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The tack room

can anyone ride at the moment?

41 replies

MitchyInge · 07/01/2010 08:40

or could you, if you wanted to?

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oldernowiser · 07/01/2010 13:55

Can ride in indoor school, can't get up the hill to the school!. Mad isn't it. We're going to look for an ancient/cheap 4wd

How are you doing with it?

Do you think pony will come to harm if not ridden for a while? (he's kept in at the minute due to state of fields, with two hours play time a day in the school with his friends)

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frostyfingers · 07/01/2010 14:21

Nope - have only ridden once in the last 3 weeks, and that was scary enough. It was
-13c here this morning. Horse now has 3 rugs on and is waddling about, and I've even put rug on Welshie - his whiskers, tail, and all the hair down his legs were frozen this morning, and he was shivering. I'm fed up of carrying hot water to melt ice, picking up poo in the snow and falling over on my arse - all without being able to ride. And it's not getting any better for the next week at least I think.

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pandora69 · 07/01/2010 14:49

I went out for a ride yesterday, horse knee deep in snow. We were having a lovely time right until we came across a couple of pillocks shreiking 'horsey, horsey, horsey' at the top of their voices before chucking a load of snowballs at a passing car. The combination of the shrieking and throwing meant stupid horse got it into his head everything was out to get him, and started spooking at bits of snow dropping from trees. Given he has a tendency to behave like a twit when a bit scared, combined with me being early pregnancy, I decided to call it a day and muttered all the way home about the youth of today spoiling my ride.

I love riding in the snow. You stop the snow balling in their hooves by packing them with vaseline. You could even use tiny studs if you wanted to (although I only have studholes in his shoes when we are likely to be competing on grass.) I rode out in the snow last winter with my sister, and it was magical. I have a great memory of doing my paper round on my mum's horse when I was 14 as there was no way I was getting round it on a bike.

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oldernowiser · 07/01/2010 15:51

Thought I'd got it solved: brilliant idea hire a 4wd! Found one, at £800 a week! so back to the drawing board.

Lovely yard owner is lungeing for me till we can get up the hill but still feel guilty and worried that grand daughter will lose the progress she's made with him.

Bloody snow!

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CMOTdibbler · 07/01/2010 15:59

DS will be riding in the snow on Sat, but my lessons/hacks are cancelled.

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mummydoc · 07/01/2010 16:25

oldernowiser - i am sure both dds will have forgoton what end is what by the time we get back to it. have decided really cannpot worry will just have intensive riding/lessons etc at easter, i am writing off between then and now

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pandora69 · 07/01/2010 16:34

Oldernowiser - I'd lover to be able to lunge mine, but sadly it is impossible on a steep snowy hillside. I'd love for someone to come out for a ride with me - Big horse is much braver out with another horse, even if the other horse is prancing all over the place. He fixes them with a look which says 'what ARE you doing?'

mummydoc - they won't forget what to do! Their muscles will remember exactly what to do, and they will be back into it in no time.

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Pixel · 07/01/2010 16:37

No way. The roads round our field are like sheets of ice and we have no school. Even if it thaws out it's going to be a while as the ground is so hard and rutted the barefoot ones are getting footsore and the older ones are starting to struggle a bit with their joints. They have rubber mats and bedding in the shelters but have to cross the treacherous bit to get there. Poor little shetland was up to her belly when it was mud and now she can barely move.
Luckily the top of the field is fine and there is a nice sun-trap by the hedge which they have been taking full advantage of, judging by the amount of poo!, but riding? ha ha.

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diedandgonetodevon · 07/01/2010 16:39

Made it up onto Dartmoor this morning for a bit of a snowy hack but we haven't had much snow compared to seemingly everywhere else in the country

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MitchyInge · 07/01/2010 21:27

can't even remember when I last rode, it must have been ages and ages ago or well over a week anyway

I remember riding in the snow last winter, hopping on and off every 10 minutes to deal with snow stilts but have severe fear of horse falling over on ice after witnessing something grim on christmas eve - but actually is much worse than last year I think

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Pixel · 07/01/2010 22:30

I've got photos of me riding in the snow many many many years ago but we could go straight on to Downs and it was fresh snow, not ice. Plus we had surefooted ponies, not the big fool we have now.

The sharp-eyed might notice that I'm bareback in most of them, not only because it was lovely and warm, but also to avoid a repeat of the time my pony rolled in a snowdrift and smashed the tree on his saddle, the evil brute little pickle!

