Weekend Plans

[Accidental Eventer]

I didn't see another thread, so thought I would see what everyone is up to.

Still too hot for much to be planned around here, but with some cooler weather forecast for the weekend I will be outside riding my 2 both days, but just at home. We do have a clinic to look forward to on Tuesday which is a public holiday for us. It will be good to get out and about!

Saddles got refitted yesterday too which is good, we will be ready for the comps to start!

I hope the winter weather isn't too bad for you all and you are finding things to do in lockdown.

 

[Northern]

Same boat, it's hot and I am working night shift so will be hiding inside. 38C this weekend! I was liking our mild summer
Think I will need to drag myself out tomorrow (late!) to ride the pony. I want to just do a walk session focusing on the travers/shoulder in lateral work we have been working on. Hasn't quite clicked for me so I am going to try and perfect it a bit. Might be harder to concentrate in the heat though

 

[Accidental Eventer]

Same boat, it's hot and I am working night shift so will be hiding inside. 38C this weekend! I was liking our mild summer
Think I will need to drag myself out tomorrow (late!) to ride the pony. I want to just do a walk session focusing on the travers/shoulder in lateral work we have been working on. Hasn't quite clicked for me so I am going to try and perfect it a bit. Might be harder to concentrate in the heat though

Wish we ere having a mild summer, it's been hot and dry for weeks. This week coming we have a week of less then 33c though so that is exciting for us! Hope it cools down for you soon, though I hear your weather is a result of our cyclone!

 

[milliepops]

Playing it by ear... but might attempt to ride again. K got scoped again on Tuesday and is starting to heal, vets also poked and prodded all over and found nothing else of concern so ?‍
she was very chirpy having a quick lunge last night, we did big ovals so i got a warming run round the arena too ?
so I might try a sit on if she carries on like that. Otherwise.... cold and frosty walkies again.

 

[scats]

Riding I hope. I really must get back on Polly, she seems to have an extended holiday every winter as I can only manage one in work in the winter months, and even that’s sporadic.

 

[Michen]

T*** 1 and T*** 2 both have lessons. Boggle was a complete nut job for in hand poles the other night and Bear yesterday reverted back to pretending he had no mouth, didn’t know what bending was and zero clue to any leg aids either. It certainly tested my patience but hopefully a lesson will straighten him out ?

 

[palo1]

Playing it by ear... but might attempt to ride again. K got scoped again on Tuesday and is starting to heal, vets also poked and prodded all over and found nothing else of concern so ?‍
she was very chirpy having a quick lunge last night, we did big ovals so i got a warming run round the arena too ?
so I might try a sit on if she carries on like that. Otherwise.... cold and frosty walkies again.
View attachment 63755

She is very beautiful and good news that she is healing! Hope that continues till she is all sorted

 

[palo1]

T*** 1 and T*** 2 both have lessons. Boggle was a complete nut job for in hand poles the other night and Bear yesterday reverted back to pretending he had no mouth, didn’t know what bending was and zero clue to any leg aids either. It certainly tested my patience but hopefully a lesson will straighten him out ?View attachment 63759

Wow - he looks amazingly smart!!

 

[Michen]

Wow - he looks amazingly smart!!

Doesn’t he know it!!

 

[Northern]

Wish we ere having a mild summer, it's been hot and dry for weeks. This week coming we have a week of less then 33c though so that is exciting for us! Hope it cools down for you soon, though I hear your weather is a result of our cyclone!

Apparently so! You can keep your heat, send that cyclone our way with its moisture though. Crazy weather indeed! You almost need a jumper at 33C, you poor things

Glad K is healing MP, hopefully you'll be on her again in no time!

 

[Bernster]

I think we need sunshine photos please to cheer us up this side of the equator! Seems a long way off. But the tiny glimpses of blue sky and sun do cheer me up.

Am venturing into online dressage! Videoing the test tmrw so hairy horse will have a tidy up. School isn’t quite the right size but dressage riders online have a relaxed rules class we can enter. Doing my first ever novice test ? It flows better than the prelim level one and having a busier test means we move out of our weak areas quicker. We don’t have much in the way of medium paces but it’s been nice to have something to work on and aim for.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Officially stopped riding so might do some in hand work. Rosie doesn’t understand trotting in hand and I wouldn’t mind doing some in hand showing in the spring summer if covid p’s off! So I’ve been practicing that and also working on backing up as I’d like to get mum working on rein back.

Also my new ariat yard boots arrived at the tack shop so going to pick them up!

 

[Roxylola]

Ooh Bernster which test is it? We've only very recently discovered our medium trot and we've been doing novice since spring. I ride a bit bigger trot - its novice not grand prix after all. And the rest of the test is manageable some bits are better than others - we often had 4s for mediums but then other bits are 7s so it evened out.
We will be mostly hacking again. I'm pinching our yard owners horse for a camp later in the year ? and as she doesn't enjoy schooling I'm killing 2 birds with one stone and doing a bit of schooling with her mare so I'm more familiar with her and to hopefully improve the mare a bit or at least make her a bit more consistent. Had a sit on her last night which she was appalled about - schooling??? In the rain??? But once we got going she did some nice work, the arena is small and the surface is not great so its difficult sometimes to know if its that causing inconsistencies or if they're just being inconsistent and evasive.
Supercob had a hack round the local estate, I say a hack, he pretty much charged round he's forward keen and swinging along at the moment so hopefully we can get out and have a canter somewhere in daylight over weekend.

