Riding log - anyone interested?

[SupersonicDave]

Saw this on a horse forum and thought it would be a good idea.

Basically i need a bit of help with motivation (too much to do, not enough hours in the day etc) and can get a bit stuck in a rut wrt schooling/hacking/lunging.

So, today i am riding out my mare, a friend is riding my gelding, and we are going to ride through the village and back across some grassy tracks. Want to concentrate on keeping my mare calm, especially on the grass.

[50BalesOfHay]

Yippee! Am off to ride my mare this afternoon. It's been over a month because of all the mud. Can't wait

[Mirage]

I'm glad that you are both back in the saddle again Mitchy and frosty.It was a lovely,sunny day here,and we had a 3 mile hack around the block,with my sister keeping us company.I was very proud of DD2 for riding Brandy the whole way off the lead rein.I stayed within grabbing distance,just in case,but we had no problems.Bless him,he doesn't like bikes,so as soon as the ground dries up,I'll take him to a flat field and get the DDs to ride their bikes around him until he isn't bothered any more.

He is the cleanest pony ever,dpony is plastered in mud and is brown rather than grey,but he hasn't got a bit of mud on him,apart from his legs.He is lovely and shiny.

[frostyfingers]

I just got back on dhorse after 4 weeks with mud fever - the last scabs have finally come away. He's been out 4 times now and is a reall Jekyll & Hyde.....sometimes plodding along and other times jumping around like a loon. Glad you're back on board too Mitchy - it's great when you get compliments isn't it? I had the physio out to check on dhorse's back and she said lots of nice things, I was positively glowing with pride!

[Pixel]

Sorry I didn't quite get that. You hate what?

[Mitchy1nge]

WHY is it doing that?

I

HATE

DITCHES

[Mitchy1nge]

And I hated itches too

[Mitchy1nge]

Hated itches sooooo much!

[Pixel]

Those pesky ditches, appearing out of nowhere!

[Mitchy1nge]

thanks frosty! how is your horse now?

horse finally back in work, well very nearly, just walk/trot at moment but everything is under water anyway - he's going beautifully and have had THREE separate sets of compliments about how fantastic he is in terms of condition and behaviour This never ever ever ever happens, usually am apologizing for him. So it's all good!

Though couldn't ride today as managed to get car stuck in a ditch I never knew was there, reversed into it and ended up with tractors pulling and randoms pushing for ages.

[frostyfingers]

Here it is folks, get updating!

[frostyfingers]

Thought I'd bring this back up to the first page as it seems to have gone quiet! I've had a couple of long days hunting dhorse - last Saturday we were still on the hills at 5pm and I couldn't leave because I didn't know where I was! Dhorse and I were both knackered, but glad we squeezed it in as a) his mud fever has taken hold and he's off games and stabled 24/7 for the forseeable future and b) the weather's gone against us so I'm not missing any hunting yet.

Apart from that not much else doing, just mucking out, grooming and picking straw out of my hair!

Hope to hear your news soon.....

[Zazzles007]

May I join the thread now that I have a horse to ride?

I've offered a nice quarterhorse to ride by a lady I meet just recently. He's her hubby's horse, but the horse doesn't get much work, although he enjoys being ridden. The horse's name is Badger, and she described him as a 16hh palimino QH. When I got there, he looked more TB, and was probably more like 16.2-16.3hh. Lovely horse though .

Because they are trail riders and only had a Australian stock saddle for him, which was too big for me, so I didn't really trot or canter, as I kept hitting the saddle. He is actually a bit of a wiggly pony, and I thought "Hmm, might do alright at dressage..." Anyway, I can't ride him again until after the 14th January (owners are away), but will be taking out my saddles to see if they fit him.

On to the ride - The lady explained that they wanted Badger's head keep down, as he tends to fling it up with contact on the bit. So we worked on an exercise call "head down, neck down". He was also quite flexible to the right, but didn't want to bend to the left, so we spent twice as much time on the left rein as we did on the right rein. He doesn't get much work, so asking him to do anything was working him . We did an exercise where we walked in a large square, and in the corners of the square, I asked him to do a large 20m circle, just to get him to bend a little. By the end, he was bending more to the right when I asked him, and keeping straighter on the left rein. Although we didn't really get out of walk, he was sweating lightly by the time we finished .

