Winter blues!!!

cobgirlie

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I sadly have to work all day so have no choice but to ride in the dreaded indoor school. Yes I know I'm very lucky to have access to it but it still is dirty, dark and boring as hell!! I'm a 100% hacker girlie and I find any form of schooling a chore. I love jumping but the school isn't set up for that (and it's a right fag to get jumps in and out!) and dressage really isn't my thing!! I'm already finding excuses to not do anything with my lad and last night decided to free school which ended up me picking the dirt off his neck, playing for 5 minutes at him trotting and then sitting on the side while having a cuddle with him!!!

He's a big hairy cob, he's out 24/7 (well in for a few hours to have hay and feeds but generally out), he never seems to get super fit or super un-fit and he's abit nuts if ridden or not so it won't do any harm to his well being.

So my question is should I admit defeat, decide that winter is a write off and just stick to my weekend hacks and leave this pretence of keeping his fitness to a decent level? Or do I bite the bullet, stop complaining and design a decent schedule to follow and stick to it? The only major problem is I do like to go drag hunting and while tomorrows is cancelled because of the wet I would like to know I could go to any I choose.
 

FleabittenT

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Feeling the winter blues too today :(

I guess you have two options - stick to weekend hacking & hunting, or try & find some way to make schooling a couple of evenings more enjoyable for both of you.

Even if you can't be ar$ed to get jumps out, how about poles? You can work on a circle, curves, raising one end, focusing on rhythm, straightness, impulsion etc to improve your jumping. Or working around cones?

Or lateral work? Deathly dull to many people maybe, but I love it :eek: Working on suppleness, turning on forehand/haunches, spiralling in and out. Handy when opening gates etc when you're out and about.

Or working on getting really tight, accurate transitions, and really getting him powering forward from behind?

I find the most motivating thing over winter is short-ish sessions, with one or two things I know I want to work on / achieve in each. Helps me stay motivated & feels a bit more like there's a 'point' to schooling in the horrid weather!

Roll on summer :D

ETA - how about looking at another discipline to focus on over winter, like Le Trec? Just a thought!
 

Magicmillbrook

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We moved house in Feb and ATM have no school, no lights, no stables (well ground and blockwork are complete, stables will be here 1st week in December). Half our fields are out of action through reseeding and big D and I work full time - so comlpletely stumped. Just looked at the weather forcast to see what the weekend has in store - may be abkle to get a hack - unfortunaltly rain, rain, rain all weekend.

Wish I had acess to an indoor school, even if it was just to have a quick pootle mid week. I think if you are able to hack and school at weekends you would probably maintain enough fitness to hunt - depending how fit your hoss was sto start with.

I think if you moaning about your facilities you will get a lot of very jealous replies from poor folks like me!!!! (hmmm - how can I persuade OH that an indoor school is not a luxury)
 

cobgirlie

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:eek: I know I'm an ungrateful cow and in previous years I've complained cos he's been out on friends fields so no riding at all in the week and only hacking in the weekend if weather nice but I need motivation!!!;)

I'm definately interested in Trek, hopefully our new lorry will be ready in the next month of so cos our plan (me and a mate) is to go to a Trek training day and then do some more events next year. I guess getting some training plans going using the Trek disaplines would be an idea? :D
 

Magicmillbrook

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Another thought - if getting the jumps out is a fag cant you organise a jump night with some other liveries, then work together - mini comp, pair jumping, grids. Many hands will make light work getting them out and putting away, they may even have bored OH's or kids who are always very good at that sort of thing.

Something else we used to do when my friends little boy liveried with us is gymkhana games, you just need to drag a few barrels or cones out - great fun. There is no feeling better than thrashing a couple of 10 years old at walk trot and canter.
 

Sol

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Can you not find a way to make schooling interesting?? You don't even need to 'school' as such! Get some poles/cones/something and practice bending in and out of them at all paces and things like that? Or just do some groundwork? Lunging/long reining or bombproofing?

That, or get some decent dressage books and start reading :D I always find that something is more interesting the more you know about it! :)
 

cobgirlie

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Cant you find someone who likes schooling to ride him a few weekdays a week for you?

That will save the hacking for you but still give him some exercise!

I've thought of that but I'm a bit of a precious mummy and he's not the easiest to handle, fine in the saddle in the schools but a 'cob' on the ground and certainly not a ride I'd be happy to let just anyone get on. :rolleyes:

Sol I enjoy learning tests cos I did a bit of local dressage last year (hated the actual comp bit...but then again he did wall of death around the school when i asked for working canter:D) but it's having no one else around to help me. The other lucky buggers at the yard don't seem to have to work full time so by 6pm I'm usually alone there, which of course makes the motivation drop too!!

Definately like the idea of arranging some fun things, we did a jumping comp last year for 'wimps' which was great fun. Lots of laughter and adults behaving very silly!! My lad of course delighted everyone by deciding his own course..including taking a double which wasn't a double!!!:rolleyes:
 

Sol

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Random thought, why not try recording yourself reading some tests out (might take some practice/watching tests on youtube to time it!) so you can play them while you ride, rather than having a person there? Or just riding to music, trying to time the movements etc, that's quite fun, and also quite hard work! :D
 

cobgirlie

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Random thought, why not try recording yourself reading some tests out (might take some practice/watching tests on youtube to time it!) so you can play them while you ride, rather than having a person there? Or just riding to music, trying to time the movements etc, that's quite fun, and also quite hard work! :D

Ohhhh good idea:D!!!! I find doing tests does work for me cos I have to focus (something I'm not good at!!) and I really don't mind just learning them for the practice, I have no real urge to go do any more dressage comps but find the learning of them at least gives me a reason to be riding. And he does make me laugh cos he always has to think ahead and try to beat me to the movements!! :rolleyes:
 

Sol

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Haha :D you can also try making up your own! So if you can both do anything else thats not included in a basic test, but aren't maybe up to the next level, you can include random things like rein back, turn on the forehand/haunches, leg yield, shoulder-fore, etc to make it a bit more interesting :)
 

Serephin

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I know how you feel - I hate riding in the dark in the outside school, not lucky enough to have an indoor one - I find schooling very boring and feel like I have been in there for ages when its only been five minutes! lol

I am trying to resign myself to the fact that I shall be riding only on the weekends for the winter and get back into riding everyday when spring arrives - I see it as him effectively having the winter off but being kept ticking over.
 
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