Let's Pretend It's Summer Weekend Thread

I feel like I have something worth sharing for once! Buzzing after our weekend and had to buy these pics.

We went to a funride! It was lovely. Brakes were a problem when cantering with more than one other.. she is only 5, very soft in the mouth but used her neck to her advantage so might have to invest in something a bit stronger for faster work. 🙈 I definitely felt like a passenger but at least she was forward!

We’ve had so much rubbish hit us in the last year.. hopefully we can start having some fun now!
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Amber is once again shod all around (place your bets, ladies and gentlemen), and she was well-behaved to do a little in hand and ridden work in the arena Friday evening, and then we did poles on Saturday. I spent more time putting them back than she did going over them; you can see it in her face. She knows exactly what she's up to as she sends them all flying. Got to love a smart mare. Then she was angelic for yesterday's hacking session; Steph walked around a 40 min route with us at a venue we've never been to and dropped back at times to see how we did. Awesome was how we did, building works, dogs, passing other horses, jolly walkers, vans, and gardeners, all no bother :) I might crack solo hacking this summer :) Oddly I'm more pleased about yesterday than I was working the cows the week before.
 

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Managed to loosen up my back dancing in the rain at some fringe tramlines adjacent gigs ☺️ so had a last minute lesson this morning in the sunshine 😱

Came out of the field like her A*r*e was on fire telling me she was starving, settled down to some really nice work once I sat on my butt and distracted her from oggling another horse. Popped some lovely canter transitions which make me laugh as her big trot is much faster than her canter. Did some grown up leg yielding steps and some turns on the forehand once she'd tried rein back and forwards and it clicked! Good little egg 😇. Hacking for the rest of the week.
 
Well cannock chase English TREC championships certainly delivered a full on weekend !
Saturday we drew our route maps in pouring rain then set off to ride it . Very very technical route with plenty of tickets and tricky entries into checkpoints. We were out for 5 hours 50 mins and I think it rained the whole time !
TP was a little barefoot superstar on some very stoney paths, he was a bit put out going backwards and forwards when we got misplaced ( lost lol ) but he kept marching on
We were vetted when we got back to the venue, which he passed no problems
Then Sunday was slightly better weather , a very tough PTV that was low scoring for everyone , but we did every obstacle except the huge jump , and he scored a point for his MA canter 😊
He really listened to me and was lovely and responsive, in only his second TREC comp he was a total professional 👏
I've ordered some pics from the official photographer so will post them when I get them
 
Late report back on our weekend, which was a bit of a mixed bag.
The nocturnal hack was brilliant (though I was at least twice the age of all the other participants!). Little Madam was full of energy, forward going and just great. A nervous rider on the washed-out Mini Madam was struggling in canter and kept involuntarily overtaking, so I told her to stick her in Little Madam's tail. Little Madam put up with a long canter down a grassy lane with another pony up her backside and kept all four feet on the ground. This is why I love her. We did have a yee-hah moment in a stubble field where she threw in a few cheeky bucks for the sheer joy of it, but there was no one behind us.
Saturday lesson turned out to one hour dressage and one hour jumping. I dressaged with Mr Metronome who was feeling great and jumped with Little Madam. Unfortunately, Little Madam put in some stops at a double (not very high) and it would appear it's me that's chickening out on doubles and abandoning her. I'm really fed up with myself over it: I've got a great pony and keep letting her down. I just can't seem to progress any more and everytime things start to look up, I mess up again. All this possibly linked to my not-quite-controlled pmdd, but that's another story. I'm starting to think I'm going to have to put mine and Little Madam's competitive careers behind us...
Sunday I really didn't want to ride (well do anything really) but forced myself to climb on Little Madam bareback and took her out for a hack (I live in rural France, so not quite as stupid as it sounds - and I did take a neck strap). She was again brilliant: walk, trot and canter, no issues. Perhaps we should aim for happy hacking, emphasis on "happy".
 
southerncomfort said:
Fab pic!!

Are those Rain Legs you're wearing? Would you recommend them?

I'm torn between rain legs and a riding skirt.
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humblepie said:
Indeed a lovely picture and sounds a good day. Also interested re the rain legs/waterproof.
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Yes they are rain legs , well a cheaper version
I cycle as well so find the rain legs useful for both
I would say they are suitable for light rain , but even in Saturdays torrential rain they held off the worst of it
The skirts look good and are probably more waterproof than the legs but usually if its raining that much I wouldn't go out riding !
I like the legs for summer as if it goes warm you can just roll them up into the waistband, maybe the skirts are better for winter riding
 
I'm really enjoying the fact that D will follow me calmly past anything weird we've encountered lately and then stand calmly for me to hop back on. Combines, cows in hedges, horse eating stumps (this is the most terrifying). I find it reassuring and very cute.... Some day I will have enough control over my own panic to stay on every time but for now this suits us both. I don't mean to make her sound very spooky either all manner of building materials, rattling trailers and bad drivers don't bother her at all.
 
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