Weekend plans

Northern

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Still in lockdown (not jealous at all you WA people :rolleyes:).
However lessons have been deemed safe to return now. So I actually have something to report!
Took the pony out to a new instructor on Thursday. Always a bit apprehensive and self conscious around new people.
But apart from an awful first canter transition (that was my fault!) I had a super lesson and L felt super rideable.
We tried a few canter exercises which will help our canter adjustability. Definitely going back :)

I'm super pleased that we are finally cracking the canter transitions. We have about a 70% success rate in pushing up from behind rather than launch into a flat and running canter I have to correct. Soooo many more transitions in our future, lockdown is good for something at least!

Hope everyone is well and I am hoping to report from no-more-lockdown land next week o_O
 

Reacher

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I found this monstrosity hanging out on my head this evening…
View attachment 80722
To make matters worse, it had been there for a good 5 minutes as I initially thought it was a daddy long legs and thought I had ‘swiped’ it away. I went and put my kettle on, wandered into the barn and made my feeds… all with this stowaway on board!

Erm, eew!

Lesson in an hour and 80 cm arena eventing tomorrow .
(Wanted to continue doing 80 and 90 cm SJ over winter but it’s moved indoors and turns feels a bit too tight at 90 but that is probably the wrong way of looking at it, it might force him to slow down...)

Enjoy everyone

PS enjoyed lesson , pole work, was cantering a serpentine which was meant to go through poles, couldn’t turn tight enough to make the poles but did the flying changes, clever boy
 
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Accidental Eventer

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Still in lockdown (not jealous at all you WA people :rolleyes:).
However lessons have been deemed safe to return now. So I actually have something to report!
Took the pony out to a new instructor on Thursday. Always a bit apprehensive and self conscious around new people.
But apart from an awful first canter transition (that was my fault!) I had a super lesson and L felt super rideable.
We tried a few canter exercises which will help our canter adjustability. Definitely going back :)

I'm super pleased that we are finally cracking the canter transitions. We have about a 70% success rate in pushing up from behind rather than launch into a flat and running canter I have to correct. Soooo many more transitions in our future, lockdown is good for something at least!

Hope everyone is well and I am hoping to report from no-more-lockdown land next week o_O
Sorry! We really feel for you all over there and we are thoroughly fed up of not being able to leave. Though we do like doing things! So glad you can go for lessons though
 

Pippity

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Went out to the Kelsall farm ride this morning

It took about half an hour to cajole Blue onto the trailer, but then I led her through a few times and she proceeded to load with absolutely no trouble, both there and on the way back.

Unfortunately, Blue was really feeling the heat, so we didn't have much of a hooley, but it was lovely to just trot for ages on the buckle end without having to worry about traffic or other people on the trail or anything nasty.

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We had a fabulous lesson a couple of days ago. Blue was absolutely not in a co-operative mood, and just wanted to wall-of-death round the school. (Our school is behind a bank, meaning she can't see any other horses while she's in there, and she finds it quite stressful.) By the end of it, she was giving me a lovely, soft trot and something vaguely resembling a three-loop serpentine.
 

Sheep

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Another week, another hunter trials (OH on board) - opted again for pairs class with our pal & her pony. Another fantastic run over some challenging ground, complete with a dress fence & gate opening and closing. Super run for them both to finish 2nd of 9 pairs! Horse looked and felt mega confident, so we are all v happy indeed.

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milliepops

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great pics Sheep :D

Got Kira out for a little trip on the box round the block, she travelled fine - obviously ;) she looked at me like I was an idiot but I do prefer to dot the Is and cross the Ts!
was hoping to nip out for arena hire tomorrow but YO has offered to take us out hacking again so thought I better accept, can spend all week doing circles in the sandpit. May take a half day to get out somewhere in the week as I do need to start checking we can do the passage stuff away from home :p

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scats

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Went out to the Kelsall farm ride this morning

It took about half an hour to cajole Blue onto the trailer, but then I led her through a few times and she proceeded to load with absolutely no trouble, both there and on the way back.

Unfortunately, Blue was really feeling the heat, so we didn't have much of a hooley, but it was lovely to just trot for ages on the buckle end without having to worry about traffic or other people on the trail or anything nasty.

View attachment 80769

We had a fabulous lesson a couple of days ago. Blue was absolutely not in a co-operative mood, and just wanted to wall-of-death round the school. (Our school is behind a bank, meaning she can't see any other horses while she's in there, and she finds it quite stressful.) By the end of it, she was giving me a lovely, soft trot and something vaguely resembling a three-loop serpentine.

Hoping to get out to Kelsall this winter to use the ride.
 

