Backing Estrid – Her first group ride around a cross country course

It has been just over 6 months since we purchased Estrid and oh my gosh I have SO much love for her. What a gentle and genuine soul she is. I was a little nervous for our first group ride out. The first time she’s traveled with another horse, the first time riding out with multiple horses in her group and also other horses on the course and the first time being ridden away from the yard. I’ve taken her on lots of in hand trips out and she hasn’t put a foot wrong riding her from the yard but you never really know how they will react that first time.

I was also a little nervous about the company we had. Cat on Tissy and Izzy on Fluffy, they are experienced, well-behaved horses but when those two are together, especially around this venue, they wind each other up and just want to race. So I was a little worried that they’d speed off into the distance or wind Estrid up too.

My main fears for Estrid were 1. Spooking at the cross country jumps and ending up in the electric fence which borders the course and 2. Losing her head, becoming fast and out of control. When I parked up I was a little worried that there were so many other lorries, which meant on top of all our new firsts we’d also have other riders to contend with, but even more so there was a pony and trap out on the course too! It was the same atmopshere you’d get at a venue albeit a little scaled down, which is excellent training.

She tied to the box beautifully, her eyes were out on stalks and she was shaking with apprehension but she kept it together, stood immacualtely to be mounted and got on with her job. We had a wonderful canter, went through water, went in front and behind, she even got overtaken at speed and didn’t follow on behind. She didn’t like seeing other horses in the distance or coming behind her very much but we can work on that. You really couldn’t have asked for a better experience.