Weekend plans last jan weekend of 2021!

[milliepops]

I guess it depends on what your eventual aims are, but the way I look at it, I'd be happy if a horse accidentally offered a change in an elementary test out of keenness because elem is only a step on the ladder and not my end goal, but I know what the battle feels like if you have a horse that is so established in counter canter it has lost the urge to change

If someone is just doing changes for fun and not aiming at that level in competition then yeah it's a PITA if your counter canter drifts away until the horse learns the difference but IMO it does all boil down to the horse being on the aids vs going self employed!

 

[TheMule]

I had two nice hacks but also a lot of sorting out to do as I had to move the horses down onto the hard standing as the fields are so wet and a couple are just starting to get a bit of mud fever. It's sleeting here, pretty grim. Roll on Spring!

 

[j1ffy]

I hope everyone’s staying fairly warm and dry! Roxylola, that’s crap about your car but I’m pleased you salvaged the day. I’m enjoying reading people’s experience with changes - it’s something I may be doing with Danny this year, eek.

We had our dressage lesson in the best of the weekend’s weather this morning. Danny came out feeling fresh so we had a short discussion at the status about focus. He did some really pleasing work though, and I got some good homework on position for my trot-canter transitions (which have been a bit hit and miss recently) and exercises to make the half pass more fluent. We finished up with the best canter work Danny’s offered to date so very happy with that.

 

[oldie48]

I guess it depends on what your eventual aims are, but the way I look at it, I'd be happy if a horse accidentally offered a change in an elementary test out of keenness because elem is only a step on the ladder and not my end goal, but I know what the battle feels like if you have a horse that is so established in counter canter it has lost the urge to change

If someone is just doing changes for fun and not aiming at that level in competition then yeah it's a PITA if your counter canter drifts away until the horse learns the difference but IMO it does all boil down to the horse being on the aids vs going self employed!

I used to think Rose would like to be "unemployed" but she certainly has periods of going "self employed" these days! All good fun if riding has become a spectator sport though.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Got a second hack in. The roads were basically dry on the way to the yard. By the time we were ready to go it was very finely raining. We had some sleet/hail/rain and got quite wet but my trusty decathlon waterproof jods did their job. Share horse was very good and didn't seem to care much about the weather. Tried a longer stirrup to see if that would help my swingy legs. Felt more able to put weight down through my legs/feet as seem to have more 'room' but I'm not convinced it did much on the leg swinging. Will stick at it though!

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I left the ground -hurrah! Outdoor was frozen solid so we squeezed some little jumps into the indoor and focused on turns. Tobes was very good. Suddenly I seem to sitting on an awful lot more power. My Mr Pipe and Slippers has a bit about him these days! Will brave a hack tomorrow if it's not too icy.

 

[nikkimariet]

Funny week!!!

It began with over a foot of snow. So an hour turnout on Monday then they were all in for the day.




Rooni quite likes eating snow and seemed happy enough but Fig and Bruce were glad to come in. The snow hung around a for a few days but was completely gone by Thursday. Phew!

I have been manic with work during the week so a few short sessions but nothing exciting.

Fig was a good boy for his few minutes of glory on Saturday. He felt a little tired so easy week for him coming up.



And then the moment of truth! Would Rooni be sound and would he car park me?! Yes and no fortunately lol!



He felt very level and happy but also not too happy! I have realistically 2 months to take it slow with him, at a minimum, and that is what we shall do. In it for the long run and all. It was quite sweet actually, I had a barrage of messages from friends like ‘are you alive and is he sound?!’. Nice when people have your back like that!

Today, quick Figgy hack followed by a quick doggy walk.





I’m ready for bed!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Funny week!!!

It began with over a foot of snow. So an hour turnout on Monday then they were all in for the day.

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Rooni quite likes eating snow and seemed happy enough but Fig and Bruce were glad to come in. The snow hung around a for a few days but was completely gone by Thursday. Phew!

I have been manic with work during the week so a few short sessions but nothing exciting.

Fig was a good boy for his few minutes of glory on Saturday. He felt a little tired so easy week for him coming up.

View attachment 64642

And then the moment of truth! Would Rooni be sound and would he car park me?! Yes and no fortunately lol!

View attachment 64643

He felt very level and happy but also not too happy! I have realistically 2 months to take it slow with him, at a minimum, and that is what we shall do. In it for the long run and all. It was quite sweet actually, I had a barrage of messages from friends like ‘are you alive and is he sound?!’. Nice when people have your back like that!

Today, quick Figgy hack followed by a quick doggy walk.

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I’m ready for bed!

Such fab pics. I love the snowy snout!

