Mothers day weekend plans?

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Good luck to everyone.

I moved yards last weekend, so on Sat I am exploring some of the hacking with another livery and learning a few more routes, and then on Sunday I am off to a course jumping clinic.

 

[j1ffy]

Nikicb - Cassie is gorgeous!

MP - well done!! That's still a very respectable score at Regionals

I've packed half a trailer full of haylage ready for my weekend at AMD with Indio. I really don't think he'll eat half of it but figured best to take more than less. Then once I loaded it up I realised I had enough for a small cavalry Ho hum!

 

[Fiona]

We are being busy after snow stopped play last weekend 😣😣

Took child and new pony sj schooling yesterday, and back there for a competition this evening.

Then I have gridwork/jumping lessons next Monday and Tuesday (not ideal, but need to get out when we can these days lol)...

Good luck to everyone competing, especially eventing.... Well done for braving the weather x

Fiona

 

[mavandkaz]

bit of a training weekend for us.
Started on Thursday with an awesome flatwork lesson (absolutely love my instructor, just the right amount of pushing and sarcasm and after a year of being taught by him, we still do something new every lesson) as well as working on getting him to lift his back and engage more with his hind end, which is a common theme for us, we did more work on counter canter. finishing with us counter cantering down the long side, round the short side, and then medium canter across the diagonal. am still on a high as he usually puts in a flying change
today the saddle fitter was out, just for a check up.
tomorrow we are off for a jump lesson. am having a real crisis of confidence at the moment, especially when approaching jumps off a corner. I either just sit there and forget to ride, or sub consciously pull him up. poor boy must be so confused, but he's so honest that he just keeps trying.
then hopefully out for a hack on sunday, if its not too wet.

good luck to all those competing, and hope everyone else has fun.

 

[milliepops]

Writing at the regionals produced the usual thoughts of "why do I bother" when almost everyone else seems to be on a zillion pound horse there's no hope and then really gratifying moments when some of the super fantastic combinations were still getting only OK-ish scores because of little mistakes. It happens to everyone... we will keep on keeping on

So on that note, Salty has been for her first lesson. I'm SOOOOO pleased with her today, she got very tired towards the end but she tried - mostly - really hard to pay attention and do her work there was plenty to look at and it had been a bit of a wiggly drive over to Olivia's so when she got weary it was like ALL the batteries suddenly failed but it's all good experience Lots of good stuff for us to work on, Salty is really different (better) out and about than she is at home so it's good to be able to develop her when we have an outing. Anyway... more swing & less rushing, more responsiveness and less dreaming about, asking her to take the contact forward especially when she's tiring. Some clips here... Planning to go again when we've got a few shows under her belt

The spooky bits towards the end were caused by a horse trailer appearing in the doorway.. she's really afraid of them for some reason!

[video=youtube_share;D92mUGrHuBM]https://youtu.be/D92mUGrHuBM[/video]

 

[JFTDWS]

Salty looks good, MP - definitely the most established orange musketeer, even if she is a coward about trailers! Love the rolling dog in the middle.

Skye went for teeth / vaccs yesterday, and popped a little fence or two this morning. Terrible photo as my phone kept being blown off the fence, but she was keen and confident, which is nice as it's only her second time leaving the ground under saddle. Will probably do some schooling or go for a hack tomorrow. Gosh its dull when you're not competing!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgJbTnlA4XQ/?taken-by=hotbloodedhighlandponies

Had to double take at Accidental Eventer's photo... That's definitely not over here

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Well sat MP! She's got some real promise
JFTD, she's got a good pop!

I trundled off to the Trec comp, we guffed up with a couple of obstacles but made up for it with all the others by being foot perfect, finishing 6th in the class. Madame even loaded on and off cheerfully, striding on each time - that made my day!

 

[Fiona]

We didn't start the weekend off too well, as pony was spooky at practice fence at sj and child fell off 😣

Poured all day today so none of us rode...

Fiona

 

[Wheels]

Salty is looking sweet there MP

We went today for a very soggy WH clinic - but even though we were totally soaking we still had good fun. Boyo went a bit green on me a couple of times and put in some dodgy strides and a run out at one fence when we approached a little out of balance and I didn't have enough leg on. But all in all I was very pleased with him. Longest trailer ride so far, horrible weather, wet and claggy surface but went very well and he is such a wee dude!

Weather looks lovely for tomorrow so will go for a nice hack

 

[Fiona]

Salty is looking sweet there MP

We went today for a very soggy WH clinic - but even though we were totally soaking we still had good fun. Boyo went a bit green on me a couple of times and put in some dodgy strides and a run out at one fence when we approached a little out of balance and I didn't have enough leg on. But all in all I was very pleased with him. Longest trailer ride so far, horrible weather, wet and claggy surface but went very well and he is such a wee dude!