[50BalesOfHay]

Your horse is gorgeous frosty. He looks so innocent!

[frostyfingers]

She looks divine - and they look very comfortable together too. Bitwise, is it worth looking at a Kimblewick? See below! They can be used without a curb chain; when I was small (along time ago in the dark ages...) I used it without for general hacking but for outings the curb went on. You can also get rubber ones I think which may be less severe.

The Kimblewick is a fixed cheek bit that is often used on horses and ponies that prove a little too strong in a snaffle; it is also often used by children to help them have some control should they need it. There are two main types of kimblewick, the slotted version that has two fixed rein slots in the cheek piece, or the plain cheek where the reins are attached to the cheek as you would a snaffle. Both types of Kimblewicks are used with a curb chain. The hanging cheek part if the bit from the cheek slot to the mouthpiece uses poll pressure and lip pressure, and various pressures in the mouth depending on the mouthpiece. When the rein is used, the curb chain should come into play, but not straight away, there should be some give in the rein before the curb chain tightens.

I have to say that my nerves didn't feel particularly steel like (spaghetti would be nearer the mark) after that episode, my heart was racing and I was both cross and frightened. I think it is just a combination of exuberance, frustration and temper tantrum - he has only gone up once with me before and it was nothing like that so I'm hoping it doesn't become regular, it had better not! I took the french link snaffle away this time as he really hated it and put back his fat snaffle with the drop noseband and I think we've cracked it. He doesn't like it much, but I have enough control without hurting his mouth and him shaking his head all the time!

New picture up - looks lovely, but who knows what's going on in his head!

[Mirage]

Bloody Hell frosty you must have nerves of steel! He was a good hunter before his back problems wasn't he? If that is the case it sounds like pure excitement,but a huge well done for sticking on him,I can't imagine how scary that was. Hopefully the more he goes out,the less exciting it will feel to him.

We had a couple of lovely hacks over the weekend and DD2 rode home off the lead rein.Millie is still a bit jittery,but it hasn't bothered DD2 much,and I suppose it is good experience to learn to deal with spooks.She is very strong though,we stopped on our hack to let DH catch up,and she decided to walk on.It took both dd2 and I to stop her,yet whilst on the bridle path,when she tried to walk off,dd2 turned her around and stopped her without my help.She is in a Tom Thumb,which I don't like,and I was thinking of changing it to a french link snaffle,but wonder if she has that bit because she is strong? I know her first owners put her in it as a 4 year old,so that her tiny rider could stop her if needed,and they'd tried other bits over the years,but said she liked that one and went well in it. I've taken the flash off because I hate to see little ponies strapped down in them,and she seems more relaxed without it.

Anyway,enough of my waffling on,I've posted some more pictures on my profile.

[frostyfingers]

2nd day's hunting today which was a little more successful than the 1st. Generally he was ok, but hated having to wait in queues to go through gates and if anyone passed him or went off without him he was prancing and snorting. The real sting in the tail was when a group decided to go home and I went with them - the hounds and about 10 others went off another way and he went straight up without warning and almost went over. I hung on, but kicked out my stirrups ready to bail out - I felt the moment when he was hanging backwards and was so scared. Amazingly he went forward and I earned a round of applause and the "stickability" award as it was the nearest anyone came to falling off all day. My heart was racing I have to say - it's the closest I've ever been to a horse falling backwards, and I was so angry with him too for frightening me so much.

He then did it again with me on the ground when I was trying to get him in the trailer and he could hear hounds - he got a wallop in the ribs for that. Usually I can tell if a horse is going to go up and keep them walking but this was totally without warning, no prancing or anything - swine! I'm going to go again next week to a meet on the "hills" (mountains to most people!) and hope that the bigger space and trundling up and down will keep him busy and less stressy.

