Spring forward weekend plans!

[j1ffy]

Sorry if this is a bit early on a Thursday but I'm excited about the sunny forecast and clocks changing this weekend!

We had a great lesson last night, working on self-carriage and responsiveness. Everything feels more stable now I've splashed out on a Fairfax drop (possibly more than I've ever spent on a bridle, let alone a noseband). There's a short clip below, please ignore Danny and I and enjoy the gorgeous evening, scenery, and fairy path coming out of the woods! Danny was shattered afterwards and then managed to zap his ear when diving for some grass under an electric fence while I was leading him to the field - poor boy ?

We'll keep working on the self-carriage and suppleness mixed with some hacking this weekend, ahead of our first 2021 competition next Wednesday - whoop whoop!!

What's everyone else up to?

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Looking good J1ffy. I don;t want to ignore you and Danny! That bit is lovely to watch.

Toby is at the water treadmill place till Saturday and we then have a jumping lesson on Sunday so I have high hopes of him being looser and straighter! He is looking great in the clips they keep sending me.

 

[j1ffy]

Looking good J1ffy. I don;t want to ignore you and Danny! That bit is lovely to watch.

Toby is at the water treadmill place till Saturday and we then have a jumping lesson on Sunday so I have high hopes of him being looser and straighter! He is looking great in the clips they keep sending me.

That's very kind - there's nothing worse than watching yourself on video!

I've heard various opinions of water treadmills. How do you get the best out of using them do you think? There's one 20 mins from me at a yard I rate a lot but not sure I'd be able to get any of mine there regularly enough to be beneficial.

 

[Roxylola]

Nice bit of lengthening across the diagonal there J1ffy, he looks lovely.
Hacking; tonight, tomorrow, boxing to off road hacking on Saturday, hacking Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. One of those might turn in to an in hand pole type day.
Then, omg, jumping at kelsall clear round on Wednesday

 

[milliepops]

same old, same old here
Kira has the dentist today and then that's the last of the to-be-sorted list taken care of (for now, anyway )

She was an utter tank this morning, she feels very well and very keen and I just have to keep reminding her that she's supposed to have her hindlegs underneath her not several yards out behind anyway, if dentist doesn't throw a curve ball i will be booking some lessons next week, whoooo hooo. Trainer is happy to do 2 short sessions as I'm on site anyway so that fits in with the level of work she's in at the moment.

Smiley rhino

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I'm absolutely bloody excited! I'm off to trainer on Monday morning for our 1st lesson since September! I have no arena here so any schooling has been done whilst out hacking and only just recently in the top paddock which is dry enough but v bumpy and on a slope.
Hurrah!!!

 

[Michen]

Just a usual friday afternoon for me. Taking Bear to vet for a reshoeing to correct some angles in his feet that we'd like to improve and x ray again after.

Oh, the added benefit that I'm now taking my dog in with me for a second appointment.. who this morning had to go in for a suspected torn ACL. So she's being looked at to see if there's any improvements or if she needs x rays. At least they are both going to the same place..

Hopefully Boggle and the cat will remain healthy for the next few days.... Argh.

 

[Accidental Eventer]

Michel, you seek to have the worst luck! I hope you don’t get any terrible findings.

I have a lesson tomorrow with Henry, our first in 8 weeks. He’s come back into work well and feeling good so really looking forward to it. Coolie will also get a jump and I’ll probably need a nap.

Saturday hacking and bath day x2 they are both very dusty

Sunday show jumping with Coolie. Very local show, want to add a bit of polish and finesse.

Have fun all! Enjoy the sun and freedom!

 

[racebuddy]

Looking good J1ffy. I don;t want to ignore you and Danny! That bit is lovely to watch.

Toby is at the water treadmill place till Saturday and we then have a jumping lesson on Sunday so I have high hopes of him being looser and straighter! He is looking great in the clips they keep sending me.

Have u sent him to fallows in Manchester again xx

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Have u sent him to fallows in Manchester again xx

He has been there since Saturday doing treadmill once a day and Vita Floor twice. Picking him up on Saturday.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

That's very kind - there's nothing worse than watching yourself on video!

I've heard various opinions of water treadmills. How do you get the best out of using them do you think? There's one 20 mins from me at a yard I rate a lot but not sure I'd be able to get any of mine there regularly enough to be beneficial.

Well I am new to this but my RI uses Fallows Farm (where I have gone) and she advised it. On the first session he was stepping under less far with the right hind and so was sort of tilting left. Which is what I feel under saddle. The water slows the movement down, the sides of the channel keep him straighter and so now - day 5 - he is stepping under evenly and his body is straight. And he is more rhythmic. I can try and post day 1 vs day 5 vids if anyone is interested.

