May Bank Holiday Weekend Plans

[JFTDWS]

Fergus and I are going to play medieval games with our eccentric medieval friends tomorrow and Sunday. My car is packed, the trailer is ready for an obscenely early start. I’m going to bed soon to obsess about all the things that could go wrong in the next twelve hours

Once we’re there, assuming we are in one piece and haven’t developed any sudden injuries, it’ll be lovely. Even if the forecast is as mediocre as predicted!

 

[AandK]

Mine has recovered from January's stifle injury but is now mildly bilaterally lame behind due to hock arthritis which has significantly worsened despite various treatments. Can't have them injected due to lami risk so trying a new NSAID. He's 17 so a quieter life is on the cards. He looks more comfortable already but no more competing for him - if he can be gently hacked that would be great. He's out 24/7 so gets a lot of movement.

Luckily this weekend is busy with BE so if anyone is competing at Blindley Heath, let me know your number as will perk up my days of sitting in a field hopefully ticking every one as clear!

Enjoy those of you who are out and about.

Have you tried arthramid? Has been a game changer for my boy.

 

[Jeni the dragon]

I'm stuck working again, plus three horses on two different yards as sister is away back stepping for the carriage driving at Hopetoun! So if the weather is terrible, it's her fault!

 

[nutjob]

I am having a horse vetted tomorrow so either doing lots of fun things WITH MY NEW HORSE , or else sitting in a chair searching for more horses to view .

Vetting failed, totally gutted .

 

[daydreamer]

Not quite the BH weekend but I have the week off so on Wednesday a friend is taking us with her to a Working Equitation clinic. I don’t know how it will go as Duncan is quite a green 6 yo and we haven’t been out much and not since last August. We’ve only done a couple of arena hires with my own instructor so this is a big step up. I really like the look of WE though so I’m looking forward to trying it and hope the obstacles will keep both our brains busy!

 

[millitiger]

MRI clear so diagnosis is he is a princess
£1600 but I am pleased to have confirmation there is nothing serious lurking.unseen.
So we'll plough on without shoes and see how we go!

 

[Cloball]

Shared a lesson today after a week off and was feeling a bit fragile so we kept it chilled. Last time we shared a lesson overa year ago she had a complete meltdown, this time she was a little gawpy and shouty but kpt herself to herself and at the correct speed. We had another play at shoulder in and some travers which she seemed to understand quite quickly, less so with the shoulder in. Hacking for the rest of the bank hol.

 

[Nicnac]

Have you tried arthramid? Has been a game changer for my boy.

Yes. Everything works for a while but doesn't change the underlying issue which is just getting worse.

 

[Wishfilly]

Not quite the BH weekend but I have the week off so on Wednesday a friend is taking us with her to a Working Equitation clinic. I don’t know how it will go as Duncan is quite a green 6 yo and we haven’t been out much and not since last August. We’ve only done a couple of arena hires with my own instructor so this is a big step up. I really like the look of WE though so I’m looking forward to trying it and hope the obstacles will keep both our brains busy!

I really enjoy Working Equitation, it's great- the clinics I've done we have been allowed to introduce obstacles at our own pace and the instructor was very open to us doing bits in hand if we needed to as well.

 

[Season’s Bleatings]

Really pleased with affiliated “debut” (mark II).
63.something and 65.something in two prelim tests - couple of stupid errors in first test, then he was a bit tired and switched off in second. But still scored nicely mid pack! We went solo & he was just so easy. He is way better than I am and just a joy to have around. Best boy

 

[Caol Ila]

5 hours of riding for me today. Weather tomorrow looks pish, and both my horses were due for a long ride. So they both got one. I am knackered, but both horses behaved impeccably.

In other news, a mate of mine at the yard has been getting a horse whispering type trainer to the barn once a month because her chap is complicated and difficult. He was there today when we went past the outdoor. Nice rider. Mine are neither complicated nor difficult at the moment (not even Fin!) but when I stalked the guy online, I saw he does garrocha things and trick training -- Spanish walk, bowing, all sorts. Thinking, Hermosa would love to learn that stuff. If he's willing to work with the hackamore (and any trainer of that sort should!), then I'd be well up for a lesson. It would make winter more bearable.

