Early June weekend plans :D

Hes mega JB, that was at the end of 90 minutes as well. Instructor was lovely too. He's got scope to burn and really enjoys his job, I dropped so lucky finding him
 
Lol it's cool, its cos I called it penny clinic - that was the instructor. Supercob is charlie and he wouldnt mind being called a girl - I've called him worse
 
Well the mare didn’t go to stud due to a mess up with blood tests so looks like we'll be AIing her from home this cycle. Not ideal as she needs quite a lot of monitoring and intervention so I guess I know how my week will go. She was PGd on Friday so fingers crossed will be ready by end of the week.
Took the other mare out jumping today and it was just SO nice to be back out again and she feels like she has really come on in the past 3 months- whilst we stopped jumping for most of it, the consistent work on the flat and hill work hacking has really strengthen her up so she is jumping super.
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Loving all the photos and videos!

Mad had a bitting change today after running off with me on the common mid week. Normally the Pelham is accepted with good grace but today every time I touched the curb, however lightly, she was throwing her head up and going backwards (and we all know what that’s a precursor to). She was vv quiet in the stable today and a bit out of sorts generally so I’m guessing she’s coming into season.
I’m at a bit of a loss what to do! Maybe a full MOT after lockdown eases a bit more.
 
My lovely friend has given me a proper kick up the jacksie this weekend. Till this weekend I hadn't done anything with Toby apart from hack him out in walk and lunge him because I did not feel 'ready'. I cancelled my planned trip to Somerford deciding to take Dolly instead and I've been riding Dolly not Toby whenever I can....

I had all but decided I was sending him back and just not having another horse at all. But my friend persuaded to have a lesson yesterday. It was wet and windy but she told me to stop pratting about and bloody get on with it. So I did and he was really good. Didn't react to the flappy bales or puddles. Was obedient and willing. My RI's verdict was that he is very, very green and babyish but that he has lovely paces and a temperament to die for and I'd be mad to give him back.

So today I took him to Somerford with Dolly after all. I was bricking it. BUt he was an absolute Saint. I have never ridden such a well behaved horse there. Amber has NEVER given me such an easy ride. Firstly it was chaos in the car park as they have bays now every 10 metres so there were lots of people who could not fit in and were trying to turn round in trailers and lorries. Tacked him up in all that kerfuffle and he was as cool as a cucumber. He remembered his standing to be mounted lesson. He walked calmly through the lorry park on a loose rein and basically was totally relaxed all the way round. Happy in front or behind in all paces. We did some lovely long canters and he never got strong. Dolly cantered away from him and he happily stayed in walk. Then Dolly hung back and he left her behind, Then as a final test Dolly cantered PAST him and he didn't bat an eyelid. Did not even speed his walk up slightly. Just paid her no attention at all. He was curious and playful in the water - pawed it, sniffed it then drenched us both smacking his feet into it sending waves over us both. But when asked to walk on he walked through willingly. What a total star. I only jumped one small log and he ballooned it so I decided I did not fancy another try. But at least I know he can jump!

So I guess I am keeping him......
 
I'm a bit late to the party this week!

Michen, I hope Boggle just has a tweak, fingers crossed.
MP - love the foal pics!! She looks gorgeous.
AE - I know how you feel...more below! Keep at it and I'm sure you'll build confidence.

I was very anxious about bring Danny-the-loan-horse back into work after lockdown. He'd been wired beforehand as he'd had to stay in 24/7 due to mud fever (never had it before and the yard's fields haven't been as wet in 17 years of the YO owning it) - he's always been lovely to lunge but kept getting away from me, I got off a couple of times when riding as he felt so loopy.

Getting back on, I was so nervous that I considered giving up the loan. However he's not put a hoof wrong and today, for the first time, I felt completely relaxed. We did a longer hack and saw a ridiculous number of cars, bikes, walkers, joggers, motorbikes and he was brilliant. On Friday we even saw a teenager on a trampoline and he didn't blink. I wasn't worried when he looked at things in the distance, and when he got tense I could ride through it. Such a relief!! I'm not someone who tends to lose confidence easily but just plugging away and staying in my comfort zone for the last two weeks has definitely helped. I'm really looking forward to getting out and about now for lessons and hopefully some competitions, which I couldn't have imagined feeling two weeks ago.