 

[Michen]

Well I am new to this but my RI uses Fallows Farm (where I have gone) and she advised it. On the first session he was stepping under less far with the right hind and so was sort of tilting left. Which is what I feel under saddle. The water slows the movement down, the sides of the channel keep him straighter and so now - day 5 - he is stepping under evenly and his body is straight. And he is more rhythmic. I can try and post day 1 vs day 5 vids if anyone is interested.

Yes please. I’m interested in taking both my guys as a maintenance type thing.

 

[J_sarahd]

I’m hoping to do more hacking. I’m really, really enjoying my hacking here (for the first time ever). I’m trying to get pony’s fitness up after basically the entire winter off. I think I’ve been out hacking more than I’ve been in the school since moving! Whereas I think I went hacking 4 times in total in the year and a bit I was at the old yard.

I have a lesson today with a new instructor. Still going to be using my old instructor but this instructor comes to the yard every week so it’ll be good to just keep us ticking over. So hopefully we all get on with each other - having a new instructor is always daunting for me.

 

[racebuddy]

They are fav

He has been there since Saturday doing treadmill once a day and Vita Floor twice. Picking him up on Saturday.

they are fab x con absolutely loves it cxx day

 

[Bernster]

Interesting about the water treadmill. I will look into that for finnegan. We both need to be fitter and lose some covid weight!

Lesson tonight. Am not really feeling it today, too much going on, but even when I’m not in the mood I always feel better after riding, and a lesson in particular, so I’ll drag my lazy bones up the yard!

I suppose this is the last lock down weekend for most horse riders. Will take the lorry for a spin this weekend. Have booked cholsey next Friday for a hack out which hopefully will be a nice low key outing as our first trip out for ages. April I’ve got xc at tweseldown booked with a friend and an ins who I enjoy going out with, so hopefully that will help my inevitable xc nerves. Finnegan can act up a bit first time out xc for a while - it’s never bad, he just gets tense and coiled up but I don’t react very well and get more nervous myself. Thankfully he’s not one to bog off, buck or rear or any of the more gymnastic efforts - I hope!

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

This is becoming a recurring theme but I once again have more furniture lined up to paint plus also accepted a pine chest of drawers and another unit from Mum who is decluttering. Eyeing up the chest of drawers for baby's room so will be on the look out for a nice pink paint!

I decluttered my clothes last weekend, might tackle other cupboards around the house!

Oh and of course, giving pony her daily vigorous groom to help her shed the copious winter coat!

 

[Breagha]

i am working tomorrow so horse generally have a day off.

We have someone coming to the yard tomorrow and saturday for a physio type session from Equuifey, she is new to us but like to give the horses a pre season check.

 

[Sprat]

Not masses really, but hoping for some sun.

I am picking up some new matting tonight so I'll likely be spending my Saturday elbow deep in horse wee while moving the old mats out. I know how to live the high life.

On a separate note, I have just booked my comps for this month so I'm about £100 lighter but thrilled to have something to aim for!

 

[ycbm]

I'm absolutely bloody excited! I'm off to trainer on Monday morning for our 1st lesson since September!

I'm with you on the excitement. Nothing special happening this weekend but first lesson post lockdown lesson for Ludo on Wednesday (woo hoo! ) and first fun ride for Deza on Saturday around Peover. Anyone else going? I'll the the idiot on the black horse wearing L plates ? So this weekend's objective is just to increase the fitness for the pair of them to cope with the increase in work with the better weather coming and lockdown ending.
.

 

[AandK]

This is week 4 of the back to work program for Charlie, so we will increase to about 50mins on Saturday. Still just walking, but it is giving me time to think about straightness and also work on some nice stretching down ahead of getting back in the school in a few weeks. Hoping to be adding trot in a couple of weeks!

 

[TheMule]

My horsey life gets interesting again from Monday. That gives me 8 days before our first event to blitz everything we haven’t been able to do yet ?
So a quiet weekend and then on Monday we are off to arena hire a course so SJs in the morning and then an xc lesson at the same venue in the afternoon. That should shock us into action!
The 4 years olds will do a hack and an arena session each as I just start to build up a bit of muscle ready for more interesting things in the Summer ?

