Sid's diary
- Thread starter Jane&Ziggy
- Start date
Sid was trimmed today, 7.7 out of 8 and excellent as usual. On our hack this morning he offered me a spanking trot on a track where Ziggy always had to hobble, road planings mixed with large gravel. Sid doesn't seem to notice or care.
Trevor the trimmer said, "Oh, looking a bit porky," and I said, "Well, the saddler said his fat cover is normal for a horse of that type and there's a lot of muscle under there." Trevor looked unconvinced, but half way around he gave Sid a firm pat on the behind, swore in surprise and said, "Wow, you weren't kidding about the muscle. This horse is stacked!"
I must take some handsome-Sid pictures from that three quarters from behind position they use to advertise the gypsy cobs, all bum and shoulder. Perhaps I'll knot his tail up too.
Trevor the trimmer said, "Oh, looking a bit porky," and I said, "Well, the saddler said his fat cover is normal for a horse of that type and there's a lot of muscle under there." Trevor looked unconvinced, but half way around he gave Sid a firm pat on the behind, swore in surprise and said, "Wow, you weren't kidding about the muscle. This horse is stacked!"
I must take some handsome-Sid pictures from that three quarters from behind position they use to advertise the gypsy cobs, all bum and shoulder. Perhaps I'll knot his tail up too.
How about putting the bit in back to front? Yup I’ll hold up my hands to that.
Done that. Also upside down.
Also bridle headstall back to front, browband upside down and noseband inside out...
A little hack after work today, and I noticed how attuned to my energy and intention Sid has become.
We were being very chilled, and meeting the same horse and rider for the second time on our circuit we stopped for a chat. Sid never minds stopping for a chat. He tilts one hoof, rests his bum and zones out. I chatted away to the other rider (who keeps his big Irish horse at the farm behind our house) for about 5 minutes, whereupon some thin but penetrating rain started. I made my excuses, picked up the rein and said to Sid, "Shall we go and find somewhere sheltered?'
I didn't touch him with my leg but he jumped straight into a brisk trot until we were under the trees and I asked him to slow down.
A little later my OH texted me and I thought I ought to get a move on for home. We were heading up a narrow sandy track but Sid picked up on my thought and immediately offered a very energetic canter! Again, I didn't ask - he read me and he knew.
We were being very chilled, and meeting the same horse and rider for the second time on our circuit we stopped for a chat. Sid never minds stopping for a chat. He tilts one hoof, rests his bum and zones out. I chatted away to the other rider (who keeps his big Irish horse at the farm behind our house) for about 5 minutes, whereupon some thin but penetrating rain started. I made my excuses, picked up the rein and said to Sid, "Shall we go and find somewhere sheltered?'
I didn't touch him with my leg but he jumped straight into a brisk trot until we were under the trees and I asked him to slow down.
A little later my OH texted me and I thought I ought to get a move on for home. We were heading up a narrow sandy track but Sid picked up on my thought and immediately offered a very energetic canter! Again, I didn't ask - he read me and he knew.
Sounds like great communication between the two of you. How has his bucking been recently? Has it stopped since his saddle was adjusted?
Completely. He has not bucked or napped once since the saddle fitter came. I should have listened to him sooner!
I think there is a lesson there for all of us. I don't think that anyone suggested to get his saddle checked after the fun ride when he did that huge buck - I think we all assumed he was feeling good and the bucking was a jolly thing to do. Certainly serves as a reminded for all of us that we shouldn't make assumptions. I'm so pleased he is back to his old self.
I noticed this morning that Sid was shaking his head, and while we were in the field and he was loose he allowed me to stick my thumb in each ear and give them a good old rub. The ears are obviously not completely better.
Maybe I should get the vet out again...
Maybe I should get the vet out again...
I had my monthly lesson today.
Sid, who is a delight to ride out hacking, is different in the school. He is opinionated and very, very sensitive, and I have to be very, very sensitive right back. Since I am not always (or even often) a very, very sensitive rider, sometimes I give him contradictory instructions or don't respond quickly enough to his tries, which makes him cross. Sometimes, when he is cross, he bucks. He bucked once in trot today because I didn't release my rein aid quickly enough when he responded.
After that I felt surprisingly shaken - he's just been so good recently - and we spent most of the rest of the lesson at walk, halt and a tiny but of trot, reminding ourselves of things. I was reminded of how I need to keep my back from going hollow, and how the lower part of my rib cage, around my diaphragm, needs to be what feels to me like very far back, stacked up above my hips. When Sid plays up I lose this position very quickly. Sid was reminded that rein aids are about bend and flexion and are encouraging him to carry himself, so when I shorten the reins, it does not automatically mean Trot or Canter.
