Winter aims?

I know I know, no one wants to think about the fact winter is fast approaching, but the nights are drawing in and there's not much chance left for evening hacking. Most of us that need to have got supplies sorted for winter and the fact last week was so grim weather wise it led me to start thinking about what I want to do and how I can do so over the winter.

For me it's to keep 3 out of the 4 in full work.

By spring I want Alfie consistent in his trot work and starting to hold himself up in the canter a bit more. I'd also like to get him out to one or two stressage competitions. Just intro tests for now with hopes of prelim next summer. Also want to get him a bit more confident with jumping.

Tegan, I need to crack on with her schooling, she's been a bit of a happy hacker this summer, I really want to have her working on some lateral work and get her a little stronger in her canter in the school. Possibly getting her out to some stressage as well and continue her jumping work.

Jasper, just to continue how he is really, I have no real aims for him, he doesn't wish to compete lol, he is happy teaching his sharer to ride and plodding round the school showing off to the youngsters and generally giving me my easy ride after working with Alfie.

Jim, well as he is only 4 and only been in full work over the summer his workload will decrease a little this year. He's just started to soften and offer an outline and so we will work a bit on that still but not really push too much from him. Just keep him ticking over so he doesn't lose any muscle tone as he tends to look a bit poor without any muscle just work him 2 or 3 times a week.
 
I would just like to keep madam ticking over - and hope that her stiffness does not worsen. All I can hope for after her illness and the fact that her stiff legs aren't going to go away is to just do little daily pootles! But that's okay - we get along just fine doing that. Main aim with Chloe is to get her used to walking in hand with OH as Storm and I pootle - so far we've not done much as a foursome, so should be interesting! Also like to keep her legs mud fever free as much as possible - but with the Cushings that can be nigh on impossible at times. And of course, I am hoping at some point that we will have a third herd member................................
 
I can't really say what I'll be working on this winter cos it's a bit Top Secret for the moment :bounce:
 
I can't really say what I'll be working on this winter cos it's a bit Top Secret for the moment :bounce:

:ninja:We have ways of making you talk you know.....boxes of chocolates, copious glasses of wine......fresh cream cakes....you name it we have it in our arsenal of bribery and corruption techniques!;)

Last winter I seemed to spend the whole damn time faffing about with boots, equine podiatrists, walking for miles barefoot with poor Dolly totally bemused and bored by the whole thing......oh and of course the inevitable abscesses that she sprung on me in sheer disgust at all the mud and wet she had to stand in.

This winter we are shod, we have a lovely farrier who knows what he is doing, we have hard standing, we have a field shelter with hard standing. We will NOT be faffing about, we will be just getting out there as much as weather permits and getting on with enjoying ourselves.:smoke:
 
:ninja: I am intrigued..................

Mine is top secret too, thats because even I don't know yet. :giggle:

Um, isn't Autumn actually first? As in now until November, so I don't need to think yet.
 
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To try and have a pony with hair! If not it will be three bald winters on the bounce!

Otherwise to ride a little - I haven't ridden for months and I'm missing it. Sadly it isn't likely to happen - doing full time shifts plus training for another role means if I have one day off a week in lucky. Shouldn't complain really but with dark evenings etc it will become ever harder to for rides in.
 
Hopefully a bit of riding! Due to a very busy summer with my youngest and her poor health I've barely ridden Magic since we've had him (Findlay has ridden him many times but that obv won't keep Magic fit lol) but now she has just had major surgery which will improve her quality of life a lot I want to try and get him back into some work so when spring arrives we can start on some serious conditioning ready for doing endurance. I'm not going to get much done admittedly as in NE Scotland we have next to no daylight in the winter but anything is better than nothing!

I'm also planning to move him to living at home as soon as it is practical so I need to start stocking up on hay, trying to find a mobile field shelter (I know exactly what I want but not sure it exists lol) etc.

Oh and of course the other bit to moving him home will be getting him a friend :biggrin:
 
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my aim is to survive juggling caring for three horses, poo picking daily, returning to work and also remembering to look after my child!!! i wonder how often i will forget to pick her up from nursery!!?
 
To manage to ride enough not to lose the confidence I have gained through lots of pilot hours this spring and summer. Very difficult once the clocks change though with working full time. :unsure:
 
my aim is to survive juggling caring for three horses, poo picking daily, returning to work and also remembering to look after my child!!! i wonder how often i will forget to pick her up from nursery!!?

Haha!!

This will be me in January! Chloe going to nursery will hopefully mean I can get a little hacking in on my days off shift!
 
I'm just hoping to get through my first winter as a horse owner alive!!

What she said!

I'm also hoping it doesn't get so frozen so that I will be able to do some stuff with my girl to continue working the green-ness out of her and myself! I'll be working a lot on confidence this Autumn and just getting on, so if all goes well, we'll be able to keep up some work in the winter months so we aren't starting over in the Spring!
 
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