Not wanting to brag (oh, maybe a little!) but I welcomed in the New Year in Paris, France. So far I’ve had the most incredible start to 2014 and I’m so excited to get the eventing season rolling. Over December and January I spent nearly four weeks travelling around Europe and England; I was a part of two Contiki Tours and I was lucky enough to spend time in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and England. Having never travelled over seas before (I don’t think Bali or New Zealand really count!) it was a total new experience for me and I loved every minute of it. The different culture is so intriguing (I am so happy to be privileged with toilet seats here in Australia) and the history was amazing to learn about and also see it right in front of my eyes. I could go on and on for a whole blog about my trip – although I am happy to admit that during my travels I only saw two horses, and they were on duty with the French Police! It was a nice break away from everything, from reality, and I am so lucky that I had Mum, Dad and Tayla to manage the horses whilst I was away.
The biggest shock to the system was coming from wearing three layers every day, walking into the Perth Airport with my jeans and a jumper on and starting to sweat at the thought of being outside in the heat. I arrived home on my birthday (20th January) at lunch time and was greeted by Mum and Aaron. That day it was only about 32 degrees however I just couldn’t even bear the thought of being outside in it! The next day however the horses were all put on the lunge and I had started getting my glamorousT-shirt tan line back and all too quickly my travels became a distant memory. It’s hard to believe that I have only been home for three weeks, it feels like months ago that I was eating pasta in Italy, riding Gondolas down the canals in Venice, catching the underground tube in London, climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris and, probably the highlight, playing in the snow in Lucerne. Europe; I’ll be seeing you again…
The first lunge of the season for my three mares was ‘interesting’ to say the least. My 3yo Blackall Park mare was quite docile and content plodding around on the lunge. My 5yo EvA95 eventer Love That Blonde was a little excited however produced nothing drastic during her session. My 8yo 2* eventer on the other hand … Early Days. It’s still early days with you. Our lunge session resulted in me chasing her around the arena paddock trying to catch her, with the lunge line flying behind her bucking and bolting, having a great old time. There was me, behind screaming for some help, panicking at the thought of the line getting caught in something and my ‘dearest mare’ breaking a leg. What a disaster! Daisy has always been a ‘quirky’ personality to say the least. Needless to say, the first time I rode her was in the round yard (some would say chicken, I like to say smart!), in the heat of the day at around 2pm, and I didn’t leave there until things were feeling a little tired. It’s still amusing that I had to get on the 2* horse in the round yard first, whereas the 5yo handled having a ride the day after a lunge in the arena on a loose rein. Horses…!!! Welcome back, Makayla!
Things have since settled, I’ve been a busy rider and am definitely working off all of that pasta, pizza and gelato. On average I have been riding 4 to 6 horses a day which isn’t too bad, and my clients are starting back now after their own summer breaks so have been teaching quite a few lessons in a day. I’m still not used to the heat, but in saying that, I don’t think I will ever be! The horses are ticking along quite nicely, I have my two eventers and then a lot of young horses in work for myself and other people. I am booked up for horse training now until I leave for NSW … that’s another announcement in itself! We’re lucky enough in Cardup to live only 20 minutes from a great horse beach so the horses have been down there a few times for some fitness work. Daisy and Blonde also attended a training day at Murray H&PC on the weekend to pop around the cross country course and jump a show jumping round or two. It was a great day, nice and laid back, very well run and I was home before 3pm! Check out the video of Blonde at the training day here
Coming up on the cards is a clinic this weekend with coach Stuart Tinney and then the following weekend I am running a laid back Cross Country clinic on the 22nd February. Check out my facebook page MakaylaWoodEquestrian for more information on the clinic, or to follow my day to day activities (if I can keep on top of updating it that frequently!) and also to get instant updates about the details of my upcoming Nullabor trip…
At the end of this month I will be making my way across Australia again, this time with Early Days and Love That Blonde. I’ll be based in NSW at Bates Equestrian in Wilberforce and will be around for a couple of months with plans to compete at Sydney CCI in April, among other events. I leave in such a short time and have so much to do, plan and organise before I go. I’m trying not to really think about it too much as that will create stress and I figure I’ve done the trip now so many times, it shouldn’t be that hard to pack (my life away … for upwards of two months … and two mares together … one on her first Nullabor trip … still trying to earn as much here as I can to rekindle my poor ‘Europe got me’ bank account … aargh!!!)
That’s all for now. Life is certainly not boring at this stage. I don’t think I would have it any other way! Keep checking out my website at mwequestrian.com that has my blogs uploaded and also some more interesting information regarding things For Sale etc. I’m determined to keep on top of that this year as well!
To leave here is a quick snap from JG Photographics of my Higgins colt ‘Honeywood Sage’ – isn’t he a spunk?!
Makayla X