Roxylola

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My clippers started smoking mid clip today, cue an emergency run to naylors for a new set, which I like in principle but they seem to have a loose wire and don't consistently start so I think they'll have to be changed. They did the job though, so we don't have to go jumping like an actual patchyt#@t Screenshot_20211009-203251_Gallery.jpg
 

racebuddy

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My new boy been to the treadmill today first
Time just turned 6 and he was good as gold xx had emergency vets xrays and farrier to my older boy this week horrendous week but thankfully on the road to recovery ❤️❤️❤️ Xxx
 

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palo1

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No pics but I had a wonderful morning's Autumn hunting with sweet Alw yesterday. We did about 10 miles over very stiff open hills and tricky terrain; mostly slowly but with some lovely cantering available too. I am just delighted with her; completely cool about hounds rustling around in the fern or around her legs, totally polite with strange horses some of whom were rather excited, happy to leave a group of horses, her field companion and a hacking companion, happy to go in front or behind and full of beans. Super confident with water to either jump (yeehaaaa!!) or splash through and feeling rock solid in terms of safety and listening to me. This is all good though I am reading hunter trials and other outing reports with a sense of despair that we are never going to get there because of money and distance issues!! Nevertheless, I am grateful for what I have and feel so proud of my little horse. Trail hunting has been so lovely for her so far; it would be very hard for me to have provided some of the challenges and questions in another way so I am taking that and hoping that we will be able to apply all of this in other situations when I can get there. Also, schooling in the field again has resulted in improved rein back and some very smooth and even leg yielding. Wooohooo!! :) :)
 

southerncomfort

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Had a wonderful few days with my boy!

Friday I walked him around a new route (I always lead around a new route before we ride it as our hacking can be quite challenging for a youngster). This route includes 10 minutes on a road that, while it isn't too very busy, the traffic is bigger, noisier and faster than on our village route. The bonus of this new route though is that it leads to a bridleway that crosses moorland and the views are breathtaking.

Bo coped with the traffic just fine and absolutely loved the bridleway, stopping to splash in the puddles along the way.

Saturday we had a fab lesson focusing on changes within a pace, and ended with us having our first canter under saddle! He has a gorgeous rocking horse canter that you can just sit and enjoy!

My instructor commented that he's looking a lot stronger physically now, and that he's starting to relax and stretch over his back. He certainly feels a lot stronger and fitter.

This morning was a lovely hack around the village below us. Their was a kiddies football tournament which meant a constant stream of cars in both directions. Bo got the hump a bit at having to keep stopping to let cars by! We were also passed by a double decker bus and a farmer on a quad bike. Bo was not bothered by anything.

I may have taken a lot longer to get to this point with him than another rider might have, but he's been quite weedy at times and it felt right to go slowly and let him mature physically & mentally.

I feel incredibly lucky to have him. ?
 

palo1

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Had a wonderful few days with my boy!

Friday I walked him around a new route (I always lead around a new route before we ride it as our hacking can be quite challenging for a youngster). This route includes 10 minutes on a road that, while it isn't too very busy, the traffic is bigger, noisier and faster than on our village route. The bonus of this new route though is that it leads to a bridleway that crosses moorland and the views are breathtaking.

Bo coped with the traffic just fine and absolutely loved the bridleway, stopping to splash in the puddles along the way.

Saturday we had a fab lesson focusing on changes within a pace, and ended with us having our first canter under saddle! He has a gorgeous rocking horse canter that you can just sit and enjoy!

My instructor commented that he's looking a lot stronger physically now, and that he's starting to relax and stretch over his back. He certainly feels a lot stronger and fitter.

This morning was a lovely hack around the village below us. Their was a kiddies football tournament which meant a constant stream of cars in both directions. Bo got the hump a bit at having to keep stopping to let cars by! We were also passed by a double decker bus and a farmer on a quad bike. Bo was not bothered by anything.

I may have taken a lot longer to get to this point with him than another rider might have, but he's been quite weedy at times and it felt right to go slowly and let him mature physically & mentally.

I feel incredibly lucky to have him. ?

Sounds wonderful @southerncomfort !! The really lovely thing about bringing a horse on (of any age but particularly the young ones) is that it is your rules, your pace, your judgement. I find that process of considering the horse in front of me and then planning and working through things so satisfying and fascinating and when it works well, as it has for you, why does the amount of time taken matter? I get that some people want to do particular age related classes etc but if you are training for pleasure and/or without that goal then you can do what you like! It is fab. :) :) Bravo Bo!! Clearly the time taken has been absolutely worthwhile.
 

