weekend plans

[scats]

the usual weekend of household drudgery and poo picking, I reckon!
The littlest Sasspants had her first vaccination today, another milestone ticked off.
Big Sasspants is waiting on a trip to the vets so no work for her. Just pushing wheelbarrows of poo around then!

thank god for the cutest cuddles otherwise it all seems like a lot of hard going I'm super chuffed with how she's handled weaning, better than I dared hope, I had put so much pressure on myself to get it right and everything went very easily

I hope Kira is ok MP?

 

[milliepops]

I hope Kira is ok MP?

me too! thanks x

 

[Roxylola]

Oh heck, fingers crossed - I sort of missed spotting that MP, hopefully nothing major

 

[racebuddy]

I'm on at 12

Im there until 12 , it’s freezing ? today , braved the wheather to ride

 

[Roxylola]

Might see you passing then me and the handsome dude for reference

 

[racebuddy]

Might see you passing then me and the handsome dude for reference View attachment 60496

I am so excited to go but not jumped a fence for 4 weeks ????

 

[racebuddy]

I'm at Somerford Saturday too, supporting a clinic as opposed to riding though. Then jumping lesson on Sunday. If I can find a saddle.....

U should bring the pony ??

 

[Roxylola]

Oh same, been like 6 weeks I think, but I dont jump much if I dont need to - hes a big chunky lad and I try not to overdo him

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Pleased to hear people are able to get out and about a bit more, although feeling for those in more restricted tiers/isolating.

I've got a lesson with share horse tomorrow, really looking forward to it (first time this has outweighed nerves, hurrah!) - just really hope we can get our nice canter transitions back. They seem to have got worse instead of better, but overall I think things are improving - my nerves certainly are anyway! Sunday just a gentle hack as share horse getting his feet done a bit later in the day. Might see if OH fancies a wander out with us on foot.

 

[smolmaus]

There was a potential beach ride on the cards very briefly but between organisation on their end and me probably having to do some overtime tomorrow and hand over a foster hamster looks like that's not happening.

On Sunday me and my main man on the rescue yard have the go ahead to do some walking in hand round the lanes! (If there's time) A few months ago I thought we'd be regular hacking buddies but xrays showed an old badly healed pelvic fracture and he's officially non ridden now. We'll still have a nice time, poor fella has the brain of a toddler on a permanent sugar high and is never out of mischief as a result so it'll do us all some good!

Hes very excited, as you can see. Note the tipped over wheelbarrow on the left.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

U should bring the pony ??

I'm there for 6 hours so he'd get a bit bored! I'll need to wrap up warm!! Hope you have a great time. X

 

[Squeak]

I'm so excited to be out of lockdown and able to go out and about again. I'm off to an unaffiliated sj on Sunday, only jumping the small classes to give the horse experience but trying to make the most of the shows again while they're on.

Have fun to all going out and about.

 

[racebuddy]

How did everyone get on at Somerford xx

 

[Ample Prosecco]

How did everyone get on at Somerford xx

I had a great day! I was supporting a XC clinic offering confidence coaching or mental strategies to improve performance for anyone whp felt that would be useful, alongside the XC trainer. Seemed to go well. How was your day? Lovely weather!!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Lesson went well today, although I think I spent chunks of it not breathing (oops). I have a new found appreciation for showjumping - as in the steering and rhythm and straightness bit, never mind the jumps!

Getting positive feedback from instructor which is great and I really like how she helps me 'cut through' the worry to be able to get on with the riding.

I'm enjoying the feeling of warming share horse up because he seems to really like a good stretch out and I can feel a difference once we've had a good canter round. I'm getting to used to what might be a flying change (or half of one?), not on purpose but I think share horse sometimes needs to sort his legs out when we're warming up. At first I found this unsettling but I'm feeling more balanced with him now so able to let him get on with it and keep on keeping on.

OH will be joining me and share horse for a walk in the woods tomorrow, then I'm going to hang around to watch share horse getting his feet done (I don't think I've ever actually seen this so wanted to be nosy).

