2022 Hacking and Riding
- Thread starter Huggy
- Start date
You weren't taking any guff off that fence the second time - good for you!!!Another weekend of wind - I'm so done with it now, roll on Summer (and I promise not to complain about the flies!)
On Friday we went on our bridleway hack alone. I'm now cantering at the few places I can and trotting more to get us both fit for fun rides
On Saturday I was on grooming duty for my friend L who has now moved up to the Discovery class (100/110cm). She rode well and got a double clear and seventh place. Afterwards Harvey and I went round the bridleway hack again.
Sunday was (surprise!) a SJ clinic. I rode with L and a new girl I hadn't met before and it was a really nice group. It was mostly ok apart from the bit when I went into a fence with not enough impulsion and I got catapulted off.
The new warm up for the competition was nice (this it taken from the middle!)
L after her round
Harvey making 100cm look small!
Oops!
Looking determined (this was the second go at the fence I fell off at!)
I think Harvey knows where we are going next!
Schooling
45 minutes
Hacking
2 hours
8 miles
Totals
Schooling
6 hours 5
Hacking
97.5 miles
28 hours 30
I'm very lucky that my OH comes and takes photos for me (the first 2 were mine). I think Harvey is scopier than me!
Negative hack from me. I got to the yard to find my hack with YM cancelled due to vet visit At least I mounted and dismounted easily this week and rode in the school as ordered.
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Schooling Robin without telling Robin he is schooling 
. What that dosnt show is the uppy downy of the field. I’m very impressed at his balance 
. What that dosnt show is the uppy downy of the field. I’m very impressed at his balance 
It looks as if you were holding on to a string on a post like a pair of compasses...Impressive as they are about 80 meters
I thought you might like to come on our hack today. Sorry about the camera orientation, rookie mistake!
We had a slow one on our own, it was such a beautiful day I didn't want to hurry and miss it.
Sid was his usual nosy self as we set off, always looking into other people's business
and once we were past the scary blue bins we enjoyed a nice uphill trot
The lane takes about half an hour end to end. Sid got more and more relaxed the further we went. Then we did a little off road manoeuvring to avoid the muddy track - Sid really doesn't enjoy mud and he is very nimble (for a heavyweight) and cooperative in finding ways around it. A few hundred metres more and we were up on the Heath, just glorious
They have been doing forestry work for a couple of weeks, so we trotted along to where the logs are being stacked and rode around them for a bit because big piles of logs can be very scary. Sid was super brave though. Then I was super brave and took us to the little jumping ring. We jumped a pile of branches, but it wasn't a jump because Sid is very economical with his effort and if he can trot over it, he trots over it. So we went next for one of the bigger jumps. It's essentially a heap of earth about a foot high with a pile of logs on the top. Sid pricked his ears and popper over it so neatly, it is just the most fabulous sensation! He loves it and trotted cheerfully for about 400m from the excitement. I was grinning from ear to ear. Honestly he makes me feel as f I am 8 years old again, just the wonder and delight of being on a horse.
We had a slow one on our own, it was such a beautiful day I didn't want to hurry and miss it.
Sid was his usual nosy self as we set off, always looking into other people's business
and once we were past the scary blue bins we enjoyed a nice uphill trot
The lane takes about half an hour end to end. Sid got more and more relaxed the further we went. Then we did a little off road manoeuvring to avoid the muddy track - Sid really doesn't enjoy mud and he is very nimble (for a heavyweight) and cooperative in finding ways around it. A few hundred metres more and we were up on the Heath, just glorious
They have been doing forestry work for a couple of weeks, so we trotted along to where the logs are being stacked and rode around them for a bit because big piles of logs can be very scary. Sid was super brave though. Then I was super brave and took us to the little jumping ring. We jumped a pile of branches, but it wasn't a jump because Sid is very economical with his effort and if he can trot over it, he trots over it. So we went next for one of the bigger jumps. It's essentially a heap of earth about a foot high with a pile of logs on the top. Sid pricked his ears and popper over it so neatly, it is just the most fabulous sensation! He loves it and trotted cheerfully for about 400m from the excitement. I was grinning from ear to ear. Honestly he makes me feel as f I am 8 years old again, just the wonder and delight of being on a horse.
Just as well I love him, because he was a little nappy toe rag this morning. The big house near us where there is always, always some building work going on was worse than normal: an artic in the drive, one waiting on the road outside and a man hiding in the bushes with a chainsaw. We navigated that with only a couple of backwards steps (thank you to the kind and thoughtful artic drivers who went to tell the chainsaw man to leave off for a minute) but it sort of set the tone.
I did a circuit including some road work, one I haven't ever done in this direction. As we headed down to the road Sid seemed to get more and more tense and anxious, and by the time we got to the railway bridge just before the road he had wound himself up like a spring. So he couldn't cross that bridge, he just couldn't. It was all I could do to keep him facing the bridge.
A very nice lady who happened to be driving towards us (very unusual, the road over the bridge is as quiet as can be) saw his shenanigans and stopped and asked if she could help. I accepted, because I was running out of calm, and she came up to Sid and stroked his face and asked if he would walk over the bridge with her. She didn't touch his bridle, but when she set off he dropped his head and followed. Then she had to go back to her car, and by the time we reached the road he was wound up again.
In retrospect I wish I had led him along the road, but I stayed on board and nothing awful happened. Again, drivers and pedestrians were all kind and helpful - I blew a kiss to the driver of one HUGE lorry who stopped in the road and held back the traffic because he saw Sid skittering towards the edge of the pavement. We reached the lane without anything bad happening, and then as we edged out onto the level crossing the gates started to come down! Sid practically sat down on his bottom with surprise but fortunately he seemed to know it was a bad place to nap and hopped off smartish.
