Any MNers with horses out there?

[Longlegs1972]

and how do you cope?

I'm getting really down cos I never get the time to spend with mine....

I suppose I'm lucky in that horses are our business, so I spend more time around them than I get to spend cleaning my house (although that is not necessarily a good thing!) They are racehorses and I only own one (and a bit) of them, the others are owned by others and trained by DH with a certain amount of success.

DD1 is totally obsessed and is currently spending her time on the stud helping to foal mares (she has foaled 3 in the past few weeks). She spent her half term staying with the stud manageress and watching the monitor and helped bring 3 foals into the world - I mean, properly hands-on (or should that be hands-in?!) pulling them out. She's 12 and has learned loads, it's brilliant for her.

Butkin, I think I know who you are!

Do you live in the Newmarket area and have a penchant for designer childrenswear?

I have a 15.2 chestnut gelding on loan..bad tempered, stroppy monster, and a 1/2 share in a 11h lead rein connie..bad tempered mare!

We ar ein the new forest and mainly hack... but starting some small shows this year.

If your gelding were grey, Eve, I'd wonder if he was the bad tempered, stroppy monster I used to share!

Butkin, I think I will follow your example with dd and introduce horses early. She has been to the yard to meet my horse, who is completely fascinated with a tiny human, btw - I think the horse had no idea that humans could be that small!

Hi MOCL, we certainly live nr Newmarket and we hope that DD is well turned out!

You've done very well to work this out...
Are you Miss Marple?

P.S. Butkin is the nickname of DH's cob.

Just emailed about a horse for sale that looks ideal for our family. We have been looking for over a year so fingers crossed! At 15.1 she's a bit bigger than we really wanted but we are more interested in temperment and she seems a real sweetie.

I knew it!

You should be able to identify me now!

Damn it, I'll have to change my name .

Hope DH is well, and DD too. Glad to hear her riding is coming along well, my DD2 is still horse-phobic, although we have one 3 y-o filly in the yard who is a sweet as pie and DD2 has named her 'Princess' because, apparently, she is a princess pony (!?) Apart from that one, she pretty much gives all the others a wide berth, especially my own gentle giant, but that is probably because he knocked her over last year (accidentally, and rather gently, of course!)

If you need any other clues to my identity, I worked with your DH, and it was he who put me onto mumsnet about a year ago... I'm desperately missing that job, BTW!

DH here Grumpy - good to hear from you! Amazed that you have the cheek to say that we have an interest in designer gear - pot calling....

Thrilled to hear about your horsey exploits and looking forward to seeing pictures.

DW is going to see a new grey dartmoor pony for DD on Monday as Pinky probably isn't up to showing/hunting etc any more although a saint to lead off. She had some liver complaints before Christmas and we're having to be careful with her. Doubt if she can live out again.

Your replacement is also doing plenty of dressage training etc on her ex-racehorse - she is really into it and rides every afternoon.

Good to see that you've had a good season over the Winter and fingers crossed for the turf. I also hope that K wasn't a handbag job last week!

Are you entering our Cheltenham comp?

This has become a shameless hijack!

I will be entereing Cheltenham comp this week, if I can find the time to make some proper selections - my new job is driving me insane! I am even dreaming about it and waking up in a proper bad mood every morning...doesn't bode well, does it?

Thought K would win last week, but he has had an interrupted programme due to an abcess, and it seemed he lacked fitness. We had given him a racecourse gallop and he pleased us, but we obviously didn't ask enough of him, big bugger that he is.

Glad you're all well, and I will get in touch soon.

Hi Bamzooki, I've been away for a few days but I'm pleased to say that my mares back is better! No pain or swelling. She seems back to her old self. Thank goodness.

I've got the saddle fitter coming out next tuesday, so should be back in business soon.

I just need to convince DH that spending hundreds of pounds on yet another saddle is a good idea!!

I'm going to have to start lunging from tomorrow as the idea of a saddler expecting her to perform whilst modelling new saddles is a bit of a joke. She really needs to be ridden every day so there could be fireworks after 2+ weeks off

Can I join your little gang of horse owners??

I have welsh cob and shetland who dd has jsut started to sit on (dd is 14months)

I struggle to find time to ride, and tbh I have lost confidence to go out riding alone, and make any excuses not to go.Horse is supersafe, but still frightened, but the girl I ride with can't ride that often due to time. Any Tips??

MadOld - that is excellent news. Finger's crossed that the saddler sorts things out for you so you can get back in action.
Hi lilymolly - always good to talk to horsey types!

