Er... weekend plans...?

[alexomahony]

I've given up the 'holiday' and moved the horses closer to home again as I miss them too much so saturday I will plan on tack cleaning, a little bit of bathing to try and get Sky's tail somewhere near the right colour again, clipping Maldwyn out and hacking to explore!

Sunday I'll be working and riding Really looking forwards to having a super full horsey weekend!

 

[Lexi_]

What a beautiful day!

 

[Sheep]

Lesson today was fab - weather was gorgeous too which helped.
Played around with leg yielding and lengthening strides in the trot and canter. Big horse seemed to enjoy it. He is lovely, he is so rideable and willing. I'm so glad we got him ?

 

[Reacher]

Today’s lesson is still on. Will be carrying on from last week where we were attempting to canter figures of 8 with a small pole to help with the change of lead. Probably above our level in the scales of training, but it was fun! Mr H was getting the hang of it quickly, though changes were a bit explosive!
On Sunday we did a mini sponsored ride, we won the turnout trophy! ? enjoyed it so much I fancy doing a longer ride next time .
Stay safe all

 

[Reacher]

Update - bummer, lesson cancelled following BHS advice to not run lessons or group clinics . Looks like we’ll be going for a hack instead

 

[Pippity]

I finally managed to pick up my horsebox, just in time for everything to be cancelled. Blue tried to console me for the cancellations by refusing to get on the new box. "Even if everything wasn't cancelled, you couldn't take me anywhere!"

 

[milliepops]

Liking in sympathy, Pippity!

Well, we got out to our arena hire meeting the whole social distancing requirements Hacked round the floorplan I had dreamed up and amazingly the timing fits better into the music than the PSG version did. So pretty happy with the concept and just need to tidy it up a bit now. Rough and ready no warm up proof of concept version below. As WPs are a bit thin on the ground I thought I would share!

This music has served me well, it's done 3 levels now and really I'd have it tweaked to have the emphasis bits sorted but I don't think funds will allow and I'm not clever enough to do that bit myself.
If people can suggest similar tunes for a big tour music then I'd love to have a little daydream about getting there... Kira likes channeling her inner gangsta so no disney tunes thanks

 

[TPO]

Can't beat a bit of Dre ? looking very good ?

 

[milliepops]

Can't beat a bit of Dre ?

it's so fun, I love riding to it Some horses suit elegant classical music, not Kira!

 

[Roxylola]

Looks great, I cant help with music, but I'd be in the same boat if I ever do a music with supercob. Hes not an adagio with strings sort of chap

 

[palo1]

Lovely -thank you for posting that

 

[Red-1]

That was great Milliepops!

We did the pole work/jumping clinic on Friday, but there were only 2 of us, we did not stand close and the only things I touched were my horse and box. Our clinics have been going great, but the other person, on this occasion, was riding a big cob. It was actually a fair jumper, but thundered round the school with the rider going "PssssshhhHT PsssssshhhhHT" to keep it going.

Finn was horrified! She humped her back a few times and showed her displeasure. Not badly (she was simply taken by surprise) but enough that I took in mind that we didn't want to bother the NHS at this time, so we stuck with the poles and raised poles but did not actually jump.

The poor lady was mortified as my horse was OK with the thundering hooves until she let loose a volley of PssshhhHT, and she tried not to do that noise, but found that it was an ingrained habit that she forgot she was doing, so did it quite a lot.

Hey ho, we still had a great lesson, I told her not to worry about it as, at some point, we will doubtless have to cope with a vocal rider at a show, so we practiced staying focused and obedient with thundering hooves and a PsssshhhHT rider. Finn did eventually calm down about it. We are doing the same again this week.

Yesterday was the farrier. The M62 and A1 were quieter than usual. I have been stressed about mum being in lockdown whilst she is so ill, and I managed to miss my turning on the M62, a journey that I have done every 5 weeks since 2003! Then I left my flask and travel boots there! Doh!

Spent the afternoon getting our tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, radishes, and carrots from the garden centre. The live ones are now propagating in the dining room, the seeds will wait unto Mr Red puts the cheap plastic greenhouse up that he bought last year and didn't get round to.

 

[Wheels]

That looks like great fun milliepops

Sorry, no suggestions re. Music as I'm rubbish at that stuff!