 

[AandK]

Had a lovely ride on the South Downs this morning, with a nice blast to start the weekend off! Tomorrow we have a jumping lesson, eek! Have popped a couple of X poles at home in the last few weeks (which was the first time jumping for 2yrs!) and he was ace, so fingers crossed for tomorrow. Hoping we can then get cracking with jumping, his first time XC is on the list pending the outcome of tomorrow!
View attachment 140007

Jump lesson was a huge success! The only issue I had was getting on need some one to hold him away from home or he keeps moving, so need to work on that now we’re able to get out more!
In the lesson he was lovely and relaxed, and did some fab jumps from canter. So very proud of him and the horse he is becoming

 

[millitiger]

Pony had a big education day today-
First trip in the 3.5t box
First time seeing horses with carriages
First time long reining away from home

We had a few excitable moments but mostly very well behaved, listened when I told him to bring his energy back down and he was very interested but not scared of the carriages.

 

[Wishfilly]

Sounds like people have had some really successful weekends.

Camp was great, such a lovely group of people, and no pressure to do anything I didn't want to. Was quite a big deal for me as it's the first time I have been away from home without support as such, so really glad we managed things like loading, unloading and tacking him up tied to the trailer in the field independently. And he was incredible given it was a much busier environment than he was used to, and none of his friends had been there with him!

 

[minesadouble]

Well, there was a lot of mud at Northumberland County but the horse area was the best of the whole show field.
Fabulous day for daughter and her super Connie coming home with a first and second place.
We had to be towed off, but didn't have to queue for the tractor so my fears were unfounded!

 

[nikkimariet]

Friday was somerford high profile for us. He was excellent from the moment we arrived (and a quick thank you to the organisers for changing my first test time meaning I had a 5am start not a 3am start!). Really super brave - few tiny bits that weren’t our best but not mistakes (except my dreadful second walk piri lol) and dead pleased with him. A smidge disappointed with the score 63%+ 3rd section 9th overall BUT they didn’t really like many of us lol. The inter 1 he was even more zen even with a change of arena etc (and being dragged out at the arse end of the day ). No mistakes I think I slightly rushed a few movements but he was great for 66%+ 2nd section 6th overall.



Quick hack Saturday, then today we had a fellow HHO-er for a visit. Didn’t really school as such just a sense check before gradually starting to remove bits of tack! He was great for his first bitless and saddleless ride AND he was a good pony for Vicki too.






We will both sleep well tonight!

 

[Tiddlypom]

After getting really knocked back and descending into the slough of despond after losing my homebred recently to a suspected brain tumour, I dusted myself off and decided that the best way to get up and going again was to get back riding.

Been back at my happy place on Cannock Chase for a number of 2 hour treks recently. I was initially wobbly and pathetic first time back, but I was on board Jake, the horse in my avatar, and he soon put me right.

Last Friday I did both the morning and afternoon rides, and then out again Saturday morning, when the pro tog was out. This is me on Arizona, one of the trekking centre’s homebreds.

Yes, I’m still carrying a few extra lbs over my ideal riding weight (though losing them fast), and at the age of 66 I’ve decided that the best place for my body protector is on my person rather than hanging up in the boot room, but what the heck.

Ruddy good fun.






Booked in with FreeRein this coming weekend for their two day/1 night Explorer trail .

 

[Zoeypxo]

Finally have something to add! 7 mile ride around a national trust estate today.
We are doing our first endurance ride on the 15th, only the 10 mile pleasure ride but still exciting!

 

[Kirstd33]

Nothing nearly as exciting but coblet is having an hour here and then small paddock turnout and in hand walking for 5 mins twice a day which is something I guess. Then yesterday eldest daughter and I went for a gorgeous hack including a super fast field blast on the 2 lovely horses that we are riding a couple of time a week

 

[webble]

@Tiddlypom you look fab, great to see you enjoying yourself and no shame in a body protector at all, very sensible. Enjoy free rein, I'm quite jealous

 

[Cloudcomet]

We had a really good weekend, and sounds like lots of you did too!
The horse we went to see is fab, so we’re moving forward with that. And yesterday, at Mendip Plains, was very nearly excellent! Obviously, as with most things to do with horses and children, it didn’t go 100% perfectly. Dressage wasn’t too bad, apart from a sat nav error, SJ was great, a lovely clear! And xc was fantastic, apart from the jockey forgetting to take a pull and galloping right past the step down . Really happy that the horse was foot perfect though, we needed a confidence boosting run after the big E at Larkhill in the u18 100!