Weather looks lovely for tomorrow so will go for a nice hack

I bet you were very soggy by the end 😣😣 The rain never let up here today until about 4pm...

Fiona

 

[ycbm]

My mother's day weekend plan is to stay as far away from my mother as possible.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Well done to anyone who braved the weather today. The Beast just got a bit of a long line! I am putting my brave pants on and am going to the pleasure ride tomorrow. I must remember to text my mum too.

 

[Wheels]

I bet you were very soggy by the end 😣😣 The rain never let up here today until about 4pm...

Fiona

It was bloody awful Fiona!! I wouldn't normally ride in such weather lol

 

[rosiesowner]

very jealous of that lesson MP! I need to get to one of the camps at some point this year! Salty is looking fab. Love a chestnut mare!

Fiona-oh no! sounds like your plans were foiled

JFTD i saw your photo-looks good!

and because i have not got the brain capacity to remember everyone else and what they have done, i hope all have had/are having a good weekend!

 

[ihatework]

Productive weekend here!
Had a winner at the P-to-P,
Giant worked really well on the gallops today, stamina finally starting to come and was still on the bridle on the third run.

And the most exciting thing ....
We finally bought a young event horse - 10 months and 6 failed vettings later!!
We had to go younger as the budget was somewhat depleted but arriving today is a 4yo KWPN called Jack that we had to move very quickly on and pipped a big name buyer

 

[ester]

8/10 don't understand what the problem is .

 

[PapaverFollis]

It took me a long time to understand what your meant there, Ester! (I was like "eight out of ten people don't understand what the problem is? What problem? I guess I'm one of the eight then?" Yeah, my brain is odd :lol: ) But yes 8/10 is very good, perfectly acceptable.

Can I give The Beast a 10/10 for today? She was a total superstar - loaded like a boss both ways, was less excited on arrival (although was still described as a "gobby b****r" by one chap :lol, and went round the ride without any problems... only getting a bit keen when there were bottoms in front, especially when the bottoms started trotting, but she listened and settled back into walk. OH walked round with me... he's now asleep on the sofa. Think he deserved the rosette more than me or the horse today! :lol:

Very much enjoyed that and I'm now not sure why I was so worried about it. Can't wait to do another one! Everyone was really lovely and friendly too.

Picture of The Beast looking very pleased with herself.

 

[ester]

lol yup 8/10 for riding behaviour, so I don't understand why mum has been scoring him a 2 .

Fab rossie , fun rides are often one of the hardest things you can do, I'd far rather go hunting now I know about these things.

 

[Reacher]

Well done PapaF, glad you had a good time at the pleasure ride, she looks like she enjoyed it.
Had usual lesson yesterday, did some grid work which Harvey enjoyed as usual and tanked off and did an impromptu lap of honour as I was laughing too hard to pull up. Got rather warm and had to take jacket off, rain had been holding off but took that as a signal to come on heavier. Ended up a bit damp.
Went for hack in lovely sunshine today.
Got tomorrow off work and flatwork lesson with the new dressage instructor.

 

[Wheels]

Well it wasn't quite as sunny today as it was supposed to be but we got out for a nice hack - my favourite route that M hadn't been on before because we have to cross a very busy and fast road. But it's worth it getting to the other side as the road then goes through part of an estate, hugs the edge of a beautiful lake. It was lovely. I hope spring arrives properly so we can get out on more hacks. Day off tomorrow then on weds I am hoping to go evening SJ if I get home from work in time

 

[blood_magik]

Well, I’ve possibly got myself a new ride

I was worried that a) he was going to be a little too sharp for me, and b) I was going to be too big for him (he’s a very short coupled 16.1 ISH) but his spooking is no worse than what Raz throws at me on a weekly basis and he actually takes up my leg quite nicely.

He needs a lot of work and hand-holding but he’s so much fun to jump

Well done to everyone who made it out over the weekend. Love seeing pictures/videos of everyone’s outings.

 

[Snowfilly]

I went to the last indoor jumping of the season and was very pleased with te big young mare - I've been riding her 3 months now, but this was only her third jumping show. A fortnight ago, we got one stop in the 90 at a plank, and today we had strict instructions to do the 90 again - joys of riding a school horse, you have no freedom of choice!

She went well, including over her first fan fence (4 poles! Scary!) and made light of the double but this week, there were 2 planks and that was scary, so we ground to a halt, stared and then just popped over for an almost clear.

We then got ordered into the 95, which is the biggest I've jumped since I was a teenager. Apparently I was a fetching shade of green in the course walk. The track was fairly stiff, with the fan being approached on a dog-leg, the double having been shortened to one stride and a stile making it's appearance at the last.