Yesterday we working mostly on walk canter walk transitions, keeping them soft but immediate on quite a long rein to make me use my seat more than hand which worked really well.

I also set up a square of poles in the middle of the school which can be used for so many different patterns in all paces including transitions - we also used it at the end to do some walk pirouettes inside the square which helped keep a good size and accurate shape

Today we hacked out, the roads were very quiet and just saw one couple out for a walk. Not sure how much longer I'll be having for, that might be my last one, we will see

 

[milliepops]

That looks like great fun milliepops

Sorry, no suggestions re. Music as I'm rubbish at that stuff!

me too, I can't take any credit for those music choices as it was Tony at Equidance who first suggested and we both fell about laughing so it had to be done

 

[oldie48]

Red-1 OH is putting up new green house and new cover for old greenhouse this afternoon and like you we have already sown veg seeds and got some early potatoes in under cover. It's a lovely day today and we've got a lot of the veg garden covered in plastic to warm the soil up.
I had a lesson today and was super careful with social distances and didn't touch anything apart from Rose and her tack and the lorry. Rose is in season and was a bit lazy but didn't misbehave. I am going to do my best to keep her ticking over.

 

[DabDab]

Hacked Arts both days and schooled the big idiot. Arty coped very well with the army of motorcyclists and normal cyclists that had taken to the lanes this morning, bless her. It felt like we were stopping to let one past every few minutes, although we did manage some nice trot work up a few hills, alternating between medium and working trot.

Picture after our hack yesterday for interest. She's doing her 'is breakfast ready?' face.

 

[DressageCob]

I didn't go to the dressage I was eyeing up in light of the BD announcement and the government scaling up the isolation instructions. It didn't seem right.

I clipped the little cob on Friday (I know, shock horror, after January!) and he looks great. I had lessons Saturday and Sunday on the big lad, and he went really nicely. His half passes are getting pretty good and he was working in a softer frame which is what we are aiming for. I had a lesson today on the little cob and he was a superstar. His medium trot was one of the best he has done; he's really starting to open up and move uphill rather than just running. We also played around with a baby half pass and it is in there. So during the coming weeks I think we will work on bringing that on.

 

[Roxylola]

Flat lesson went ahead and went well, lots to work on but definite progress - from a cob that 6 months ago couldn't really canter to one that now offers it as evasion is enough to make me smile tbh.
And this morning we got an arena hire in over some indoor show jumps - kept it small and easy and all about confidence, and again went really well
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gjskdj9t57t9rls/AAB7O0DLYNEJ3Szn7lQuo6Gra?dl=0 couple of pics and a video in dropbox for those who like a look.
Also, esky vermillion is very smart <3

 

[DabDab]

He's got nice movement Roxy. How is he bred?

 

[DirectorFury]

Kira looking great as always MP <3.

I stuck to DIY this weekend, I really want to ride but am struggling with my conscience over it. She's on full livery nearly 20 miles away and it's an unnecessary journey, what if we get attacked by a dog, hit by a car, etc. I'd appreciate thoughts on what the hell I should do!

 

[milliepops]

Tough one DF.
The way I'd look at it is... can you go somewhere essentially safe, without being near other people and will it make you happy to do it? If its yes, yes and yes then i would probably seize the opportunity before you aren't allowed to ?

 

[Roxylola]

He's got nice movement Roxy. How is he bred?

Thank you. He's out of a section D mare, by a coloured cob. I dont think there is anything particularly exciting in there but he's come out a rather nice sporty cob

 

[Roxylola]

DF, I've had more DIY related injuries than riding ones tbh. I agree we should minimise risk but there still needs to be some joy in life

 

[Pippity]

I'd had a lesson booked for today to start bringing Blue back into work. (She's still tense under saddle, and objects to you dismounting. She's had saddle checked even though she's exactly the same with a bareback pad, had physio, and been scoped for ulcers. General verdict from all is that she appears perfectly healthy and to crack on. If it's behavioural, that'll fix it. If it isn't, I need to break her a bit more for it to become more obvious.)

Unfortunately, my yard went into semi-lockdown yesterday. No visitors or instructors (farriers/vets/etc are allowed) and no more than four people on the yard at a time. Seeing as Blue's on full livery and I have a suppressed immune system, I'm leaving the weekday slots to the DIY folks, and only seeing her at weekends.

