Redmone...

[Sparkles]

Sorry if I missed anything, I haven't been on aaages! But just remembered the Dolly posts from before and wondered how everything was working out? Anyone know?

 

[zoelouisem]

Hiya, she doesnt post that much anymore but still logs in. If you PM i expect shell give you and update. Im her friend on facebook so know alls well, dolly behaving better and daughter coming on leaps and bounds, but drop her a message shell give a much better update than me!!!

 

[redmone]

Heeeellllllloooooooo!!!

Always a shock to log on and see my name as a thread! BIG thanks for remembering us!!!

Everything is going great! Really really good. Daughter and Dolly are getting through winter very well. Riding as much as humanly possible (!!!) and daughter is constantly telling me that she needs to do more, and me less! So that's all good too!

Dolly has gotten much much better in her work, thanks to the riding school. Daughter can now canter her confidently and is doing the very basics of learning to jump. She still throws the odd wobbler, but the days of charging at walls, other ponies etc.. are long gone. Daughter got through a whole lesson at the front last week, which was a triumph, but being able to now carry a whip has helped everything massively.

If I have one complaint, it's that Dolly is a SOD in the stable sometimes - mainly with me (less with other people, and less with OH and daughter). Sometimes I think she hates me!!! It's all ears back and bitey bitey!!! But I'm getting better at dodging and wear thick clothing (god help me in summer!!!)!!!!

I just get on with it, but hope that she'll give it up at some point. She hates the girth being done up, but I've heard that's not uncommon. It limits what daughter can do in terms of tacking up, but she can help abd put rug on and groom (tied up) so it's not too bad.

And in a few days, it's been 6 months!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!!!!

We're all happy. I smell of horse all the time and have a really really odd obsession with rugs and numnahs. I stood in WHSmith the other day trying to pluck up the courage to take that step and buy myself a horse and hound mag, but instead I just take daughter's "pony mag" into the loo with me, and read in secret!!!!

OH is having riding lessons!!! So far just on the robot horse, but hopefully a real one soon! EEEKK!!! Sure he's only doing it to make me feel bad for not putting my money where my mouth is, yet!!!

Roll on the good weather!!!

THANKS so much for thinking of us!!! I miss speaking to you all, but I don't miss my worries and moaning.

Oh, I still can't breathe when she canters though!

 

[Sparkles]

That's so nice to read!!!! I'm so glad it's all falling into place and settling in now. Congrats!!! Picture update post needed

 

[YorksG]

Redmone that is wonderful news All that is needed nos is for you to have the lessons as well
This may well sound very silly, but I do wonder if Dolly is a bit of a pig with you because you are daughters mother and she is in competition with you for the daughter. They can be quite strange about 'ownership' of people, just a thought

 

[redmone]

That's so nice to read!!!! I'm so glad it's all falling into place and settling in now. Congrats!!! Picture update post needed

Thanks! It's going really well - and we seem to have the worst of the bad weather behind us, so that's got to be a good thing.

Picture update soon - but when we get her outside more!! These grainy indoor pics are driving me MAD!!!!!

 

[redmone]

Redmone that is wonderful news All that is needed nos is for you to have the lessons as well
This may well sound very silly, but I do wonder if Dolly is a bit of a pig with you because you are daughters mother and she is in competition with you for the daughter. They can be quite strange about 'ownership' of people, just a thought

I definately do want lessons, but I really want to lose some more weight (8lbs gone, about 28lbs still to go!!) and to get a bit more bendy! I just know if I start now, I'll hurt myself, I'm quite out of shape!

I really like the idea of Dolly wanting my daughter all to herself! And I'll choose to believe that I think, rather than it just being that she hates me!!!

Can't believe how good I've got at dodging though!!! I'm like him out of the Matrix now!!! That'll help my bendy-ness!!!

 

[Spudlet]

That sounds good, it is nice to get an update

There was a pony where I used to ride that HATED having his girth done up: we realised that the humane girth was actually pinching him every time. We switched to a conventional girth and the problem was eventually solved - it did take him a while to twig that it wasn't hurting any more and stop nipping people on principle One of the others had a humane girth and had no problems, although I was always very careful to avoid pinching him and drew it up slowly and gently. So it might be that this is happening to Dolly (or she might just be being a mare about it).