 

[scats]

God it was cold today. Had a lazy afternoon lounging on my bed watching a horror film as I had a bad headache, but decided to drag myself to the farm early to go and give Millie a stretch. I got that ear pain thing you get when you get that cold but Millie was super. She only did a couple of short hacks last week so just gave her a 25 minute session in the school- elastic work mostly, nothing too strenuous. Roll on Spring!

 

[milliepops]

Well i've ridden my horse more this weekend than I did in the whole of December, haha.
20 mins of walk laps and then a bit of trotting. Snowed all day so too icy for walkies. It's like the last 6 years never happened, we are having to re-learn the very basics of being a ridden horse but she was smiley enough so that's all that matters. all the know-how will be lurking in there, i just need to tick her over until she's better

 

[windand rain]

Spent 6 hours outside getting frozen the shed now has a floor and walls ready for the roof and doors tomorrow it was bloomin freezing think I would have preferred the poo picking

 

[Roxylola]

Managed to get my bottom back where it belongs for a nice if chilly hack today. Supercobs brother has a cough and gentle exercise is the order for now so we had a nice walk with him - Charlie got a bit offended the one time he coughed close behind him and shot forward- like dude that is not 2 metres! ? They were both very good though, and I had a sit on someone's green backed 4 year old after, very sweet but very wobbly and green. I'll possibly be working her a bit over the next few weeks - be interesting to see what I can make of her

 

[humblepie]

Managed a lovely long hack. Snowing as we returned. I am sure we will remember how to do dressage when we need to. Hope so anyway. ‘Do Dressage’ is a technical term just in case wondering. All this hacking is good muscle building as lots of hills and occasionally I collect him up a bit.

 

[racebuddy]

Treadmill this weekend worked super hard and absolutely loved being out , long reined and chill day in the field today , home for 5.30 pm which is a rare occasion but so needed ??

 

[BronsonNutter]

Big baby TB blotted her copybook on Saturday. We have all moved up 'proper' north, via the 'sort of' north for 1 week, from 'down south', and her and little old TB have both become reallyyyyy clingy to each other since the moving. So I took her out for her first solo hack round the new farm, it was blowing a gale, freezing, but normally nothing phases her at all, so off we go regardless. She was on edge, but I assumed would settle. Got off to do a pair of gates, through first one fine, tried to unfasten the second one - baling twine was all tangled so briefly took hands off the reins... And she was gone! Full pelt down the farmers fields, clearly imagining that she was running in the Oaks. God knows why she didn't do any good racing, as she was rather fast. Decided there was no point pursuing, as even as a national standard XC runner I was not catching that. Thankfully she came charging back up to me and was rather mortified. Did the gate and got back on. Survived the rest of the hack. Farmer was okay about his field now having a few miles of hoofprints on it.

Hacked out again today and normal angelic service has returned.

 

[Accidental Eventer]

We had a jump yesterday morning at home with plans of going show jumping next weekend as the year ramps up. Kept it short but had a heap of fun!

Then out to lunch for mums birthday before we were all plunged into a sudden, immediate lockdown for 5 days! That is a bit of a shock to the system, this is our first proper, hard lockdown, first time masks are being mandated and restrictions on leaving the house. Strange for us and normal for everyone else!

So we will see what the next 5 days brings. All this is for 1 case of covid that a security guard contracted from a quarantine hotel. Lets hope it works! Hopefully we will get some early rides in this week as it's hot, hot , hot!

 

[TheSpottyCobby]

Another weekend of vile weather. Went for a swim (sorry, I mean a hack) on Saturday morning in horizontal rain. Time to dry off and then Gambit's regular sports massage session - for various reasons he went 10 weeks rather than his usual 8 and he was feeling tight - a combination of his feet problems and the awful ground conditions we've had I suspect. Problem areas all released and some instructions for more pole work to be done (something I have neglected of late as I just have not had the enthusiasm to drag poles out in the wet and cold but I will give myself a kick up the backside and get them out at least twice a week!). Had a quick sit on him yesterday for a gentle pootle up and down the lane for 20 minutes and as soon as my bum hit the saddle I could instantly feel all the tension and tightness was completely gone - thank goodness! It's funny how it can creep up on you sometimes, and you don't realise how tight they've got until it's gone.
I'll motivate myself to get some poles out to do a long reining session tonight!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Very cold, worked on a circle exercise for jumping, which in my mind would result in steady, rhythmic striding between fences, as it was very cold, it actually resulted in both horses pinging around basically pissing off with me

whoops!

So jumps have been removed and they will remain as raised poles until they learn to control themselves lol.