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	<title>whip &#8211; Equestrian from Crete</title>
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		<title>My schooling whip is a flight threat!</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/my-schooling-whip-is-a-flight-threat/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/my-schooling-whip-is-a-flight-threat/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Oct 2016 22:31:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[airplane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[airport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[threat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[whip]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://equestrianfromcrete.com/?p=2388</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Yep, that&#8217;s right, this is what security workers at Gatwick airport thought about my nice, red dressage whip, which weighs about 300 gr. But let&#8217;s take the story from the beginning. I set off from Nottingham to Gatwick at 13:00 GMT to fly home. After saying bye to everyone, my only thought was the five hours on the coach, four-hour flight, and two-hour road trip I had ahead of me. I arrived at the airport quite early (two hours or so before the flight) and went to the luggage drop-off, carrying my 60 cm. schooling whip and planning initially to take it to the cabin with me, as I had done in the past. While the lady who worked for AEGEAN AIRLINES was weighing my luggage, I said, &#8220;Actually, could you add this whip, please?&#8221; &#8220;No&#8221;, she said, &#8220;it might break on the belt&#8221;. So, what could I do, I kept carrying it around. I spent most of my waiting time going to the bathroom (and explaining to the little kid there what this long thing I carry does) and sorting out my liquid stuff, which had spread all over my hand luggage. Early enough, I walked through the control point (you know, the spot where you put everything except for your own self into baskets). Suddenly, I saw one of the staff saying to her colleague that my whip was a &#8220;threat&#8221;.   I defended myself saying that I&#8217;d taken my whip on board before and that a schooling whip made of threads was not actually a threat. No luck, though, and they insisted on the bin-or-belt dilemma. And they told me to go back to the aviators area to hand in my cute stick. Which meant spending time on my way there. And so, I ran to the wicket I had been before, to find out it was not staffed! The lady who had checked me finally appeared and I explained to her I had to hand in the whip. At first, she was not very satisfied with my choice, but since I insisted on risking breaking the whip that was mainly made of threads and only weighted 300 gr, she decided to assist me and, to my luck she said that I wouldn&#8217;t have to pay any extra monies. But I would have to hand it to the over-sized luggage people. But, wait, where&#8217;s that? In my anxiety, I couldn&#8217;t find it, so I spent a good 20 mins searching for that, spot, which was around 15 metres away! She said, &#8220;you&#8217;ll find it next to Thomas Cook counters&#8221;. But I couldn&#8217;t see a thing! Finally, I found it. I gave it to three good men there and left, while they are still examining it curiously, and I only wished that they would remember to send it to the right place. And kinda fast, because I was late already. I began to race like crazy carrying my hand luggage along the airport. Passed through that annoying control area again, ran through the duty-free shops (the biggest in the world for shopaholic travelers and the biggest obstacle in the world for those who just want to catch their flight). I don&#8217;t remember how many people I raced past in the corridors. All I remember is an open gate empty of passengers and two guards waiting to see my passport. And yeap! I was in, just before the embarrassing moment when your name is heard throughout the airport from the speakers. So yep, I always add some drama to my journeys and this one was no different. Because someone thought there is enough room in the passenger cabin of a Boeing-737 for me to ever be able to use the whip to harm people. Or because they believed I had nothing better to do than beating air-stewards on the butt. How annoying. PS: The cute red one at the bottom of the pic. here is my whip. The handle provides enough grip to break in cockpits and beat hard 250 people simultaneously, while the whole item just short enough for one to use to achieve an effective attack inside the cabin. I&#8217;m being sarcastic, of course.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2388</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>An Engage session at Trent Valley</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/an-engage-session-at-trent-valley/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/an-engage-session-at-trent-valley/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2016 04:00:12 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arena]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Engage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lesson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[riding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trent Valley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[whip]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=1440</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[To my excitement, I received an e-mail earlier this week from the Uni&#8217;s equestrian society that I had been secured a place in the Engage session, which is organized now and then at Trent Valley Equestrian Centre. Our society is