Storm Ciara weekend plans

We had a very successful ride at the state coaching school. There were a lot more people than I was expecting, Husband thinks about 200!

When we entered the arena Henry stared at all of them and wondered what new hell I had cooked up for him, I could feel his heart pounding! He settled really well though and worked perfectly. He was the perfect demo horse showing everyone how well you can retrain racehorses. In fact he was a little too good, and I couldn't get him to go wrong when I tried for demonstration purposes!

I was so proud of how he handled everything and how un nervous I felt when I got on. He was rock solid and such a star. He even handled the applause at the end without drama, just a reasonable look and snort!

It was so good to feel all the hard work we do paying off, and as the presentation was about how to start retraining racehorses it was nice to hear the beginnings and compare them to the horse I have now. Sometimes you lose perspective!

I am still on a high, even now 2 days later.

hope everyone got through the storm ok. It was chilly here this morning, had to find a jumper to walk the dog... 14c!
 
Well my lesson on Saturday was...interesting...:) it was my friend's instructor so I'd not met her or worked with her before (friend was there too) and although she really liked Buzz she said he was lazy and taking the piss! She had me really charging him at jumps and to be honest I didn't feel comfortable doing that, he did jump nicely when we got the stride right but was just stopping if we didn't, I felt like he was totally out of his rhythm and pushing him too much. Plus she put the jumps up a bit higher than I wanted (to the chorus of 'you'll be fine!' *rolls eyes*) and I know I need to start jumping bigger again but I wasn't feeling 100% so of course then Buzz started stopping as he needs me to be 100%! It just ended up being frustrating and I stopped before the end of the lesson as I didn't feel like we were getting anything out of it. I understand he needs more power but I don't think pushing him that much was the way to do it!

In better news, it's definitely the battery that has the issue on my box. It was charged all week, the green 'full charge' light was on it but when it was in the box wouldn't start. Put in an old tractor battery that was charged but hasn't been used for a while and it started first time there and back! So I have a new battery on it's way to me - also who knew how heavy van batteries are?! - glad it's not something more than that :)
 
We got out a hack on Saturday morning, a nice wee 5 mile circuit with a variety of different terrain, no road though which suits Belle. When we got back I got my Dads cob clipped for him which meant a very quiet day Sunday.

Only had to nip up and feed Sunday and throw them some hay then home for chills and central heating.
 
That sucks chippers - doesnt sound very productive at all!

Some instructors just dont suit some riders and vice versa! Hopefully not too much damage done
 
The Trooper said:
We got out a hack on Saturday morning, a nice wee 5 mile circuit with a variety of different terrain, no road though which suits Belle. When we got back I got my Dads cob clipped for him which meant a very quiet day Sunday.

Only had to nip up and feed Sunday and throw them some hay then home for chills and central heating.
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How I long for off road hacking! You are very lucky :)
 
So... It poured. We had 50mm but the fire affected areas in Sydney are under major flood watch, go figure! :cool: It has also helped extinguish a number of fires.
Lots of very slippery mud, not that anyone is complaining! Actually the weather here is somewhat similar to Ciara! Just a bit warmer and more humid.
Rain forecast all week which is super, can't wait!

Hope next weekend is better weather for you guys :)
 
milliepops said:
Does that mean the end is in sight, Northern?
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I certainly hope so! The big fire near me (has now burnt out 80% of the National Park) has not been extinguished by this rain, but they are holding it in containment at the moment. Hopefully we don't get any more heatwaves to dry the bush out again. Fingers firmly crossed!
 
Chippers, that sounds a bit pants, I think you're right to feel miffed by it. I'm all for instructors pushing you out of your comfort zone, but ultimately you know your horse, your capabilities and at what point things will stop working. I had a similar jump lesson a while ago and it actually ended up putting us both back a few steps in confidence / ability, not much fun!
 
Sprat said:
Chippers, that sounds a bit pants, I think you're right to feel miffed by it. I'm all for instructors pushing you out of your comfort zone, but ultimately you know your horse, your capabilities and at what point things will stop working. I had a similar jump lesson a while ago and it actually ended up putting us both back a few steps in confidence / ability, not much fun!
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Yes i'm a bit worried about that, I felt like he was losing confidence and she was just saying he was taking the piss (eye roll) she doesn't know me or him! She said she thought he wasn't actually spooky ( as I said he was) he was just being lazy...
I agree, i'm happy to be pushed and I need it but I don't think the way she did it was good, I didn't get much instruction other than LEG LEG LEG, think it's the fastest he's ever jumped, poor lazy Buzzz :D. I get he's lazy, I know he is, so I need to make my canter quality better not try and push him to go faster.
I did stop and say I didn't want to carry on after a while but I wish I had said so earlier!
 
Managed to get a quick ride in between blizzards!!

Thankfully it doesnt seem to be settling! Hope that continues so I cam get to my pammy lessons tomorrow and weds
 
It's not lying here either wheels, but I'm worried it will as soon as it gets dark and colder.

I have an RC lesson this evening, but I don't think I will go. Feeling rubbish still after last Thursdays bug, plus snow and wind warnings...

It's a shame, but I'm not up to enjoying it, and I gave him 20 min schooling earlier, so will just stay at home.

