Wet and wild weekend plans

[millitiger]

What is everyone up to this weekend?

It has been sooooo wet here this week, thankfully the fields are holding up however it isn't great for my motivation.
Also think the pony is wondering why on earth I clipped him this week...!

We're boring road hacking today and tomorrow, to get some work in on harder surfaces for barefoot feet.
Then BD on Sunday, hopefully more points for regionals.
Finally a lesson Monday PM, let's see what trainer thinks of the new saddle.

Have fun all and try to stay dry!

 

[CastlelackSportHorses]

Hoping to get to a training show this evening if time allows. And a nice non horsey weekend Tattoo tomorrow! Very excited.

 

[Trouper]

Cotswold Cup Finals to watch a friend compete - please pray for no more rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SEL]

I was supposed to be at Blenheim today for the RDA sponsored ride, but Blenheim have lakes in places they've never had lakes so it's been cancelled. Huge loss of income for the RDA who have already paid for insurance.

I'm hiding in my barn knowing I need to see if my van will start. It needs exercising after a week of standing out in torrential rain. OH is annoyed his sealant hasn't worked - its sodden in the horse area. Hoping it'll be OK because I've got a polework clinic tomorrow and I'm feeling a bit pained by the loss of entry fees between last weekend & Blenheim today.

There's a photographer tomorrow and I swear every single time I'm at an event with this particular photographer we're filthy! 4 white stockings are nowhere to be seen .....

And then I will be filling a skip so my pampered horses can use another shelter because the one in their field flash flooded. Normal people are home with a hot chocolate and a biscuit right???

 

[Horsegirl25]

Showjumping this weekend! Entered the 1m open championship class at a local venue, brave on my part since I haven't jumped bigger than 80cm since about June as have been doing small xc outings with the showjumper for a change of scenery for her! Oh well we will go and have fun that's the main thing.
It is an A7 class so (I think) all clears come back for a shortened and heightened jump off (that's if we get that far )
Have a good weekend all

 

[J_sarahd]

I’m trying a horse tomorrow and maybe another on Sunday if he doesn’t sell today!

Two slightly different horses but both fit my criteria. Also had the approval of a few HHOers on them both so feel they’re good choices.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Good friend is coming over for a hack. Fortunately the weather is looking lovely, at the minute!!

 

[FitzyFitz]

Off to Red Dragon for a 66km hopefully won't be regretting too many of my choices. I was hoping for drier weather as it was a slip and slide last year and I had a nasty tumble at a recent event on wet grass. We'll see!

 

[tda]

Just been for a windy hack this morning, hopefully more this weekend if it stays dry

 

[Birker2020]

Shopping as normal in the morning, before getting home, walking to visit Mum, walking back home and then getting changed and jumping in the car to visit darling tomorrow afternoon in our wellies and umbrella!

Outdoor swimming at a new venue (new to me) on Sunday. Dreading the temperature, I suffered an after drop last time which scared me a bit. Was when I was driving home and my chest and my back were like ice despite having three layers on and the heater on in the car and hot coffee and bacon bap to warm me afterwards. Might make a nice roast for tea when we get back home to warm us up.

All I want to do is hibernate at the moment, the thought of visiting the gym is dreadful.

Enjoy everyone.

 

[dorsetladette]

Hacking Robin and Reggie is off for a ride in the lorry for some travelling experience.

Hoping to go and see a little arena/school I might be able to hire regularly too. I've been looking for one that is quiet and private where I can take the boys to get used to being away from home. I don't want to go to a big yard and have an audience to start with as I know Reg is going to be throwing shapes/overly excited as he hasn't been away from home a lot. Think I've found just the place but want to be sure we can turn the lorry round easily etc (dealing with my own anxieties). It's been mentioned it rides quite deep which I just want to check.

 

[blood_magik]

I’m grooming today for a change - dad is taking the baby and the big horse to a BD taster day locally.

I’ve got a course to build for next week’s hires at some point as well, and then it’s basically just a countdown to surgery day on Wednesday.

 

[Cloball]

Had my foot injected Thursday so only have a quiet school Friday as it was a bit tender still and she was very sweet despite the wind. Sharpening up the trot transition and working on halt to trot nicely. Off for a hack today and a ( likely wet) lesson tomorrow before honey moon Monday

 

[humblepie]

Good luck everyone off doing things.

 

[stangs]

I actually have something to put on this thread for a change - I rode my instructor’s (now retired) GP horse for the first time.