Anyway, she flew round like a dream and didn't even look at the scary planks! The jump off was fairly long, and included the double, fan and stile amongst others and we took it fairly steady for a double clear, 4 seconds off the winner for third place.

Considering I've iumped three different horses this season, and started at 50cm while whimpering, to end up jumping double clear at 95 on a green horse was wonderful! Sadly, the lovely mare is moving away with her owner next month so this was our last hurrah but I've got my eyes firmly on the 1.00m next October depending on who I get to ride.

 

[SEL]

I did some jumping! Owning 2 horses with dodgy legs means I jump on average about every 6 months when I steal something. This weekend was no different. A 13.2 pony is in for re-schooling and is proving a bit too much for the kids - its handy only being 5'3" on a tall day because then you can ride the titchy ones.

She was SO MUCH FUN! I can absolutely see why kids are having problems though because her default pace over jumps is gallop. When I got her right on the approach to the grid it was perfect but if she got away from me then I was literally a passenger whilst she blatted over the fences. Luckily she loves jumping and I never once thought she would stop or run out. Clever girl too, because I took her in on a dodgy stride more than once and she really sorted us out. Will make a cracking pony for a very confident teenager I think.

[is it really bad to hope that she takes a while to find a new home so I can have another play????]

 

[DabDab]

Wow, that's amazing SF - sounds like you've got a great riding school.

I'm very jealous of your littleness SEL. Ponies are so much fun and I was over 5'7" by age 14 I really hope my connemara critter will grow just enough for me to not feel bad about riding her, so I could get an appropriate sized sharer and still have the option of pony fun...i think she'll be a little jumping machine when she's older

 

[Accidental Eventer]

We had a very productive clinic, learnt heaps and jumped big jumps! We really broke down some things, and got our rhythm sorted quite well. Very excited to keep training and chipping away, it seems like we just keep stepping up every time the bar is raised.

 

[SEL]

We had a very productive clinic, learnt heaps and jumped big jumps! We really broke down some things, and got our rhythm sorted quite well. Very excited to keep training and chipping away, it seems like we just keep stepping up every time the bar is raised.

What makes me think you are not in the UK? Ah yes, the absence of woolly jumpers, waterproofs and mud! Looks great fun.

 

[Snowfilly]

Wow, that's amazing SF - sounds like you've got a great riding school.


I have and I'm v lucky to be back there - it's where I trained and rode as a kid / teenager as my mum thought I should ride everything and anything as well as my pony, and when I moved back for work last autumn I went back for a visit and that was that!

The owner is in his early 70s now, but was a decent showjumper and point to point rider and although his daughter does most of the teaching, he still takes all the jumping lessons and remembered exactly what I used to be able to do. The shows are mostly outside combinations once you get past the little classes but I wouldn't swap it for the world.

Just wish my favourite childhood ponies were still here! I visited their headstones and bawled my eyes out on my first time back.

 

[milliepops]

Sounds like lots of good fun was had this weekend
Kira had impromptu arena hire yesterday morning which was really useful - at the test riding masterclass the night before it was hammered home that you have to make every moment count because you can't ride 35 half passes in the test until you get a good one also watching Matt Frost ride always gives me a kick up the bum about having the horse on the aids

So off we went to make it all count... mission mainly accomplished and K felt grown up and like she was really trying her best for me. We did lots of 4 tempis because I need practice at being patient (I'm better at 3s ) and she needs to stay on my aids when she's tired. Got lots of correct lines so really pleased. Piris getting better too... eyeing up a PYO class so we can debut them in A105 in a fortnight

Went to see Millie, who was lame Hoiked OH out of the pub and he found a tiny tiny abscess right in her heel so she is more comfortable today which is a relief.

Off to CDJ book tour tonight. This is the weekend that keeps on giving!

 

[PapaverFollis]

I don't know how anyone has the energy to do more than one thing a weekend with your horses. You are all super-people. I'm knackered and have a slightly bruised bum. :lol: (really have not been getting in the saddle enough if 1.5 hours in a soft-tree saddle can make me saddle sore!! Have been letting hubby ride far too much clearly. Nothing to do with the horrible weather onviously.)

 

[Reacher]

Wow Snowfilly, what a great RS, and I wish i was jumping 90cm! (That's my secret goal for later in the year).

Well I had my 2nd lesson today with the BD instructor (mentioned earlier in this thread) and today rode in a borrowed micklem bitless - first time I have ridden bitless. I was expecting to have no steering or brakes ! but I was really surprised how well he went. We were doing leg yielding in trot and figures of 8s doing trot / walk / trot transitions. Then same again doing trot / canter; canter didn't work so well but he was getting tired. I'm riding with longer stirrups, doing more sitting trot than before and improving my position.
Looking forward to the next one!