Fiona
 
Well I made it to day 1 of pammy clinic although weather was horrendous. They changed the venue at the last minute so we could ride indoors which I was very happy about. Looks like it's going to freeze where I am tonight so I left M at my usual trainers yard which is also the venue for tomorrow.

Worked on keep the roundness and softness in the walk, canter, walk transitions and I must practise sitting on my backside instead of tipping forward! That will be a test next clinic to see if I've improved.

We also looked at the trot shoulder in where I'm asking for too much bend so that needs practise, went from shoulder in to renvers and back again then looked at the half pass which was pretty good so not too much for me to work on there.

Finished with some more canter transitions.

Back tomorrow, looking forward to it :)
 
Wheels said:
Well I made it to day 1 of pammy clinic although weather was horrendous. They changed the venue at the last minute so we could ride indoors which I was very happy about. Looks like it's going to freeze where I am tonight so I left M at my usual trainers yard which is also the venue for tomorrow.

Worked on keep the roundness and softness in the walk, canter, walk transitions and I must practise sitting on my backside instead of tipping forward! That will be a test next clinic to see if I've improved.

We also looked at the trot shoulder in where I'm asking for too much bend so that needs practise, went from shoulder in to renvers and back again then looked at the half pass which was pretty good so not too much for me to work on there.

Finished with some more canter transitions.

Back tomorrow, looking forward to it :)
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Well done for getting there, I have congratulated myself for simply lungeing at home today!
 
Sounds great Wheels :)

I had a fab afternoon. I was really down in the dumps again earlier because of the stupid weather and not being able to fit everything in around work and hospital visits (mum stuck in with her knee replacement).
OH couldn't make it to co-pilot to trainer's yard so I had to go solo earlier than planned. Had a good drive there, fab lesson and good drive back, culminating with slotting the box into the awful parking space first time in the dark. YESSS! I'm still high-fiving myself on that one :p

Lesson was great, bit of Classical Dressage going on ;), picked up a short whip to gently slap down Darcy's shoulder just at the moment when his attention switches completely from what he is supposed to be doing, to something that catches his eye. When that happens he goes wooden, inverts and sits against my inside leg so determinedly that I can't do a thing about it despite pony club whumping on his side and pulling his inside teeth out. Slap down the inside shoulder, just enough to make the flaps on the whip make a noise, and his inside ear flicks back and he is thinking about what I'm asking again. I reckon this is the next big step. We will see! Hopefully back there again tomorrow (will also see if the excellent parking skillz were a fluke :p)
 
Wheels said:
Well done with the reverse parking milliepops- sounds like you found a useful tool for your Darcy toolkit :D
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Thanks ?
Yeah it was good to do that in a lesson because I got someone to hand me a whip a while back at home, and he was just too anxious about it. Today he was ready for it and accepting the instruction quite willingly.
 
That's good progress then!

M will accept a short whip but not a long whip, he gets so tense that I've just given up although I might regret that later down the line!
 
Chippers1 said:
Yes i'm a bit worried about that, I felt like he was losing confidence and she was just saying he was taking the piss (eye roll) she doesn't know me or him! She said she thought he wasn't actually spooky ( as I said he was) he was just being lazy...
I agree, i'm happy to be pushed and I need it but I don't think the way she did it was good, I didn't get much instruction other than LEG LEG LEG, think it's the fastest he's ever jumped, poor lazy Buzzz :D. I get he's lazy, I know he is, so I need to make my canter quality better not try and push him to go faster.
I did stop and say I didn't want to carry on after a while but I wish I had said so earlier!
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I was in a similar situation about 18 months ago. I had too many lessons with different instructors and it all started to unravel a bit. If I'm not 100% then my horse isn't either. I also find it difficult to gauge speed v impulsion. In my case, he is better when he's more forward but charging into fences isn't the way to go!

I had a massive downer at camp last Autumn when I felt totally out of my comfort zone and really wasn't enjoying it but fortunately it doesn't seem to have affected my confidence longer term.
 
Day 2 of pammy clinic - I'm so glad I left M there as we woke up to a couple of inches of snow which had landed on frozen roads.

M had obviously had a settled night with a poo stain on his face and loads of shavings in his tail :)

We continued with the canter work which was already easier than yesterday but still needs work to keep round and soft in the transition. It was coming at the end of the session so we should have a breakthrough soon I would think.

In between canter practises we did some lateral work - leg yield from centre line to 3/4 line then shoulder in up the 3/4 line to make sure hes not hanging on the fence.

A few trot half passes then tried the canter and he ran off... cheeky little monkey

Got the canter back and lots of half halts the next time, slight position change to my outside leg and the quarters really moved over which felt lovely - I need to ask him for more over now that he has the hang of it :)
 
All sounding really positive, Wheels. When's the next one?

Darcy and I trucked back to ride indoors at trainer's yard again. 100% improvement on yesterday and I feel like he was thinking much more about me and much less about the things he'd like to spook at ;)

Then stubbornly rode kira in the dark when we got back, it's been stressing me out this week as I've been so short of time ? mum phoned and said she's getting discharged tomorrow so not to go and visit tonight.
So pleased with her today, she felt mega, strong, straight, supple, my advanced pony is back. I just have to hope nothing else goes wrong now ? putting the paranoia to one side I am super happy with her and it's so much easier to ride properly when at least one steed is obliging ;)
 
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