The next stage is to get a similar level of relaxation in the arena at home, which is really where he struggles with tension. I feel like we may get there now!
 
Rooni has been a good egg again.

Really lovely and grown up session with not a whisker out of place. Had an iffy session later in the week but not his fault. Next door were partly demolishing a building. Which is right behind a slightly scrappy tall hedge on the side of my arena! He did an incredible job of relaxing and ended up working very sensibly right next to it.

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And thennnnnn I had my first sit on Fig in 6 months! Hugely emotional moment. He felt great. And despite cantering me sideways to the field everyday he was a saint to sit on. Never missed a beat.

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Yesterday I met Fran for a yawp round somerford. Just managed to dodge the rain!

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And today I went exploring and had a really wonderful time.

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Hope everyone has had a good one
 
Good for you AE. Gotta keep on plugging away safely and sensibly, but stretching yourself and him, and building up that bank of good experiences. He sounds fab.
 
I've got a saddle on trial for a couple of weeks, so today Blue and I ventured out with some friends for our first hack in well over six months.

Of course, the TPT was absolutely heaving, so it was a bit tenser than any of us wanted. Blue did a lot of goggling, a bit of going backwards, and one reasonably dramatic spin that was stopped more by the sudden appearance of tasty grass than anything I did. However, I managed to stay on board, the saddle didn't budge an inch, and it turns out that kneeblocks are actually useful and I should probably get over my dislike of them.

All her nerves were entirely due to me being nervous at all the bustle. As soon as we got to a quiet bit, I breathed a deep breath and relaxed, and she immediately did the same.

The poor girl was knackered when she got home and then, to add insult to injury, she got popped in the starvation paddock while all her fieldmates moved into a new field full of lush grass.
 
I rode my pony! ?
Not a very inspiring ride as she's done the usual going-feral thing after some time off but it's a start ?
She tried a 5 micro second nap and wisely decided against it, so we just did 40 mins of reinstalling civilised behaviour and called it a day.

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No one got to arena hire as salty was poorly but she seems to be back to normal now so will carve out some half days from work to get them out this week.
 
We've been working on what we can in our low budget field in the rain... Trotting circles like a horse, cantering circles like a camel, popping through poles like a ... dog doing agility? I'm not sure that works as a simile but here we are.

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^Comic poling...
v semi-domesticated trotting...
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We had a lovely weekend whilst trying to dodge all of the mad weather! On Saturday we ran through some of the tricky elements of our stressage test and then went for a lovely hack around our local country park - cut short though as a huge thunderstorm suddenly brewed overhead! Hid out in pony's stable for an hour whilst it passed, I only live a 10 minute walk from my yard but didn't fancy getting drenched.
Then yesterday, we had our first bash at novice dressage and much to my surprise we came 2nd with 66.5%! Had some lovely comments, just need to work on his medium trot, he can do a lovely one out hacking but it just doesn't quite translate to the dressage boards yet. Have to say our little dressage afternoon ran really well with staggered times so only 3 people in the warm up, one riding their test and one walking off in the field at one time, then the big results reveal on Facebook later which was quite exciting.
 
I actually went for some lessons!

I was a bit afraid Di would think we'd gone feral lol, but actually both horses were super :cool:.

Only issue is it is really obvious I don't push Topaz when riding on my own, I think I'm so worried about breaking her now she's 17 I just back off. Told Di I was worried she wasn't pushing as much behind and not engaging as much, turns out it was just because I was letting her pootle round being pretty but not effective, opps! I think it was just what we needed though, I can see she is 100% not struggling with the work, and I feel so inspired to crack on whenever we can get back out competing!

Skylla was little miss angel face, after being somewhat feral two days previously (either objecting to being cold or her jump saddle). Di hasn't seen her since last year as I spent the last 12 months rehabbing her to build up her core and bum. The results are finally being seen, we can walk now, we can adjust the paces, and we can soften and swing through the back, all very exciting and it finally feels like I can start schooling her now! We even did sitting trot with a soft swinging back and stretching, unheard of previously, didn't even get bounced off when she offered a bit of unasked for passage lol. Clever ponies all round and it was so nice to get off the yard and have a good socially distanced catch up!
 