Roxylola

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Not really our day today, he doesn't love indoors in general and bold is probably his least favourite for some reason. There was a lot for him to take in, with 14 fences in there in total and we had a bit of a lumpy round for 8 faults but on the tannoy as we were getting untacked etc there were lots of other multiple fault rounds, 2 eliminated and 1 retired so we weren't the only ones who found it a bit overwhelming.
To be fair we were almost on the E'd list, he sort of started to take off at 5 then put down and obliterated the fence and left me up his neck for a moment!
 

southerncomfort

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Sounds wonderful @southerncomfort !! The really lovely thing about bringing a horse on (of any age but particularly the young ones) is that it is your rules, your pace, your judgement. I find that process of considering the horse in front of me and then planning and working through things so satisfying and fascinating and when it works well, as it has for you, why does the amount of time taken matter? I get that some people want to do particular age related classes etc but if you are training for pleasure and/or without that goal then you can do what you like! It is fab. :):) Bravo Bo!! Clearly the time taken has been absolutely worthwhile.

Thank you Palo. ?

I try very hard not to compare him to other 5 year olds but I suppose I inevitably do sometimes. ? But as well as wanting to be sure that he was physically ready for each new thing, I think knowing that he'll be my last youngster I really wanted to take my time and enjoy it.

And yes...the journey with him has been utterly joyful and I honestly couldn't be more happy with him. ?
 

nikkimariet

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Thursday was pet plan champs :)

I knew whichever our first test was would be wrought with tension and I was right! He wasn’t naughty at all, just totally overwhelmed. The judge said he had a very promising piaffe! Everything from a 0 to 8.5 so a nice mix of good and bad for 59%, totally deserved, we still weren’t last. He recovered nicely for the music with 68% and was 12/33, the leader was on 71% so quite tight scores in the top ten.

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Very happy with him, he tried really hard for me overall and gave me a lovely warm up x 2 and a lovely ride in the second test.

Saturday I had a jump lesson, Rooni was super chill and seemed to really enjoy himself!

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And today I went for a SJ comp! Unaff but my first in 17 years and his first ever. He was very good about it all, needed his hand holding for the 80/85cm. Just ran flat with nerves and had plenty of poles down. The second 90/95cm we relaxed into a better rhythm, still had a few down but a much better round.

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What a good egg!
 

J_sarahd

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Cross country was a bit blah today. He started off amazing, popping everything with no issues. Then I asked him to jump this black tube Jacobs ladder type thing, around 80cm. And he said no twice. Finally got him over it on the third go with a bit of shouting. Then we ran out at a tiny log. A few more easy jumps (all pretty small to be honest). Then attempted a log drop - stopped first time but entirely my fault as I looked down. Then we ran out at a tiny brush and then at a house thing. Popped a few more bigger things fine. Then stopped at a chair and twice at a hedge.

I’m annoyed at myself and worried that he’s going to go back to stopping at things again, especially after our September was such a good month. I’ve messaged my physio as he is due and I’m concerned that something might be a bit tight. Fingers crossed that all he needs is a bit of a physio prod.

He did do some great jumps though. 7CCF41F4-A65F-4F36-85FF-C3C7D1B41F3C.jpeg902644AF-F7A9-4450-A04C-46A5651C619E.jpeg63A50215-BFE3-452D-B732-A73A0CB42E15.jpegBA71EB55-33E1-4DE5-9799-525441586F48.jpeg
 

Sam_J

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I had another riding lesson tonight, at the equine college I’m going to. Trying to brush up so I ride Lottie better - whenever I end up riding her again.

Was given a warmblood who has evented to novice so that was good! He was a bit behind the leg at first but was then fab. Pleased with the feedback again: instructor said lots of riders don’t like him and he doesn’t like lots of riders so it was nice to see us getting along. As my main aim in all riding is building a partnership/ the horse being ok with what we are doing, that was nice to hear. Not much planned rest of weekend though.
Which college are you going to AE? I'm going to be looking for somewhere soon, so I'm interested in recommendations.
 

iknowmyvalue

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Cross country was a bit blah today. He started off amazing, popping everything with no issues. Then I asked him to jump this black tube Jacobs ladder type thing, around 80cm. And he said no twice. Finally got him over it on the third go with a bit of shouting. Then we ran out at a tiny log. A few more easy jumps (all pretty small to be honest). Then attempted a log drop - stopped first time but entirely my fault as I looked down. Then we ran out at a tiny brush and then at a house thing. Popped a few more bigger things fine. Then stopped at a chair and twice at a hedge.

I’m annoyed at myself and worried that he’s going to go back to stopping at things again, especially after our September was such a good month. I’ve messaged my physio as he is due and I’m concerned that something might be a bit tight. Fingers crossed that all he needs is a bit of a physio prod.

