Diary 2006 3 18

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Our first training weekend, how exciting! Having watched the trials last year, I was really inspired to give the road trials a go this year. So I bought a 'sensible' type horse last August, husband started up the weekly training sessions again at the local dog classes and we started to ride out together.

Unfortunately this is much harder for my husband on a bicycle going over rough ground whilst the dog and horse canter along quite happily! With the bad weather (ice and mud) we have had very little practice this year. So this weekend was a great opportunity to push on with the training.

Day 1, the motivational training day. What fun - but goodness was I exhausted at the end of it. Getting the dog to listen to you and return to you in a room full of Dalmatians (oh, and honorary "spotties" Sheltie and Collie) was what I expected to be a nightmare. But all dogs were so well behaved, and even when a dog was off the lead doing their "thing", they always returned to the handler with wagging tails. Even with the temptation of a kitchen with some yummy goodies on show only tempted the odd dog away temporarily. What can I say, that trainer was a miracle worker! Alas at the end of the training day Harvey and I returned to Reading (for a Birthday and to feed a horse!) Missed by Ann Marie on the Saturday evening but attended by 40 local drivers and historians was a fascinating slide show by Joy Claxton on the history of carriages from Elizabeth to Elizabeth.

Day 2 - instinct test. Up early again but what a beautiful location and such a lovely day. The first hour was about getting your horse fit, how to present to a vet and what to be aware off when doing long rides. This was really helpful, even if it was simple a case of re-iterating what you already knew. It is always nice to know you are doing something right!

Next we moved onto the actual dog, horse and carriage. After everyone agreeing that we wanted Alison's gorgeous pony, (and being amazed at what a wonderful lorry he got to go in by himself!) we headed off to a local cross country course. Well we were warned that there were going to be loose sheep around...luckily though they were far enough away not to cause any distraction.

(I don’t think distraction from sheep is part of the Bronze test!) For the people practicing the road trials, well there were a few hiccups and perhaps we were asking a bit too much of the dogs too quickly in a new environment. However the people trying out with the carriages, well I was certainly jealous! They all looked super and really at home with what they were doing.

For Harvey and I, we had to go then, but what a wonderful weekend, really well organised and certainly one of the most enjoyable times I have had of recent.

Thank you all.