Pony Club Camp! (Image Heavy) July 2024

 French Creek PC had our summer camp from Jul 25-28. I made the crazy decision to take both horses with me. I was mid vacation and had the hardest time packing for this trip. Being at the new barn is throwing me off in ways I still don't expect. The story of this barn is complicated though and for another post.

THURSDAY 

What it meant, however, was me leaving much later than I intended. Packing just took forever between getting everything assembled at home, packing the truck, getting my food for the weekend, gas for the truck and then packing the trailer. 

Both mares loaded well and we were off. Then, partially because I was leaving later than I should have, and partially because the highways around here just suck when there's accidents, what would be a 2 hour drive no traffic, 2.5 hour drive with mild traffic, took me FOUR HOURS. It was a warm day and we were crawling down the freeway. None of my alternate routes were any better. 

Camp was available at 2pm. I arrived after 6pm.  I immediately unloaded the girls and took them for a walk to stretch their legs and to give Leche the lay of the land and remind Gwyn of where we were. I wanted to walk them all the way out to the cross country course but Leche's first view was of a few people schooling over some jumps and she was having NONE of it. Gwyn was only interested in eating.

FRIDAY

Friday morning dawned early as camp required us to feed at 0630 each day. I wasn't riding until much later so I topped up water and hay and promptly went back to bed. The weather was lovely with temps in the mid 50s at night, which was great sleeping weather.

Leche seemed to adjust well and greeted me happily in her stall. 

I took Leche for a walk before my first ride so she could stretch her legs. The big downside to camp is that there's no turnout. The horses are stalled the whole weekend so it's crucial you get them out and moving. Leche and I watched a lesson before I took her back to her stall and got Gwyn out and tacked up.

Gwyn and I started with a dressage lesson with Debbie DeWitt. I told her how we were working on getting Gwyn to properly use her hind end and step under herself. We worked in walk and trot for the exercise. I really liked it and how it helped gain power from the end coming through the front. 

Four jump blocks were laid out to make a circle. I used each jump block as an orientation spot to have a transition. We started with trot, then halt at each jump block, move off in trot again, then progressed to trot between, then move into a turn on the forehand around each jump block, moving off into trot. This was to really key in that inside hind to reach under and push.  We both worked SO hard on it and by the end I was feeling her really gather under herself and push into the contact, lifting her back. It's definitely an exercise I will use on my own!

I brought Leche out for another walk and ran into a new issue. She did not want to go back into her stall. Honestly I couldn't blame her, but it did mean that this weekend consisted of me also figuring out how to effect change with her in the best way. She responds best to light pressure. Get too heavy too fast and she becomes a donkey and plants her feet. 

I used this time to work on tying, which came with mixed success.   It was the best time for me to clean stalls if they were empty. 

I used Gwyn for this task, which she was less than enthusiastic about and definitely made sure Leche was behaving. There were a couple pull back moments but we recovered. 

I brought stall guards and Leche also learned that you do not lean on the stall guards. She is not trustworthy still and busted out once, but I think that was due more to me not tying the twine well enough. 

After that, with ponies topped up with water, clean shavings and hay, I went to watch some of the other lessons. 

We had a pot luck dinner, which was full of delicious food and then set up for cavaletti for the next day.

Leche has hay head

Since I brought my bike, I wanted to see if Gwyn cared about being ponied from a bike. Answer is no, but if she spooks I just let go.  I took her on a brisk walk. 

Then, to make sure Leche wasn't left out, I led her while I walked the bike, since I wasn't sure how she'd react. She didn't seem to care at all. Maybe next time I'll try pedaling.

SATURDAY

I was again up early to feed, get water and pick stalls. The horses have to wear a halter even when stalled and that makes for itchy faces. These pictures immediately proceeded Leche itching on the stall wall, catching the halter, and breaking the snap. 

It was poles day for everyone doing a flat lesson and I watched some of the lessons first thing in the morning. 

Then, since I wasn't riding in a lesson until the afternoon, I tacked up Gwyn and took Leche for a walk and ponied her for the first time off of Gwyn. 

We spent most of our time walking around the jump standards in the jump ring since it wasn't being used that day. 

After putting them away, I biked up to XC and watched some lessons up there. 

Then I remembered that I had my cooling vest and I took advantage of that while picking stalls.

I prepped for my lesson, which was a pole dressage lesson. We really focused on bend and rhythm over poles, and not rushing through them. Gwyn was so excited we actually had poles the not rushing bit was pretty hard but we got there in the end, so success! After the lesson (no pictures during the lesson, alas), I headed out on a cool down ride on the cross country course. 

We touched the salmon jump.

Allison and Cece joined us too!

The pirate ship is my favorite jump at this property. 

When I got back, Leche was very happy to see us and I spent some time with her too.

After dinner and tie dye, I took both girls for a hand walk before getting them tucked in for the night. 

SUNDAY

I had an early cross country lesson and the Pony Fairy had visited in the night again and left lots of glitter and hair sprays for us to bedazzle our ponies with. Each stall also got a goodie bag with treats and tinsel hair clips.

I got Gwyn nice and glittery and we headed out to the field. Gwyn was VERY forward and had lots of pep in her step as we started on the lesson. I decided that I would limit our activity to things that we do on the trail, to not push our fitness in any way. 

We trotted in and out of the water complex and some low logs, grasshopper height type things. 

There was a mixed group of riders but we were all adults who just wanted some positive experiences. The weather was perfect, overcast and cool with slight sprinkles. No overheating on this lesson!

We walked through the course, trotted over a ditch, went up and down some banks and did some more banks at the other water complex. Gwyn was fantastic. I did let her actually jump something fairly small and she took off bucking on the other side and I was laughing SO HARD.   Poor Rachel (the instructor) she had not seen it coming. I could feel it, I was prepared. Gwyn and I both had a blast.

I focused on keeping Gwyn rateable and working on our bending out in the field. Gwyn was kind of flabbergasted that we could do dressage on a cross country course but it ultimately led to me having a very responsive mare who was attentive and not automatically running around upside down like a giraffe.

We jumped this jump!

After that I grabbed Leche for another ponying sessions. We walked in the covered arena and out in the jump arena again. 

I even had her go up the bank side of the jump arena which she navigated like a pro on the line and jumped back down. Good girl!  I'm hopeful that casual experiences like that will make under saddle exposure a piece of cake. 

Some of Gwyn's glitter before I untacked.

They hung out together while I stripped stalls. Leche wasn't tied, in case she pulled back I wanted it to be a non-issue and I didn't want her tangled up with Gwyn. They both hung out together for the majority of the time I needed them out of the stall. 

And finally, I was packed up and the last thing was to load the girls for the ride home. Leche's catching up to Gwyn in height. They both loaded like a dream, maybe a little sticky for Leche, but that will come with time and experience. My mantra was "patience" for the weekend and I think it led to us having a really successful trip to camp. 

The drive home was far more enjoyable than the drive down and I stopped at my house first since I was going past it to use the bathroom and offload some of my stuff. Claire helped me and hopped in the truck with me to help unload critters at the barn. I needed to make sure everything was taken care of and my brain was getting fried. Tomorrow morning, early, I was on a plane and headed to South Carolina to retrieve the kids from Nana Camp!