Bank holiday plans?

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SEL

SEL

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How is it May already?

I had a jumping lesson on Wed which was very warm. Not helped by forgetting my boots so having to wear my old thermal ones that were in the van. My legs were so wet from the knee down I struggled to pull them off! Good lesson though. We're keeping them small so he can learn to take me into them and I let him rather than fiddle.

Taking the microcob to a local show this weekend to do some in hand classes. I'm a late entry because tweed and hot weather aren't a great combo but Sunday looks cooler. I'm not big on showing but the pony loves it and there's a lot of classes she can enter. Just need to clean her up.

Monday fun ride for the hooligan. It's a shame the ground is so hard because it's normally a fast one.

Then a scan through my April e-rider tests. Same tests, 2 different classes with different judges and scores a bit lower than I'm used to - need to see why.
 
Either we will be filming our first online dressage test since last summer, and our first ever prelim!! or we will be just de-spooking at a new arena. Either way that's training baby!

Lesson last night was great, it finally feels like riding lessons and not therapy (for both pony and me) 😂. Centre lines okay, trot work has never been better, halts we got some great tips, canter circles are bloody dodgy but have to start somewhere! 😂

Spa day is a good idea too!
 
I'm keeping everything crossed that these weekend plans don't get side tracked by me getting the most horrendous flu virus, or something happening/ going on that forces my hand to change my plans - but all going well :

Saturday will be a nice pamper session for them both and potentially a bath if I have the time as they are looking slightly (ok rather!) grubby from rolling like mad the last few weeks to get their winter coats out. I'm already hedging my bets that Baggs my retired 20 year old will be an absolute swine to bath (he throws an absolute tantrum being bathed yet will happily wallow like a warthog in the nearest mud/water patch combo if given half the chance....) and Rabbit my 2 year old will be his usual sweet and giant T-Rex self, not give two hoots and thoroughly enjoy all the attention he is getting. Baggs has never been one for being affectionate in general (I mean he will give you a kiss and cuddle if you're feeling crappy but only then!), whereas Rabbit is basically an overgrown Labrador in a horses body and will take any and all opportunities for a snuggle and kiss 🤣

Sunday, I'm taking Rabbit and my Mum is coming along as a foot soldier (and traffic watcher from behind) on an in hand hack around a new route, further than the one we currently do. He's been for several short walks around the farm and off into the big wide world, seen a fair amount of traffic and in general has taken it all in his stride - if something does freak him out, he tends to stop in his tracks, snort once or twice, look at me and then step slightly towards but behind me (kinda like a little kid looking for some reassurance) but plenty of praise and he'll walk past it calmly. This new route goes through a farm and takes us around a lovely circular route that you can do both ways and is a mix of slightly stony ground, with a small incline here and there, so it will help him focus on where to pop his feet etc.

Monday will be a chilled day and a day to catch up on the boring house work aha!
 
AppyLover1996 said:
Baggs my retired 20 year old will be an absolute swine to bath (he throws an absolute tantrum being bathed yet will happily wallow like a warthog in the nearest mud/water patch combo if given half the chance....)
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Baggs sounds like my retired 18yo, Indio. He's always hated any sort of bath (or even a wet wipe!) yet wallows like a hippo.

I've got a lesson on Sammy later today then I'm off on holiday to Spain tomorrow 🥳.

Chilli is also leaving for Spain tomorrow - he's going to join the crew at my friend's riding holiday place out there so he got a bath yesterday (he'll be dusty again now but at least the grease it out and his tail doesn't look so full of rat tails). I had front shoes put on in preparation a couple of weeks ago and he pulled one off last night 🙄...there's no way I could find it this morning in the 20 acre field so the farrier has had to pull off the other one too. What a waste of money 😝

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Worryingly I said to a lady at the yard 'hopefully he'll lose some weight on the journey' to which she replied 'but he looks very healthy!'. Erm, no - he's obese... Thank goodness he's coming off the lovely English grass!
 
j1ffy said:
Baggs sounds like my retired 18yo, Indio. He's always hated any sort of bath (or even a wet wipe!) yet wallows like a hippo.

I've got a lesson on Sammy later today then I'm off on holiday to Spain tomorrow 🥳.

Chilli is also leaving for Spain tomorrow - he's going to join the crew at my friend's riding holiday place out there so he got a bath yesterday (he'll be dusty again now but at least the grease it out and his tail doesn't look so full of rat tails). I had front shoes put on in preparation a couple of weeks ago and he pulled one off last night 🙄...there's no way I could find it this morning in the 20 acre field so the farrier has had to pull off the other one too. What a waste of money 😝

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Worryingly I said to a lady at the yard 'hopefully he'll lose some weight on the journey' to which she replied 'but he looks very healthy!'. Erm, no - he's obese... Thank goodness he's coming off the lovely English grass!
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Oh yes - the last time I tried to bath Baggs I'm damn sure I got the bath and the little spotted swine was bone dry.....

I had the opposite the other day - someone messaged me privately and said they think Rabbit my 2 year old needs a lot more weight and condition on him - um no - he's 2 years old, you can feel his ribs but cannot see them, he has ad lib haylage, comes in for time off the grass during the day, has a low calorie feed to make sure that I can get his vitamins and minerals into him and we're coming into Summer!

