Changes after a holiday

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BBs

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Snoopy is now back in work after 6 wks holiday.
Its his first holiday since he was broken in June 06 and he thoroughly enjoyed his time out in the field, although got bored in the last two weeks causing havoc in the field by chewing and breaking fences
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On thursday they all came in at night and were clipped out over the weekend.
Snoopy went out for an hours hack on saturday just walking and was very good.
Yesterday I took him for a walk round the farm with FinnMcCoul and Winston. He was a sod to get on! and is SO FAT that his saddle wobbles side to side
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so slipped when i tried to mount him the first time lol
Anyway once on he is fine and we pootled around the fields. I then asked him to trot on the grass and OMG he has TOTALLY changed his trot! i could see his shoulders working like never before - for the first time he is using his whole back and shoulder in this pace! where as before he was just pretty daisy cutting now i have this HUGE powerful trot along with his awesome uphill canter...
So what Im asking is, do horses really change that much after a holiday in the field...

Oh and i measured him.. and he is now 15.3 and a half.... great! so hasnt even grown
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I could have sworn that horse measured 16h last year! so hes shrinking lol

I know, I just cant believe he has changed so much in only 6 wks in the field.

Hes lost NO muscle and has a neck the size of a stallion!

But i still love him, although he got thoroughly shouted at this morning as i saw him hanging onto winstons new NZ lol
You should have seen his face, he was gutted to be found out lol
 
When I have some money lol
But will have a look today on the website, im desperate to join BSJA again, Snoop is still registered, but Im not mine ran out last month.

I may... join today as I think Hunters has something on as MadMare is going. So may go there with the boy
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I didnt mentioned the new *Pull reins out of mums hands* move did i! I now have a lovely trot but walking home he has developed a snatching habit! argh! horses lol
 
I wondered who would pick me up on that lol

He spent most of the time jogging, so thought it was better to trot and it was only on nice grass!!
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anyway, quite right he can go on the walker for 2 wks lol

Im having a lesson with a dresasge rider Damien Hallem (sp) looking forward to it, be interesting to here his views on him tbh, as Ive only ever had a lesson with events.
 
Liberty's getting the full two weeks, has only come out of a walk to be trotted past scary objects on roads! William starts tomorrow, will probably just do 10 days with him as he's not lost as much condition/put on as much fat! And then same again for both in walk and trot. I'll have all of December, January and February to trot round in circles....

Have come home to register Betsy BSJA and got here to remember can't use printer with new laptop so can't fax forms off so won't be going tonight (Patchetts eve sj classes). Is crap as now only 3 BSJA shows I can take her to before the deadline I've given myself for advertising her. On the other hand am so exhausted (not sure why) that I doubt very much I'd be able to remember 1 course, let alone 2
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.
 
*OMG SHES PREGNANT*

*giggles*

TBH Looking at snoopy he doesnt look hes been out of work, will take a pic of him later! hes very happy to be in work.

But no one as answered my question... can horses change the way they go after 6 wks in the field?

I think snoop is similar to William and just hasnt lost much fitness, hes always burning around the field anyway!

Im reg BD today. Lesson isnt till December but something to look forward to.

Will be going SJing in Dec too.

Blimey, i think you might even be serious about selling Betsy lol

Umm if you are pregnant, can i have william please
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Woah go Snoopy. forget BD, go BSJA - you know you want to.....

Horses do change. Dolly had her teeth done a few weeks before I stopped riding her, they were awful the insides of her cheeks were a bleeding mess and she was packing food between her teeth and lips to stop it hurting so much, anyway she used to flick her head a lot everytime you picked the reins up and she hadn't stopped doing it after the teeth were sorted. Now that I've got back on her after 6 months off she hasn't flicked her head once, I think if I had carried on riding her she would still have been doing it.
 
I am so pleased to hear you are back riding D
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how is she going?
Poor D
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she must have been in angony

Snoop needs his teeth done, as Im thinking this yanking down has something to do with his teeth (of course it might not).

