Not ridden for a few days since he did his telling me he was dying act. Hopefully go
For a pootle tomorrow.
For a pootle tomorrow.
2023 Hacking and Riding
- Thread starter chunky monkey
- Start date
My didn't need another saddle but we have one arrived.
So will get round to using that.
So will get round to using that.
I went to work for four hours this morning. On my way home I thought, "I can take Sid out for a spin this afternoon."
I got home, had coffee and second breakfast. Husband says, "You look a bit tired, why don't you take him for a walk?" Good idea, I sez.
I got to the field, did the poo,. mended the fence where a cob had broken it. Cob is eating his haynet. I thought, "I'll just do a bit of work on the ground," and set up some walk and trot poles in the school.
Went to get Sid. Started grooming him. He enjoyed it so much he left the shelter and his haynet and came outside for me to groom him more thoroughly (all his idea, he was loose). I did his back, his belly, his ears, his mane. I did his face. I rubbed the bases of his ears, where they were sore last year. He sighed and rested his cheek against my face.
I stopped. He walked slowly forward and presented his bottom for further attention. I attended to it. He wandered back to his haynet and I upended a bucket and sat on it to comb the mallenders flakes out of his feathers and rub oil into the backs of his legs. He got a bit anxious, but didn't go anywhere.
We didn't go anywhere. It was nice, though.
I got home, had coffee and second breakfast. Husband says, "You look a bit tired, why don't you take him for a walk?" Good idea, I sez.
I got to the field, did the poo,. mended the fence where a cob had broken it. Cob is eating his haynet. I thought, "I'll just do a bit of work on the ground," and set up some walk and trot poles in the school.
Went to get Sid. Started grooming him. He enjoyed it so much he left the shelter and his haynet and came outside for me to groom him more thoroughly (all his idea, he was loose). I did his back, his belly, his ears, his mane. I did his face. I rubbed the bases of his ears, where they were sore last year. He sighed and rested his cheek against my face.
I stopped. He walked slowly forward and presented his bottom for further attention. I attended to it. He wandered back to his haynet and I upended a bucket and sat on it to comb the mallenders flakes out of his feathers and rub oil into the backs of his legs. He got a bit anxious, but didn't go anywhere.
We didn't go anywhere. It was nice, though.
We went for a ride. I was really nervous and almost talked myself out of it. I wasn’t nervous that he would be silly and dump me or anything normal to worry about. I was worried i would get on and he wouldn’t be himself and not right. I had convinced myself he was colicing again. But he was great. Just a 25min pootle. Happy happy.
I do things like this on her days off.
The just you and me days.
Her flaky bits are falling off, how's his mallenders. I don't put anything on, she just let's me brush and check, nothing is sore.
He's got quite a lot of flaking down the backs of his legs at the mo. It's unsightly but doesn't seem to hurt him. He lets me brush the flakes away and treat the very dry patches with horse oil.
I'm still waiting for the lovely, white, silky feathers that Cortrasna used to claim for Solly!
Made up for yesterday's relaxation session with a fast ride today. He had broken 6 fence posts last night and was full of grass and he did NOT want to be caught, he wanted to be let alone to digest, but I've got his number. 3 minutes of determined moving him on did the trick.
We left at 8:30 to go around Albury, which is hilly and has some good speed opportunities. Sid started very slow but warmed up, and when a cyclist passed us on the first long hill he got a bit competitive and insisted on first cantering (while there was soft ground) and then trotting (on the road) to try to catch up. Unfortunately the cyclist had more wind than he did so he ended up puffing the last bit of hill in walk.
That meant we didn't have quite as much canter along the top as usual, but he still got a fair turn of speed up. He was a spooky idiot all the way past Albury sports club, where they have (gasp) a ROLLER for the cricket pitch! And (double gasp) NEW SHINY CHAIRS at the cafe!