I'd prefer to have him a tad on the slim side, rather than a young horse with tons of problems due to something that is easily avoidable.

It's scary how easily people don't notice when a horse is overweight/obese isn't it....

Chilli is rather handsome though - I'm a sucker for a lovely bay 🥰
 
I rode Myka solo today. 4th time on her and 1st without Joe with me. Felt a huge step and very hard to do, but I need to just trust her training, and crack on.

On Monday I’m taking Felix and Myka to a local show for a bit of experience.

I think they are gorgeous - whatever the judges think!

568F915A-0F8C-422B-AFBC-41E382FE74B7.jpegAC8E0D49-10BE-42A1-A436-4991BCC80AFF.jpeg2AB94464-5453-49F0-8836-C595C9011F1F.jpeg
 
Got the vet coming this morning. T is looking stiff / lame. Vet offered to come out on a Saturday because it’s silly season at work and I’m going to struggle to squeeze in a weekday appointment.
In fact I may well spend the afternoon working.
 
Blue got a makeover yesterday. So nice to have my smart little cob back after two years of a hairy monstrosity! Before and after pics:

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To celebrate, we're popping down to the local show tomorrow, just for the in-hand. Mission get-back-on-board is progressing slowly. She's hacking out twice a week with a local pro, to get her back to hacking being a boring everyday thing, rather than her being full of bouncy glee. For me, I'm getting on board when I want to and when I'm feeling confident, rather than trying to stick to a set plan. We had a little pootle right round the farm ride (including the very scary corner, where she had a big jump and a few strides of canter, but came back to me). Otherwise, I'm trying to just enjoy having her as a big pet, rather than beating myself up for what I'm not managing to achieve.
 
Well I went back to view that horse for a second time and the short version is I am not buying the horse!

I cried, felt sorry for and frustrated with myself, then got over myself and wrote down everything I learned from the experience (which was lots), then gave myself an enormous kick up the backside when I went to ride loan horse yesterday. I literally started my ride yesterday by saying repeatedly to myself 'if you are in your comfort zone then you are in the wrong place now get on with it'. I ended it cooling off on a long rein, singing with joy and a big grin on my face.

I went and did similar today just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Tomorrow will probably be groundwork as I think 3 days schooling in a row is a bit much. Wednesday we'll be back on it ('it' being ride forwards and stop giving my contact away).

I also need to get a lesson booked in with my instructor as we have a good plan based on part of what we learned at the viewing.
 
iknowmyvalue said:
Stepped back up to 90cm today, and Pepsi did it in style! 26.8 Dr, double clear inside the time to finish 4th in a big section of 38 riders 🥳

Pretty tight for the placings, only 3 pens between 1st and 6th…
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Brilliant stuff, well done!
 
Went SJing today, Nova was super- won the Discovery and 2nd in the 1.05. I just love this little horse, he is such a little trier. Came home with £80. I don’t know why I insist on continuing to event, SJing is just a whole bunch simpler to get to, cheaper and my horse is actually good at it. I guess it just isn’t cross country 🤔🫣

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iknowmyvalue said:
Stepped back up to 90cm today, and Pepsi did it in style! 26.8 Dr, double clear inside the time to finish 4th in a big section of 38 riders 🥳

Pretty tight for the placings, only 3 pens between 1st and 6th…
Click to expand...

TheMule said:
Went SJing today, Nova was super- won the Discovery and 2nd in the 1.05. I just love this little horse, he is such a little trier. Came home with £80. I don’t know why I insist on continuing to event, SJing is just a whole bunch simpler to get to, cheaper and my horse is actually good at it. I guess it just isn’t cross country 🤔🫣

View attachment 159473
View attachment 159474
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Fab results guys, well done!
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
Well I went back to view that horse for a second time and the short version is I am not buying the horse!

I cried, felt sorry for and frustrated with myself, then got over myself and wrote down everything I learned from the experience (which was lots), then gave myself an enormous kick up the backside when I went to ride loan horse yesterday. I literally started my ride yesterday by saying repeatedly to myself 'if you are in your comfort zone then you are in the wrong place now get on with it'. I ended it cooling off on a long rein, singing with joy and a big grin on my face.

I went and did similar today just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Tomorrow will probably be groundwork as I think 3 days schooling in a row is a bit much. Wednesday we'll be back on it ('it' being ride forwards and stop giving my contact away).

I also need to get a lesson booked in with my instructor as we have a good plan based on part of what we learned at the viewing.
Click to expand...
Oh I cried a lot when viewing, I questioned my sanity and my ability to even handle a horse let alone ride. I bought the first one I didn't feel like that with.... That feeling came about 3 weeks after she arrived and her brain fell out 😅😂
 
😂 sorry 😅 it was meant to be... Kinda. She's my girl and an absolute cracker. She's made me a much better horsewoman and rider. It was something we just had to go through.

I just found the buying process so stressful like it was designed to trigger all the anxiety buttons. You have the advantage of lovely loan horse to ride, I was all wobbly, and rusty and desperate to ride.
 
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