HUGE this year and, after struggling to secure a place in one of the lessons, I could not believe my luck! The much expected day arrived and, yes, the weather was perfect for riding! The sun was shining, there was zero wind and I couldn&#8217;t stop looking at the English nature through the minibus window. My father says that Crete is the best place in the world, the most beautiful etc. But, having lived in two countries and visited many more, I believe that all places are beautiful; all that it takes to realize this is an open mind and the intention to meet other cultures and appreciate their people. And, of course, a tendency in trying new things! I love the seaside and the olive tree fields. But I also love Trent river and the boats floating in its canals. About 40 minutes later we arrived and sorted ourselves out. When I opened my bag, I realized the value of being proactive; my riding gloves were disgustingly dirty; probably I had forgotten to wash them! And then, my schooling whip, always sticking out of everything! While the newbies were filling in their registration forms, I took the chance to donate 1 pound to buy the promotional wristband of the charity of the centre, named Help for Horses. In time, each of us had to choose a horse from the list. I chose Ben, a sweet oldie with whom I gave an equitation exam last year. So there we go, we had to tack up the horses and get in the saddle. When I went to sort out Ben, I found him tacked, eating his dinner. I decided to let him eat and go find the other girls who were sorting out their own horses in a nearby stable. By the time we returned, Ben had not finished, and was unhappy to realize that his meal would be interrupted. The riding session would include gymkhanas. I hadn&#8217;t taken part in a gymkhana before, and soon I realized that Ben was not the horse I should have chosen. It was a fun session, but, even with whipping, Ben refused to go any faster than a vivid walk. It was frustrating, but I like him too much to be mad at him, bless him! My riding wasn&#8217;t better either that day! Next, we had to dismount and put the horses back. Ben was first, as his stall was close to the arena. And then, it happened again; looking forward to finishing his meal, Ben stepped on me! Unlike Woody, Ben managed to step on all my toes, plus he&#8217;s heavier and slow-moving! So slow, I thought my distraught would never end until he finally lifted his hoof from the ground! But thanks to the thick straw bedding, at least I wasn&#8217;t injured and I forgot about it in about 15 minutes. After putting the horses back to their stalls, we had some stable-management training. We were asked to name the brushes (with the foreigner-me- taking notes and pictures on OneNote) try to tie the horse we were being trained on and then groom him. Have you ever seen 8 ladies grooming the same horse, simultaneously? After stable management, we went back to the office to prepare for our return. With a few minutes left, I was granted  permission to wander around and take some photos. One of the horses posed like a pro and also looked at the picture I had taken! Soon I found Smartie. I was not happy when I was told that Smartie was not on the list of the horses we could ride, because he had been used for a lesson earlier. I couldn&#8217;t resist patting him and playing with his smart-looking face! Here are the pics! PS. Have I told you that I haven&#8217;t seen any other equestrian centre with so many carrots; carrots, here, carrots there, stored carrots, dropped carrots, eaten carrots, carried carrots&#8230; &#160;]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1440</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>My new riding whip</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/my-new-riding-whip/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/my-new-riding-whip/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2015 00:38:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Equipment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amazon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equipment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[whip]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=625</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[To reward myself for going through successfully a quite harsh year, and to celebrate my first year as an equestrian, I ordered a great whip from Amazon. I had expected it for days and kept checking the mailboxes and the hall&#8217;s reception for Royal Mail notices. Today as I woke up I thought I should check again. So, I went to the stairs, looked down through them and noticed a neat cylindric parcel. I immediately assumed what it was; my new whip! I ran towards the mailbox spot like a kid running to the Christmas tree and grabbed the package. The first think I noticed was a flawless cylinder and a flawless name tag. This was a good sign! I took it to my room, took a picture just because and observed it more carefully. The cylinder was sealed with plastic lids and secured with a tape reading William Hunter. I opened it and the HySCHOOL Diamante Riding Whip showed itself inside a neat plastic package! It&#8217;s so much better than I expected! First of all, it&#8217;s got crystals everywhere, with a large one at the top. The handle is full of crystals as well, while the leather tip is huge! It&#8217;s a well-built item, although I wonder whether the crystals will stay in their place during my training sessions. &#160;]]></description>
		