I'm feeling pretty down, because this is going to be my last summer in the UK (if emigration still goes ahead as planned) and I was really hoping to get that Cheshire Show photo I've dreamed of since I was a kid. Guess I'll have to start dreaming of a Dublin Show photo instead.

 

[JFTDWS]

I trotted some circles this afternoon...

DF, I was chatting to the consultant who keeps her horses down the road from me. She was out hacking today and said she was being responsible by not taking the horse out cantering as he has form for being a twit - and took him around the roads instead.

Personally, I'm very much of the opinion that you make a sensible risk assessment based on your own horses, your capabilities and accept that there's some risk in everything.

 

[Chippers1]

I hacked both days, longer hack on Saturday that goes past a farm shop, which was rammed! I've never seen so many cars trying to get up/down a windy steep hill...the canal that I hack down was so busy as well, so much for social distancing! Keep away from my hacking places
XC hire on Friday has been cancelled, they have arena hires open but thought that xc was too much of a risk, which is fair enough. I used the money to buy a pair of reins I coveted for ages so that's a plus!
Our yard has cancelled all riding school lessons and has limited the areas where the liveries can go. Our yard owner is 86 so we have to all make sure she's safe. Lessons for liveries will probably still go ahead and we're planning on working to a rota with only two of us per lesson, seeing as I won't be going out competing I will have some lessons at home (although they're not my favourite but it gives us some focus!) and to help the yard really as their income has dramatically reduced. We're all managing to stay 2m apart though!

 

[Dyllymoo]

Well... we hacked on Sunday and my back was fine. J was on his toes and worried (5 days no work so understandable!) but we did a short route around the village. I was back at the yard by 7.15am so it was fairly quiet but super windy.

This morning we went for a longer route around the village (just roadwork) and he was super. A couple of moment where he said "Hmmm... I'm just going to turn around here", but I said "No no, come on, this way" and off we went. We did trot to get out of the way of some cars (and a large lorry with a skip on the back!) but he was hoof perfect.

I think I wont be doing much on our own as I do worry about the NHS but we can still go for plods. I'm finding there are LOTS of dog walkers/ people on bikes/ walkers out later in the day so I tend to go out early.

I'm still at work as well which is a bit of a worry in itself but I cant see work closing at the minute

 

[j1ffy]

Liking in sympathy, Pippity!

Well, we got out to our arena hire meeting the whole social distancing requirements Hacked round the floorplan I had dreamed up and amazingly the timing fits better into the music than the PSG version did. So pretty happy with the concept and just need to tidy it up a bit now. Rough and ready no warm up proof of concept version below. As WPs are a bit thin on the ground I thought I would share!

This music has served me well, it's done 3 levels now and really I'd have it tweaked to have the emphasis bits sorted but I don't think funds will allow and I'm not clever enough to do that bit myself.
If people can suggest similar tunes for a big tour music then I'd love to have a little daydream about getting there... Kira likes channeling her inner gangsta so no disney tunes thanks

Love this - great work MP! It's so nice seeing a non-typical horse at that level too, sometimes it's hard to visualise 'non-warmblood' movement and it's helpful to see what correct work at that level looks like on a different type of horse. I'm not sure if I'm making sense there, hopefully you know what I mean

 

[j1ffy]

I schooled on Saturday and hacked around the village with a friend on Sunday. Our yard is just below a local beauty spot and the number of people up there was crazy - apparently people were queueing to leave and there was an accident at the junction! I wish people would be more responsible, there are miles of wonderful paths and the whole of the Ridgeway nearby yet everyone flocks to the same place. It made Sunday's hack feel like a ride through London, we spotted upwards of 40 cars in 35 minutes.

My yard is still open pretty much as normal. Everyone is being careful but it's a pretty open and airy yard so fingers crossed it can continue. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a mandated lockdown soon though with people behaving so irresponsibly.

 

[nikkimariet]

I hired the local gallops with a friend. Didn’t see another person. He was fabulous and it was nice to get out of my 4 walls at home.



All my local hacking has been shut down and I cannot take him on the roads, I’d 100% get splatted as he’s terrified of traffic.