2nd Advent Weekend

[Ample Prosecco]

I have plans!! Hurrah.
Lottie’s mini break has ended and with impeccable timing, my new box is ready to pick up on Saturday. With even better timing, my trailer sold today. To an HHOer so I hope she likes it!

And to cap an exciting weekend I have Joe Midgely coming on Sunday to run a clinic on our yard. It’s been over 6 months since he last came so hopefully he will be able to see progress.

Then I’m jumping for the first time in 8 weeks on Monday. Hope she has remembered her need to let me tell her where we are going. And at what pace ?

Happy weekend, all x

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Trailer is all settled in . Just need to sort the dam car and I can join in on this thread again!

 

[millitiger]

Utterly unhorsey here.... bottomless brunch on Saturday with some girls from work.
Sunday Christmas shopping.

Around that, I'll be plodding around the block as we're still on holiday from 'proper' work for a few weeks.

 

[Roxylola]

Haircuts aka clipping

 

[Peglo]

I think my friend has booked the riding school so she’s going to pick us up on Sunday and go in a look.
I haven’t ridden Tali for weeks so I might pop on for a wee wander but can’t expect her to do any actual work so will do some in hand stuff and just have a play. Im only taking her as I think she’s bored not doing anything at all. My friend is having a jump so I will be a bit envious once there but me and tali can pick up/move poles for her.

hopefully that will motivate me to take her at least some in hand hacks. I just have zero motivation atm.

have a good one everyone.

 

[Squeak]

I've got BS on saturday to keep us ticking over and then meeting up with some friends on sunday for some christmas shopping.

Hope you both enjoy your new transport AE and Hp! And hope that everyone's lessons go well.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I’m hoping to get my ponies back tomorrow, not that we will be doing much over the weekend. They are having an all expenses paid holiday in horspital after DP was an emergency admission on Tuesday night following a mysterious field accident. B went with him for company and I feel like a spare part.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Oh how stressful and distressing HHD. Hope he is well on the road to recovery x

 

[WispyBegs]

I finally have some horsey plans ?

We have our annual ball on Friday and then riding club dressage on Sunday with Wispy!

Have entered the Intro and Prelim 2! My first ever Prelim test so wish me luck ?

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Good luck!!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

3rd weekend on the trot of stuff all...... But with the recent and current weather being a little unpleasant, I'm not that bothered,.....

Good luck to those competing and whatever you are doing, have fun ?

 

[blood_magik]

BD with the newbie Saturday and then we have the finals of the dressage league my yard is sponsoring on Sunday.

Still need to learn all 3 of my tests ?

 

[DressageCob]

I'm competing tomorrow. I still need to learn my tests though ?

 

[shortstuff99]

Baby Bean and I are off for our first dressage clinic on Sat! Fingers crossed all goes well ?

 

[Michen]

I am getting new ski boots fitted on Saturday woooop. And hacking Boggle in the snow! He had his feet trimmed and I’ve just ordered a third pair of renegades but with studs in them so we can hack even on snowy icy roads.

Currently on a flight back from LA (where I got to see behind the scenes at both paramount and the NFL which was super cool) and spent last weekend diving with bull sharks in Mexico which was just awesome.


Hopefully I will return home to find my new heated gilet and insoles have arrived because the -15 degrees is… cold ?

 

[SEL]

Not so pretty here Michen - dense fog with a background colour of grey ..... Might get a little snow next week though so that will cause complete and utter carnage!

Baby cob has not been his usual polite self this week. He came in on Wed like a snorting piaffing stallion and for the first time since I've owned him I popped him on the lunge before riding. He wasn't naughty under saddle but definitely not relaxed. The only thing I'd changed was adding Max Gut supplement to his feed so stripped that out and thankfully I have my polite little boy back today. Schooled nicely in the field with some lovely stretchy trot rather than sticking his over excited ears up my nose so told him he was a superstar and promised a hack tomorrow if we can see up the road.

He's ready to go and see a bit more of the world now so I really need to organise transport.

Tomorrow I need to give the micro cob a hair cut. She's like a small (smelly) grizzly bear.

 

[Chippers1]

No plans as horsebox is still in the garage. Buzz had the saddle fitter on Weds so is full of joy and is bouncing around the place, planning on doing some jumping this afternoon then busy all weekend so he can have some chill time!

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Michen I have ‘being young and adventurous’ envy. I used to be young and adventurous!!

 

[McFluff]

Riding club dressage on Sunday. Prelim and novice, nice relaxed show. Still to decide if going to add some Christmas sparkle or not ( I suspect I’d regret it !)

 

[Accidental Eventer]

We have a dressage comp on Sunday. Really looking forward to it, need to try some thing out in preparation for our move up to elementary.

 

[blood_magik]

Worth having to get up at 5am to get the beds done before we left - first bronze and first overall with over 68% in AM91 ?