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Pixel · 07/01/2010 22:32

Mitchy, I was going to ask about the 'something grim' but thought better of it considering the current state of my nerves!

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MitchyInge · 08/01/2010 09:57

aww, I like the one of the ponies in the field shelter - they don't seem impressed though!

where are the ones of you riding in the snow?

grim thing too grim for words but has had an ok ending

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skihorse · 08/01/2010 13:05

Nope, not ridden in about 5 weeks. I've had terrible morning sickness which now thank god seems to be passing.

She's barefoot so I don't have any "balling" problems.

Others at the yard haven't ridden in a month - it's not the snow that's the problem - it's the underlying ice. Our outdoor arena has been more suitable for people with ice-skates.

Those than can have been taking the trailer up to the indoor school - but that's 600 euros a year to join - which I think is a bit of a waste of money... but I am a tight git!

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oldernowiser · 08/01/2010 15:32

Hooray, hill up to yard has been gritted! Can ride tonight!

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Pixel · 08/01/2010 16:52

Riding in snow pics are ancient. I would have to dig them out and scan them so I was rather hoping I could leave them to your imagination! Of course I was very skinny then .

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MitchyInge · 08/01/2010 16:57

I might actually go Completely Mad if we can't ride soon, but we've just had another lovely thick snowfall so I suppose it is worth it!

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Owls · 14/01/2010 10:42

Ok enough now. The snow just needs to GO AWAY. Novelty has well and truly worn off here. Doesn't seem that long ago I was envying Pixel her frozen ground. What's that saying about be careful what you wish for......

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Pixel · 14/01/2010 13:46

It's just begun to thaw today so I had to abandon my walking boots for wellies. Unfortunately there are whole areas that are still enormous sheets of ice and I've discovered my new wellies have no grip at all. So this morning was fun.
Also, the enormous drumhorse-lookalike in the next field has trashed the trough, pulling it right off its stand and smashing the piping. (not that his owner will admit it but I saw him the other day with his great hoof in it trying to get water and we found it completely over his side of the fence, on its side). Everyone is now moaning because there is no water getting to any of the troughs, so we are still carting water from home, despite the thawing pipes.
The electric fencing has given up for some reason and the horses are getting silly, breaking through into other fields and then charging about on the rutted ground. Argh!

Still, at least I have a genuine excuse not to ride, eh Owls?

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MitchyInge · 14/01/2010 16:17

we might be able to ride tonight

hope so, but have mild fluttery feeling in tummy remembering accident on Christmas Eve (which did not even involve me) so need to get on and get over that

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Owls · 14/01/2010 18:45

Banish it from your mind Mitch otherwise you will end up in the Wuss Club with Pixel and me

Are you riding in the indoor school? Just heard a forecast on the radio which said all snow and ice should be gone by Sunday from most of the country. Hurrah!

Pixel, we should have spent the last few weeks listening to our CD shouldn't we. Must start again!

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mummydoc · 14/01/2010 19:09

haven't ridden ponies since 13th december, i will need industrial amounts of naf 5 star magic in them before letting kids near them ! maybe i should take the calmer and let the kids na dponies get on with it. we are in thick of big thaw now, just imagine what the mud is gogin to be like ! i heard more snow next week , bloody hell, i am not even thinking about the girls riding until march now !

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Pixel · 14/01/2010 20:47

We have a hay delivery coming tomorrow so that's a weight off my mind. At least if it does snow again we will be stocked up, I was starting to get quite worried. Better nip out tomorrow and get some feed and bedding too! (we've changed to Easibed, only £7.50 and actually really good for in the shelters).

Trough was fixed today, wonders will never cease .

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Pixel · 14/01/2010 20:51

I had an MP3 player for Christmas and dh has put the CD on there for me. I thought of listening to it all night on a loop but was worried I would sink into a coma.

And no, I haven't listened to it at all yet, I will when there is some chance of actually putting it to use.

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Owls · 14/01/2010 21:51

@ sink into a coma. I know what you mean. The few times I've managed to get all the way through I've unattractively snorted jolted myself awake at some point.

Managed to get our hay delivery (thankfully) a few days ago which was a relief. Unfortunately the oil tanker couldn't get to us as our drive is so bad now so am crossing fingers the thaw happens soon. The thought of no heating ......nooooo actually don't want to think about that. Although the horses' rugs do look nice and snug really don't want to have to 'borrow' them.

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