 

[DirectorFury]

Clipping M was more like shearing a sheep today - I've never known so much hair come off her! It wasn't particularly long or coarse, just very very dense. Thankfully it only took ~45 mins to do the entire full clip and then I'll need to spend another 15 mins with the tiny trimmers tomorrow to tidy up her head. We then had a good (bouncy ) hack afterwards.

She's got a cough which I'm a bit concerned about, it's totally random and infrequent with just 1 or 2 coughs at a time, regardless of if she's stood in the stable or being ridden. Nothing in particular seems to trigger it - I was at the yard for 5 hours today and she probably only did 10 coughs in total but she also coughed in the stable once on Thursday. I probably sound nuts but she's never ever been a 'coughy' horse. No fever/lethargy/loss of appetite/nasal discharge/exercise intolerance though. I checked the hay and it's not dusty at all so it's not that. I'm thinking of giving it another few days and then ringing the vet if she's still doing it? She's absolutely fine in herself so I don't think it's an emergency.

 

[Roxylola]

How did everyone get on at Somerford xx

Had a fab time. Which arena were you in, we arrived about 11.30 so we may well have seen you doing a bit

 

[Bernster]

He’s fab roxy !

 

[Roxylola]

He’s fab roxy !

Thanks, and he only threatened to deck me twice today Hes such an opinionated sod at times. However he redeems himself by jumping like a champ.
Our trainer was giving us a little course to pop, 3 of us on the clinic and she set a couple up then said and you two can then do xyz, there was a moment where we were all waiting for each other - as id gone first before I suddenly twigged you 2 might include me ? so I was like oh, was that at me??? Um yes. Oh well do you want to go first as I wasnt paying attention I thought I was getting an easier route ?

 

[racebuddy]

Had a fab time. Which arena were you in, we arrived about 11.30 so we may well have seen you doing a bit View attachment 60530View attachment 60531

Had great time , i just need to gain some more confidence over the skinnies well the advanced skinnies but still can’t belive we jumped these ? but I definitely need to ride more confidence and not panic ?? we had good time in each arean and had a play int the water , i loved jumping the big roll top logs xx

Clipping M was more like shearing a sheep today - I've never known so much hair come off her! It wasn't particularly long or coarse, just very very dense. Thankfully it only took ~45 mins to do the entire full clip and then I'll need to spend another 15 mins with the tiny trimmers tomorrow to tidy up her head. We then had a good (bouncy ) hack afterwards.

She's got a cough which I'm a bit concerned about, it's totally random and infrequent with just 1 or 2 coughs at a time, regardless of if she's stood in the stable or being ridden. Nothing in particular seems to trigger it - I was at the yard for 5 hours today and she probably only did 10 coughs in total but she also coughed in the stable once on Thursday. I probably sound nuts but she's never ever been a 'coughy' horse. No fever/lethargy/loss of appetite/nasal discharge/exercise intolerance though. I checked the hay and it's not dusty at all so it's not that. I'm thinking of giving it another few days and then ringing the vet if she's still doing it? She's absolutely fine in herself so I don't think it's an emergency.

Have u checked temperature? Eating ok ?

 

[Roxylola]

I think I saw you - there was a grey and a bay in the first arena when we arrived - maddys were in the furthest arena closest to the water. You were jumping some pretty impressive stuff there. I was chatting to my owner saying I find it a bit frustrating sometimes that theres stuff that's super easy or its huge or really complicated. I'd like more that's challenging but not terrifying ideally - like the ski jump, it's quite a substantial jump with a drop, two logs less would make it a much more inviting jump for the likes of me at least. It's fine for a clinic etc but if I went for an arena hire I'd end up just trotting round trying to screw up courage for something bigger

 

[DirectorFury]

Have u checked temperature? Eating ok ?

