Join me, Maz and my friends for the ride of my dreams!

Oh. My. Goodness. I cannot actually believe what has happened to me and my lesson horse, Maz, over the last two days. Before I explain what happened, first I just want to thank Sophie and her family for inviting me on this adventure; I’m still buzzing out hours later!

On Saturday morning mum got a message from my instructor, Sophie, explaining they were going to Kawhia Beach with the horses, and Maz was going to stay home. UNLESS…I wanted to go with them? I was so, SO excited I only slept eight hours last night!! On Saturday afternoon, after I’d gone to see my friend and meet her new baby lamb, Dad took me to Sophie’s house to pack Maz’s gear into their four-spot horse truck. Sophie was giving a horse ride to a different kid on Zion, and Jenna was just finishing up riding Maz. Sophie asked if I wanted to ride Maz before the next day, and I said she didn’t even need to ask; just pass the reins! So I hopped on, and worked on my rising trot and moderating Maz’s trot. Since Zion was in the arena too, I didn’t canter until the other kids had finished so he didn’t get all worked up. Then when we cantered (In the hackamore again!) Maz was so, so good and I was very happy with him and myself. After we’d finished riding, I hosed him off and put on his rug before letting him loose in the paddock. Then I made all the horses (excluding Max) feeds, and put my saddlepad, halter and lead, helmet, back protector and whip in the garage for the next day, as well as helping Sophie pack all the other horses’ gear. I also put together Maz’s bridle, and I could name every part of it from making miniature versions!

(If only Maz and I could’ve stuck our tounges out at the same time!! 🙂 )

Then in the morning (7.30) we headed over to their place, and I filled up the horses’ haynets for the trip and then went and caught Maz. He was a little cheeky to catch, but that was okay because the stable was buzzing with activity. Anyway, then I led him over to the tie-up rails and Jenna let me borrow her shedding brush which is the most satasfying brush to use on a shedding horse, so I got all of his hair off. Then I picked out his hooves, combed his mane and brushed his face. It was so cute when I brushed along his blaze; he started nodding and leaning into the brush! Then Sophie showed me how to put on his travel boots, and then we waited around together until Max, Zion and Ellie were ready too. The horses were loaded, and Jenna loaded Maz for me because I’ve never done it before, and then we hit the road!

The interior of the horse truck was totally decked out; they had bunk beds, a kitchenet and a bathroom, and tack lockers on the side of the truck and a door leading to the horse compartment. It was really bumpy and noisy inside the truck, and every time Sophie or I stood up to go check on the horses, we’d get thrown around unless we held onto the sink or bathroom door handle! Then we got to the beach, and unloaded the horses. I gave Maz a quick once-over with a brush, and undid his tail bag (I forgot to mention we put tailbags on the horses). Then I put on his saddlepad (I got to choose the colour, and I chose royal blue!) and saddle, and Sophie helped me do up his girth after three failed attempts by me. I bridled him, mounted, and we all walked together down to the sand.

We had to turn a corner to get along the beach, and Max, Ellie and Zion were packing total temper tantrums, and I was worried Maz would get all shifty and anxious too, but he was a sensible gentleman and walked camly around the corner. The other horses followed him, and every time we strayed to the back, they’d get all scared and spin and hop! So Maz and I had to stay at the front, which involved some trots because Max is 17ish hands and has a huge thoroughbred walk! I also learnt from Sophie that Maz is a warmblood. I felt really bad for Sophie, who was struggling with Zion who was acting like a total nut. He was spinning and circling and trying to turn in every which way, and eventually Sophie gave up and walked him. But once the horses had seen their surroundings, she got back on and Zion pulled himself together (only just). We picked up a quicker trot, and it was so fun riding along the sand by the waves. Maz only spooked once, and I was very glad I got the sensible horse! We passed scary rocks, logs and seaweed, and he was chill with all of it! Then we cantered half a kilometer, I think, and Maz was very good with that too. I just remembered to look ahead, sit back and deep, and ignore my fear of tipping forward over his neck. We slowed to trot, and decided to turn around, but before that Jenna swam Ellie in the waves. Max, Maz and Zion were too scared of the waves, but then we headed back. Everyone else wanted to gallop, but I still haven’t gotten my confidence in the canter yet, so I kept Maz behind. AND THEN. He packed a total tantrum and REARED up underneath me. Afterwards, Sophie and I both agreed we prefer rearing than bucking, because a rear you can lean forward which I instinctivly do, and a buck its pretty much a roller coaster beneath me. Anyway, I sat the rear and I though ‘oh, naughty Maz’ but he kept prancing and hopping and half-cantering-half-walking. I felt him rear again, and I decided to jump off. I was pretty shaken by then, and Sophie’s dad offered to lead him for me, which, thank you so much. I walked for a while, and I was pretty cross with myself for bailing, because I hadn’t actually fallen off yet, and then Maz would think he can just scare me into falling off. So Mr. Mguire held him for me and I mounted again, and followed Sophie along the beach. Maz calmed down if he stayed close to Zion, and Zion calmed down if he stayed close to Maz, and it worked out well. After a while of walking, we started trotting, and every time Maz sped up, I sat deep, applied firm preassure on the reins, and rose slower, and he slowed. If that didn’t work, I’d just turn him in a circle.

