Recent content by Tarragon

When I kept the ponies on a sheep farm I think I had the perfect set up. A warmup "ride" across a couple of fields to get where I was going to school, perhaps 15 minutes of schooling, then a fitness hack by walk/trot/canter up a long and not insignificant hill, followed by the "cooling down"...

Perhaps useful for some of you. I had great fun a couple of years ago when I entered an on-line competition which included an "Equitation Class" which was all about accuracy. It was something like 6 strides of walk, 12 strides at trot, 6 strides at walk, 6 strides at trot, halt, 6 strides of...

I used to catch the easy to catch one, then tie up a few yards away, and the other pony would realise he was going to be left on his own and let himself be caught.

Can I join you?! While I can see its usefulness in some specific situations, like scanning x-rays, I think it is insidious in the way it is used in general. Scary stuff. It used to be obvious if it was AI generated, especially photos, but as it gets better it is harder to spot.

Surely the "1st Jan" Rule only applies to TBs? My pony was foaled in November! That would mean he would be "rising 5" when he was 4 years and 1 and a bit months old. It is a bit like those children who start school whose birthday is on 31st August, almost a year behind those children whose...

Another IT bod. Currently work 10am to 4:30pm from home and can take a two hour lunch break (from 12 to 2) if I make up the time. So, yes, a well paid flexible horse-friendly job. But yes, like others have said, only possible because now we can work from home and spent a good few years in the...

Great update! A real confidence boost all round

A local farmer accepts the delivery on our behalf and then either drops it off for us or we can sort it ourselves when it suits.

That arena is inspirational! And the round pen. I am looking forward to seeing some boring photos of Atlas too ;-)

Hovis

That would suit someone like me down to the ground! Reasonably competent rider who just loves riding. There are people there who just want to ride and not own the horse and not be responsible for the daily management. What is the hacking like where you are?

To me, Green just means that perhaps not a suitable mount as a general purpose riding horse for a novice rider . An experienced rider would be able to react to any "greeness", whatever form it takes, cope with it and know what to do about it.

Lots there that match my experience. My pony was effectively conservation grazing until I got him as he turned 6. He finds the world a very scary place, and despite my best efforts, all my usual arsenal of tricks, which is mostly hacking and ground work, has not been as effective as I would have...

I am almost in the same position with my pony. Coincidently, another one that was backed late (just turned 6 years in my case). The problem we have is that as we don't know what "normal" is yet, finding the underlying cause is so difficult.

This is so timely! I am at the cusp of retiring and have been wondering exactly the same thing. I have always ridden before work, so early starts. While I ride almost daily, I can count the number of times I have ridden at any other time on one hand! Discounting the rides where I have started...