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			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">625</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lesson gaffes!</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/lesson-gaffes/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/lesson-gaffes/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2015 02:40:01 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beginners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gaffe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[instructor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lesson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[whip]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=398</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Yesterday, after my exam and lesson, I found myself helping out with the new beginners&#8217; class. These are students from the University of Nottingham who did not register with the club in September, hence they are newbies. So, I was holding Smartie, with whom I was walking and running at Laura&#8217;s instructions for one hour, as Smartie was being riden by a nervous student. I soon observed that Smartie was too energetic as well. As it was a beginners&#8217; lesson, halting and walking were included in the instructions. On one of our halts, Smartie kept trotting. What the heck?! I asked Laura for help. &#8220;Well&#8221;, she said, &#8220;he keeps going because you are smacking his butt with your whip&#8221;! Indeed, while I was walking and running besides Smartie, I had not realised that I had been whipping him all the time. It was so funny, everyone in the arena started laughing, including me! So, I guess, the mystery of the energetic horse was solved as well!]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">398</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>A training day at the equestrian club</title>
		<link>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/a-training-day-at-the-equestrian-club/</link>
					<comments>http://www.equestrianfromcrete.com/a-training-day-at-the-equestrian-club/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[chriszygakis]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2015 02:25:12 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[My adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equestrianism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[instructor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[riding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[whip]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://equestrianfromcrete.wordpress.com/?p=93</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[I might be from Crete, but this does not mean that I&#8217;m always there. I live in Nottingham now, studying War &#38; Contemporary Conflict. Thank God, there is an organized riding club, which has arranged training sessions and other events with Trentvalley equestrian centre Our transportation is admittedly a pain; the equestrian centre can be accessed from Nottingham only by car or train (about 30 mins). But when you have good companion, with similar interests and you head to an organized place, you really don&#8217;t realize how time passes. Yesterday it was my turn to get by train to the stables, along with many other riders. I left my hall at about 11:30. I took the bus to the Broadmarsh centre. Then I walked to the station, across Trent river&#8217;s canal, and realised I had arrived (again) one hour later. As I was walking, many people -including policemen- were checking out my long dressage whip. I can&#8217;t even remember how many security staff checked me out! Anyways, I waited patiently for the others to arrive, and in time the cross-country train arrived too. It was one of those sunny days which I love. The scenery was majestic; grass, trees and water everywhere, just a few clouds. We arrived at the stables at 13:45 and beginners -including me- had to get ready for the first lesson of the day. It&#8217;s the second session of our preparation for the beginners&#8217; exam (please help me remember its name). So, we were shown how to get the horse out of the stable. Next, how to fix the stirups, and girth and, finally, how to mount (well, obviously we knew that already). We also had to fix these things while seating on the saddle. My personal target this month is to make it to a decent rising trot. Thankfully, my instructor does her best to assist me. She observes me carefully and tells me what&#8217;s wrong with me. Finally, yesterday I made it! I wasn&#8217;t perfect, but still, I&#8217;m almost there now! So, we did everything included in the manual; walking straight, walking in circles, making circles around obstacles. After 50 minutes of intensive training, we had to unmount, sort the stirups properly, stand by the horse and waiting to deliver it to the rider from the next class. Before I finish, let me write about the challenges of a foreign rider trying to adjust to English riding. And that&#8217;s even more difficult if they are a beginner. First, it is the language barrier. I have to ride and understand the instructions being shouted at everyone at the same time. And I have to adapt to the English riding style. Yesterday I learned how I should hold a whip properly. It&#8217;s in my left hand, not in the right. And then&#8230; mounting. I&#8217;ve learned to hold both the back and front of the saddle, not just the front when I mount. And so many other little things. But thankfully, my instructor, Laura, is patient enough! Here are some pictures: My happiness and exhaustion did not allow me to take pictures from the return route. But, what the heck! I managed to do the rising trot, I learned how to hold the whip properly and my instructor said I would be fine on the exam day!]]></description>
		
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