Imp
25th Apr 2006, 06:36 PM
Yeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrr!!!!
I'm sitting here with a large glass of wine whilst dinner cooks. We'd arranged to go out with our fellow livery again today. She asked if another new pony and her owner, little girl could come and I was happy with that.
Here we are setting off <a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/lynda788/d752ee08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>
We decided on a different route today, mainly off road, up some hills through the woods to help tone Megan's muscles up for her one hour lesson due on Monday.
Tacked up ok and met with the others in the yard. After some silly napping in the yard, probably because she didn't like the new pony girl coming along I think, we set off. We had to cross the geldings winter field which is enormous and undulating so we had a couple of jog-trots over that. The other livery horses were rushing around behind their fences being silly and calling the girls back. Megan's ears were pricked, her nostrils flared and she had her head high, I could feel her breathing heavily. She was fine when we went into the woods - I'm not sure she's ever been in a wood before.
The track we followed had several steep and narrow climbs with a steep fall one side and the fences to a stud farm on the other :eek: :eek: The stallion and his friends in the coral in the distance were being restrained by some people as we passed - remember Meg is wearing her hi-viz bum shield and can be seen from MILES away. The next minute, shouting and frantic whinneying followed by the thunder of hooves :eek: :eek: Predicting her panicking and rearing I had two choices:
1) AWOOGA, AWOOGA abandon horse, or
2) down on the stirrups and try to balance it out
My daughter was behind me with our livery friend on foot, the other horses had passed by the 'danger' spot and we were exposed. They came galloping up to the fence, heads up high whinneying and very excited. Megan didn't let me down, remember we were on a steep, narrow incline? She reared and stamped her hooves, she was terrified the poor darling. I stayed light in the saddle, balanced on the stirrups and looked for the softest landing which would have been the steep drop as the alternative was between Megan and the Stallion :eek:
Guess what, I stayed put - I stood like I was on a wobble board and stayed on!!! Woo hoo, did that feel great :D
My daughter was very worried and our escort equally so and asked if I was ok, I honestly and immediately said 'yeah, I'm fine' and clicked Megan onwards, which she did. I reassured her for the rest of the ride.
Here's a clip of us, very happy to still be horse and rider (bit wobbly as daughter was filming and walking):
<embed width="352" height="308" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://vidmg.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v296/lynda788/2a82b4ce.flv"></embed>
I've noticed she got agitated again when the lead horse disappeared out of her sight and she tried to pass the pony but I held her back. Much head nodding went on for that and when we got to the half way mark and I dismounted so that my daughter could ride she gave me a big head butt for good measure! She was ok on the way back but did keep trying to snatch the reins from my daughter and tried the head thing but as I was walking along beside her she kept catching my eye when reprimanded and behaved.
Nearer home she slowed right down (opposite to everybody else's right?) and held the bus up on the one way street :rolleyes: Luckily the lady driver thought her big pink bum was funny and made a cheery wave when we got inside the gates safe and sound.
Phew! Martingale on order from ebay.. I'm getting fed up with feeling her mane brushing my nose when she gets mardy :p
I'm sitting here with a large glass of wine whilst dinner cooks. We'd arranged to go out with our fellow livery again today. She asked if another new pony and her owner, little girl could come and I was happy with that.
Here we are setting off <a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/lynda788/d752ee08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>
We decided on a different route today, mainly off road, up some hills through the woods to help tone Megan's muscles up for her one hour lesson due on Monday.
Tacked up ok and met with the others in the yard. After some silly napping in the yard, probably because she didn't like the new pony girl coming along I think, we set off. We had to cross the geldings winter field which is enormous and undulating so we had a couple of jog-trots over that. The other livery horses were rushing around behind their fences being silly and calling the girls back. Megan's ears were pricked, her nostrils flared and she had her head high, I could feel her breathing heavily. She was fine when we went into the woods - I'm not sure she's ever been in a wood before.
The track we followed had several steep and narrow climbs with a steep fall one side and the fences to a stud farm on the other :eek: :eek: The stallion and his friends in the coral in the distance were being restrained by some people as we passed - remember Meg is wearing her hi-viz bum shield and can be seen from MILES away. The next minute, shouting and frantic whinneying followed by the thunder of hooves :eek: :eek: Predicting her panicking and rearing I had two choices:
1) AWOOGA, AWOOGA abandon horse, or
2) down on the stirrups and try to balance it out
My daughter was behind me with our livery friend on foot, the other horses had passed by the 'danger' spot and we were exposed. They came galloping up to the fence, heads up high whinneying and very excited. Megan didn't let me down, remember we were on a steep, narrow incline? She reared and stamped her hooves, she was terrified the poor darling. I stayed light in the saddle, balanced on the stirrups and looked for the softest landing which would have been the steep drop as the alternative was between Megan and the Stallion :eek:
Guess what, I stayed put - I stood like I was on a wobble board and stayed on!!! Woo hoo, did that feel great :D
My daughter was very worried and our escort equally so and asked if I was ok, I honestly and immediately said 'yeah, I'm fine' and clicked Megan onwards, which she did. I reassured her for the rest of the ride.
Here's a clip of us, very happy to still be horse and rider (bit wobbly as daughter was filming and walking):
<embed width="352" height="308" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://vidmg.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v296/lynda788/2a82b4ce.flv"></embed>
I've noticed she got agitated again when the lead horse disappeared out of her sight and she tried to pass the pony but I held her back. Much head nodding went on for that and when we got to the half way mark and I dismounted so that my daughter could ride she gave me a big head butt for good measure! She was ok on the way back but did keep trying to snatch the reins from my daughter and tried the head thing but as I was walking along beside her she kept catching my eye when reprimanded and behaved.
Nearer home she slowed right down (opposite to everybody else's right?) and held the bus up on the one way street :rolleyes: Luckily the lady driver thought her big pink bum was funny and made a cheery wave when we got inside the gates safe and sound.
Phew! Martingale on order from ebay.. I'm getting fed up with feeling her mane brushing my nose when she gets mardy :p