 

[fidleyspromise]

I could be wrong but was Dolly a riding school pony before you got her? Often in a riding school, biting while girthing can be very common as so many clients etc help to tack up ponies, the tack can get chucked on and girth done up quickly. If you start taking it up slowly and one hole at a time, she may very well get better in time.

Thanks for the update, I often think how your daughter and Dolly are getting on as I read your updates from when you were trialing Dolly to after buying her.

 

[MrsMozart]

Good to hear things are going well

 

[redmone]

That sounds good, it is nice to get an update

There was a pony where I used to ride that HATED having his girth done up: we realised that the humane girth was actually pinching him every time. We switched to a conventional girth and the problem was eventually solved - it did take him a while to twig that it wasn't hurting any more and stop nipping people on principle One of the others had a humane girth and had no problems, although I was always very careful to avoid pinching him and drew it up slowly and gently. So it might be that this is happening to Dolly (or she might just be being a mare about it).

Thanks!

I might have a word in the tack shop about a new girth. And I might get a size up too, as it's taking me longer to get the first buckle on than I'd like (although I might have to die with emabarrasment when I admit that she's in a 40" now!!!).

Once it's on the first buckle we put it up in stages - until we're on 3 buckles on one side and 4 on the other. Amazing how much she can puff herself up!!!!

I think she's just being a mare though, as she gives me ears back for taking off or putting on her rug!! And sometimes when grooming, although if daughter's there she's much happier (told you! it's ME!!!!!).

And as for OH, she LOVES him! Really does googly eyes at him, but it's because he hides apples in his motorbike jacket pockets and makes her find them (any excuse for a lady patting him down!!)

Once she's tacked up, she's a different pony, raring to get out of her stable! Very strange!! And she's been very good in the school recently. Not hacked out as much as we'd like, but weather and time haven't allowed for it.

Have I told you I can pick feet out now too!! Well proud I am! (although I do worry she'll bite me on the arse one day!) I'm not brilliant at it, and am scared of going down too far, but getting better!

 

[redmone]

I could be wrong but was Dolly a riding school pony before you got her? Often in a riding school, biting while girthing can be very common as so many clients etc help to tack up ponies, the tack can get chucked on and girth done up quickly. If you start taking it up slowly and one hole at a time, she may very well get better in time.

Thanks for the update, I often think how your daughter and Dolly are getting on as I read your updates from when you were trialing Dolly to after buying her.

Yes, you're quite right, she was a RS pony. And is now on working livery at our RS. It could be exactly what you say. I've got to say, I know virtually all the riders she has at our RS and I'm really impressed with how lovely they are with her. It's nice because she has almost the same riders every week, so they're all attached to her, and they all send my daughter facebook messages about how she's been with them. However, she does act very differently with my daughter than them. It's lovely to see.

As above, I'm convinced it's just her being grumpy with me. I'm going to ask someone else to tack her up this weekend, to see how she acts with them. I may be giving her bad vibes, because I'm expecting her to play up now.

To be honest, it doesn't bother me much! I'm just really pleased with how good for my daughter she's turned out

 

[dafthoss]

glad its working out for you now and I agree we need a proper update with photos Good luck with the nerves my mum still gets them. One complaint WHY ARE YOU NOT HAVING LESSONS YET get on the robot horse and have a go

 

[redmone]

glad its working out for you now and I agree we need a proper update with photos Good luck with the nerves my mum still gets them. One complaint WHY ARE YOU NOT HAVING LESSONS YET get on the robot horse and have a go

Cause I'm fat and will hurt myself if I bend in places I'm not used to bending!!!

I seem to pull muscles very easily at the moment, so I want to get fitter before inflicting myself upon a poor pony (and being 5 foot, it probably will be a pony!!).

Seriously though, I've lost 8lbs in 3 weeks, so if I can keep it up for a few more months, get into Spring maybe between a stone or so lighter, and I'm starting bodytone/kickboxing classes and using wii fit, hopefully I'll be in better shape and not hurt myself.

That's the plan anyway......

 

[dafthoss]

ok I will let you off but robot horses dont care if they get squished and well done on the weight loss so far