My god, dont know what has spurred me on, but I have just ridden on my own and had a lovely ride and really enjoyed it!!

Perhaps it was writing it down and sharing it with MN !!

Took my lab dog with me too, so we both enjoyed some exercise.

I know what you mean lilymolly. I go through phases of building things up to be a problem. Particularly hacking out in rush hour traffic! (I once owned a horse who would rear up vertical at the sight of oncoming traffic and his memory is ingrained)

Usually if I bite the bullet and make myself get on with it I have a great time and feel really good about myself.

Well done you!

Thanks Mad!

I only passed one car the entire ride, as I live in the country, and horse never put a foot wrong, but I think I talk myself into things, ......what if a pheasent flies up and spoooks horse and I fall off and break leg!!! Stupid thoughts eh.

My fear comes from having a hot headed throughbred for a year, who I got rid of very quickly and bought current welsh cob, but then got pregnant, and have got out of the habit, but now I have done it I feel sooooo proud,

I even had sex last night for the first time in a year but thats another story!!
Maybe this is the turning point in my life

By the way sex was with dp, just read post and it sounded like i was a tart!!

Good on you lilymolly. Quite often the anticipation is the worst part.
But I have the same ingrained fear with traffic after hacking out a horse for a friend who had 'forgotten' to mention it was bad in traffic, and there was one special incident where it jumped out into the path of an oncoming lorry. I think I would actually have preferred the ditch! I tell myself that this incident has nothing to do with me really only doing schooling these days (not current horse owner - just ride for others) but am not totally sure how honest that is.

Madold - keen to hear more about your hacking - is there space to park a trailer near the reclaimed pit (always looking for new places to hack)
I have 1 horse, 1 pony
fab rising 8yo TB chestnut mare, whose flat work is coming on really nicely as has been her jumping (until; last week when I took her to a comp without knowing that the cream i'd put on her nose must have blistered it - got bucked off in collecting ring, then got back on, and must have fallen off again but can't remember have 2 black eyes, broken nose, concussion, bruised ribs etc - ouch)
anyway have resolved not to go to competitions on my own anymore (unless essential )but am looking forward to doing some eventing - will start with some rc, then hopefully some BE (used to do a lot bc)
my Pony the children ride occasionally, mainly a companion for my mare
I have them both at home which is great, couldn't manage otherwise.

Yes Loshad there's parking at the pit.

Where are you?

I'm just east of the new A1(M), not too far from ferrybridge power station (nice ) - was wondering if its the huge grassy area just off the M1 A1 link?
or hopefully another one not far - it only takes me 5 mins to get to the new A1M with her on the back so quite handy really.
cheers

Its about ten minutes from junction 39 off the M1, so not far at all!

Hi all!
Think it's pretty easy (and common) to build small anxieties into big ones, there's certain tracks around here that I avoid, the mare I ride gets all big and snorty, and will throw in some huge bucks so she can gallop off, she's also not fond of big lorries either, but all our hacking involves roadwork so I just have to be careful I'm not near pedestrians and I halt if one goes by. I'm more cautious now I have children, I did break my leg while riding when ds was 18 months which was a nightmare. Toddlers and crutches are not a good combo!
Oooh at your injuries Loshad wishing you a speedy recovery. We must all be mad, horses a big buggers you know!
Lilymolly, well done on your hack out! LOL at the sex too, yay!
Great to hear we have some racing posters! Not that I have a clue what you're on about Hope you have (have had) some luck at Cheltenham
And after all this lovely weather the fields are not pondlike anymore, just really sticky mud!

Looks as if we've bought DD a new pony, subject to vet. A 5yo dartmoor gelding which she will hopefully be able to have lessons on and will go to mini PC camp this Summer.

We are going to put our new measuring stick on him for interest. We haven't used it before and are a bit unsure how to do it. It is a walking cane type stick where the measuring extension comes out from a silver slot at the top of the cane.

Do we take the measurement at the bottom of the slot or the top - a difference of nearly an inch?

I had horses from age 12 until a couple of years ago.

I still ride with a friend every week - usually on her 15.3hh Connemara x TB who is a little star.

We're going to be very very brave and do some pairs hunter trials this Autumn - she also has a 5 yo 16.1hh Cob x Dutch Warmblood that she is bringing on.

Clip clop (that's better than a bump if you're on a horse)

Maybe it should be JUMP instead of bump!

We didn't get the horse we were after, the first people who saw her bought her . Oh well, on with the search!