OK I'm a glutton for punishment!! "How do I Look round 2...2008-2009 Season"

[Xctrygirl]

Sooo some of you might recall my thread from before asking innocently how I looked.

I learned a LOT of good correct hunting advice and have tried to adapt to a more correct form in the 9 months since I posted my first inquiry.

(First thread is here: http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=133653)

Anywho....I decided "What the hell... lets ask 'em again"

One small caveat that I should add.... as before I work for a couple who are the members, I am their paid groom. As such some things cannot be changed drastically.

This includes: The square pads, the use of boots on the horses, and some tack items.


Now I should note I have changed the following things that were pointed out to me before:

I hunt in BROWN gloves now!! The non-velvet helmet has stayed. I tried my velvet helmet, but it gave me a HUGE headache from an improper fit. So its been relegated to the shelf. Maybe it'll be on ebay. I also purchased a Black melton coat last year and had the colored collar changed to black velvet, which I consulted on with hunt experts before paying for. (I was told velvet collars were fine)

I have shifted the horses to boots that are black or if white, match the horses legs. (Only on light grey/white horses)

I am including in this album a few shots of my employers on their horses, that I get ready and maintain their fitness etc. That way you can see a run of both my work as a groom and my riding.

I do want to point out that Cheshire as a whole readily accepts GPA helmets, boots, Square pads, and some other pieces of equipment that I realize are not "correct"

Soooo just bear the enviornment in mind. I hope I am not sounding like I am making excuses, just trying to paint a fair portrait of the setting that I work and live in.

Hope you enjoy!!

~Emily

Pics: http://s103.photobucket.com/albums/m147/Xctrygirl/Hunting%202008/

And yes... that one pic over the coop I had NO release. Sorry about that. ;)

[Jaegermonster]

Well, I really like that Bodie horse. He looks very nice. And Stuart's horse is a saint. What a good boy to take such good care of his rider.
Your photos are much improved over the last thread ( I chuckled when I saw this one).
Each hunt has their own thing, if they are ok with the square pads, well ok then. I think you looked much better this go 'round than the last :) You look very smart.

[Beverley]

And yes... that one pic over the coop I had NO release. Sorry about that. ;)

Looks good to me! As to the jump, well, yeah, your hands are in your lap, but note the horse's nose is in front of the vertical and he has enough rein to play with, so you are achieving the most essential part of the equation, not interfering or worse, banging the mouth.

As to square pads, helmets, etc...'knowing' what is 'traditional' is the big thing- whatever is fine with the hunt is fine with the hunt! A good pack of hounds keeps people from noticing what anyone is wearing.:cool:

[JSwan]

Well, I still hate you because you have skinny thighs!!!:lol::winkgrin:

I like both horses too but especially Bodie. (I have a young horse that looks very similar - though jet black.) How old is he? And who on earth would name a road "Tapeworm"?

Is that the jacket you and I corresponded about or is that a different jacket? Did you ever get the collar fixed up or did that not work out?

Nice photos. Nice horses. Nice rider. Thanks for sharing!

[Acertainsmile]

You are a brave woman :winkgrin:... I think you look great, love the horses!

Happy Hunting!

[LookinSouth]

I think your turnout looks great overall. My only suggestion would be perhaps consider putting your hair up in a hairnet for a more polished look. If you prefer to not put it "up" you can always neatly pull it back in a bun and put a net over it to keep it neat. JMHO

Just out of curiousity...why do your employers prefer the square pads for hunting?

[Xctrygirl]

Seriously....Tapeworm Rd...

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Tapeworm%20Rd%2C%20Unionville%2C%20Pa&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

THANKS so much!!! Yes JSwan I did get the coat done, it's great. I love it.

Lookin South, the boss stole my hairnet!!! LOL!! Every other hunt this year I have had a hairnet on!! Dangit!!

They prefer the pads for a very simple reason, Stuart's saddle is a very long slung back seat and the fitted pads out there do not fit it well for all 3 hours. The square pads do. And then Cathy designed her own pad type (see in the other thread) and she prefers that pad. The other dressage pad is to fit my saddle and gel pad. It's what we had that fit.



The horses are fabulous and I promise I will try to find some shots of Cathy and Stuart's other horses. They are LOVELY. I am truly spoiled to work there.

Bodie is a LOFFERLY pony. He was for sale, then he wasn't, now they're pondering. (Not an ad, really!)

