Finally the End of January (2026!) Weekend Plans

SaddlePsych'D

SaddlePsych'D

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Ooh look... February 😏

Don't think I've started one of these in a while. Hope we're all doing okay while snorkelling our way through Winter. Here the forecast says 'light rain'. Yeah right. The forecasts seem to be backwards; weather warning = underwhelming drizzle, 'light' rain = it's going to be biblical.

I was lucky to get a bit of sunshine for my lesson this morning. Another good one after my sports psych session in the week. We've made a nice shift away from focusing just on overcoming nerves, to actual performance improvement stuff to actually get better at riding!

Had a go at shoulder fore/in because I want to be better at this for occasions it might come in useful out hacking. Went better than expected. First couple of attempts were just 'turning' but I did get some steps. Not massively straight but definite steps to get a feel for it. One to practice!

Also managed some trot. Actually quite a lot more trot than I thought I would. Feels like a bit of a speedbump to overcome with the nerves thing but the walk work stuff is helping build my confidence, get a better walk, and hopefully will translate over well to more trotting. :)

The best thing is finding that space in riding again, where for the time you're with the horse nothing else is going on. I forget about the things troubling me (like trying to plan a wedding and buy a house in the next 9 months!) and it's just me enjoying working things out with the horse.

Between lessons I'm really enjoying reading Sally Swift's Centred Riding book - already used one of the visualisations in my riding, it makes things so much easier!
 
Lesson today worked on trot leg yields and walk piris. Getting a lot more activity in hind legs. Accidentally got a stonking extended trot when I wanted canter 🫣 wayward outside leg. Felt like we were floating though, she can really shift those tiny legs.

Moving fields tomorrow which is a 40min hack and a river crossing.

I've bought her some ear muffs after her meltdown over a rattly tractor last week and they make her look a bit like a donkey even the pony sized.
 
Cloball said:
Lesson today worked on trot leg yields and walk piris. Getting a lot more activity in hind legs. Accidentally got a stonking extended trot when I wanted canter 🫣 wayward outside leg. Felt like we were floating though, she can really shift those tiny legs.

Moving fields tomorrow which is a 40min hack and a river crossing.

I've bought her some ear muffs after her meltdown over a rattly tractor last week and they make her look a bit like a donkey even the pony sized.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a great lesson!
 
So glad to see that end of January, at last!

Hacked everyone today and small pony had a tail wash and mane plaited over and all 3 bridles cleaned and conditioned.

Tomorrow small pony is going out for another polework clinic. Mainly to keep going out in the horsebox because he loads and travels beautifully... Except the first 3 minutes when we pull away down the drive, when he's rearing and boxing in there 🙈
 
Had a hack today and she was less naughty than last week but still a bit naughty. Considering she hasn't been ridden in a week die to weather we are being grateful for this.
 
Winter regionals for us - Rooni was a very good boy from start to finish. No mistakes in either test. 66%+ 3rd inter 1 silver (hopefully good enough to secure a wildcard) and 67%+ in psg gold (scores surprisingly tight up to 3rd place and our marks were dented with an unlucky trip in the canter HP change, we are firmly leaving that level behind now).

IMG_8319.jpeg

Onwards to our next show and to all things big tour!
 
The microcob got an award from the riding club on Friday night for her performance at the club dressage over the year. Pretty good for a pony that hadn't been in a school for 4 years and never in an indoor - which she was totally fine with. Flirting with herself in the mirrors whilst thinking her human could do with losing a few pounds if she was going to wear white breeches.

The hooligan was a very, very brave boy today hacking somewhere new. He'll be 8 this year and is feeling very strong, fit and grown up (finally!!)
 
Had a lovely weekend, with a good balance of family, football, food and a trip to the cinema with friends last night to see Hamnet (excellent) On the horsey front, teen daughter took Standie out for a hack on Saturday, solo for the first time and reported it all went really well which makes me happy, and hopefully means she will continue to take him out solo once or twice a week when the weather improves/days are longer. Yesterday I rode friends endurance pony and she rode her other and we went out for a really hilly 3 mile hack.
 
Well the plan for doing some more mounting block training flew out the window this weekend, as Rabbit was uncharacteristically quite upset and wound up :(

I don't know what triggered him, but it was enough for him to be a complete pain for my poor Mum leading him, he reared in hand twice and wouldn't settle, nor touch his favourite horslyx......had one of my friends on the yard come into his stable with me and he seemed to settle for a short while and then got wound up again.

I'm debating about getting something to help him relax, but don't want to rush down the supplement route straight away, so keeping an eye on him for the next week or two and going to make a decision from there x

Totally out of character as he's normally such a confident young horse - I'm thinking it might be a mix of him teething (he's already lost two baby front teeth and had the adult ones come through) and going through another growth spurt.....I'm also going to chuck him out without a rug on for the next few days to see if he was getting hot/annoyed with his rug for whatever reason x
 
So this weekend with Daughter's horse we had a brilliant flat lesson and some fitness work at home on Saturday, and then an SJ arena hire yesterday. Horse was new to us in November and is only 6 so learning all the time, but she was just mega. So good that we are taking a deep breath and entering the BE80 at Epworth at the beginning of March. We always bought this horse to event, and had assumed we would start with a bit of RC/UA first, but daughter is super keen, coach completely on board, and a flat 80 at the start of the season is probably not that big of an ask. The horse has done one before, so we are hedging our bets and giving it a go. Will try and do a quick UA SJ and a BD Quest before then just to get into a competition environment. So fitness fitness fitness for the next few weeks! (and a bit of dressage practice!)

It was nice to have two dry days though - forecast had been for 2 wet days so we almost didn't plan anything, but it was nice in the end.
 
Excited for you IHW! Ponies are the absolute best.

After 6 weeks off, Mr SC chucked me on to my pony on Thursday so that I could record videos for the online winter TREC, having had no practice at all. 🙈 Bad enough, but the second obstacle was a gate. Suffice to say, not expecting good marks, but was delighted with Bo who tried so hard bless him.

Sunday, we headed out for a short hack. B was so happy to be out but incredibly well behaved.

Hoping that Mr SC doesn't have to help me dismount much longer! Quite embarrassing as I have to swing my right leg over the saddle, then sort of hang there while he lifts me down. 😄
 
Saturday i brought my veteran back in to work after more than 2 years off! I've finally hit the 3st mark so at the point where hacking him is doable! i can confirm he has absolutely not grown older or wiser in his time off but as soon as i put my legs on he came up in front and wanted to work - love him! Was like being home.
Sunday back on him again.

Also hacked Oliver out Sat & Sun missing the rain for every ride - result
 
Headed over to Sovereign for a clinic on Saturday and Amber was so good, morning session was suppling then straightness in the walk and jog then onto 10m jog circles one handed and maintain bend. After lunch was lope time working on ensuring smooth upwards transitions from jog, walk and halt. Amber felt very mature and worked he heart out so really pleased. Copy book slightly blighted as she didn't want to load to come home so had to have some assistance. Debating trying a herringbone trailer but they are hard to find and none with living and then if she's still bad I'll have gone backwards...
Then Sunday over to the College of West Anglia for a go on the simulator, feeling rather relieved that my straightness isn't too bad, I to tend to sit a little twisted to the right which seems to be down to a tight left hip flexor, so physio appointment needed to try and help that. I should also go back to using my lunge bungee thing. Useful knowledge to have at the start of the year.
 
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