January v2.0 (aka 'February') Second Weekend Plans??

SaddlePsych'D

SaddlePsych'D

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I know January is about 6-months long and we're so relieved to get to the end of it but then...it's February. And I don't know about where you are but yesterday it was bitterly cold wind and frozen rain, then today the clouds have descended and everything is grey and damp.

Can't see a thread yet so guessing maybe not many plans this week. I quite like sharing my lesson reports, though I know it's not exactly ground breaking/exciting stuff in the grand scheme of things!

I had my weekly lesson yesterday. Another one in walk - I'd gone with good intentions to try more trotting this week but see above re: bitterly cold wind! One day I would like things like windy weather not stop me from riding but we are where we are for now. I debated doing a groundwork lesson instead but my instructor encouraged me to forget the trotting and just see how I felt once we got going.

Really proud of myself again for staying positive when I got nervous. Horse planted at one point to look over yonder at stuff that's always there that was probably more interesting in the wind. 'Chimp brain' went to go off on one ('we're going to die, etc. etc.' but I said 'on we go!' and found concentrating on the exercise really helpful. We were working in a 20x40 mapped out with four cones inside the bigger arena space, which was great for practicing riding the outside of the horse for turns. I didn't realise how much work the fence does! Also it made a 17.2hh ID seem even bigger!

I remain amazed how much horse's walk can improve without using loads of leg. Just practicing doing proper turns and being straight, doing leg yields etc. and he naturally engages a bit more. Working smarter not harder and feeling less tired at the end of a lesson. Bearing in mind we're not really trotting at the moment either, which I'm sure would help too, I think it's going rather well :)
 
Yes, it was bitterly cold yesterday here, the wind chill was brutal.
A good day to take my fresh horse for a canter around some new fields, with exercise sheet and coat flapping away!
Thankfully horse is a saint and I quite enjoy him when he is jolly so we had a lovely time trying passage and then a few lovely strong canters.
Then positively bounded all the way home.

Today was a day off riding, as took my dog out in the car for a nice mother/daughter walk, to make sure she isn't feeling pushed out by rescue dog's arrival.
They are getting on a lot better but still, whippets are sensitive and she needs to feel like a princess.

We have a lesson tomorrow, possibly last one before Regionals in a few weeks.
I've started running through bits of the test, still thinking of re-jigging my music again for a bit more drama
 
I usually ride in a field so I quite like hiring arenas with a fence to help us out @SaddlePsych'D !! That's what I did last Wed in beautiful sunshine. It's a nice surfaced and I was able to work in our canter with the added help of the fence to stop us sliding out through his naughty shoulder.

Yesterday I hacked 1 for 30 mins then decided I quite liked having feeling in my toes, hands and ears - it was baltic so I went home!
 
January seems to have gone on forever. I did contemplate turning both the boys away for a few months but decided to book outings instead. I have to remind myself to not take sound horse days for granted! Equally, having the time to ride whenever I want!

Hacking in the sun seems like a distant memory but I am plugging away still! Thank god he’s a fun hack or I’d lose the will to go on.

https://imgur.com/a/jxwPC2p

We’ve got an arena eventing clinic next Sunday, doing the 90. Then the weekend after we’re going to a local training centre for some SJ hire. I think after that will be competition time!
 
