2nd weekend in September plans

Lesson tomorrow at new-ish RS. I really enjoyed my last one there, great balance of out of comfort zone but not too much so.

Saturday is racing yard open day as part of the national racehorse week events. I don't know much about racing and not sure I'm into the sport as such, but the horses are magic and I'd like to learn more about the riding/training.

Next week is looking super horsey for me. Two of my usual lessons, my first sports Psych session, and my first try at a trick riding lesson at KOME!
 
I've got to muck out both my boys so I'm getting a head start and sorting one stable out tonight after work, so there is less to do over the weekend aha!

I also need to start doing some groundwork with Rabbit, as he's finished growing for the moment and he doesn't really know how to lunge or long line, both of which are pretty important for the backing stage, which will be happening next year at some point. He is only 2 years and 4 months though, so I'm only going to do the very basics and get him used to having long lines around his hooves, gently wrapped around his legs, draped over his body and flap them around him - I figured getting him used to things being draped over him/things around his legs will help prepare him for any mishaps that might occur when we start going forwards with the long line training. We've done one tiny long line session where he kind of figured out what we were doing, so I left it there for the time being, but with the yard move, and a few personal things going on, we are yet to re-visit long lining.

Baggs has recently scored himself a new saddle, bridle and 5 point breastplate (someone pray for my poor bank account - I think my card has run off to hide somewhere for its own peace of mind aha! 🤣), so I have him booked for that all to be fitted to him. Then once that is sorted I can crack on with schooling him and getting him fitter :)
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
Lesson tomorrow at new-ish RS. I really enjoyed my last one there, great balance of out of comfort zone but not too much so.

Saturday is racing yard open day as part of the national racehorse week events. I don't know much about racing and not sure I'm into the sport as such, but the horses are magic and I'd like to learn more about the riding/training.

Next week is looking super horsey for me. Two of my usual lessons, my first sports Psych session, and my first try at a trick riding lesson at KOME!
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So looking forward to your trick riding trip report!! 😍
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
Lesson tomorrow at new-ish RS. I really enjoyed my last one there, great balance of out of comfort zone but not too much so.

Saturday is racing yard open day as part of the national racehorse week events. I don't know much about racing and not sure I'm into the sport as such, but the horses are magic and I'd like to learn more about the riding/training.

Next week is looking super horsey for me. Two of my usual lessons, my first sports Psych session, and my first try at a trick riding lesson at KOME!
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Effing fatigue!! Cancelled my lesson for this afternoon.

On the plus side, I'm noticing how sad I feel about that so missing it probably means it has been going rather well and when I can I should keep going. But also pretty p'd off to miss out.
 
Extremely boring plans… would like to bring the pony out of casa de isolation to tie him up at my box (mine’s the only box, nobody else goes there and it’s only a few metres from where he’s currently living) to brush him properly and pick feet out (& see if I can persuade most of his mane to lay the same way) and measure him for a rug as don’t think anything I have will fit for a while (probably should have asked prev owner for rug size but nvm!).

Would like to hack some of the excess length off his tail at some point but that’ll need to wait until I can take him up to barn and use my good scissors.
 
We were meant to be on a fun ride tomorrow but the forecast is pretty vile so we went to the gallops today instead. Lovely spin in beautiful facilities.

Sone last minute shopping this morning and tomorrow I will be packing for 2 weeks in the USA with a ranch holiday, leaving on Friday.
Soooooo much to pack!
 
I seem to have a very lethargic pony and I'm not sure if it's weather or something to worry about.

We had a group lesson with a regular instructor Thurs am and she described him as unusually "boring". It was a bit tongue on cheek because usually when she has poles out he's quite bouncy. This time he was more leg on but I thought perhaps knock on effect of flu jab a couple of days prior.

Today we went to a xc clinic though and that should score high on the list of favourite activities with mandatory bouncing around. Flat as a pancake, with me having to kick him into tiny jumps.

OH keeps pointing out he did the Windsor fun ride ok last weekend but he was uncharacteristically well behaved for that - so obviously now I'm worrying!
 
Our in hand clinic went very well! Loaded herself on the box while I was faffing with a haynet, travelled like a pro, strange stable fine, only one other horse being there was fine, and was actually the model student! Showed off her in hand lateral work, got compliments all day long on how sweet and clever she is (both very true). I got lots of tips for cues to teach travers/renvers, we just need one more step in the chain and we will have it.

