Middle of July (how??) weekend plans?

[millitiger]

I sound older than my 30's but how is it already middle of July?!

What is everyone up to this weekend?

Small pony is now on ride 6 in total and went for his first hack this morning. Just a tootle around the village, but on his own, no lunging or anything first.
He did a great job, it's LOVELY to have a saddle instead of bareback!
So more hacking for him this weekend.

Fun ride Sunday with older horse at one of my favourite places, hoping for rain tomorrow to soften it up a bit

Monday going to ride giant ginger for the first time, I'm so excited and slightly apprehensive. I hope I love riding him as this has been 4 years in the making but as long as he is happy and we have a safe ride, that will be a good start.

Have fun everyone

 

[smolmaus]

HOW

Well done small pony!!

I am grooming for a friend again, at Big Grown Up Show this time. More than 4 entries in the classes!! Really looking forward to it. And this isn't a this weekend plan but friend has agreed to take US to a show at the end of August so I have just bought myself a flat noseband and a second hand tweed!

More hacking for us squeezed in around show and very important show recovery. Weather looks perfect! 20C and sunny intervals

 

[SEL]

I think my moaning about the heat and lack of rain has finally reached the weather gods - but I could have done without storm warnings and 20mm+ when I need to drive down the M40 tomorrow!

Day camp with the riding club and what will probably be a v muddy turbo cob because its far too hot to rug.

Just filmed his 2 e-riders intro championship tests. The prelims need to wait until the rain has sorted my grass arena a bit. Not our best - i swallowed a fly! - but the videographer was off to golf so they'll do

 

[j1ffy]

I got back from house-sitting in Spain at my friend's riding holiday place on Wednesday. Had a lovely few days - catching up with Chilli (including a couple of hacks, he feels fab) and also joining the holiday guests on their Tuesday beach ride. I've not ridden on the beach in a long time, and usually when I'm there I'm backstop so on a steady pony, but this time I had a speedy Arab up near the front of the ride so it was extra-fun!

Chilli:


On the beach behind some little Arab ears:


Nothing planned for this weekend - although I'm feeling all energised after a few days away so I wish I'd booked something in..!

 

[St Nicnaclaus]

More Quest BD tomorrow. We are on late pm so should miss the rain and it's will be mich cooler. Bliss!
Day off Sunday as it's husband's birthday and have peeps coming over for a late lunch BBQ so lots to do.

 

[Alibear]

I'm off to the New Forest for a weeks hacking holiday on Sunday. I could have done without the forecast switching from OK to thunderstorms all week! Both for at home and in the New Forest, it's a 5 hour trip each way in good weather so I'll just plan more time and take more stops. But also camping for the week and basically being outside all week is a bit worrying now. But I'm sure it will be fine, the organisers have run it for 10 years so will have run it in wet weather before.
The debate now is do I bath Amber tonight in the last of the hot weather when then she'll be rained on in the early hours anyway and for the following week! It doesn't seem worth it to me.. She's probably better keeping what oil she has in her coat as it's still going to be warm so I don't think rugging would be a good idea.
Really hoping the forecast is wrong. But I've figured out how to setup my camera to take multiple short clips as intervals so my sister can see, and we should have a fun time regardless.
Packing day tomorrow

 

[SEL]

@Alibear is your camp for western riders? I was thinking of trying to find somewhere in the NF for a stay away next year. Looking forward to next week's write up

With you on the bathing. Its 26 degrees in the shade here and I'd planned baths but they'll need greasy coats for torrential rain in the early hours.

 

[Alibear]

@SEL It's for all riders and its run by Sean Coleman https://appliedhorsemanship.com/learn/ He runs several over a few weeks for various levels of horse and rider. 100% recommend, everyone says they've not seen me as enthused and happy as I was after last time in many years.
This time we're in the advanced group and last year we were intermediate, and that pushed every button I have!

ETA- The Metcheck forecast is much nicer than the BBCs. So I'm going to be team Metcheck for the next week.

 

[Cloball]

Hack with pals yesterday, lesson tonight maybe film online dressage the I'm marshalling at my local.EGB ride

 

[Gamebird]

I'm off eventing (unaff) at Buckminster. I have run there many times BE over the years, but not since I retired from 'proper' eventing in 2013. I definitely remember doing a 5yo qualifier there in 2005. It's a proper old parkland track, and I live it!

I swore I was done eventing (largely because I can't afford it!), but I have the nicest racehorse and we're just doing stuff and having fun. Oh, and we had two days training with Austin o'Connor this week, so who knows....