No plans apart from sorting things out because I'm away on holiday for 2 weeks to somewhere hot 😜 bitterly cold today. We moved my girl and her pal to the yards spare field for some grass and a break from the mud. The field is lovely but logistically more challenging as it's a 25 min hack from the yard. The girls are enjoying it though and as I'm away it doesn't bother me 😅
Hacked to the yard and back for the farrier today. Screenshot_20250208-195713-388.pngScreenshot_20250208-195901-889.pngdecorating her mane with burs rather than mud this week. Such a state took me ages to get a 1/4 out whilst she was shod, he did trim her tail nicely for me though, it's so thick I make a mess. We had some sun on Thursday not sure why she looks so tiny here I think it's because she's hiding behind my massive coat for her head squish. Excuse the wellies field is over a rather deep ford 😅 we're a bit rough and ready these days.
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Cloball said:
No plans apart from sorting things out because I'm away on holiday for 2 weeks to somewhere hot 😜 bitterly cold today. We moved my girl and her pal to the yards spare field for some grass and a break from the mud. The field is lovely but logistically more challenging as it's a 25 min hack from the yard. The girls are enjoying it though and as I'm away it doesn't bother me 😅
Hacked to the yard and back for the farrier today. View attachment 154564View attachment 154565decorating her mane with burs rather than mud this week. Such a state took me ages to get a 1/4 out whilst she was shod, he did trim her tail nicely for me though, it's so thick I make a mess. We had some sun on Thursday not sure why she looks so tiny here I think it's because she's hiding behind my massive coat for her head squish. Excuse the wellies field is over a rather deep ford 😅 we're a bit rough and ready these days.
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Ooh enjoy your holiday!
 
millitiger said:
Yes, it was bitterly cold yesterday here, the wind chill was brutal.
A good day to take my fresh horse for a canter around some new fields, with exercise sheet and coat flapping away!
Thankfully horse is a saint and I quite enjoy him when he is jolly so we had a lovely time trying passage and then a few lovely strong canters.
Then positively bounded all the way home.

Today was a day off riding, as took my dog out in the car for a nice mother/daughter walk, to make sure she isn't feeling pushed out by rescue dog's arrival.
They are getting on a lot better but still, whippets are sensitive and she needs to feel like a princess.

We have a lesson tomorrow, possibly last one before Regionals in a few weeks.
I've started running through bits of the test, still thinking of re-jigging my music again for a bit more drama
Click to expand...
Glad the dogs are starting to settle in together :) Hope the lesson goes well.

I had been romanticising the wind in my face when visualising doing more trotting when I was on my way to my lesson. When I got out the car at the yard I was like 'this is not what I had in mind!!' (it's on a particularly windy spot compared to where I live)
 
We had a great lesson today, really building on having the right balance and then carrying it through to the lateral work.

Interestingly, working on counter canter today and could I get him to stop doing flying changes 🙈
Normally our CC is super reliable and he scores well. Today I had about 20 flying changes.
Good news, apparently they are nice and clean changes and new trainer was pleased with them
Not so great with Regionals in 10 days with no changes required 😂😂
He feels great so I don't think a physical issue, he is just a little lazy and now he knows how to change, he finds that less demanding than truly collected CC with his bottom staying down and under him.
Trot we worked on very simple things, changing flexion and true shoulder fore to outside shoulder fore and making sure the change of flexion is smooth, he stays in front on the leg and I don't bloody fiddle. Then using that change of flexion to set up for leg yields and medium trots, which were much easier as he was truly connected and not pretending.

Feeling super fresh and enthusiastic which is lovely, as I felt that was missing a little until we tried this new trainer and he feels really unlocked in his body in comparison.

Physio on Tuesday and will be interesting to see if she thinks he feels any different now.
 
Quiet week for us; training at home and a nice but bitterly cold hack today with a friend 🥰

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A strut and bracket went on my lorry ramp (luckily as I was closing it) so that’s off to hopefully be mended next week. I do have plans but if I have to sit them out then so be it, the other side is fine but I’m nervous about the strain on it (it’s very heavy for me to lift too now so I do have to stand right under it) and if the other side goes whilst I’m opening it I doubt I’ll be walking away!
 
We went competing - my third competition on Sammy the loan horse. I'm so rusty and still get nervous (aka forget how to ride) so I was keen to go and do a couple of tests ahead of Areas, which are at the same venue in a couple of weeks time.

My two aims were to keep him forward and off-the-leg, and to do the halts when I asked instead of him getting onto the centre line and deciding to stop 😝. We achieved both, with the judge comments on both tests starting with 'Nicely forward' and even 'a bit too onward bound at times' in the second test! He did all the halts where I asked...annoyingly I asked at the wrong marker in the second test 🙈.