I’m struggling to put into words how it felt, even though to an observer it probably looked like I was a beginner learning how to rise for the first time. It genuinely felt like I’d never sat on a horse before - even the walk feels foreign when you’ve got so much activity underneath you, particularly behind. And I never thought my first piaffe would be a mistake when I was just trying to get the horse into trot. We also had a moment where I asked for trot, got canter, and as I tried to get a downwards transition into trot, I just got an increasingly short canter stride until we were practically cantering in the spot… and still no trot. You end up sat there thinking partially “wow what an animal” and partially “where’s the off switch?”

The horse in question was trained in the ‘holding’ style of modern dressage, so takes a considerably stronger contact than I’m used. Now riding with a strong contact is not what I’d want in my own horse but it was still a very educational experience. A) It’s so difficult to maintain a stable position while having that constant forward pull, particularly in trot, so it really makes you appreciate the physical skill required by riders to do it and look effortless while doing it. And b) it’s just interesting as a sensory experience. It’s like your contact’s baseline is heavy, but within that weight is lightness if that makes sense, because the horse itself is not strong and is not pulling.

Another thing that was really brought home was how sloppy my aids have become. I’ve spent so long riding unschooled horses or RS horses who are used to muddling along with different riders, that I’ve gotten away with my aids being a general idea rather than a specific sensation for the horse. But on a horse with so many more buttons - even if they’re very tolerant of a novice like me and willing to ignore me if I’m talking nonsense to them - you just can’t be sloppy. You can’t be creating so much ‘noise’ with the aids if you want the horse to understand distinctions between more and more cues. I dismounted feeling like my hands and legs are utterly blunt tools - and I’m not even going to get started on my seat!

So, TLDR I’ve never felt more incompetent. But then I’m also feeling very lucky to have ridden such a lovely horse. Just wish I’d had the chance to learn to ride on horses of this calibre before I developed so much sloppiness.

 

[humblepie]

@stangs. Fab thing to do. I rode a friend’s GP horse and couldn’t do a straight line. Made me realise that my right leg on all the time. I was telling him sideways without knowing it.

 

[SEL]

@stangs fabulous experience. Only once for me and we did extended trot - not what I wanted but what I got. Without brakes!

It was also when I really felt how the sideways stuff should feel.

 

[Cloball]

@stangs I once rode a 5star eventer (retired) come dressage school master and kept doing accidental tempi changes with my instructor yelling take your leg off and me going I thought it was off

 

[J_sarahd]

Pony number 1 was a successful viewing. She was super sweet, very easy to handle on the ground and fun to ride (but still quite green, but she hasn’t been rushed and she’s very clever!). Very ponylike but I didn’t feel too big on her (and she’s definitely growing). Noticed a few minor red flags but not sure if they’re just babyness, I’m being hyper aware of things now or they are things people would run away from.

Happy to discuss with anyone over PM (just don’t want to put them on here for obvious reasons!)

 

[blood_magik]

@stangs. Fab thing to do. I rode a friend’s GP horse and couldn’t do a straight line. Made me realise that my right leg on all the time. I was telling him sideways without knowing it.

This! I’m still learning how to ride my schoolmaster properly and I’ve had him nearly two years

We had a pretty successful outing yesterday. Loving the new training days BD are running up here - you get a 30 minute warm up with a coach and then go in and do your test, and get feedback from a listed judge. Plus you get a nice rosette and as yesterday was a taster day for non-members, dad got a ticket for each horse to try a BD class.

Blue was a good boy but the star of the day was definitely Nashville, who didn’t put a toe out of line despite being a little bit overwhelmed. He did a lovely test with zero spooking and no nonsense for bang on 70%.

We did end up taking babysitter Raz into the arena to stand in the corner while NV warmed up and did his test so that’s something we need to work on but the main thing was that NV had a positive experience and improved on his outing from last week, where he wouldn’t go forwards in the outdoor warmup at all.

Baby steps (plus what feels like ten back to every step forwards)…

 

[AandK]

Dressage in the autumn sun yesterday! His second and third ever tests and his first prelim. Was quite spicy to warm up and didn’t get much of a warm up for the intro but he was a very good boy. Canter was interesting in the prelim, okay in the warm up but a bit unsettled in his head like he had something in his ear during the test. He won the intro with 67.17% and got 59.42% in the prelim (marks ranged from 3 to 7!) So pleased with him, his first time doing two tests and he was so good, lots to work on but we’re heading in the right direction!