 

[j1ffy]

MP - I'm pleased Kira is perking up!
Bernster - my little PRE has no medium trot (or medium / free walk) but we still managed some decent Novice scores. It's only one movement and only 'show a few strides' so focus on getting balanced and straight, then ask for a few strides over X.

I'm hacking with a friend today, the weather is lovely here so aside from cold toes it will be nice to get out. Then probably an easy schooling session tomorrow ahead of a dressage lesson on Sunday. It will easily be the highlight of the week!!

 

[oldie48]

MP Another who is pleased that Kira is improving!
Gorgeous weather here this morning, very cold but a fabulous blue sky and sunshine. Rose's livery yard is on the top of a small hill and has fantastic panoramic views, no wonder she loves to stand out on her balcony surveying the scene, I would too. Sorry didn't think to take a photo.
Rose was hacked out yesterday and is also going out again on Sunday (weather permitting) tomorrow is a day off but today S and Rose had a lesson with Peter. I meant to take lots of vid but didn't, just a short clip of a first flying change.
It was a very good lesson, using half steps to improve the lift in the trot has been going well but Peter introduced a new exercise to improve the connection and lift. After a long and low but very round warm up in walk, trot and canter, S picked Rose up in walk using lateral work to engage the hind, new exercise was initially in walk, leg yield 2/3 steps right, 2/3 steps left down the long side keeping the activity, then into half steps using a tap on the top of the HQs if not getting enough and being very insistent about activity and rhythm. It's not an easy exercise with a horse that will use change of direction as an excuse to lose activity and I could imagine with a hot horse it would really get them buzzing but with Rose it just energised her and we are starting to see some real improvement in her trot which is her weakest pace.
Canter work followed with Rose trying out flying changes. She does have a change but it tends to be on her terms so we have focused on establishing a really solid balanced counter canter first. Peter uses the following exercise as an introduction: Establish a good canter, med canter down the long side with progression to collected canter in the corner, half circle onto the centre line with half pass to long side, energise the canter then take short diagonal to C and ask for change with a swap of the legs. What I found interesting that there wasn't a focus on change of bend. I should have asked but I'm assuming this is because when you move on to putting FCs together for 3s and 4s etc if you have established the FC like this you will avoid the swing that is so noticeable in some horses. Or, I could just have missed that bit! Rose managed some half decent changes without getting too excited, P wasn't concerned about her being late behind on occasion as says it's more important at this stage that the change is obedient and when she maintains a better quality of canter, the change will be more correct. What I really liked was the immediate pat and walk on a longer rein when she did as she was asked. He's a great believer in rewarding horses frequently so they know when they have done well. I really like that! Anyway, fairly rubbish short clip of one of Rose's first attempts.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Had a lovely solo hack this morning, even cantering on a homeward wide track with manners.
If not too blooming 'weathery' I'll continue hacking over the weekend.
I really am wanting to use an arena tho, patience needed for at least another month.

 

[Bernster]

Thx both. It’s level 3 test for dressage riders online, which seems to equate to novice. It is ‘show a few strides’ of med trot and canter. I know that will pull our score down but I’m not expecting to be very competitive, it’s more for fun. Although I will be unnecessarily disappointed if we don’t hit the 60s ?! Not sure how the scores compare to a bd outing but I think they’re bd judges. Saying that I’ve only ever done unaff so I probably should steel myself for a drop in scores anyway, let alone that we’ve done nothing test wise for a year!

 

[Roxylola]

Thx both. It’s level 3 test for dressage riders online, which seems to equate to novice. It is ‘show a few strides’ of med trot and canter. I know that will pull our score down but I’m not expecting to be very competitive, it’s more for fun. Although I will be unnecessarily disappointed if we don’t hit the 60s ?! Not sure how the scores compare to a bd outing but I think they’re bd judges. Saying that I’ve only ever done unaff so I probably should steel myself for a drop in scores anyway, let alone that we’ve done nothing test wise for a year!

Its tricky - I was doing ours in the field (in a marked arena) and was consistently beaten by horses working in fenced arenas. I would say though that generally my scores have been similar to what I've had unaffiliated and a little better than I've had affiliated. Mine were different organisations, but bd judges still.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

had a fab jumping lesson Thursday night, he was actually going forwards and taking me to the jumps. I need to ride him so much more forward than I think, and stop worrying about trying to set him up for fences (why I try I don’t know, I can’t see a stride to save my life) and just focus on getting a bigger, better quality canter, then let him sort the jumping part.

hoping we might get to hack out, ideally without gale force winds/pouring rain/snow/ice... for the first time in weeks this weekend!

 

[rara007]

Surviving and not going to work for 48 hours? ?

