truffles
Well-Known Member
{VERY Self indulgent!!!!}
Went out for a hack today with a friend and her horse who is around 17hh, and fast with it - It was the first time I have hacked Chloe in company in the fields, although I have hacked her with friends on the lane before.
Sooooff we went down into the fields - Chloe was perfect the whole time, with a little jog now and again, but that was just to catch up LOL! We passed some large orange machine cutting down trees (from a safe distance, although you could hear and see it) and Chloe did not bat an eyelid - I was so pleasantly surprised, because she can be a little bit silly about small things, I was really expecting her to have heart failure!! So lots of praises for her, and we went for a little trot up the long side of the field....Down we went again into the next field, and along, and as we were coming to the long side we agreed to go for a gallop. Good bl**dy god she is fast - she kept up with the other mare easily, and once we had settled into it I couldn't stop grinning!! I somehow knew they would just stop at the end of the field, so I just threw my hands forwards but could just still feel her at the end of the rein, and I have never, even on larger horses, gone that fast...ever!! We cooled down and went 'sploring in the woods....had her on the long rein and she was perfect.
Then came to the 'roller coaster' field (called that because it has just got soft, rollling hills), where I got an 'okay....you ready?' from my friend, and I replied 'noooooo*zoooom*' - Chloe leapt forwards the moment Eddie did, and again, it is a bloody long field but I completely trusted her, it was really odd!! Have never ever been that brave to just let her have her head properly out hacking, especially with another horse, but with a little encouragement from my friend (even though this was the second gallop, it was a little more exciting than the first) I just gave it all to her - When we stopped I had tears streaming down my cheeks because we went so fast!! And I was grinning completely from ear to ear the whole way back - I really haven't ever had that much fun with her before out on a hack!
The best thing was I felt 110% safe on her - completely gave her every opportunity to chuck me/spook/take off, but not once did she do any of these things - and she is spooky out hacking by herself, although she is getting MUCH better! She felt absolutely fanbloodytastic. I only needed to hold the reins ever so slightly to tell her to slow when we got to the end of the field, and she came back to me so easily and nice and calm - no giraffe impressions this time
Settled down 2 mins after the gallop, which was very surprising - I was expecting her to jog and fling her head about the whole way back!!
I am now SO excited about Thursday xc schooling, which I will do in her snaffle (although I will take the gag with me if I need it desperately!). She is so much less fussy with her head in the snaffle. Much more consistent, and hardly any stronger - so happier hoss, therefore happier rider
Sorry, COMPLETELY self indulgent and will seem like a really small thing for most of you but I cannot tell you how amazing that was for Chloe and I!!!
<----ME!!
Went out for a hack today with a friend and her horse who is around 17hh, and fast with it - It was the first time I have hacked Chloe in company in the fields, although I have hacked her with friends on the lane before.
Sooooff we went down into the fields - Chloe was perfect the whole time, with a little jog now and again, but that was just to catch up LOL! We passed some large orange machine cutting down trees (from a safe distance, although you could hear and see it) and Chloe did not bat an eyelid - I was so pleasantly surprised, because she can be a little bit silly about small things, I was really expecting her to have heart failure!! So lots of praises for her, and we went for a little trot up the long side of the field....Down we went again into the next field, and along, and as we were coming to the long side we agreed to go for a gallop. Good bl**dy god she is fast - she kept up with the other mare easily, and once we had settled into it I couldn't stop grinning!! I somehow knew they would just stop at the end of the field, so I just threw my hands forwards but could just still feel her at the end of the rein, and I have never, even on larger horses, gone that fast...ever!! We cooled down and went 'sploring in the woods....had her on the long rein and she was perfect.
Then came to the 'roller coaster' field (called that because it has just got soft, rollling hills), where I got an 'okay....you ready?' from my friend, and I replied 'noooooo*zoooom*' - Chloe leapt forwards the moment Eddie did, and again, it is a bloody long field but I completely trusted her, it was really odd!! Have never ever been that brave to just let her have her head properly out hacking, especially with another horse, but with a little encouragement from my friend (even though this was the second gallop, it was a little more exciting than the first) I just gave it all to her - When we stopped I had tears streaming down my cheeks because we went so fast!! And I was grinning completely from ear to ear the whole way back - I really haven't ever had that much fun with her before out on a hack!
The best thing was I felt 110% safe on her - completely gave her every opportunity to chuck me/spook/take off, but not once did she do any of these things - and she is spooky out hacking by herself, although she is getting MUCH better! She felt absolutely fanbloodytastic. I only needed to hold the reins ever so slightly to tell her to slow when we got to the end of the field, and she came back to me so easily and nice and calm - no giraffe impressions this time
I am now SO excited about Thursday xc schooling, which I will do in her snaffle (although I will take the gag with me if I need it desperately!). She is so much less fussy with her head in the snaffle. Much more consistent, and hardly any stronger - so happier hoss, therefore happier rider
Sorry, COMPLETELY self indulgent and will seem like a really small thing for most of you but I cannot tell you how amazing that was for Chloe and I!!!