Oh, then the trailer had a flat as we loaded to go home so she also went on the box, off the box, back in the stable, stayed cool as the only horse on a now empty yard during a thunderstorm that had lighting almost directly overhead and battering hail, watched a man come put the spare on then back on the box again! Ended up a 10 hour day!!! For a pony who has been "out" anywhere exactly 9 times in her life as I don't have my own transport!! 😂 couldn't be more proud of my little spud 💕
 
smolmaus said:
Our in hand clinic went very well! Loaded herself on the box while I was faffing with a haynet, travelled like a pro, strange stable fine, only one other horse being there was fine, and was actually the model student! Showed off her in hand lateral work, got compliments all day long on how sweet and clever she is (both very true). I got lots of tips for cues to teach travers/renvers, we just need one more step in the chain and we will have it.

Oh, then the trailer had a flat as we loaded to go home so she also went on the box, off the box, back in the stable, stayed cool as the only horse on a now empty yard during a thunderstorm that had lighting almost directly overhead and battering hail, watched a man come put the spare on then back on the box again! Ended up a 10 hour day!!! For a pony who has been "out" anywhere exactly 9 times in her life as I don't have my own transport!! 😂 couldn't be more proud of my little spud 💕
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Blimey that sounds a bit stressful! Glad you had a good time at the clinic and got home safely :)

Here's my little write up from the racehorse week thread. Really enjoyed it. Possibly a bit busy for my preference but otherwise a nicely run day and just amazing seeing the horses galloping up close.

SaddlePsych'D said:
Attended the second of the two open days today. It was quite a bit bigger and busier than at Jo Davies' - I preferred the limited numbers on that day; probably better for the horses and less crowded, more chance to ask questions and chat.

That said, we did get to see some horses working over jumps (hurdles? there is so much terminology my OH kept asking me and I was like 🤷‍♀️ I don't know my racing lingo at all!) and that really was a treat. I don't know what I was expecting but it was just amazing being so close to them galloping.

I had a go on the mechanical horse; might have been the only adult among all the kids having a go. In my head I did really well, but the video says otherwise 😂 How the hell do they keep their legs so still? HOW?!!!

Overall, a nice way to spend a couple of hours. Next year would quite like to go to a stud and/or one of the rehab/retraining yards.
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SaddlePsych'D said:
Lesson tomorrow at new-ish RS. I really enjoyed my last one there, great balance of out of comfort zone but not too much so.

Saturday is racing yard open day as part of the national racehorse week events. I don't know much about racing and not sure I'm into the sport as such, but the horses are magic and I'd like to learn more about the riding/training.

Next week is looking super horsey for me. Two of my usual lessons, my first sports Psych session, and my first try at a trick riding lesson at KOME!
Click to expand...

Didn’t realise that’s where they were but I went to the Heritage open day at the property next to KOME. Good you have fun there.
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
Blimey that sounds a bit stressful! Glad you had a good time at the clinic and got home safely :)
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I wasn't even particularly stressed, our instructor is both me and Sadies Most Safe Person 😂 we were both exhausted tho!

I want a go on a mechanical horse so I have a quantitative measurement of how bloody wonky I am 😂 for science!!! On that note, I'm going to break out the Activate Your Seat bungi today while Sadie gets a very well deserved day off. Training for me!!
 
smolmaus said:
I wasn't even particularly stressed, our instructor is both me and Sadies Most Safe Person 😂 we were both exhausted tho!

I want a go on a mechanical horse so I have a quantitative measurement of how bloody wonky I am 😂 for science!!! On that note, I'm going to break out the Activate Your Seat bungi today while Sadie gets a very well deserved day off. Training for me!!
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Ooh will be interested to hear how you get on with the bungee and considering getting one. Not cheap but probably cheaper than going to classes (which I'm not doing anyway as I need to work very much at my own pace).

I made OH video me and thought it would be nice to share the video. Watched it back and thought nope never mind! I was sure my legs were still but absolutely not - swinging around like a pendulum. 😂
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
Ooh will be interested to hear how you get on with the bungee and considering getting one. Not cheap but probably cheaper than going to classes (which I'm not doing anyway as I need to work very much at my own pace).

I made OH video me and thought it would be nice to share the video. Watched it back and thought nope never mind! I was sure my legs were still but absolutely not - swinging around like a pendulum. 😂
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Save it till I have a go and take video so we can both be all over the place together 😂
 
smolmaus said:
Save it till I have a go and take video so we can both be all over the place together 😂
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I've decided to just go for it and have placed my bungi order. I'm not doing personal training and I'd struggle to get to, and keep up with, a regular pilates class or similar. Something I can do at home is going to be most accessible. So I'm going for it! 😂
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
I've decided to just go for it and have placed my bungi order. I'm not doing personal training and I'd struggle to get to, and keep up with, a regular pilates class or similar. Something I can do at home is going to be most accessible. So I'm going for it! 😂
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I had a go and I think once I'm not trying to follow along with a video and can actually focus on form it will do exactly what it says on the tin! Today all it hit was quad but that is p standard for me, I dont need more quad, that's the horse! 😂 and yes, in the house means much less motivation needed! I have a squat rack and full set of plates in the garage but even that is too far. Pathetic 😂
 
Soooo the pony muchly objects to having his freedom & liberty curtailed by being tied to a solid object. When digging to Australia did not yield the desired result (has chipped his hoof doing it 🙄 because digging at hardcore isn’t very bright!) he decided that giving the outside of the lorry ramp a good boot / scrape with his front legs would be a better way of expressing his opinion. (WTF has he got against my poor ramp?!)