We got back to the horse truck and took off their saddles, and then Maz stepped on my foot. It hurt. 800 kilos on one of my skinny feet – it was bound to hurt. But I wiggled my toes to check nothing was broken and led him down to the beach for a swim with everyone else. Since there were no waves, the horses were great, but there was a steep drop and the water was FREE-ZING! So I ended up just standing by the grass verge and letting Maz graze. Then Ellie escaped and ran up the hill to the horse truck, and Jenna and Mr. Mguire’s friend, Hayley, went after her. Once Ellie was caught (whew!) they started hosing the horses and putting on their rugs, so Sophie and I took Zion and Maz back to the truck too. I washed Maz down and used the sweat scraper, before putting on his rug and strapping up his travel boots and putting his saddlery back in the tack lockers. Then I led Maz up onto the float, Mr. Mguire locked the ramp and we headed back home! Everyone was exhausted on the drive back, and when we got home the horses were unloaded and put out to graze in the big paddock. Mr. Mguire (Glenn) and Hayley unpacked all the food and went into the house and Jenna vanished – I don’t know what she went to do – leaving me and Sophie four horses’ worth of tack and gear. We decided on chucking all the gear onto Hayley’s ute and taking it over to the tack shed instead of carrying everything. After a quick pit-stop at the garage to put away Hayley and Max’s stuff, we started unpacking Maz, Ellie and Zion’s gear. I emptied the haynets out in the field which took quite a long time since I accidently pulled the cord and it didn’t have a knot, so the top of the net fell apart…but I fixed it and did the other four nets. Then I put away all the other tack, and took the feed buckets over to the garage to fill one up with water. Then I made all the horses’ hard feed, and helped Sophie pack away all the jumps in the arena and front paddock. Then Sophie showed me how to harrow the paddocks and arena with the Polaris jeep and harrow, and when we did the top of the hill paddock, the labrador puppies, Mable and Zaydie, and their collie-looking dog, Rosie, tore down the hill and went into the swamp by the golf course. So we had to unhook the harrow and go down and get them, but then they bounded across the bottom paddock and headed for the river at the bottom. Sigghhhh….Sophie was very cross, and it was a very literal day in the life, not a fairytale Youtube version! The dogs swam through the swamp again and ran into the golf course, and Sophie managed to catch Mable, but she hopped up on the passenger seat with me and sprayed me in swamp-dog water! Then she sprang out again and tore off with Zaydie and Rosie. Glenn and Jenna turned up and caught the dogs, and by then my Dad had arrived, so it was time to go. I was as stiff as a POLE the next day, but buzzing out! In six weeks’ time it’s Equifest, and I’m going again this year! This time it’s in Claudlands, and I’m watching the Friday night showjumping nightshow, and spending only Saturday wandering around, and I might be buying MAZ soon, so I’ll have a horse to shop for! I probably won’t even buy anything, because I need my money for vet checkups and stuff, but it will still be fun looking. I especially want to get a cheap hard feed mixer so I don’t have to use my hands to mix blitzed hay, pellets and water! (I don’t really mind at all, but it will save me from washing my hands under ice-cold water after!)

Tomorrow I’m actually riding Maz AGAIN, this time for a lesson where I’m determined to improve my cantering abilities, and again on Thursday! Thank you so much to the Mguires for inviting me on their beach ride, and thanks for reading!

Byeeeee!!!

(SQUEAL doesn’t Mazzy look so cute? 😝😍)