She's here! Loaded and travelled well by all accounts, came off a bit trembly and lots of nice trotting and snorting around before discovering that food exists here too. She's very sweet and curious, bit touchy around her legs but I'll sort that out.

She's in the stable tonight, which she is slightly miffed about, but it is only a safety precaution because she arrived as the sun was setting. Turnout in the paddock tomorrow :)

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Northern said:
She's here! Loaded and travelled well by all accounts, came off a bit trembly and lots of nice trotting and snorting around before discovering that food exists here too. She's very sweet and curious, bit touchy around her legs but I'll sort that out.

She's in the stable tonight, which she is slightly miffed about, but it is only a safety precaution because she arrived as the sun was setting. Turnout in the paddock tomorrow :)

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She looks very sweet!
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Foal pics are soooooo cute! And it seems people are able to get out on a few more outings now which is great. Definitely keeps us all sane, doesn't it?

I've been quiet on the weekend plans threads for a while as Chilli has been having issues with her back feet. We've had to take the shoes off to give them time for the damage to grow out. So she had a month off while all this was going on and I have now bought some hoof boots second hand after lots of research and sometimes confusing measuring! Ended up with some Equine Fusion boots in 12Slim.

So on Thursday (her 19th birthday!) we had a little hack. Another one on Saturday and then yesterday I lunged her over some raised poles for 15 mins and she was fab. I forgot the tail bandage though-you can tell I literally haven't lunged for months! I think I'm going to include it in her routine once a week from now on though. Plus invest in a roller as fully tacking her up is a pain... Can you get bright pink ones?! :p

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She has also been doing lots of chilling out this weekend which is lovely to see...
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rosiesowner said:
Foal pics are soooooo cute! And it seems people are able to get out on a few more outings now which is great. Definitely keeps us all sane, doesn't it?

I've been quiet on the weekend plans threads for a while as Chilli has been having issues with her back feet. We've had to take the shoes off to give them time for the damage to grow out. So she had a month off while all this was going on and I have now bought some hoof boots second hand after lots of research and sometimes confusing measuring! Ended up with some Equine Fusion boots in 12Slim.

So on Thursday (her 19th birthday!) we had a little hack. Another one on Saturday and then yesterday I lunged her over some raised poles for 15 mins and she was fab. I forgot the tail bandage though-you can tell I literally haven't lunged for months! I think I'm going to include it in her routine once a week from now on though. Plus invest in a roller as fully tacking her up is a pain... Can you get bright pink ones?! :p

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She has also been doing lots of chilling out this weekend which is lovely to see...
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Click to expand...

I hadn't realised Chilli is 19, she looks great!! Sorry to hear she's had some problems but good to see you getting back on track.
 
j1ffy said:
I hadn't realised Chilli is 19, she looks great!! Sorry to hear she's had some problems but good to see you getting back on track.
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Thank you, that's kind to say! It's only her feet we've had issues with *touch wood*. This winter just gone was so long and wet. It was never properly dry probably from mid October to mid April which played havoc with her feet which weren't the best to start with. So hopefully we have a good solution and I'm looking forward to having a bit of fun this summer. :D
 
I got out in the lorry at last ? first time I've really felt able to leave the maternity
wing for any length of time. I can't really remember the last time I rode Darcy but I figured he's usually easier away from home so we boxed off for some arena hire.

He set off from the mounting block with his back up feeling a bit explosive but he soon settled down with a bit of sideways and didnt put a foot wrong after that. We took advantage of the space to do lots of canter, he's ready to do it better now instead of looking like a nosey giraffe so I challenged him to some shoulder fore on the long sides and that made the canter stay together nicely. Some good shoulder in and leg yield too, altogether a good way to get back to work.

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Ms double bits arrived on thursday so we spent a few sessions doing flexions to teach him how it all works and then used the double for in hand work last night.

Tonight I rode in it for the first time and he went absolutely brilliantly in it so very chuffed.

Not quite sure we have the best set up of bits but will use them for a while and then try a few different types. He only needs a 4.5" weymouth so it seems to mostly be the expensive brands that go that small (typical!)
 
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