 

[j1ffy]

I had a great weekend with new (3 weeks today!) loan horse - we headed to my trainer’s for an overnight. Sammy’s owner was there with her new youngster too and it was quite emotional on arrival, Sammy did the cutest whicker when he heard her voice

Lessons focused on getting him in front of the leg, which allowed me to focus on my position. We ran through lateral work then had a go at the changes, which are pretty new to me. He’s not the easiest as everything needs to be just right or he’s late behind (which is great in a way as it means I’m learning a lot more!).

Day two we did more of the same but with more focus on getting a quality collected canter. I ended up trailing an Olympic combo around the arena a few times to get a feel for just how collected we needed to be - not a traditional technique I’m sure, but it was effective!

A few highlights from the lessons:

I’m still pinching myself that I have such a fab horse on loan!

Almost forgot - trainer brought her camera along for some photos too:

 

[Cloball]

Managed to avoid all the rain, had a lovely hack in the almost sunshine.
Lesson today was great lots of canter work. Only one wrong leg and she didn't get upset about it or try and overcorrect or go disunited so I'm actually taking it as a win. Practising our baby lateral work as well which she really seems to get even if she finds it hard plus she kept it all together in the wind with what sounded like 2 building sites behind the school

 

[dottylottie]

finally getting my saddle back today! fingers crossed it fits, i informed diva her holiday was over this morning nothing for lily because frankly i can’t be arsed

and some online car shopping! friend is buying mine tomorrow

 

[dorsetladette]

The dressage photos all look fab and @stangs wow sounds amazing experience. I've been looking at doing a school master lesson but haven't got round to organising it.

I hacked Robin out who was super grown up and is no longer scared of push bikes - thank the lord! The cycling round the bumpy field has paid off! He's super forward when we're out so I think most of our learning will be done on our adventures in the forest. Love this little pony (just wish he'd grown another couple of inches -12.2/3hh really is quite Diddy)

Reggie went out in the lorry for a trip out (to the petrol station) in preparation for being a grown up. He pulled the rope out of my hands get on the lorry (so I met him in the lorry) as he was so excited to get on board. He wore the travel safe harness (love it) to keep my mind at ease. Sweated up a little but not to bad. We drove for about 20mins stopped at the garage then drove 10 mins back. He was settled and eating hay when we got home. He didn't want to unload when we got back. Quite happy stood at the top of the ramp looking at his mates .

No riding photos as I was on my own, but a reggie photo just because.

 

[Michen]

Taking my new baby horse for little dog walks. Thrilled with him. And getting a ATV delivered today which will be a useful toy for the snow! Weather is cooling off here but still in the twenties just with less flies which is nice.

 

[millitiger]

@j1ffy , Sammy looks lovely! Lucky you!

 

[millitiger]

We had a lovely outing today, feeling like we're finally getting back to normal after summer off, shoes off, and a lot of things to deal with away from horses.

 

[TheMule]

I had a great weekend with new (3 weeks today!) loan horse - we headed to my trainer’s for an overnight. Sammy’s owner was there with her new youngster too and it was quite emotional on arrival, Sammy did the cutest whicker when he heard her voice

Lessons focused on getting him in front of the leg, which allowed me to focus on my position. We ran through lateral work then had a go at the changes, which are pretty new to me. He’s not the easiest as everything needs to be just right or he’s late behind (which is great in a way as it means I’m learning a lot more!).

Day two we did more of the same but with more focus on getting a quality collected canter. I ended up trailing an Olympic combo around the arena a few times to get a feel for just how collected we needed to be - not a traditional technique I’m sure, but it was effective!

A few highlights from the lessons:

I’m still pinching myself that I have such a fab horse on loan!

Almost forgot - trainer brought her camera along for some photos too:

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Gosh- lucky you!! But you ride him really nicely too

 

[southerncomfort]

I had a great weekend with new (3 weeks today!) loan horse - we headed to my trainer’s for an overnight. Sammy’s owner was there with her new youngster too and it was quite emotional on arrival, Sammy did the cutest whicker when he heard her voice

Lessons focused on getting him in front of the leg, which allowed me to focus on my position. We ran through lateral work then had a go at the changes, which are pretty new to me. He’s not the easiest as everything needs to be just right or he’s late behind (which is great in a way as it means I’m learning a lot more!).

Day two we did more of the same but with more focus on getting a quality collected canter. I ended up trailing an Olympic combo around the arena a few times to get a feel for just how collected we needed to be - not a traditional technique I’m sure, but it was effective!

A few highlights from the lessons:

I’m still pinching myself that I have such a fab horse on loan!

Almost forgot - trainer brought her camera along for some photos too:

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Wow! He is stunning Jiffy!