Still feel like we need a bit more oomph but it’s definitely coming. Very pleased considering I’ve not even had him 3 weeks yet.

 

[racebuddy]

I’m hoping to get my ponies back tomorrow, not that we will be doing much over the weekend. They are having an all expenses paid holiday in horspital after DP was an emergency admission on Tuesday night following a mysterious field accident. B went with him for company and I feel like a spare part.

Oh
Know hope yours are ok ?

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Oh
Know hope yours are ok ?

Thank you, they are home. DP somehow managed to put a 3 inch very deep gash in his off fore pastern. Miraculously he managed to miss the tendons by millimetres which meant he got away without surgery and is a very lucky boy. Heavily bandaged and on box rest for a while.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I could not be happier with my box!! I was told in the summer it would be done by Christmas and most people told me it would inevitably take far longer and cost far more! But I picked it up today - comfortably under budget and early. It is fabulous. Chatham's literally think of everything: I have never seen a box laid out so cleverly, making such good use of the space and with so many added extras that make life easier - like automatic lights in the tack locker that turn off when the door closes - useful for 3am loading for an event. The way you can have facing chairs that convert to a bed in the living. A ladder to a space above the horse area, easily big enough to sleep in. USB charging points, plug sockets, camera, hydraulic ramp and even a pot of paint in the colour I chose to touch up any chips. It drives beautifully and I could not be happier.

 

[shortstuff99]

First lesson out was a success! She was a little bit on her toes to start, but settled down quickly and really tried her heart out. Not bad to say she's only been under saddle a few months and I didn't even lunge. What a good Bean ?

 

[Marigold4]

Second dressage test for young silly horse tomorrow. Fingers crossed he doesn't still think the letter E and the spectators gallery are the work of the devil. ?

 

[Bernster]

We were bested by the Christmas Decorations Of Doom yesterday. Not quite the peaceful hack I was hoping. About half way round one house has gone for it with various reindeer, a giant snowman, a father Xmas and sleigh with presents. Lit up like, well, a Xmas tree. I tried for a few minutes but there was an Amazon van, a car behind and a lady trying to get out of her driveway so I admitted defeat (I suppose), got off and led him, thanking the traffic for being considerate, and he was fine with that. We’ll need to tackle that obstacle another time!

 

[j1ffy]

We went to my trainer’s for an overnight stay, and our first outing in our new lorry (yours is also beautiful AE/P!). Pleased to say Chilli loaded and travelled beautifully, the bed is comfy and the heating worked! My trainer did say to phone if I was cold and she’d pick me up to stay at her’s, bless her!

Chilli was awesome in our lessons too, it feels like we’ve turned a corner. Most of the work was on increasing the hindquarter engagement and lifting the shoulders, so pretty dull viewing but the difference felt big. I think we’re almost at a big breakthrough. He loves medium trot (turbo kicks in!) and that’s helped the rest of the work as he seems to have clocked that he can push from behind and over his back.

Canter has also progressed well, it’s far more containable and we were able to start asking him to slow down and take more weight behind. No tantrums and he stayed rideable throughout. I think we may actually be able to compete next year…

A short clip:
https://youtube.com/shorts/lqIa3Iaw4yI?feature=share

 

[Marigold4]

Second dressage test for young silly horse tomorrow. Fingers crossed he doesn't still think the letter E and the spectators gallery are the work of the devil. ?

Lunging in the dark before we left seemed to knock some of the "spark" out of him and he behaved imbeccably. Our test was very steady and balanced, but a little lacklustre. He's got a much bigger trot but just attempting to keep him balanced, rhythmic and pushing from behind at this stage. 66% and 6th out of 15 in his second ever test with 7s in places. Really pleased with the young chap. He was very brave with the all christmas decorations!

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Fantastic lesson with Joe Midgely. He is so good. He just gets the 'holes' immediately and is so skilled at fixing/filling them. Had a real lightbulb moment today when she was hard against the hand in downward transitions and I said 'I don't understand how she comes back to me immediately at a forward canter on XC but blows through the bridle in trot'. He said it was because she was bracing in the trot when I tried to slow her down and if I ask for a transition when she is braced it won't mean anything to her because her mind is bracing too. Whereas on XC she might be galloping but still 'with me' and therefore immediately responsive. So get her soft THEN ask her to slow down or change gait. It's a vicious cycle because she rushes if she braces so I ask her to slow at the wrong time so she braces more and we end up fighting. Today it was utterly transformed just by makng sure she was on the aids with no tension before I asked her for change. And to get her soft it was just more leg into a firmer hand and soften the INSTANT she relaxes. Ie before she actually slows down because the firmer hand is the request to soften not to slow and when she is softer, ask for the slower trot or walk with body aids. Exhale, slow rise, sit, walk. All with a super soft hand. Which worked amazingly well! A year of struggling with this and the issue melted away..... He is coming back in 6 weeks. Looking forward to it. We are running a full day at the yard if anyone local want to come along