Georgie and Harry’s Latest Update

Hi everyone!

With the end of lockdown quickly approaching (hopefully!), I am so excited to update you all on the past few months!

In my last blog post, I had recently visited Richmond EQ and spoke about heading off to university, since then I have completed my second term studying Veterinary medicine and had a few successful rounds with Harry.

In October i got the long train journey back to Lincolnshire and set off for the Arena Uk spooktacular which has always been one of our favourite shows. Harry was fantastic and wasn’t fazed by the atmosphere at all despite it being his first competition in over a month and on top of that being an indoor stay away, i was so impressed with him. We jumped the 1m/1.10m every day mostly for 4 faults however we had such a fun time and learnt lots, particularly the importance of supporting him around corners and towards the grandstand where he is most likely to drop his shoulder. I then headed back to Bristol leaving Harry with some time off in the field before returning once again for the Willow Banks Christmas show.

We are really lucky to have facilities like WB EQ very nearby, so my friend Lucy and I packed the lorry and headed down to jump a speed round and the chase me Charlie ! Harry was kept ticking over with the occasional hack with my brother while I was away, so the pressure was off and expectations were lower but Harry clearly missed his jumping and went on to win the class clearing 1.48 with room for more!

After Christmas ( like many horse owners) I found it difficult to keep up the training with arena hires closed due to covid and very wet fields so the idea of the return of some sort of normality is really exciting. Harry has also struggled to keep his weight over winter previously and ideally needs to gain back some weight and muscle this year in preparation for our summer plans. It is really important to support this process and do so slowly and correctly, especially in the springtime. I find the Trickle Net Original best for everyday use in his stable to allow a constant trickle feeding rhythm, whilst the nets are well known for monitoring the weight of good-doers and reducing intake, I find them especially helpful in these winter months where I need to ensure his feed isn’t dramatically increased over a short period of time.

This summer, I am looking forward to more outings up and down the country in the new lorry, my main aim is to become more consistent at the 1.20m level after introducing him last year to the bigger classes. I am hoping to also take him XC schooling and to the beach to break up the shows and exercises in the field. I’m looking forward to posting some exciting updates and content soon!

Thank you for reading!

Georgie and Harry

@gmshowjumping