Easily down the long hill under the railway bridge, with a bit of Horse Ambassador stuff for a young West Highland terrier. Then as we passed Ford Farm and started the climb onto the heath Turbo Cob auto-enabled and we had a short but very speedy gallop. Which fortunately finished, at my request, about 5 seconds before a group of cyclists appeared coming towards us on the narrow path. Sid panted and quivered as they went by but was a Good Boy. I am going to walk him up that track next time.
Across the heath and he was bouncy, so we did some trotting on the bridle and a couple of walk-canter transitions. He still always swishes his tail when I ask for canter from walk. I don't know if it's because it's hard, or because I inadvertently ask him to set off on the wrong leg, or what. He obliges, anyway.
A bit of excitement in the gully when we were nearly home. A deer had got caught against the new fence up above Sid's eyeline, never his favourite thing. He was very very concerned and I nursed him down, whereupon the deer broke free with a tremendous ping and clang and Sid spun (in a deep gully, I still don't know how) and set off back the way we had come. I stopped him, walked him up to the flat, turned him and sent him down again. He hesitated but on the second ask I could actually feel him set his jaw and become Determined Cob, and he marched down like a trooper.
He wasn't too sweaty when we got back, so a good groom and a nice breakfast for Sid. He rested his forehead on my chin and sighed. We had fun.
We left at 8:30 to go around Albury, which is hilly and has some good speed opportunities. Sid started very slow but warmed up, and when a cyclist passed us on the first long hill he got a bit competitive and insisted on first cantering (while there was soft ground) and then trotting (on the road) to try to catch up. Unfortunately the cyclist had more wind than he did so he ended up puffing the last bit of hill in walk.
That meant we didn't have quite as much canter along the top as usual, but he still got a fair turn of speed up. He was a spooky idiot all the way past Albury sports club, where they have (gasp) a ROLLER for the cricket pitch! And (double gasp) NEW SHINY CHAIRS at the cafe!
Easily down the long hill under the railway bridge, with a bit of Horse Ambassador stuff for a young West Highland terrier. Then as we passed Ford Farm and started the climb onto the heath Turbo Cob auto-enabled and we had a short but very speedy gallop. Which fortunately finished, at my request, about 5 seconds before a group of cyclists appeared coming towards us on the narrow path. Sid panted and quivered as they went by but was a Good Boy. I am going to walk him up that track next time.
Across the heath and he was bouncy, so we did some trotting on the bridle and a couple of walk-canter transitions. He still always swishes his tail when I ask for canter from walk. I don't know if it's because it's hard, or because I inadvertently ask him to set off on the wrong leg, or what. He obliges, anyway.
A bit of excitement in the gully when we were nearly home. A deer had got caught against the new fence up above Sid's eyeline, never his favourite thing. He was very very concerned and I nursed him down, whereupon the deer broke free with a tremendous ping and clang and Sid spun (in a deep gully, I still don't know how) and set off back the way we had come. I stopped him, walked him up to the flat, turned him and sent him down again. He hesitated but on the second ask I could actually feel him set his jaw and become Determined Cob, and he marched down like a trooper.
He wasn't too sweaty when we got back, so a good groom and a nice breakfast for Sid. He rested his forehead on my chin and sighed. We had fun.
We went for a hack with Toby and his mum
Today. Toby’s walk much slower than Robins. Robins would reeeeeaaaaallllyyyy like to have a yeehaa, but equally I know he won’t go. So Robin and I did quite a few extra circles
. Not sure that Robin is the ideal calming companion for a nervous rider but she wanted to come anyway 
️
Today. Toby’s walk much slower than Robins. Robins would reeeeeaaaaallllyyyy like to have a yeehaa, but equally I know he won’t go. So Robin and I did quite a few extra circles
. Not sure that Robin is the ideal calming companion for a nervous rider but she wanted to come anyway ️
Rode out yesterday, Hogan was pretty good, but halfway round I could tell he was seriously thinking of having a silly 5 minutes. I couldn't explain how I knew, but i can feel it. We kept to walk and he settled nicely, but when I went to trot, he was lame. He wasn't in his first trot, so he'd done something in between. YO suggested maybe he was knocking his legs, and to try a bandage to see if there's marks, but it's not something he does regularly, so I'll just monitor for now.
