Endurance - bring it on (so long as it's a windy day)

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Patches

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Had THE fastest hack in history today! Normally takes me 1 hr 45 mins to complete this route. Today, because it was blustery at times, 1 hour and 12 minutes!!!!!!!
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Started with a silage sheet at farm across the lane. Flew up in the air rustling. She cat leapt up the embankment the other side of the road. Springbok!

Got her to pass it, jogged for a bit then settled. Rounded the next bend (where Aunty Daphne lives) and she'd got her bedding blowing on the line! Cue mucho jogging, jumping and darting. Again, she settles and then I realise I've not timed the ride very well. Kids on the playground at the High School which is at the top of our lane. That was just too much for Patches. Don't think she's ever come passed there when the kids are about. Stood stock still for ages...work out for the legs anyway getting her to move on.

As we pass the school buildings I notice some maintenance work. Caretaker chucked his ladders out of the door!!!!!! YEEEE HAAA!!!

That was it then, we marched (perhaps more of a skip) the rest of the way around. Got joggy a few times so I pushed her on into a proper trot. Can't abide jogging, no matter how comfortable it is in the saddle.

This is my "novice confidence giver". Bless her, she does make me laugh. I know it's probably very wrong of me to say it, but I love how she feels underneath me when she's wound up. She's so light in the hand, up in front and in a truly natural self carriage. She feels awesome.

Soo, all I need to do now is book some endurance rides to coincide with windy weather!
 
Barmy aren't they? You should have seen some of the traffic that passed me. Double decker bus, motorbikes, tractors, lorries, milk tankers. Nothing like that bothers her. Take her out in the wind.....YEEEE HAAAAA!

It does make me laugh but I must look a complete prat when I'm doing pony club kicks to get her to move forwards. She stands stock still snorting when she's seen something she dislikes.

I'm glad you're enjoying Porridge!!!!
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Daisy is exactly the same, I think it might be cheating if I stood somone with a huge fan at the side of the arena when we go to do our first dressage test
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You think?
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It was so sunny today. When the wind dropped I was really quite warm. Forecast is for a monsoon tomorrow but the Osteo is coming anyway so she'll be off anyway.
 
I had a lady walking a dog openly laughing at me PC kicking her along the lane and chanting goooooooooooood girl LOL!!!!

yes very much enjoying her, had a breakthrough dressage lessson today
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It must be something in the air today.

I finished work at 1.00pm. It was quite nice out, so I thought I would take Milly out for another hack.

Took her out of the paddock and Jerry thought he would come too! (he normally doesn't give a poop).

So, I then had a very excited Milly, that didn't want to leave Jerry.

There was no signs of her calming down, so I decided to lunge her instead.

It took her 20mins to settle!! She wasn't bothered in the slightest about the very low flying helicopters, the farm mini tractor, new gravel being chucked down on a path, but the minute she saw a branch move or a leaf blow funny we went into silly fits around the field!!

Still think it was better her to be fresh being lunged, than with me on her back being tanked off with! lol
 
Oooo...is there a report somewhere...pictures?

I do like her. I'm so glad you got her! Someone laughed at me too. I'd just told her that Patches didn't like the kids on the playground. She got in her car and then was about to pass us when the workman chucked his ladder out and patches leapt (cat leapt I mean) dancing about around bollards lining the greenway. She did laugh! Mind you, so did I!
 
Very close friend of mine was riding today. Her horse was chased by a dog and galloped flat out for a mile down her lane! I'm quite thankful now that this was "all" Patches did.

He seems ok though, friend's horse, and she did say it would've been alot of fun had she not been on the road at the time! Think I might just text her to see if she's entered him in the Derby!
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Nope haven't done a report and I don't have any pics either
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REALLY good dressage instructor, I rode like a prat and then asked her to sit on as I am 100% aware that I am doing something that blocks her coming round underneath me, but I really cannot decide what it is! Anyway, she agreed with me that she has a very fixed lower jaw and a huge tongue that doesn't help matters, but she had her going really nicely. Immediately afterwards she targetted exactly what my downfall with her is - I am SO used to whizzy horses that my arms are just not elastic and soft enough
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We worked on this and by the end I had a beautifully soft horse in my hands - albeit that I DO have to get tough every now and then and almost pull her soft (if that makes sense) but we had self-carriage and everything! Now to see if I can continue it LOL! Have to keep chanting "stop trying so hard"!!!
 
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was nervous enough about getting on her last Wednesday for the first time.

So to see her all het up today was just a no no for me to ride.

I just wouldn't cope with her galloping off with me, especially if it was down a road!!! Up a huge steep hill maybe!!!
 
I bet you were too! Sounds, as you said, a breakthrough.

If it's any consolation to you, Harley gets Patches to soften and drop onto the bit by seemingly doing nothing! Very frustrating. I just can't make her work that way. I always feel I'm trying to force the issue. I had a breakthrough of my own. I've stopped worrying about the front end and am focusing on the hind end more! Impulsion and going forwards off the leg are my key points for this summer (can't school as field wet)

Have you tried the Verbindend from neue schule? It's a french link that doesn't fold upwards so can't hit the roof of the mouth. Great for fleshy mouthed/tongued horses.
 
Patches used to open her mouth and I was guilty, as most people would, of putting a flash on. Never occured to me that she evaded it because the single jointed bit was hitting the roof of her mouth!
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She loves their Universal Waterford but I have now bought the Verbindend for schooling, following advice from Heather....when the field dries up so don't hold your breath for a report on how good it is from me for a while!
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Aha! They sound SO similar! I use a flash out hacking but today took it off for schooling as it is SO counterproductive as she leans on it. I also ride her in a waterford most the time but school in a french link which is rather thin. Instructor today mentioned the Demi Anky?
 
I think that's another one that when you pull on reins the bit won't rise upwards in the middle isn't it? Is the central lozenge angled so it sits flat on the tongue too?

I like the thinner mouthpieces you can get with Neue Schule. Not because I want a bit more severe, but because she simply doesn't have much room in her mouth and is less fussy when not in a chunky bit.

My aim is to get P out of the flash completely, but I'm not sure if that would be feasible on hacking days like today! I have it on when hacking, but not in the field schooling. If she's got tension in her mouth and I'm clamping it shut..surely it will prevent P from ever being able to soften through the jaw? I guess this is what you're finding with Porridge too?

Patches, I must add, doesn't resent a flash when used with the waterford. She seems to really like the metal too. Doesn't snatch at the reins and fling head about like she did before.

Would be interested to hear your reports of whichever bit it is you try.
 
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