With the gates closed behind me I knew there'd be no traffic coming up after us so I let him trot on the lane. He was so relieved to get his feet going, we had a spanking trot for about a quarter of a mile uphill to where the bridlepath forks off. Then we were back on the Heath, and I could almost feel his sigh of relief. He went straight back to normal good Sid, and we had a nice canter and walked on the buckle until we were nearly home.
Then as I walked him up to the gate the man with the chainsaw had moved to the woodland RIGHT BY the gate and fired up again! Fortunately Sid was set for home now and he really didn't care, which just goes to show that this is all contextual for a horse.
He honestly wasn't very bad, he was just anxious, and in the end he went forward when I asked him and he was never out of control. But it was hard work, my riding muscles ache. I think we need more road work.
I did a circuit including some road work, one I haven't ever done in this direction. As we headed down to the road Sid seemed to get more and more tense and anxious, and by the time we got to the railway bridge just before the road he had wound himself up like a spring. So he couldn't cross that bridge, he just couldn't. It was all I could do to keep him facing the bridge.
A very nice lady who happened to be driving towards us (very unusual, the road over the bridge is as quiet as can be) saw his shenanigans and stopped and asked if she could help. I accepted, because I was running out of calm, and she came up to Sid and stroked his face and asked if he would walk over the bridge with her. She didn't touch his bridle, but when she set off he dropped his head and followed. Then she had to go back to her car, and by the time we reached the road he was wound up again.
In retrospect I wish I had led him along the road, but I stayed on board and nothing awful happened. Again, drivers and pedestrians were all kind and helpful - I blew a kiss to the driver of one HUGE lorry who stopped in the road and held back the traffic because he saw Sid skittering towards the edge of the pavement. We reached the lane without anything bad happening, and then as we edged out onto the level crossing the gates started to come down! Sid practically sat down on his bottom with surprise but fortunately he seemed to know it was a bad place to nap and hopped off smartish.
With the gates closed behind me I knew there'd be no traffic coming up after us so I let him trot on the lane. He was so relieved to get his feet going, we had a spanking trot for about a quarter of a mile uphill to where the bridlepath forks off. Then we were back on the Heath, and I could almost feel his sigh of relief. He went straight back to normal good Sid, and we had a nice canter and walked on the buckle until we were nearly home.
Then as I walked him up to the gate the man with the chainsaw had moved to the woodland RIGHT BY the gate and fired up again! Fortunately Sid was set for home now and he really didn't care, which just goes to show that this is all contextual for a horse.
He honestly wasn't very bad, he was just anxious, and in the end he went forward when I asked him and he was never out of control. But it was hard work, my riding muscles ache. I think we need more road work.
Sooo glad you encountered very nice responsible people...
THERE'S not enough of that in the world.
My husband encounters horses and carriages all the time in amish country.
Most if the time aside from being a big rig hes oversize .. very wide.
He does what ever it takes for everyone to be safe.
Other moron drivers get upset but too bad if he has to totally stop because the horse is upset.
I really like what the woman did for you.
THERE'S not enough of that in the world.
My husband encounters horses and carriages all the time in amish country.
Most if the time aside from being a big rig hes oversize .. very wide.
He does what ever it takes for everyone to be safe.
Other moron drivers get upset but too bad if he has to totally stop because the horse is upset.
I really like what the woman did for you.
I've had two hacks this week, both lovely days and both uneventful. Hogan is being a little star atm - just as well, because I'm overwhelmed with the move, and full of cold. He had a very nappy start to our ride yesterday - I'd stopped near home on the way out to chat, and that was it - Hogan say no. He doesn't buck, or rear, or throw himself about - he just stands like a rock. Legs don't move him, whip taps don't move him, so in the end I'm afraid he got one jolly hard smack behind my leg and we were moving again. After that he was lovely. Not going out tomorrow, as still feeling rubbish - hope the weather holds til Sunday.
Went from the front yard back to the arena
Did travelling circles across in front of the blueberries o. The way bsck to the arena.
I did have 2 sets of cavaketti in that area.
They are not going back there
It was a great area size wise length and width for the travelling circles.
Woo hoo the pond critters were carrying on way way out back behind me too.
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Did travelling circles across in front of the blueberries o. The way bsck to the arena.
I did have 2 sets of cavaketti in that area.
They are not going back there
It was a great area size wise length and width for the travelling circles.
Woo hoo the pond critters were carrying on way way out back behind me too.
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All the toads.. frogs ...crickets etc.
That start chirping and making their evening noises...
I dont think we have the huge bullfrogs
Though.
Last year Polly who helps out across the street told us the big bullfrogs were out at night at the pond around the corner on the next road.
We went up that night after dark parked along the road and just enjoyed the serenade...
That was amazing...
I think that was into summer.
We heve never heard that here from either side.
That start chirping and making their evening noises...
I dont think we have the huge bullfrogs
Though.
Last year Polly who helps out across the street told us the big bullfrogs were out at night at the pond around the corner on the next road.
We went up that night after dark parked along the road and just enjoyed the serenade...
That was amazing...
I think that was into summer.
We heve never heard that here from either side.
Did some travelling circles.
He was pretty good despite being woken up from nappy time.
But that was when my husband could take some photos
He was travelling nicely behind me
The halo only slipped once.
He was pretty good despite being woken up from nappy time.
But that was when my husband could take some photos
He was travelling nicely behind me
The halo only slipped once.
Oh @horseandgoatmom that is an impressive levade! I didn't think Sonny misbehaved like that on the end of a line.
How wonderful to have a horse who is that athletic and expressive at 27! What was he saying?
How wonderful to have a horse who is that athletic and expressive at 27! What was he saying?
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