Holly Blade

Hello! You join us in Week 8 of the course; it's scary how quick the days are flying by!

We have had another 10 new arrivals in the form of a fast track group. All of them seem really nice and the extra bodies in the yard will be helpful.

It's been an exciting couple of weeks for the advanced as we have finally reached the straight! The progression in riding ability from everyone is amazing. The beginners have also moved out of the Indoor School on to the round canter - much to their relief! The good weather we have been having made the Indoor School feel like a sauna.

The new horse has settled really quickly and has proved to be a keen but sensible ride. We also had another new horse in the shape of Golddigger a beautiful young mare. She is impeccably behaved in the stable and a fantastic ride on the straight gallop.

The advanced were also lucky enough to be test pilots for riding the horses on the heath. Although we took the quietest horses, all were on their toes and loving the new surroundings. It was a fantastic experience for everyone. Watching the horses working up the gallops filled everyone with excitement for what is to come after the BRS!

That's all for now, will write next week with decisions on last rides and final work placements.

Holly x

Matthew Kington

Hello

Over the past two weeks here at the BRS it has been week 7 and 8 for us on our 9 week course. Just as we had just got to know our beginners, we had another group of arrivals come. They are a group of 10 students doing our 9 week course in 4 weeks only so the pressure is on for them! So over the past week we have been getting to know them as well.

These past weeks have also been exciting for both our group and the beginners and we have ventured out on to the straight gallop and the beginners onto the round. We had an exciting first day on the straight, 2 people fell off and quite a few being run away with there but as our confidence is growing we are being given tougher horses to ride and are having much more of a challenge, but we're all doing really well.

The beginners are pleased with how it is going on the round and are glad to be out of the Indoor School. Earlier on this week we were all given the opportunity to indicate where we would like to be laced after our 9 weeks here has finished. Whether we know a yard in particular or just an area for them to work around. We also indicate size and type of yard i.e. National Hunt. We have just completed all the assessments for our course including, feeding, out at grass, restraint, lungeing and several practical tests to go with them. Now we just have our final test at the end of next week, testing us on everything over the course. No pressure on us at all .... (LOL).

On the horses front we have had 2 new horses in called Scripted and Golddigger which are settling into the yard well. They are both beautiful horses and everyone is loving them.

We also had some more excitement earlier on in the week as we're all taken up the heath just behind the bottom of our gallops so great to hack to. We all loved this and it was great to get out and about.

We now have the challenge of deciding which horse we want to ride on our last day here so we will be deciding that later on in our last week when we have had more rides up the straight. We will update you all again for one final time on our last week here at the BRS.

Matt

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