Storm Dennis Weekend Plans :/

Sorry to read about your horse Abi, hope there is room for improvement

We ventured out to Somerford XC technique arena yesterday with two chronically underworked horses due to the weather, waterlogged ground everywhere, no allweather and the planned SJ clear round this Tuesday being cancelled. Neither had jumped since their last 2019 events in September so were pretty jolly.

Reilee surprised me by showing me her bucking moves at the start & I fell off - woke me up - she is supposed to be the calm one...really pleased how she felt and jumped after this though. Phoenix felt great and much safer after Reilee's antics - seemed to find the whole experience one enormous treat. Some vids:



Battening down for the next storm now, will get out for hacks as & when we can!
 
We took advantage of no current storm to hire an indoor and give the dressage carriage it’s first roll this year as it’s going across the country for a training even early March then our first ‘proper’ event is mid April which is not that far away! He was very pleased with himself! Does seem a step up from last year, will be interesting to see if our scores reflect that!
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Venue has cancelled all lessons this weekend and I don't blame them. Usually I'd be miffed but between the weather and having had a steroid for injection myself last night for hip bursitis I'm happy to miss it this time.
 
I am sorry Abi, I hope it does settle. I think if she were mine I would keep on a couple of Bute a day until summer then see how she is off it. Just do simple hacking if she is sound enough to manage that. After she is off the Bute see what you have.

My pole work clinic was called off today by everyone else apart from me cancelling! It is windy but not silly-windy. I went out for a hack, Finn was taken by surprise by many flappy things, but held it all together.

If the storm is not too bad then I may simply hire the huge indoor on Sunday. It is quite local and I have a 3.5tonne box that has a low centre of gravity.

The rest of the weekend will be clearing more of mum's flat.
 
Another casualty of Storm Dennis, my showing clinic tomorrow has been cancelled. Disappointed!
Abi, sorry to hear about your horse, that is really disappointing and puts our cancellations into perspective.
 
Went to an indoor tack sale and splashed out on a shiny browband and two pretty saddleclothes for the baby spotty. Seems like he's been here long enough to deseve some of his own belongings.

He's not allowed a nice bridle til he stops growing though.

Waiting for a nice enough day to get the saddle on him. He doesn't mind the rain but I mind the tack cleaning!
 
So sorry Abi, hope that she does improve.

I managed to sneak out before Dennis hit, and am so pleased with my wee chap. He won our first class - his first prelim and first long arena test. And got second in the short arena (bit more tension as Dennis was starting to appear). Really looking forward to getting more outings under our belt now.

Off to nest in front of the fire now as Dennis fully here. Hope everyone stays safe.
 
Dennis was a menace all day until about 4, popped out for a quick schooling session working on the canter transitions we were working on with pammy and I do think we've had a breakthrough! I hoped to hack tomorrow but looks like it's still going to be very windy so might give that a miss!!
 
Picked my least irritating midget for a wet, windy, hailstony hack this afternoon. Impossible not to enjoy it, regardless of the weather, on a cheery midget... Photo doesn't do the weather justice though!

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We took advantage of no current storm to hire an indoor and give the dressage carriage it’s first roll this year as it’s going across the country for a training even early March then our first ‘proper’ event is mid April which is not that far away! He was very pleased with himself! Does seem a step up from last year, will be interesting to see if our scores reflect that!

I think you will see a jump in scores. He looks so much stronger!
 
We went shopping for a new saddle for the new pony, as the one I bought online was too wide, so I returned it and exchanged for a nice (albeit black) little GP.

The two smallest had a day in to try to dry their legs out, the bigger two got turned out this morning but were naughty coming in, and tails/legs are disgusting...

Fiona
 
Just back from our 10km endurance ride. L was super! Self loaded on the float there and back in no time, which I am so happy about :) She led our little pack of 3 all the way and tolerated bikes, motorcycles/traffic and horses coming at her/from behind very well. Pleased with my little munchkin :D

Some good rain yesterday meant the tracks were nice and soft. Does make it quite humid though, was glad to get back to base and get home for a drink.

Also super excited that I bought myself a good towing car yesterday :) More outings in our future!
 
We went shopping for a new saddle for the new pony, as the one I bought online was too wide, so I returned it and exchanged for a nice (albeit black) little GP.

The two smallest had a day in to try to dry their legs out, the bigger two got turned out this morning but were naughty coming in, and tails/legs are disgusting...