It was too windy to lunge so we just went round the village. Gosh it was nippy I needed to put my buff on and met people saying how cold it was.
No idea on the wind chill since the app has decided not to work.
We managed to find the road closed, so did a 180 and headed back the way we came and headed off a different way.
She was a bit skittish, but we've not had wind like this for ages.
No idea on the wind chill since the app has decided not to work.
We managed to find the road closed, so did a 180 and headed back the way we came and headed off a different way.
She was a bit skittish, but we've not had wind like this for ages.
We had our monthly “we had better go in the school and do somethhbg useful” schooling session today. Can’t fault him for effort, however if we could dial it down half a notch that would be even better. He is stronger every time we school which is brilliant and his canter feels amazing. It’s a shame dressage tests make the trot harder first then the canter as we find canter easier than trot!
as we find canter easier than trot!
In the absence of anyone to ride with I took Harvey for a little trip out on his own on Thursday. We had a nice 6 mile hack from a local small country park. On Friday S had asked if I would be her coaching Guinea pig and I had a nice polework lesson. Saturday was a trip round the local lanes solo and then the yard was literally empty on Sunday so I mucked out, had a play over the poles and then went home.
Oh and on Thursday I went to look at a new yard. It was perfectly placed for hacking and other aspects were "ok" apart from it being quite a lot more money than I pay now. But then I asked about the other liveries. There were only 3, and they all only came for about 30 minutes a week, and as I am moving to get people to ride with it was a no (Who pays all that money to see their horse once a week! for 30 minutes!)
Parked at the country park
Country park hacking
Round the block again!
Hacking
10 miles
3 hour
Schooling
45 minutes
Totals
Hacking
108 miles
29,5 hours
Schooling
5 hours 20
Oh and on Thursday I went to look at a new yard. It was perfectly placed for hacking and other aspects were "ok" apart from it being quite a lot more money than I pay now. But then I asked about the other liveries. There were only 3, and they all only came for about 30 minutes a week, and as I am moving to get people to ride with it was a no (Who pays all that money to see their horse once a week! for 30 minutes!)
Parked at the country park
Country park hacking
Round the block again!
Hacking
10 miles
3 hour
Schooling
45 minutes
Totals
Hacking
108 miles
29,5 hours
Schooling
5 hours 20
It was all a bit hard really (I'm very careful with Harvey as he is such a big boy). I think the sandy track would actually work coming the other way (its a lot steeper downhill than it looks) so I'll ride it backwards next time
The other issue with Harvey is that he won't normally canter on his own unless its very open (and sometimes not then). In company is a different matter!
So much fun. We went exploring. The massive fields that the cows normally winter in is empty. All the gates are open. Very steep up so I let him sort himself out which he did beautifully. Realised another gate was open so we went through that. Only the electric fence was snapping away. There was a hare on the other side. The tractor has been through when muddy and now dried solid. So had a weird sort of leap, slither, jump combo through it. Perfect place to canter up the hill so we did. Only I wasn’t sure what was at the other side of the hill so suggested we kept it sensible . Came back round, negotiated the scarey gate and turned through the next. Through the spare horse/cow field and had to get off and open the final gate back into the track round the horses fields and back. Did take a couple of attempts to stand at the gate but once he realised what I wanted he was great.
Exploring is fun and there is more to go if I can suss out a slightly less vertical route back down.
. Came back round, negotiated the scarey gate and turned through the next. Through the spare horse/cow field and had to get off and open the final gate back into the track round the horses fields and back. Did take a couple of attempts to stand at the gate but once he realised what I wanted he was great. Exploring is fun and there is more to go if I can suss out a slightly less vertical route back down.
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