 

[Chiffy]

My family arrived back from the Junior Jumping Festival at Aintree in the middle of the night. Wonderful Equestrian Centre right on the racecourse. Two fabulous days of Junior BS. Long days and big classes, we came away with one win!
Senior Chiffet ( as she is known on hho good morning posts) age 13 won the second day British Novice with a scintillating jump off round. The commentator got excited saying She has got this in the bag! before she had jumped the last!
Both girls went well both days but with the odd rolled pole. A huge experience to go somewhere so different. It was amazing for me, left at home to be able to watch everything on my tv!
Snr should have been eventing at Belsay this coming weekend but it has succumbed to the wet weather

 

[j1ffy]

I did a lovely long-ish hack on Pocholo on Saturday - a good hoof trimming hack for him and mostly off-road. We did have to help out some lost North Americans who were driving along the Ridgeway itself instead of along the road - why they thought the disabled car park would be on a bumpy, stony track I have no idea . Had a good session in the school on Chilli that day, then a nice pootle around the village on Sunday.

Back to my dressage trainer's on Monday and we still have our right canter issue, he goes very nappy about it but when my trainer was in the middle with a lunge whip he did it perfectly each time (he'll happily do it on the lunge at home) and once in the canter his right lead feels better balanced and better quality than the left. Other than that our 'contact bootcamp' in walk and trot seems to be paying off and the bend / quality / overall connection was better though there's still a long way to go - our theory is that this is what's preventing the right canter transition as he flings his left shoulder out and without that connection it's hard to make the split-second correction to support him. It did feel like progress but it's very puzzling, I'm now so desperate that I've contacted a horse communicator to see if they can point me in the right direction .

 

[humblepie]

Wow lots of amazing reports and photos. Fantastic hacking ones as well as competing ones. We went out showing and secured a qualification we wanted (or I wanted, not sure horse bothered one way or another) so that was good.

 

[SEL]

@Tiddlypom lovely to see you out on the Chase having a blast. I know I've said it before but I really miss riding there - all those lovely gallops and no traffic.

All been about training here this weekend - getting on the lorry training mainly although I share J1ffy's frustration with right canter too.

So for the past few weekends Turbo cob (he's been upgraded from BabyCob now he's 6) has been an absolute horror to load. After being particularly vile at the end of the fun ride we were at the other week I decided I needed help to nip it in the bud. I know he's not frightened because he'll often walk straight on and stand there wondering where we're off to, but we've had some real Kevin tantrums too.

Michael Peace is local to me and although he's eye wateringly expensive I've seen him in action and I wanted that 'make it look easy and load in 10 minutes' approach rather than any gadgets or flag waving. Fortunately he got exactly the same tantrum so I was able to see how he dealt with it and understand how I wasn't helping matters with my body language and where I was standing. We then went for a drive so he could check the hooligan was fine travelling (he was) and offloaded, loaded away from the yard. I was left with homework so over the weekend religiously loaded and unloaded and then took him out for arena hire yesterday to his most tetchy location (you park on grass with horses in the fields and he gets very distracted). Hoof perfect thankfully so I just need to get him out to somewhere with a bit more adrenaline now and see how he does.

Despite thinking I'd made progress with right canter I really struggled at arena hire yesterday. Its a fabulous 20x60 with an amazing surface and I've had correct canter in there in clinics, but yesterday he was insistent he was going to give me left canter. Even striking off on the correct lead and then changing back to left. I had one of the top physios in the area give him a good check over last week and there was nothing to find. Passes flexion tests with the vet with ease and was cantering on both leads on the fun ride. I might try him on some devil's claw just to see whether it is a pain issue.

I've been told by one of the e-riders judges that we need to move out of the Intro classes. Completely agree but unless there's a prelim with only left canter I'm a bit limited right now!

 

[j1ffy]

@Tiddlypom lovely to see you out on the Chase having a blast. I know I've said it before but I really miss riding there - all those lovely gallops and no traffic.