Yeah further lessons in “this is really not the end of the world” definitely required (possibly aided by haynet for distraction purposes to reduce tantrum induced damage until he’s capable of expressing his emotions a bit less destructively!)

In other news after a week of trying (& pony looking at me like I’d gone a bit mad… which is a feeling he’ll have to get used to) he will now trot after the wheelbarrow if I run with it whilst pushing a haynet (I’ve not gone totally insane… he currently doesn’t really know how to trot inhand and can’t take him in the arena until out of quarantine so inventing other ways to amuse us both… shall only play this game infrequently as don’t want to be hunted down every time I have a wheelbarrow… was just seeing if he could get the idea of matching pace with me)

Also from literally a few minutes of faffing about seeing what buttons we do have already v good at backing up & yielding his hindquarters with minimal pressure… rather bewildered when asked to move his shoulders (but tbf that seems a less widely taught thing I think?)
 
We were in France experiencing the extremes of the channel weather! Fantastic venue.
Good trot up behaviour, in the rain
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Slightly flat for dressage in the rain, with the last few moves being in the most extreme wind I think I’ve ever experienced but still managed a 55 pen (65.6%) to sit in the middle of the class in 8th overnight.

Marathon morning started dry but we were on at 2.25 when sure enough just in time for the pre marathon vetting sideways hail and thunder arrived. IMG_9453.pngIMG_9459.png
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^ there was 2 waters 1 of which was getting very deep, but this was not one of them! At only a slight 15.2 and a giant riding pony deep going favours the stronger horses but he really tried and we managed some respectable times, 3 seconds behind the world champion on number 3 👏🏼. 12th on place on the marathon but the class was close so only dropped us to 9th.
Day 3 and it was cones. We managed to run out of order to avoid ferry worry’s in the evening. The best he’s been to drive through cones for a long time. Straight easy in the contact and pretty forwards. Just 1.1 time pens to add to our score. 1 person swapped behind us and another ahead so we finished in 9th. Overall a great show but I’ve already invested in re-waterproofing and will be off to buy a very dry coat next!

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Some venue pictures:

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@rara007 is that "water feature" the arena?? Please tell me it drained before you competed in it - more water than at my xc training!

Sounds like a good outing and I have a lot of respect for everyone taking horses overseas to compete post brexit
 
The baby yellow horse went to his first ever ridden competition yesterday, for some riding club dressage. Had no expectations for the actual test, just wanted him to have a good experience.
Loaded and travelled well, and happily stood at the lorry watching the world go by, and perfectly chilled to tack up. Did a very short warm up as he does find travelling tiring. He was a bit tense, and had a little bounce when his friend left the collecting ring. But otherwise was fab, although we both agreed to give the 'hedge of doom' a wide birth (too high a risk of a drive by pigeon).
Into the indoor for his test, intro 1, and I couldn't fault him. He doesn't yet work in any kind of outline but did everything in the correct places and was reasonably forward.
Over the moon to come away with 3rd out of 9, on 65%. Winner was on 66.5, so really not far off and very unexpected.
Lots of treats for being a super grown up boy.
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mavandkaz said:
The baby yellow horse went to his first ever ridden competition yesterday, for some riding club dressage. Had no expectations for the actual test, just wanted him to have a good experience.
Loaded and travelled well, and happily stood at the lorry watching the world go by, and perfectly chilled to tack up. Did a very short warm up as he does find travelling tiring. He was a bit tense, and had a little bounce when his friend left the collecting ring. But otherwise was fab, although we both agreed to give the 'hedge of doom' a wide birth (too high a risk of a drive by pigeon).
Into the indoor for his test, intro 1, and I couldn't fault him. He doesn't yet work in any kind of outline but did everything in the correct places and was reasonably forward.
Over the moon to come away with 3rd out of 9, on 65%. Winner was on 66.5, so really not far off and very unexpected.
Lots of treats for being a super grown up boy.
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What a very very gorgeous big yellow baby 😍😍😍
 
SEL said:
@rara007 is that "water feature" the arena?? Please tell me it drained before you competed in it - more water than at my xc training!

Sounds like a good outing and I have a lot of respect for everyone taking horses overseas to compete post brexit
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Nope that’s us competing on it! It drained very quickly but not mid storm! The marathon phase at least but the turning was like through sludge, the larger horses made it look much easier!
These were the 2 ‘actual’ waters!
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