 

[millitiger]

Cute small pony out on his solo hack this morning.
We passed my partner out walking our pup so nabbed a photo

 

[dixie]

Aiming to go in fun ride up the road from me tomorrow. I thought it was going to be hot and ground hard with flies but now it’s heavy rain overnight and thunderstorms during the day.
So not 100% I’m going yet as a lot is on the moors and very exposed.

 

[ihatework]

I was at Aston yesterday, pony was good and got a rosette.

I however had a funny-not funny incident. Whizzing along on my e-bike and hit a seriously deep hidden hole. So I managed a rotational off a bike . The guy walking the course near me had that moment of ‘this is hilarious I really want to laugh, but I’d better keep a straight face and see if she is ok’

Anyway, my other plans this weekend involve what I usually, tongue-in-cheek, call my RDA happy hacking. Only it’s less tongue in cheek than normal now! 6yo looked after me this morning. Let’s hope the 9yo keeps his spooks to himself tomorrow

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Had a brilliant lesson last night. We worked on some adjustability, counter bending, canter transitions, paying attention to his ribcage and overall alignment, focused on the inside hind stepping under, "filling" my outside rein, and took a peek at the medium trot.

Horse has a lot of potential if his body and stupidly assembled legs hold up! Such a good sport about it all because it was hot and humid even though we went later in the day.

We'll probably have a summer break for the foreseeable since we'll have 37°C+ temps and humidity for the next 2 weeks or so. I'll do the low 30's, but when it gets above 33/34° with the humidity, neither of us can stop sweating! I'd love to crack on and do our homework, but it is what it is. Hopefully we'll head back for another lesson in a few weeks if the temps get a bit more bearable, but I don't see an end in the forecast!

 

[stangs]

Nothing interesting to report with my boy. He went for his usual walk yesterday, grew 5 hands at the sight of a goose, and recovered from the shock by stuffing his mouth with thistles and willow. His life is so difficult.

I however am heading home after a trip to Worcester sales. An interesting experience for sure - not as upsetting as I was prepared for it to be, and not as many horses in a state of true distress/learned helplessness as some thatheavyhorsecentre would have you think.

Spoiler: Rant

There were nice horses sold by people who seemed to care, or at least made sure they were turned out well and had hay and clean water. Equally there were quite a few horses with feet in sorely need of a farrier and who spent their morning hard tied too short to eat or drink (if they even had anything in their pen beyond a handful of straw).

Also - the current bee in my bonnet is people’s pathological need to be touching animals, regardless of whether the animal wants to be touched. Consequently, I spent a lot of my morning grumbling. It’s one thing stroking a horse who is clearly seeking out comfort from/interaction with people, or touching a horse to inspect its teeth or the like, but why must people constantly be stroking horses just for the sake of it, or because of some widespread arrogance that a quick stroke can magically make a horse feel better about the novel environment they find themselves in (again, talking about horses not visibly soliciting interaction). And what happened to not touching horses at auction, unless you need to, to minimise cross-contamination? Maybe I’m getting too grumpy and judgemental in my old age, but it royally got on my nerves.

Also discovered yet another use for baling twine: bridle ‘fit’…

 

[Reacher]

Wow that use of the bailer twine made my jaw drop @stangs .
Re touching horses unnecessarily, I was at a camp last weekend and getting sick of 2 teenage girls pestering other people ‘s horses when stabled, even after 9pm at night. Yes I know we were all young once.

Did an arena hire this morning trying to learn the prelim 5 (long arena) I am inadvertently entered in tomorrow at local club. Also entered in 2 jumping classes. Will see how it goes, if it rains and ground is greasy I probably won’t jump.

 

[Compasses]

I’m off showjumping tomorrow 60cm/70cm at Reaseheath. Somehow I have not yet done a showjumping competition on my lad yet despite doing hunter trials so I hope I can harness my forward riding and try and get a good clear with no stops! (He only stops if I ride backward so it’s my own fault!)

 

[SEL]

Riding club day camp was great. Weather behaved although the sun came out in the afternoon and the humidity went through the roof. Drizzle rather than torrential.

Very, very happy with the jumping. Its the second time this instructor has seen us and she 100% had the measure of needing to keep the hooligan challenged so he didnt have a chance to get (too) cocky. Flatwork had some good & not so good areas but I generally prefer to work on those myself anyway.

Just bullied the microcob around our Sunday loop. She's not great in the heat so hasnt done nearly enough recently and the grass is going to come through like rocket fuel now I expect.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Shame its Monday tomorrow

 

[Michen]

2/3 horses to ride this AM! So proud of my little four year old. He’s such a dude. First proper solo hack out on roads etc with no one on the ground. I have to admit I was a little nervous so there was a bit of singing but he’s just a great chap and tries really hard.

He seems quite proud of himself!