He's a HUGE 17.3 and a 1/2" Irish Sport Horse, coming 8 this year. Rey is short for Reynard. He is 10 or 11 and a 17.1 TB. JJ, who I am riding, is a 6 yr old TB, (named High Yield Hunter) and those shots were from his 4th hunt this Tuesday!!! He did a couple days hound exercising, but hit a snag when he lost a shoe and tore part of his hoof wall off.

I appreciate all the compliments. It makes me feel great. It has helped my riding to ride such a variety of horses and to have school them all over jumps, dressage and so on. That may explain the difference between the first shots in december (After galloping for a few years) and now.

~Emily

[Linny]

JSwan hates you for your thighs and I am envious of your entire leg, or as GM himself would say, your laaaiiig. My spurs would have met the high point of that trace clip over the coop! Oh yeah, I'd have also been screaming bloody hell!!!

[strawberry roan]

You look great! Love the photos and the tiny fences you are jumping!! :lol::lol: Coops are my favorite jumps and you look super--well done! :):)

[wateryglen]

I hate you.....I hope you fall off! :winkgrin:

(That's Wateryglen speak for I think you look great and I am envious!:yes::cool::D)

[HookedOnReefing]

You look great! Even more so considering that there are certain things you are not allowed to change.

All 3 are very nice horses, but I especially like Bodie. What a cutie!

[SWpreciousfew]

Everyone loves Bodie! JJ still reigns supreme in my book! And you have improved a lot since that other post you did... so much for losing your heart over fences;):lol:

[CarrieK]

Well, I still hate you because you have skinny thighs!!!:lol::winkgrin:
Well, I'm not even gonna look then! (which is just as okay, since my opinion and 50 cents will get you a couple pieces of penny candy).
;)

[Xctrygirl]

I can attest that I do NOT have skinny thighs.

Linny has seen the pics of the current groom girl in our hunt that has skinny thighs. It ain't me!!!

Here's look like a 10 yr old girl's arm!!!! Very upsetting, but then within sight of 40 years old...*sigh* no way I will ever get that type of thigh again!! :lol:

~Emily

[Linny]

Em, we have shared a hotel room, I have seen your thighs. They are slim and toned, unlike mine which look like 20 pounds of cottage cheese stuffed into a baker's icing bag!:lol:

[Xctrygirl]

OK first reaction...

ROFLMFAO :lol:

Second.... No yours do not!!

~Emily

[Madeline]

[quote=Xctrygirl;3652032]Seriously....Tapeworm Rd...

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Tapeworm%20Rd%2C%20Unionville%2C%20Pa&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Tapeworm Road used to be just Cheshire Road all the way through, because the Cheshire family lived on it. We lived up on Hilltop View Road, which actually had no name when we lived there...

[Xctrygirl]

So I wonder why and who named it Tapeworm. A lost bet maybe????


~Emily

[Madeline]

So I wonder why and who named it Tapeworm. A lost bet maybe????


~Emily

Well, The woman who bought the Cheshire's farm was not humor impaired...

[retreadeventer]

I really liked what Wateryglen said. Me too.
Em are your stirrups comfortable for jumping the larger stuff? Sometimes I get the feeling you might be reaching for a stirrup with your toe, might want to go up a hole with the big jumping young horse?
I am horrible about stirrup length, tho.
Hey will be up in Kennett Sat. but can't find extra dough for you, sorry :(

[Xctrygirl]

You know whats funny.... the boss got after me yesterday about my stirrup length. So I dropped them 2 holes. (On these leathers the holes are close so wasn't too too much)

Today I am jumping Bodie through some big grids, with the same length stirrups and my lower leg was horrible. All over the place, the weight isn't dropping...etc etc. You name it, I mention my lack of prowess with the new stirrup length and she jumps up and says, "Oh that was just for flatwork. You can put them back up.. but just 1 hole."

*grrrrrrrrr* O....K.. (Deep breath you own a house and need to pay the mortgage)

So I get one hole back and things get better.

So no, I would say that I am perfectly comfortable with the stirrup length you see in the pics.

The "reaching" you might be seeing is a habit I got at the track.... I adjust my toe to the correct place on the stirrup pad frequently, while galloping, jumping etc.. Why? B/c at the track those horses could flip over in no time, and being pinned is a very bad thing!! :)


~Emily

PS: No prob for Sat. I can't make it anyway.