2021 Hacking and Riding

Since Jane suggested riding long RI style trots when out hacking solo, I now recall another trot exercise given me by an ex military RI out hacking. You ride 10 strides sitting trot, 10 rising and 10 forward seat.
But there is something else which OH and I talked about yesterday. Mark Rashid stresses the importance of destnation. Knowing to what point you are going to maintain trot, and communicating that idea to the horse. Ella tends to stop a few strides early and one needs to be strict and ask, even if only for a couple of strides more. I like my hack horses to transtion down only when asked. I havent got quite that far with Ella yet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: horseandgoatmom
Since Jane suggested riding long RI style trots when out hacking solo, I now recall another trot exercise given me by an ex military RI out hacking. You ride 10 strides sitting trot, 10 rising and 10 forward seat.
But there is something else which OH and I talked about yesterday. Mark Rashid stresses the importance of destnation. Knowing to what point you are going to maintain trot, and communicating that idea to the horse. Ella tends to stop a few strides early and one needs to be strict and ask, even if only for a couple of strides more. I like my hack horses to transtion down only when asked. I havent got quite that far with Ella yet.
I definitely have a spot that I focus on while trotting, since Hogan always wants to stop early (ie the minute I stop pushing him). I too have to be strict and push for those extra strides - it's not pretty, legs all over the place, but gets the job done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: horseandgoatmom
The weather has started to break a bit.
Bad storms again yesterday.
More due later this afternoon..
It is a bit better today and trending the right way..
Woo hoo weather man said we may need sweatshirts on Saturday.
OHHH I REALLY HOPE SO

I had a super ride
I rode the front cavaketti tire etc
Then the arena
Then the cavaletti by the new ring.

It got sunny briefly then yea went back
Cloudy.

He was a super boy.

20210701_073932.jpg20210701_073922.jpg20210701_072627.jpg
20210701_072105.jpg20210701_072153.jpg20210701_072027.jpg
 
The weather has started to break a bit.
Bad storms again yesterday.
More due later this afternoon..
It is a bit better today and trending the right way..
Woo hoo weather man said we may need sweatshirts on Saturday.
OHHH I REALLY HOPE SO

I had a super ride
I rode the front cavaketti tire etc
Then the arena
Then the cavaletti by the new ring.

It got sunny briefly then yea went back
Cloudy.

He was a super boy.

View attachment 107317View attachment 107318View attachment 107319
View attachment 107322View attachment 107323View attachment 107324
His mane looks so silky! Love the jolly yellow barrow too.
 
Nice hack up across the top of the hill today with the boys. Had to veer off across the wheat field down the tramlines on our hack as they were messing about in the farmyard with numerous tractors. I knew billy wouldnt go past them. His head came up and he started to twitch as we got closer to the engine sounds. So it was either turn round or take a detour. Its not something i normally do going through a crop field but i thought it was safer than turning around.
Fortunately he was a good boy on our hack today. No really siily antics like last week. Several little trots and canters where ground conditions allowed. Most under control.
 
I hope there are breaks today for a ride.

We got the makings late yestetday for the peg system to slide pool noodles on
For the pool noodle obstacle.
I have 2 sets of standards to attach them to.
My husband will make that for me today
WOO HOO.

Its been a miserable holiday weekend for people that want to party.
It's not particularly super weather for me either but not on a party aspect.
It's certainly not riding weather. Sigh.
The couple stores we were In were TOTALLY DEAD which was good.

I guess parades went on even in the rain.
Fireworks all over cancelled to later dates.
I could hear lots of fireworks going up last nite from house one house down across the street
I have no idea how he managed that in the rain.
 
The weather is continuing to be crummy.
But woo hoo I got a ride in.

It started to spit rain again just as I was almost done saddling.
It wasn't too bad.

I had a really good ride keeping eye to the sky for it to get worse.

For all the rain the footing is good.
I'm very thankful for good drainage.

I rode the front then the arena then the cavaletti by the new pen.

I have to be careful I scared myself.
I was going from the front to the arena.
He was very responsive and I must have shifted my weight without really realizing it.
He stopped and started backing up.
My first thought was OMG whats wrong..does HE know something I DON'T

Then he turned his head for a carrot treat..
Then It hit me he gave me what I accidentally asked for..

Just as I was unsaddling it got really dark and started to rain agsin but bigger drops.
So I timed the ride really well.

With the front pinwheeling around I don't think there will be much improvement today.

The sun tried to break thru for about 10 seconds then got black as night again.

I'm just really happy I rode.


20210704_093132.jpg20210704_094049.jpg20210704_094226.jpg
 
Hopefully today is a bit nicer weather wise.
We started to clear late yesterday evening then the insanity started full tilt.
Sonny may be tired today.
It was like a war zone around here fireworks...firecrackers everywhere.
The house diagonal across the street had hundreds of huge fireworks display shells
Like what would be used in public displays.
And plenty of really big firecrackers.
Thank god we had gotten lots of rain.
The sound echoing back off the woods lines made it all even worse..
I'm hoping to ride.
 
I'm on the fence to riding.
It's not bad out.
Sonny is up in one of the big rd pens right now.
He was very out of character on high alert this am.
LOOKING LOOKING LOOKING
Towards the house next door thru the woods.
They had firecrackers and a big pool party last nite.
Not the huge fireworks of across the street.
Its always possible a deer had just gone past in the woods in that direction that got his attention.
Sonnys is really really laid back easy goings.
Most people might not even pay much attention to his Looking like that.
On the surface it was low key but thats not Sonny.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trewsers and Huggy
Set off in warm, but a bit cloudy weather. Such a good boy - slow, but not as excruciating as the last couple of rides. Extended distance a bit - BIG mistake! The heavens opened and it was all but hail, it was so heavy. Hogan was absolutely fine, despite it literally hammering down, and of course, I had no jacket.
 
It is lovely down south. We just went a gentle walk in the country park and had lunch sitting in the garden, I hope it stays fine for riding tomorrow. I havent had a fine calm weather hack for ages.
 
I played in the big rd pen to test the
Waters then rode..
He was super. I stayed more to the arena for a change.
Jimmy the new tenn wallker Virginia got.
He may have been a bit flustered last nite.

She has b..b. guests and there were 3 kids running around like wild Indians.
They went chasing towards Jimmy's fence omg he let out the loudest longest snort then a second one.
I think it startled the kids and maybe scared them a bit .
I'm all rhe way up across the road in my little arena and it was loud so right there it must have been REALLY LOUD.

20210705_092700.jpg20210705_092655.jpg20210705_092548.jpg20210705_092418.jpg20210705_092737.jpg20210705_095325.jpg

My weed clumps are starting to get nice purple flowers
 
Is that an Orkney word? (Is that where you are?) I'm guessing is an overcast or maybe fog?

Edit - actually is it a norse/viking word?
Yes it's a local word meaning a fog coming from the sea, but it's a light fog, not the type you get in mid winter down south (used to get lots of that in the Forest of Bowland where we came from). It's like dragon's breath............................And yes I think it probably does derive from norse / viking as they embrace that part of their past very much up here. It's not very "Scottish" at all.
 
newrider.com