 

[oldie48]

More of the same for Rose over the weekend, 25 mins in ridden walk with 10 minute hand walking as often as we can manage. She was vile to hand walk this morning, tough YM did her and she takes no prisoners so she must have been really vile! So she had 2 mls of sedalin an hour before being ridden and she was OK but she's very noise sensitive ATM so any sudden loud noise is likely to set her off. she's having a vet check next week so I am hoping she might be able to have some heavily sedated turnout or some time on the walker (which is a huge one). I am feeling very depressed as we have a viewing on Saturday afternoon, I really don't want to leave my lovely home but! I am hoping they hate it, it isn't even officially on the market yet and I haven't seen anywhere I would want to move to!
Great to see you all getting out and about and please can you post lots of lovely new threads for me to read. I've been so bored I joined Gransnet, they are the most miserable aggressive lot imaginable they make me want to slit my wrists! It seems to be a toss up between "Do you wash your curtains and if so, how often" and moaning about the Royal Family or not! Honestly, it's totally dire. Help!

 

[milliepops]

Oh god, oldie! There has got to be something better to do ??

Hope Rose is allowed some field time and things start getting back on track x

 

[oldie48]

Oh god, oldie! There has got to be something better to do ??

Hope Rose is allowed some field time and things start getting back on track x

Thanks, I have been incredibly lucky with my horses so I am trying not to moan, I am pretty desperate to get back on board but ATM she's an unexploded bomb and I can't afford to hit the deck! It's just a question of time and all horse owners know that, don't they? So pleased to see Kira back in work and hope to see you soon.

 

[Michen]

Deleted as answered my own Q

 

[Pippity]

Blue's sore head seems to have sorted itself. She's still a little wary of having the bridle actually put on, but is perfectly happy once it's on and has no objections to me poking and prodding her poll and around her ears, so I'm confident it's just remembered pain.

Seeing as she was sound, I popped her in her pelham for the first time and had a lesson with far too many reins. I haven't got to the stage of actually *using* the curb yet, but I can now just about hold the curb rein without losing all control of the snaffle rein. Just. If I don't have to do anything complicated like 'steer' or 'brake'.

It didn't help that, after two weeks off and a day of playing, "Who can get muddiest???" with her best friend in the field she was extremely full of beans. We'd mastered 'walk-to-trot-transition-without-engaging-turbo-boost' in our last lesson a month ago, but that knowledge is long gone in favour of 'WHEEEEEE!!!!!!!! I'M A RACING COB!!'. (I tried showing her our dressage score sheet that commented on how good the transitions were, but she just tried to eat my phone.)

However, we've got our rosette through for our first (completed) dressage test, so I had to take a pic of her modelling it. Yes, we were the only people in the class, but we scored a very respectable 61.5% so I don't care and I'm proud of her anyway! (Just don't look at her legs. I'm pretending her legs don't exist until she loses her winter coat.)



Plans for the weekend are to do a bit more playing with the pelham, a bit of hacking, and hopefully practice loading in preparation for being able to get out and about.

Quick ETA: The entire lesson was done while the YO's dad was harrowing the field right next to the school with his favourite massive tractor. Blue didn't twitch an ear while the tractor rumbled and clanked past, four feet away from her. I do love my little cob!

 

[PSD]

Oh I love the matchy matchy pippity.

I’m going to find my brave pants and hack my new loan out alone. Haven’t ridden alone for about 2 years, no reason really I just haven’t. I used to love taking Tilly out alone, but I seem to have lost all my bottle from lack of riding.

So I’m going to push myself and do it, new girl is spooky alone but nothing I can’t handle. Little jump and snort here and there, mind over matter for me.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Oh I love the matchy matchy pippity.

I’m going to find my brave pants and hack my new loan out alone. Haven’t ridden alone for about 2 years, no reason really I just haven’t. I used to love taking Tilly out alone, but I seem to have lost all my bottle from lack of riding.

So I’m going to push myself and do it, new girl is spooky alone but nothing I can’t handle. Little jump and snort here and there, mind over matter for me.

I started hacking on my own last year. Was a huge thing for me, I had a real hang up about hacking on my own for no reason really. Feels great when you achieve it and the first time is always the hardest. Once you’ve done it the rest is easier because you can say to yourself I’ve done it before! I hope when I get back on after baby I haven’t reverted completely back to where I was before!

 

[shortstuff99]

Week and a half update of wound...
From this


To this


The healing has been insane!

Unfortunately this was my other mare today ?

So no weekend plans for me ?

 

[Roxylola]

Oh shortstuff, hoping you see pus soon!
Oldie, what a time you are having with her at the moment. Hope she straightens her brain out ASAP.
We hacked tonight yesterday was chilled and lovely. Tonight he was raging. I gave him a feed and a slice of hay while I taught when I arrived then pulled him out to tack up. He'd got a bit cold and hangry i think. Once he'd settled down he was a good boy though