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Weather blizzarding here! Urgh. Toby is feeling his feet after a trim so he's having a couple of days off. Farrier often takes a but too much off I think?
Hope to get an E-Rider dressage test recorded for Dolly but it will be in the indoor which is a bit snmall.

MP- So glad Kira is feeling better
AE/Northern I have hot days and sun envy. Also a governemnt that didn't think herd immunity was a good idea envy,but perhaps lets not go there....
Bernster: Good luck in your test. We use E Riders which I like. Ive never tried dressage riders online. There seem to be a few sites around.
Glad lots of people seem to able to get our and about.

Have fun, all.

 

[milliepops]

Oooh that's frustrating, AE. Have you mentioned to farrier? doesn't seem right that he has to have downtime after trimming?

hope snow sods off! I think we were supposed to get it tomorrow which would delight OH but I hate it.

 

[Squeak]

Good luck for online dressage Bernster. Well done all of you who have had productive lessons.

MP glad Kira seems to be improving.
AE agree with MP that it doesn't seem right that Toby is sore after trimming and that it might be worth a word with the farrier.

Not much going on for me this weekend. Desperately trying to ride when the ground isn't either flooded or frozen. Also really hoping that the snow forecast for tomorrow doesn't happen. Not sure why I'm stressing quite so much about not being able to ride as much at the moment as no eventing to need to be ready for in March.

 

[DabDab]

Well I was planning some nice hacking but snow last night, on top of the flooding that has now all frozen has put an end to that ?. So just doing some straightness work in the school instead.

Arty has come hurtling into the first season of the year and is very flirty and squirty, but she was lovely to ride this morning and seems happy enough. I'm hoping that means she's feeling it less physically this year than she has seemed to in the past.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Oooh that's frustrating, AE. Have you mentioned to farrier? doesn't seem right that he has to have downtime after trimming?

hope snow sods off! I think we were supposed to get it tomorrow which would delight OH but I hate it.

Another livery's horse was footsore after a trim too. She spoke to the vet who happened to be there the following day and he said he liked the way the feet had been trimmed, and some horses are sore for a day or two?? The farrier comes very highly recommended but it does not seem right to me either. Ill talk to him. x

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Managed to get a hack in after the frost melted! Henry is feeling almost too well at the moment ?

his interpretation of gaits today went something like: walk = jog sideways, trot = canter but real slow, canter = yee ha!

he’s a bit of an idiot, but he’s my idiot and I love him for it. I never feel unsafe or hugely out of control, I just find it funny most of the time ? (sorry, can’t work out how to rotate the pic here)

 

[Roxylola]

Another livery's horse was footsore after a trim too. She spoke to the vet who happened to be there the following day and he said he liked the way the feet had been trimmed, and some horses are sore for a day or two?? The farrier comes very highly recommended but it does not seem right to me either. Ill talk to him. x

If nobody has said anything he won't know its happening I guess, no harm done mentioning it

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Good to hear people are being able to get some bits done (even if between extremes of weather!) I so hope things will open up more soon. Would love to get along to some events this year (to watch or volunteer) and its so great seeing what people are getting up to.

I enjoyed my longest solo hack today, just under an hour I think. Share horse was so good, bit slow to start but walked and trotted on nicely when we got warmed up. I'd felt a bit deflated about going alone. Share horse doesn't do anything nasty but sometimes finds companions very exciting, and I just do not enjoy the feeling like I'm going to be tanked off with. There's no evidence that would actually happen, but having worked hard to expand my comfort zone to where it is just now I just want to enjoy being in that bubble of comfort for a while! Anyway I got the ride my soul needed today and he seemed very happy seeing the sights (and being admired by walkers...again! I swear he struts when he sees people coming ?)

Practiced standing up in my stirrups to work on my lower leg stability, now also in trot. Quite pleased I could do it at all in trot tbh but set myself a baseline of 3 strides as the one to beat!

Tomorrow a hack with our usual companions which I am looking forward to as we always have nice chilled rides out. Just hope we don't get heavy snow making visibility too poor to go out.

 

[milliepops]

SPD I think quite often it's good to do many short repetitions of difficult things rather than try to to more and end up losing your form. so I think 3 strides at a time, if you can repeat it every so many strides, might be a good way to chip away at it. then you can go for 4 strides, and so on. if you can control the start and finish as well as just manage the number of strides, then you know you're really getting somewhere.

Totally different but I did this (on the advice of another HHO) when learning 1 tempis, setting a number for the week and then just repeating it until that was easy and the start and finish well controlled, then adding another each week made it all feel quite achievable.

Well Kira lunged quite nicely so I hopped on. we just pottered around being sort of on the bit and just showing her it was going to be OK. I think half the problem is going to be getting her to drop her defenses, hopefully as the lunge work seems pretty comfortable she is not in so much pain now. will aim to just do some indoor hacking now and then and see how we go until next scope.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Yes definitely don't want to be holding it too long and then not able to control when I sit back down. I'll work on getting just a few strides consistent and 'solid' before upping it ?