Im just surprised that all of a sudden he is using his shoulders like never before!

TBH youd never think hes had any time off. I cant wait to start doing some proper work wtih him and get cantering and jumping.

Hard bringing them back into work when its dark
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hey ho! thats what the walkers for i guess lol

Yes, will be jumping again soon
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theres a grid up atm and Im desperate to jump it, i might have to borrow winnie off FinnMcCoul lol
 
To answer your question BBs - I think that before he went on holiday Snoops had started to change his way of going already, due to the training you were doing. He had learned to become more engaged and off the forehand, and was really starting to soften over the back, which was helping him to use his shoulders and be more uphill in his trot. The time off has helped him to consolidate the work, mainly because it has given his body and mind a chance to mature without the pressure of work. He's growing up!!!
 
*growing up?!*
Not possible lol

Okay, yeah see your point. Before it was coming but not very consistantly and not to the extent he was showing yesterday.
I cant wait for you to see him again
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all clipped out etc!
 
Bles him, he is such a dude. G did exactly the same from his 2 week splint break, came back stronger and suddenly things had slotted into place, seems to get rid of any little "niggles" and brings them back wanting to work. G is out now, and hoping he will come back even better after a longer break
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I guess Ive just never had a horse who has changed much after their break before.

I hope youre right
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Shame the naughty nappy rear hasnt gone out of his system yet
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but he met Mr Whippie and normality was resumed
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Read the above.
He went to nap and spin round and rear but got a seeing to with mr whippy so he bucked his ideas up
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Our lesson is with Damien Hallem on the 2nd now, which was the day of Hunters. But will be entering more there in the future
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So will let you know.

BTW 5 wks to SPICE GIRLS WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 
Thats exactly how he feels Kerilli.
None of my other horses have felt any different after a hoilday. But he seems to have thrived off it
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but he does seem pleased to be back in work and in at night, i only have to call him and he comes running to the gate lol
 
Yeah my instructor said she was told by Lucinda Green that a 4/5yo can come back having learnt more in the field on holiday for 6wks than being under saddle for 6mnths. Strange animals! Goddy still wants to be working, he thinks I am a cruel mummy throwing him into the field 24/7
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As you know mine had a forced break of 8 weeks
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BUT she has come back with a great attitude and seems more established in her way of going. She will definately be getting this type of holiday each year going forward
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I agree it does them alot of good, I had never really belived it did until I gave Spider a break from jumping this summer and then because of my injury. Then she had a coupl eof weeks off and she has come back really forward, happy to be working and jumping better then ever. Her and Dexter will definitely have some time off b4 xmas once she has done a bit of hunting and hopefully then the XC will come!

Glad Snoops is well and full of it
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Absolutely think horses take time for themselves on holiday and then come back bigger (maybe not so in your case
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) and better after a good holiday

I think it allows them to grow up, mature in their frame and also the muscle they developed whilst under saddle is not totally lost, so in theory so long as his mind stays on the job he should get even stronger and better as he does more work!!
 
OMG I hope Humungahorse doesn't come back any bigger after his break.
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Thanks BBs, I was going into a bit of a decline with next season seeming to be soooooo far away but you've fired me up again. Can we have regular Snoop updates please, then we can all compare notes on how ours are after their hols?
 
Thanks everyone.
Its interesting to hear ppls experiences with giving horses time off.
I have always done this after a season eventing but NEVER had such changes as I have with snoopy.
 
Well I rode William today after about 4 weeks off (having brought him in last night) and he's being an utter TOAD! He's obviously missed being able to beat me up whilst he's been in the field and is making up for lost time! He tried to pin me in the corner last night so it's headcollar and lead rope on at all times when I'm in there for a while, even for changing his water buckets. And he says he can't feel my legs through his winter coat. Tosser. Can I have some snoopy magic please?
 
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