened… As we all know where horses are concerned it is a continuing list of accidents. My lovely girl Destiny managed to get kicked in the field and chipped off her near-hind splint bone. After the initial ‘blonde’ panic when the words broken bone were mentioned, my brain didn’t listen to the rest of the sentence, I soon understood it is quite a common injury. We decided to take her into surgery to remove the two chips and clean up the wound. The operation was successful and we’re glad to have her back safe and (un)sound, but it shouldn’t be long until she is firing again. In the meantime she is being an exceptional patient, but has serious issues when she’s eating and viciously bites her rug if any horse or human dare to watch her. She has done this all her life apparently and because she is such a lovely, kind mare, it makes it extra funny as it is so out of character. As soon as we start laughing she puts her ears forward again – a great sense of humour I think, something very much needed in this sport. Our other four horses are all in full work and their sense of humour is depleting rapidly. The look of utter horror on their faces as they step out the barn into yet another snow storm, I hope they don’t take it personally.
Destiny’s wound looking tidy after a bandage change
I have moved into a new yard this season, it is situated opposite to the Barbury Castle estate which holds a prestigious horse trial every July. I have been blessed with the never-ending options of hacking and miles of land with some brilliant hills ranging in steepness. I aim to be out on the hills for most of the week at this stage in training to help them really use themselves and especially to aid in strengthening over their back. I actually find walk and trot more beneficial than canter as they can’t use both their back legs to push up the hill and everything is working independently. Obviously some days on the hills are lighter and others days they work up a good sweat. I like always to walk for at least ten minutes before and after any work, so I tend to walk up a hill to start and walk on a hard surface down the road to finish.
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Daisy (Daisyonfire) is my naughty little German who relies on her looks and charm to avoid being in trouble. She is the cheekiest, most clever mare who has small (wo)man syndrome and therefore spends much of her life on her hind legs, both in the stable with her chin resting on the dividing wall and under saddle. Despite spending the last year in a field in Ireland, it is almost as if she thinks she is above everyone else and therefore it is her God given right to look down on others. She is remarkable though, she can hold herself in perfect balance for over twenty seconds, I have never seen anything like it. Nevertheless this year she is actually cooperating (well most of the time). She used to be a three year old stuck in a six year old’s body, now I think she has upgraded to a five year old. I am proud of her maturity; we have exhausted the stash of Polo’s (Life Savers) and now we are onto the sugar lumps for my tea until we buy some more.
Zac sleeping again!
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Zac (Carousel Chaos) is a new ride this year. He has come from a very close friend of mine, Sarah Curtis, and I feel so lucky that she has entrusted him with me. Zac I think was meant to have been born a dog. Every time I give him a cuddle he is so involved that you half expect him to start licking you. If he could sit on your lap he would. Unfortunately there would be serious consequences as he is a huge 17hh – a true gentle giant. He is such a balanced horse, that he actually trots down all these hills with far greater ease than my others, I’m very impressed and love riding him even though you might need binoculars to see me on board.
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Raffa (Boleybawn Free) is seriously struggling from “voluntary” ADD at the moment, often focusing on anything but work. Luckily it is slowly coming together again, she does feel like she is growing though and I think I only have half the horse I will have in the future. She does make me laugh; she puts on such an act of being a strong independent woman, and then worries when you’re not there for her straight after she has told you to go away. She really is special to me this horse, the first one we have owned and nothing she ever does will stop me from adoring everything about her.
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Jack (CTS So What) has come back after his tweaked check ligament at the end of last year. He is so happy to be back in training again, he keeps whickering every time I go past his door. I would like to say it’s because he loves me, but he’s no fool and knows that nine times out of ten I will be carrying some sort of treat on me and that his innocent whicker is more than enough to warrant half a pack. Unfortunately he then has to put up with the hugs and kisses that he accepts comes with the treat. He amuses me on our rides…he is such a tourist. He literally stops, with no warning, no matter what pace he’s in and simply stares at the views! Quite embarrassing that even Pony Club kicks rarely snap him out of his trance. Luckily he hasn’t done that in competition – yet. It will be so exciting to compete him again, I love this boy, he has given me so much confidence and we have only done five Events together.
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I’m sure many of us ask ourselves the question of why we do horses; when your fingers are blue and sticking to the ice cold buckles on your girth, suddenly an office job seems oddly desirable. That dreaded question is usually answered as soon as you are in the saddle. The moment you become as one and see a jump or a long stretch of grass you know what each other is thinking. Watching and feeling the response to everything you teach them, sharing the same feelings of excitement and happiness, there really is nothing quite like working this closely with a live being.