All been about training here this weekend - getting on the lorry training mainly although I share J1ffy's frustration with right canter too.

So for the past few weekends Turbo cob (he's been upgraded from BabyCob now he's 6) has been an absolute horror to load. After being particularly vile at the end of the fun ride we were at the other week I decided I needed help to nip it in the bud. I know he's not frightened because he'll often walk straight on and stand there wondering where we're off to, but we've had some real Kevin tantrums too.

Michael Peace is local to me and although he's eye wateringly expensive I've seen him in action and I wanted that 'make it look easy and load in 10 minutes' approach rather than any gadgets or flag waving. Fortunately he got exactly the same tantrum so I was able to see how he dealt with it and understand how I wasn't helping matters with my body language and where I was standing. We then went for a drive so he could check the hooligan was fine travelling (he was) and offloaded, loaded away from the yard. I was left with homework so over the weekend religiously loaded and unloaded and then took him out for arena hire yesterday to his most tetchy location (you park on grass with horses in the fields and he gets very distracted). Hoof perfect thankfully so I just need to get him out to somewhere with a bit more adrenaline now and see how he does.

Despite thinking I'd made progress with right canter I really struggled at arena hire yesterday. Its a fabulous 20x60 with an amazing surface and I've had correct canter in there in clinics, but yesterday he was insistent he was going to give me left canter. Even striking off on the correct lead and then changing back to left. I had one of the top physios in the area give him a good check over last week and there was nothing to find. Passes flexion tests with the vet with ease and was cantering on both leads on the fun ride. I might try him on some devil's claw just to see whether it is a pain issue.

I've been told by one of the e-riders judges that we need to move out of the Intro classes. Completely agree but unless there's a prelim with only left canter I'm a bit limited right now!

How weird, we seem to be having the exact same issues! Chilli was also naughty to load yesterday - MP sorted him a couple of years ago and he's been perfect since but he planted at the bottom of the ramp when we were heading home. The horse area had got quite warm on the way over (silly me forgot to open the windows after it had been cleaned on Friday) so that might be it, but you have reminded me that I need to think about where I'm standing and to do some homework!!

Maybe Chilli and TurboCob have been communicating?!

 

[mavandkaz]

Been a fairly busy one here. Sham has felt a little bit flat the last few weeks so have been trying to build up his fitness.
Friday was a lovely 2hr hack nearly all in walk, then another 2.5hrs on Saturday. Unfortunately not quite to plan as part of the bridleway was so over grown with stinging nettles that Sham just downed tools and refused to move any further, including a couple of spins as he tried to find a way out. So I had to get off and lead him. Poor lad was covered in nettle rash on belly when he got home, typical thin fur/skinned tb.
Then Sunday evening we went to the local riding club camp to be the demo rider for a Working Equitation talk. He was so good, coping really well with the spectators even when the walked the course en masse. Did the course well, and did our first speed round which was awesome.
Day off Monday.

Looks like lots of people have had a fun filled weekend.

 

[SEL]

How weird, we seem to be having the exact same issues! Chilli was also naughty to load yesterday - MP sorted him a couple of years ago and he's been perfect since but he planted at the bottom of the ramp when we were heading home. The horse area had got quite warm on the way over (silly me forgot to open the windows after it had been cleaned on Friday) so that might be it, but you have reminded me that I need to think about where I'm standing and to do some homework!!

Maybe Chilli and TurboCob have been communicating?!

Funny you say that because I think it was a horrible day travelling in the heat and humidity last year that first caused our loading issue!

I'm not sure anything good can come of communicating with TurboCob He's called the hooligan for a reason.......

 

[j1ffy]

Funny you say that because I think it was a horrible day travelling in the heat and humidity last year that first caused our loading issue!

I'm not sure anything good can come of communicating with TurboCob He's called the hooligan for a reason.......

Lol - I often refer to Chilli as an entitled teenager so that goes both ways!

My old loan horse stopped loading in my 7.5T after an outing where he got hot and sweaty, it's amazing what they remember (and dislike!). Chilli didn't sweat yesterday but the box was very clammy...

 

[dorsetladette]

We had a lovely day out yesterday. Not the judges cup of tea, but lots of positive experiences for Benjamin Brown- the coolest man in town!