Temp is perfect and she’s as greedy as usual, if she was off her food it would’ve been a vet job tonight as that’s a major sign that’s something’s wrong (cob - lives for her stomach!). It’s really bothering me as she’s in a closed herd and no one has been off the yard, apart from hacking, for months and no one else has a cough so not likely to be a virus :/.

 

[SEL]

The microcob is 2 weeks post her airways surgery so she went out for her first hand graze today - very happy fluffy pony ? Still a sizeable hole in her head though!

The Appy who was looking sound-ish is flirting disgracefully with the gelding in the field next door. Flirting involved impressive acrobatics so she has an ouchy leg again **sigh**

So a weekend of poo picking in the mud it is....

 

[Roxylola]

Temp is perfect and she’s as greedy as usual, if she was off her food it would’ve been a vet job tonight as that’s a major sign that’s something’s wrong (cob - lives for her stomach!). It’s really bothering me as she’s in a closed herd and no one has been off the yard, apart from hacking, for months and no one else has a cough so not likely to be a virus :/.

I think you're right to be looking at a routine vet check, it's not an emergency but theres obviously something not quite right. Hopefully it's something very minor

 

[racebuddy]

I think I saw you - there was a grey and a bay in the first arena when we arrived - maddys were in the furthest arena closest to the water. You were jumping some pretty impressive stuff there. I was chatting to my owner saying I find it a bit frustrating sometimes that theres stuff that's super easy or its huge or really complicated. I'd like more that's challenging but not terrifying ideally - like the ski jump, it's quite a substantial jump with a drop, two logs less would make it a much more inviting jump for the likes of me at least. It's fine for a clinic etc but if I went for an arena hire I'd end up just trotting round trying to screw up courage for something bigger

Yesh i know what u mean , he was great today i just get frustrated with myself when i loose my confidence but then bush skinny fences were about 1/10 so didnt think they were that big ? , ive tried to use lockdown to build over bigger tracks and school over them and hopefully iron out any issues so preped correctly for when wd xo have a season xxx

 

[rara007]

A few comedy pony moments later I have a new affiliated Elem PB and he’s got his debut score at 65.2 on test 59

Really chuffed with how he kept answering the questions

 

[Michen]

My poor boys got dressed up for my friends (and their second mum!) work fancy dress competition. Couldn’t resist a few photos as well ?‍?. There are many, many more but here are my two obliging reindeers....

 

[Northern]

Hope K is ok MP, you don't need another going down that path! Plus I love reading your updates together, fingers crossed!

L and I had another dressage outing again today We gave our first novice test a try! It was blowing an absolute gale, L doesn't care about wind, small blessings to have one happy to go around consistently in any weather!

L went around the novice quite behind the leg so it wasn't perfect, but got a decent score and some useful comments. Good to have a baseline now to improve on. I need to remember to keep her shoulders up around our 15m canter circles, otherwise it just looks like a wall of death canter

Our second test today was a prelim and I was super pleased with how we went, just felt consistent and easy. Even though the test arena was next to the cyclist underpass of death... We ended up winning that class and a bottle of wine

Plan now is to register Miss Pony and start official (affiliated) classes. Hopefully we won't disgrace ourselves Obligatory photo is of a good but tired pony tonight.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

[ycbm]

Isn't Somerford fabulous now? I've mothballed my jumping saddle but those pictures make me almost want to dust it off ...

Had a lovely hack yesterday on my newly slim and back to rock crunching Spanish girly. And a fun school in the snow on Ludo where you can look at your tracks to see if you are really getting the right bend in the lateral work and if your circles are round ?
.

 

[racebuddy]

Isn't Somerford fabulous now? I've mothballed my jumping saddle but those pictures make me almost want to dust it off ...

Had a lovely hack yesterday on my newly slim and back to rock crunching Spanish girly. And a fun school in the snow on Ludo where you can look at your tracks to see if you are really getting the right bend in the lateral work and if your circles are round ?
.

Yes somerford was amazing lots of technical fences , and lots to learn , my main aim to conquief my fear of the big skinnies ??