He did do some great jumps though. View attachment 80879View attachment 80880View attachment 80881View attachment 80882
I don’t blame him, I hate those black tube jumps. Give me the heebie jeebies. Love his knees though! ?
 

iknowmyvalue

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My on call weekend (boo!). Didn’t manage to ride yesterday as was out all day on visits. Managed to squeeze a ride in today. Just flatwork as have a jumping lesson tomorrow. I stopped focusing on my riding and got fixated on him, I riding properly, he stopped working properly, cue a small meltdown. Took a minute to breathe and refocus. Return to riding like something other than a lemon, and magically he started responding better. Think the key is absolutely going to be to make sure I am as clear, quiet and correct as possible in my riding, whilst making sure I keep my leg “there” at all times. There’s no point getting frustrated and arguing as he just gets more tense/upset/confused. Hoping to get some lessons organised soon to get some more tips on how to ride him better and get more from him.
 

j1ffy

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Its his owners tiktok not mine but this might work https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8R6Kbc9/

Well saved!!!

Sounds like lots of people have had a lot of fun this weekend. Seeing all the jumping posts has me itching to leave the ground!

After our challenges in the arena recently, it was lovely to get Chilli out for a decent hack. IMO solo hacking helps to build a relationship better than anything else (unless your horse absolutely hates (mentioning no names Kira!)) - pootling around new places, having a blast up a hill, occasionally working on things from the school - all builds trust and experience.

Chilli loaded beautifully both ways and travelled so quietly that I thought he might have vanished! Great to know as we're heading over to AMD at the end of the month and I wanted to make sure he's ok on his own. He was a bit fidgety to tack up and a bit confused by the strange mounting block, but stood nicely once he realised what I wanted.

Then the actual hack was wonderful, I couldn't ask more of a hacking horse! He was brave, happy to walk out on a long rein past everything we met, and he loved being allowed to have his head up a decent hillside stubble field. I think we'll have some fun times together on adventure hacks ?. We did 90 minutes in total, mostly in walk with one good blast and a couple of trots, so plenty for him at his age.

Photos to follow...
 

RachelFerd

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Lovely views @j1ffy !

We also had a good weekend. Both boys went for SJ lessons since the vets gave Simon a clean bill of soundness/health. Video of young'un is in the 3/4yo thread, and here's a round that I jumped on Simon at the end as part of operation rebuild our SJ skills.

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Then yesterday I did some writing and sitting in at BD to make a little dent in my trainee judge's portfolio. Always interesting (and undoubtedly helps my test riding too).
 

Bernster

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Amazing view jiffy! It looks like he’s taking it in too ?

RF your jump position is so good - you make it look so smooth and effortless but I know it’s anything but!

We didn’t leave the ground this weekend but we did have a very instructive lesson. I’ve got a few sessions booked and I really like this instructor’s approach so hopefully this will be the start of a winter of improvement. I felt a bit down before the lesson as we’d had a crappy schooling session midweek. Although we still had issues in the lesson, I feel like I have a better understanding of what I’m doing and have more tools in the toolbox to respond.

Feeling a bit hesitant about camp this weekend as we have a long way to go but I’ll give it a go and see what happens.
 

oldie48

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I love looking at people's pics and seeing how they are progressing, this is one of the threads that I always read!
I've had a great weekend, hack on Miss F in the sunshine on Saturday and writing on Sunday morning for my RC dressage comp. It's so helpful writing, not that I think I'll be competing in the future, but I saw some horses and ponies with real potential that were just very badly ridden and it made me just a bit sad until I realised I have been guilty of the same faults......just leave the bloody head alone!!!! Anyway, I had a good lesson on Mr D this morning, newly clipped and a sharp bright day put a real spring in his step and a good spook when he saw the new show jumps stacked up outside the arena. He had a laugh whilst I got my stirrups back! Owner came out and she's really good at finding simple things that hit the mark. Four poles, positioned so I could come off the track and ride a nice 12m circle with lots of changes of pace including halts and enough room to turn away to change the rein. With a biggish horse who is a little stiff it required a lot of concentration (so I was leaving his head alone) just thinking position, turning with the outside rein, keeping the shoulder up, keeping the rhythm and I had a sparky balanced trot. Then we did some walk to canter walk. I love his canter, real rocking horse just need to keep the energy. TBH I was pretty tired by the end but went to pilates, rider focused, and we did a lot of balance work, think gym ball, wobble thingey and a broom handle! Then I went to visit Rose, she looks happy, has a friend who knows she's the boss and her hock is still HUGE........such is life!
 
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