He really improved as the lesson went on (I hope I did too) and by the end we had achieved something I never got to with Ziggy ever ever, which was to move around the school at walk (with halts) with me sitting vertically and well and Sid in beautiful self-carriage, lifting his back, halting square and standing after the halt, and responding to a lengthened rein by a beautiful, long stretch-down.
We have homework! Mine is to keep my middle back in the right position. His is to relearn rein aids and not anticipate what I am asking.
It's always good to have goals.
Sid, who is a delight to ride out hacking, is different in the school. He is opinionated and very, very sensitive, and I have to be very, very sensitive right back. Since I am not always (or even often) a very, very sensitive rider, sometimes I give him contradictory instructions or don't respond quickly enough to his tries, which makes him cross. Sometimes, when he is cross, he bucks. He bucked once in trot today because I didn't release my rein aid quickly enough when he responded.
After that I felt surprisingly shaken - he's just been so good recently - and we spent most of the rest of the lesson at walk, halt and a tiny but of trot, reminding ourselves of things. I was reminded of how I need to keep my back from going hollow, and how the lower part of my rib cage, around my diaphragm, needs to be what feels to me like very far back, stacked up above my hips. When Sid plays up I lose this position very quickly. Sid was reminded that rein aids are about bend and flexion and are encouraging him to carry himself, so when I shorten the reins, it does not automatically mean Trot or Canter.
He really improved as the lesson went on (I hope I did too) and by the end we had achieved something I never got to with Ziggy ever ever, which was to move around the school at walk (with halts) with me sitting vertically and well and Sid in beautiful self-carriage, lifting his back, halting square and standing after the halt, and responding to a lengthened rein by a beautiful, long stretch-down.
We have homework! Mine is to keep my middle back in the right position. His is to relearn rein aids and not anticipate what I am asking.
It's always good to have goals.
A friend posted pictures on Facebook of all our horses playing and showing off when the new horse, Austin, arrived.
This is my favourite one of Sid
This is my favourite one of Sid
What does your gut, instinct tell you?
It looks to me if he's saying my ears itch, please give me scratches.
We've got pollen and flies at the moment, so he might just be a little itchy.
Mine is itching her nose on her knees, so initial reaction is to clip off excess hair on a few places she's getting too warm and see if helps.
She doesn't like being over warm, so will see if she is less itchy on the nose tomorrow.
Apparently it's going to get really hot later in the week. Poor Sid, he really won't like that. @newforest , do you clip her face? Sid is really hairy under his chin and around his whatever it's called where his head joins his neck, is it his gullet? His throat? Anyway, there.
I have just done her jowl (chin) and throat, so that channel. I havent done her face, but if she is still warm I may include around her cheek bone to the ears, under the headpiece of the bridle.
Taken her legs off, (above feathers) and she was pulling camel noses, really loving that.
Possibly our longest hack so far today, just over 2.5 hours with Jane and Smarty. We went down Northcote Lane, all along Lords Hill lane to Long Common and straight down to the plank bridge which took me half an hour to get over the first time. Even Smarty, who is a very highly rated TREC horse, hesitated at the bridge and scrabbled his way over it, but where Smarty went, his mate Sid went too and we got over with no more than a shaken canter-away after.
Then a long old ride along the old railway, now the Downs Link, walk and trot the whole way, up Tannery Lane and around the shoulder of Chinthurst Hill, no mud today, a polite wait at the main road, over past Great Tangley and back through the village and home. About 9 miles, I reckon. Nowhere for a canter, though Sid cantered a few times just to catch up with Smarty's huge 16.2 stride!
Such a pleasure, two happy easy horses, sometimes Sid leading, sometimes Smarty leading, both of them sometimes a bit spooky but nothing to worry about, and a glorious day. This is what Sid is for.
I washed him down afterwards and told him he was a superstar.
Then a long old ride along the old railway, now the Downs Link, walk and trot the whole way, up Tannery Lane and around the shoulder of Chinthurst Hill, no mud today, a polite wait at the main road, over past Great Tangley and back through the village and home. About 9 miles, I reckon. Nowhere for a canter, though Sid cantered a few times just to catch up with Smarty's huge 16.2 stride!
Such a pleasure, two happy easy horses, sometimes Sid leading, sometimes Smarty leading, both of them sometimes a bit spooky but nothing to worry about, and a glorious day. This is what Sid is for.
I washed him down afterwards and told him he was a superstar.
newrider.com