When we first went to see Shadows Sire & Dam we fell in love with them streight away, more than that we also fell in love with the idea that they were working carriage dogs.
I have always loved horses & to see them combined with our favourite dogs too was great !!!
As Kelly began to compete with Disco, who is Shadows cousin, i became more & more interested.
The fact that i dont have a horse didnt really cross my mind ! :-)
I looked into it last year and "up north" sounded wayyy better than the 6 1/2 hr drive that it was to the first trials down in Essex... until i realised that up north meant Scotland and again was a 6 hr drive ! :-/
I joined the Carriage Dog Society in the hopes of getting some more info & if i couldnt get there at least i would find out what was going on! We have had loads of help and then we then found out there was going to be a local event it was meant to be !!!
I went about trying to find a horse to completely no avail ! Several times we thought we had secured rides but they fell through each time. Rebecca & Donna have been brill & let us go up for a ride with them. This year there are hire horses available so we decided we would have to hire, and i shall be riding Ruby for the Skipton trials ! :-)
Well the beginning for us anyway, it all started wayy before us but shall be continued from here! :-)
We knew that we would do someting with Shadow other than showing, i wanted to ride with her, but didnt know if i would be able to find a horse. She started practicing with Sebastians pram & then quadbike and would go along to "Hock" quite happily - his master in his chariot being protected !!!
It was quite a good way of introducing her to it really as if she got too close the pram wheels are significantly smaller than those of a carriage ! :-)
Getting there !!!
This was Shadows first ride out - yes with a horse this time !!!
A Duck to Water sprung to mind !
No stopping us now !!!
After her first try out we decided to enter the trials in May. Even though i still hadnt found a ride ! :-)
I have just picked our hire horse for the day & we shall be riding out on Ruby, our nice calm, steady trotter ! :-D
I just hope they got on together !!! ;-)
Watch this space !!!
Our Trials Debue !!!
Went wonderfully :)
Apart form a horse that really didnt like dogs and didnt want to move! but we had a brill day and Shadow Gained her Bronze Road Dog :D Coming 5th overall. For Shadow only riding out once beforehand and having a very awkward ride on the day i am extreamly pleased with her !!!
We will be at Nationals ! Watch this space!
& watch for new trials pics on soon :)  
After the Yorkshire Trials we were determined to find ourselves a horse that we could ride out & practice with as a team before any other event.
Although offering a hand at stables for a ride seems like an easy way of finding a ride we have found it near imposible so far !!!
Luckily for us after meeting John Wilmot at the trials he very kindly said we could ride out on Hugo, his British Spotted lad :)
John works his own dallies with his carriage & is available for hire for weddings etc & is a really lovely man.
We set about starting our training for the Nationals and have booked Shadow on an obedience course to help with her training & make sure we are on track :)
Shadow is always in training really and goes out for runs as she would before an event no matter what! At the moment thou we are concentrating on getting her relaxed with different horses and getting her fitness up a little.
Last week we went out with John for the first time out on the carriage!!!
Shadow was brilliant and settled very well at the wheel.
I had a fantastic day & it was great practice for Shadow !!!
Now next on my agenda shall be a carrige !!! After the new house... big plot of land... & a horse of course !!! ;)
Till then our training is continuing with John :)
Shadow got a full page writeup about her doing the trials in the Accrington Observer on Thursday :)
(Althou a few details were wrong she got a full page about her !!!)
We were very excited they wanted to feature her, and didnt expect a full page to be dedicated to her efforts :)
Shadow & myself on 10th of June after a training session out with the horse and carriage, owned & kindly driven by John Wilmot.
Shadow is like a duck to water where the carriage & horses are concerned !
& she loves every minute of it :)
At the moment we are working on specifics for her obedience, and building up her fitness levels :)
Shadow loves going to Johns !!
Meeting the dalls, horses, chickens, people she enjoys every minute!!! | 