The first test, Medium 3, went well with just one blip as he dropped me in the walk and our walk-canter was muddled as a result. I think my brain doesn't cope with two tests these days as I felt I lost focus getting on for a second time and Medium 4 was full of errors - a jog in the extended walk, issues in both our simple changes and -2 for the error of course. I was delighted with 68.1% and an overall win in M3 and pleasantly surprised with 64.84% and overall second in M4. According to Sammy's owner, the judge is known to be fairly tough so she was also over the moon with our scores!

Hopefully the test practice and a bit more 'getting to know each other' has put us into a good mental place for Areas.

A pro photo - amazingly this was one of the better facial expressions in the dozens of photos the tog took 🙈

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nikkimariet said:
Quiet week for us; training at home and a nice but bitterly cold hack today with a friend 🥰

View attachment 154596

A strut and bracket went on my lorry ramp (luckily as I was closing it) so that’s off to hopefully be mended next week. I do have plans but if I have to sit them out then so be it, the other side is fine but I’m nervous about the strain on it (it’s very heavy for me to lift too now so I do have to stand right under it) and if the other side goes whilst I’m opening it I doubt I’ll be walking away!
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Years ago my horse got to lodge overnight with an Olympic eventer when we had been for a show jumping lesson and my ramp spring went. Fortunately it was an old fashioned spring not a gas strut so fairly easy repair by people who know.

We hacked out on Saturday as still on fairly quiet exercise, past the birds on the stick (flying bird scarers which he wasn't sure about to start off with) and had done some pole work Friday so yesterday was a day off.
 
The weekend got off to a bad start with one of the riding school horses having to be put down. He was a grey who came with a small visible melanoma when they bought him 3 or 4 years ago and the melanomas have been spreading and growing ever since but suddenly seemed to go on a growth spree affecting his transit and leading him to colic. He was a kind soul and will be missed by many riders.

Friday dressage lesson wasn't brilliant either, we were working on shoulders in and Enormosaurus seems to take great exception to being asked to cross her legs, she just about manages in walk but goes into total meltdown in trot. I'm trying to figure out if it's a physical issue or an understanding issue as I've seen her explode before when ground working because she didn't understanding what I was asking and getting frustrated. Either way, I will slowly try to build up on shoulder ins from the ground.

Saturday luckily went better. I started off riding Wonky Nose in a dressage lesson with some younger riders (the more advanced lesson was cancelled because of the lack of people). That horse is a saint, we were in the lead and a couple of the horses behind us thought it was time for some high jinx. He just kept on doing exactly as I asked while looking confused as he was overtaken or the horse behind him was getting too close for comfort. He is also a rather lovely ride in dressage, I'm vaguely starting plans to steal off my instructor him for a one day event or two.
Enormosaurus was a lot happier and more in her element for the jump lesson with no leg crossing required and was really good. I then was crash test dummy on Chunky Pony who should be a riding school pony one day.
Sunday was DIY day and I've finished the foaling box with my parents' help and put up a new light in the barn (the old one died). I've started spreading sand on my new mud control mats as well but that will take a while. Still a fair bit of work to do between the stables (another light to go up), the mud free zone (sand and fence needed) and my fields, I will get my small one properly fenced this year (I've only owned it for two years... it really needs doing), but slowly getting there and foal has somewhere to be born.
 
Fully planned to ride on friday afternoon. Robin and I looked at each other and decided the wind was far to cold for taking rugs off so we just had a chat about live and I went to the pub.

Saturday Reggie had 30 mins with a bit in to try and get him more settled in his mouth. Hopefully with some repetition this should help. Gave the lorry a spring clean as it was nicer to be indoors than out and I could put the heater on for some extra warmth.