[Mirage]

They were hunting here yesterday.I thought it'd be cancelled as it was blowing a gale and raining in torrents-not many braved it though,only about 30.

We had a lovely hack today,it was so nice to get out in actual sunshine.Millie was very good and DD2 rode most of the way home off lead rein.She is a real sweetie. Dpony has made friends with the cob in the next field and actually allows him to groom her over the gate,but only if he does it right.If he does anything she doesn't like,or looks at her the wrong way,she squeals and tries to kick him through the gate bars.She really is the oddest pony I've ever come across.

[frostyfingers]

That's ok Mirage - my brain is frozen, my hands are frozen and hunting is cancelled (surprise surprise) after tarting up dhorse last night and getting up early this morning! Back to work - pants....

[Mirage]

take no notice of me frosty the cold has rotted my brain.I hope things with your back improve and you don't need the hospital stay.

[Mirage]

Yes,although I'm broker than broke at the minute,I'm planning to take them both.It is at the same place as last time and same time.DD1 will be ok on her own but dd2 will be on the lead rein,so I'll have to run along.I'm glad everything is going well with DGD.
Good luck for the consultant'd appointment frosty.

[50BalesOfHay]

Are you going to the children's meet on New Years Day Mirage? Do you know where it is? GD is having the horse we were going to share on full loan (with view to buy if he's scopey/fast enough for her, if he's not then owner won't be selling from the field come spring/summer so good all round) so she's planning her Pony Clubbing and hunting. It's like she's never been away.

That sounds like good news from the consultant frosty. Good plan to retire when you did! always best to get home safely!

[frostyfingers]

That sounds like a good progress report, ah yes, trailer reversing! I can do that but only if I'm not being watched - downhill and round corners in the dark does sound tricky though - well done.

Hunting the other day was "interesting" as dhorse had a wobbly in the lane after about 2 hours - he reversed at high speed towards a parked car, scattering other riders as we went although luckily didn't touch anything or anyone. It was quite scary and when he did it again I retired for the day before my luck ran out. I've fiddled a bit with his diet and am hoping to take him again on Weds. I hope it was just the excitement of it all and that it isn't a regular occurrence!

Job interview was crap - weird bloke who talked about himself and how well known he was in the business and didn't actually ask me anything, not even "do you have any questions?" so I'm not holding any hopes for that one, nor am I especially bothered!

The spinal consultant thinks I have damaged the ligaments and muscles around L3/4 and is recommending a set of cortisone injections - yuk. It requires a day in hospital as it's done in theatre with the x ray and under sedation so I'll wait and see when that's likely to happen. At least I know I'm not doing any damage by carrying on as usual!

[marialuisa]

Much respect on the reversing! Every time I think i've cracked it I go out and have some kind of "epic fail"!

Millie sounds like she's doing very well, sounds like DD2 has her pony.

[Mirage]

Great news marialuisa! He is a star,isn't he?

We had another lesson on Wednesday,Millie was still a bit spooky,but better than the week before.We took her to the PC Christmas gymkhana today & put her on the lead rein for safety's sake,but she was very good,it was busy and noisy with lots of ponies dashing about,tinsel and flashing lights but it didn't phase her.Her owners came to watch too and they really miss her.My mum groomed and tacked Millie up and couldn't believe how patient she was.DD2's instructor from camp was doing the gymkhana and said how impressed she was with Millie and how good she was in an exciting environment,and that she looked like a keeper to her.So a very tiring but a good day.What was not good was trying to reverse my trailer down a slope and around 2 corners in the dark,only 13 days until the shortest day and then it'll get a tiny bit lighter each night.Can't wait!

[marialuisa]

Lots of good news here. Look forward to hearing how the new ponies get on.

Dpony has been brilliant and successfully turned his hoof to the school show-jumping team. Given he'd never really seen coloured fences he behaved like a pro and they got first and second place in their classes. DD rode really well and I was very proud of them both. Made up for the saddle slipping in the warm-up because we forgot to check it .

We are going to visit dpony1 in the school holidays which will be nice. DD was too upset to say goodbye properly when he went so hopefully this will finally put her mind at ease.