Fiona

Ooh exciting, where did you go for the saddle?
 
I chose a good weekend to not plan much!!!

Rooni had a saddle check Saturday. I ride him in all weathers so that wasn’t an issue. Feeling great and may have a solution to girth slippage issues.

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Today we hacked round our local water treadmill...

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He was ace and just so unbothered by everything!
 
We had a lovely trip to Co Antrim to Old Mill Saddlery.... Robert is terribly helpful.

Fergus loves his new saddle, though it is 16 rather than 15 inch. I've put a grippy seat saver on it.

Fiona

Who doesnt love a trip to old mill? One of my fave places lol
 
Who doesnt love a trip to old mill? One of my fave places lol

Same... it is dangerous though! Esp if like us, there's an extra horse to buy for lol!

We ended up having to cancel lesson yesterday, but instructor came out this morn. We did have a brief downpour (horse was NOT impressed!) but quickly sheltered and went back out. OH rode for most of the lesson, he's exhausted now, but since newbie is his horse I suppose it's only fair he gets to ride him occasionally ?

I've also figured out that if I leave work on time, I can get to the yard early enough to ride in daylight. We've a new outdoor with a lovely surface, but no lights yet. It's so nice to ride in the evening before it gets dark!
 
Woohoo for beating the storm folks. We got a hack out before it started yesterday morning, but our sore scabby fetlock is getting worse not better so merited a vet visit this afternoon, sedated (because we're not even allowed to look at it without a piaffe), clipped, cleaned antibiotics and pain killers for a week :rolleyes:
 
The horses have been in all weekend, so I took advantage of a brief lull to take Blue out for a walk. She was thoroughly delighted by the knee-high puddles we had to go through - rearing and splashing and generally doing her best to soak me to the skin! At least I managed to stop her rolling in it. I'm not sure how her LED breastplate and tail strips would have coped with that!

We were about five minutes from home when the storm picked up again, so I flew her home for the last bit.
 
We managed to get a couple of rides in this weekend. Yesterday in the indoor, had a productive but hard lesson. Our indoor then shut yesterday evening as it’s being resurfaced this week, so popped off up into the outdoor this evening when the rain abated a little. It was very very windy, and it was a bit like swimming through treacle as the surface is so water logged, but she tried her best so can’t complain.
Off for sarcoid removal on Friday this week, have managed to find a local vet who will do the procedure under standing sedation rather than general anaesthetic so a bit of time off coming our way. I’ll be begging borrowing and stealing other people’s horses to keep me going.

well done to all who have managed to get their nags exercised. Hopefully bleeding Denis has buggered off now!
 
On Friday when I was bringing the girls in, Millie was in a right strop and when Polly got too close to her, Millie swung her bum and they ended up having an attempt at a fight (fortunately they both know that when my tone of voice hits a certain level, they better pack it in!)
Bringing them in this evening in the lovely wild gusts of Storm Dennis, electric fencing flapping etc and Polly obviously decided that she was going to get her own back and proceeded to swing her bum on Millie for absolutely no reason. Millie got the shock of her life, my arm nearly got wrenched out of its socket...

So then I had to try and keep 2 hyped-up mares as far away as possible from each other, while trying to ensure that I had full control of Millie, who does use wind as an excuse for occasional hooliganism.
Women!
 
I got a window this afternoon too ? still very windy but a break in the downpours. Opted to use it for Kira. She got such a fright last week with a pheasant hiding on the hedge, today she was still very anxious but we used fun tricks that she enjoys to coax her into breathing a bit, if not relaxing yet ?
Funny little soul, couldnt trot but could piaffe, and then couldnt canter large but could do a canter zigzag. At least we have these games that she likes these days
Hopefully she'll get her mojo back this week ?20200216_160537_compress91.jpg
 
I've also figured out that if I leave work on time, I can get to the yard early enough to ride in daylight. We've a new outdoor with a lovely surface, but no lights yet. It's so nice to ride in the evening before it gets dark!
It was such a grotty day today but still light at 5.30 tonight, whoo hoo! The end is in sight ?
 
It was such a grotty day today but still light at 5.30 tonight, whoo hoo! The end is in sight ?

Exactly ??? I finish work at 4.45 so can be at yard by 5.05. Ready and horse ready for 5.20, gives me about half an hour before it is too dark. Then I can chuck him in the field for an hour and a bit while I get other jobs done. That's my plan for tomorrow night if weather behaves!
 
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