 

[dixie]

Aiming to go in fun ride up the road from me tomorrow. I thought it was going to be hot and ground hard with flies but now it’s heavy rain overnight and thunderstorms during the day.
So not 100% I’m going yet as a lot is on the moors and very exposed.

Well we went and it was fab.
The heavy rain overnight made the conditions lovely and there were no thunderstorms, just a few showers.
He’s now exhausted at am i

 

[Gamebird]

I'm off eventing (unaff) at Buckminster. I have run there many times BE over the years, but not since I retired from 'proper' eventing in 2013. I definitely remember doing a 5yo qualifier there in 2005. It's a proper old parkland track, and I live it!

I swore I was done eventing (largely because I can't afford it!), but I have the nicest racehorse and we're just doing stuff and having fun. Oh, and we had two days training with Austin o'Connor this week, so who knows....

I feel like I should come back and report!

Gosh how we miss Buckminster as a BE venue. It is just perfection! Absolutely thrilled (SO thrilled) with a 32 dressage, 1 SJ and clear XC in biblical rain (and no studs). Hilariously the former festival winning national hunt horse and yhe former open team chase championship winning jockey picked up a cricket score of time faults keeping us out of 2nd place, but I couldn't be more pleased.

He absolutely pulled me to every fence today whereas previously I had to convince him round. Will let the handbrake off a little next time...

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

It's so nice to read what everyone is up to now that the weather has (sort of) simmered down a bit!

I hope you are not too sore today @ihatework! Well done @Gamebird and that sounds like a lovely event venue. @millitiger sounds like exciting progress with your pony

I didn't ride at all last week. The heat set me back with fatigue and then when it did cool down earlier in the week instead of feeling better I just completely crashed. Very nearly cancelled my half hour lesson on Thursday but was feeling so depressed I thought 'sod the fatigue I'm going'.

The nerves came out pretty strong, it's only my second lesson at that RS, but I was able to say how I felt and the instructor just didn't make a big deal of it. We treated it a bit like a walking hack round the arena and she stayed walking nearby and chatting to me. It was great practice at riding through the spikes of fear (I mean I really was petrified for absolutely no rational reason at all) and by the end I was enjoying myself. I think I really like the horse and will learn a lot with him on the journey to my big hacking goal. Also good practice at not giving myself crap for 'the fear' happening.

Another lesson yesterday at usual RS. My legs/knees are still being naughty and gripping! Not helped by me falling off the wagon of between lesson exercises. But our baseline trot is so much better than it was, most of our transitions are more forwards now, we have moments of better connection, and can get a few steps of decent sitting trot. Next step we're working on is loosening the grippy legs, nailing the sitting trot, and then hopefully on to canter! He's a very big horse so I do feel the careful prep work will be well worth it

 

[smolmaus]

HOW

Well done small pony!!

I am grooming for a friend again, at Big Grown Up Show this time. More than 4 entries in the classes!! Really looking forward to it. And this isn't a this weekend plan but friend has agreed to take US to a show at the end of August so I have just bought myself a flat noseband and a second hand tweed!

More hacking for us squeezed in around show and very important show recovery. Weather looks perfect! 20C and sunny intervals

Horse somehow pulled a shoe getting on the bloody box and show secretary wouldn't answer the phone to see if there was a farrier on site despite calling 4 times so no show for us! Well, we did go and spectate and had a nice day but absolutely gutting!

Also good practice at not giving myself crap for 'the fear' happening.

Another lesson yesterday at usual RS. My legs/knees are still being naughty and gripping! Not helped by me falling off the wagon of between lesson exercises. But our baseline trot is so much better than it was, most of our transitions are more forwards now, we have moments of better connection, and can get a few steps of decent sitting trot. Next step we're working on is loosening the grippy legs, nailing the sitting trot, and then hopefully on to canter! He's a very big horse so I do feel the careful prep work will be well worth it

Working on your mental exercises will do far more good in the long run than what your knees do! Lovely report

We did a long hack on Friday, first time we have done the big loop with no dismounts for scary bits! And on a loose rein the whole time! Very pleased with my little spud. Saturday off then a little school last night as I didn't trust mizzly rain not to turn into a downpour, with the Scary Side of the arena now a construction site rather than a grassy bank. She is happy as a clam with a digger in the corner, hardcore piles and drainage pipes lying everywhere, when the nice grassy bank had been eyeballed every time she passed it for a literal year. I mean we have done a full lap of the arena without some sort of spook maybe 10 times total and she didn't even think about it yesterday. Pony logic. Anyway, I do still have a canter transition despite not asking for like, 2 months. The canter is still shit (both of us at fault here) but that's to work on!