Sunday was nice here although the temp dropped pretty quickly. All 3 got some form of ground work and a good groom which was really lovely to be able to get something done with them. Home for a warm up then out for dinner with OH. All in all a nice weekend.
 
humblepie said:
@Titchy Pony That is sad re the grey horse. Wonky Nose sounds lovely.
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Thank you, grey horse has only confirmed my desire to stay away from any horse with melanomas. He was only 14.
Wonky Nose is amazing and I'm lucky to be able to ride him, it's nice to be able to ride a safe, sane and talented horse from time to time. He's not technically a riding school horse but belongs to my instructor who occasionally lends him out to riders for their lessons.
 
j1ffy said:
We went competing - my third competition on Sammy the loan horse. I'm so rusty and still get nervous (aka forget how to ride) so I was keen to go and do a couple of tests ahead of Areas, which are at the same venue in a couple of weeks time.

My two aims were to keep him forward and off-the-leg, and to do the halts when I asked instead of him getting onto the centre line and deciding to stop 😝. We achieved both, with the judge comments on both tests starting with 'Nicely forward' and even 'a bit too onward bound at times' in the second test! He did all the halts where I asked...annoyingly I asked at the wrong marker in the second test 🙈.

The first test, Medium 3, went well with just one blip as he dropped me in the walk and our walk-canter was muddled as a result. I think my brain doesn't cope with two tests these days as I felt I lost focus getting on for a second time and Medium 4 was full of errors - a jog in the extended walk, issues in both our simple changes and -2 for the error of course. I was delighted with 68.1% and an overall win in M3 and pleasantly surprised with 64.84% and overall second in M4. According to Sammy's owner, the judge is known to be fairly tough so she was also over the moon with our scores!

Hopefully the test practice and a bit more 'getting to know each other' has put us into a good mental place for Areas.

A pro photo - amazingly this was one of the better facial expressions in the dozens of photos the tog took 🙈

View attachment 154622
Click to expand...

I love your boots! If you feel like sharing a better photo of them, I'd love to see it! How smart do you both look!
 
Had a fantastic weekend away at the Liberty Clinic. Amber can now stick to my shoulder, go out on a circle, draw in, or come in and change direction in walk and trot. She'll stick to me in a big outdoor with other horses also loose and the odd one having a jolly around us :)
She is also starting to show signs of curiosity and enjoyment rather than just being slightly switched off and soldier-ish. This comes with a challenge as she's very smart and likes to change the game on me, but she also seems to hook into things more when I hold my ask and wait for her to get it perfect. I'm doing this to build on her enjoyment and connection with me and work, and it seems to be working. Now, we need to see if we can do the same at home.
It also means she's worked for four days despite the awful weather, and I LOVE my Equidry coat, heated gilet, and fleece-lined waterproof trousers. I don't think I could have coped without them.
Also, running 5-10 meter circles backwards is physically and mentally hard, especially on a sand surface!
Plus, she was angelic to stand for an extra 2 hours on the trailer on the way home last night when we got held up because of an accident; they closed the road we were on. She didn't even move when the emergency services came past with all the lights and sirens on in the dark.
Oh, and of course, she threw a shoe again, just missed the arena mirror this time; that could have been expensive.
 
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The weekend came late for me as it was today that I took the boys out - Simon for fitness work on the farm ride and Isaac for a pre-regionals new music practice run. He was annoyingly backwards for the test, but the music and choreography scored well for 68.6% overall - ele level. My new music I got a bit carried away and as well as composing it myself, I've also sung a bunch of vocals on it - so I think I must be the only crazy person riding around to their own music with their own vocals haha.

Woke him up for medium 6 and possibly over did it becauae he was then too sharp - but the good bits scored well for 66.8% - a pb for us at medium, and it was the tougher test too. Just need to find the in-between version of him next week again regionals! (Just 2 ele tests at regionals though)
 
SEL said:
@RachelFerd well now you have me musing at the carnage I'd cause if they played me singing!! I think we'd like a video with sound please.
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Haha, well - I was flying solo yesterday so there's no video. And the vocals are running through a lot of effects - reverb and then a filter with LFO so that they sound distant and spacey. I was going for a gospel/soul harmonies thing, but made to sound distant and dreamy.
 
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