SpottedCat
Well-Known Member
I know this should be somewhere else really, but I only use this bit of the forum with any regularity, and prompted by Kerilli and Little_Pink_Piggies I thought I would give you a little update.
Firstly, it is very cold here! Today is a warm day, it's about -2. Normally it's about -7 during the day, and an ice storm is forecast, brrrr. I bought some polar fleece lined riding trousers today (I can't call them jods or breeches because they seem more like tights, but they are warm so who cares!).
Yesterday I went to a yard I'd got in touch with and did some grooming and turning out then got put on a horse - bit scary like an interview as it was to see whether I could actually ride or not! Nicely schooled horse but preferred to drop onto the forehand and curl behind the vertical than to use his backside and get his hind leg active. Lateral work is very established though, and once I'd convinced him I would like him to lift his head and poke his nose out to accept the contact, he then softened and I actually had something in the outside rein, and it was really nice to ride something which has clearly been really well schooled in the past and can do the 'tricks' if you know where the buttons are - I think I'll learn a lot from him and from the lady who runs the place, is a trainer and has ridden to prix st george and evented too I think.
They have a few clinics there including Ian Stark in April so I am hoping there might be a horse available for me to ride in that at least.
Apart from that I am loving the service culture here, fuel is mega-cheap, cocktails are very strong as we found out last night, and my youth is definitely behind me as we bought said cocktails without ID!
Firstly, it is very cold here! Today is a warm day, it's about -2. Normally it's about -7 during the day, and an ice storm is forecast, brrrr. I bought some polar fleece lined riding trousers today (I can't call them jods or breeches because they seem more like tights, but they are warm so who cares!).
Yesterday I went to a yard I'd got in touch with and did some grooming and turning out then got put on a horse - bit scary like an interview as it was to see whether I could actually ride or not! Nicely schooled horse but preferred to drop onto the forehand and curl behind the vertical than to use his backside and get his hind leg active. Lateral work is very established though, and once I'd convinced him I would like him to lift his head and poke his nose out to accept the contact, he then softened and I actually had something in the outside rein, and it was really nice to ride something which has clearly been really well schooled in the past and can do the 'tricks' if you know where the buttons are - I think I'll learn a lot from him and from the lady who runs the place, is a trainer and has ridden to prix st george and evented too I think.
They have a few clinics there including Ian Stark in April so I am hoping there might be a horse available for me to ride in that at least.
Apart from that I am loving the service culture here, fuel is mega-cheap, cocktails are very strong as we found out last night, and my youth is definitely behind me as we bought said cocktails without ID!
