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.

I know Julie Barton!

(I suppose I would, it is a v small world round here)

Haven't been on here for ages :-/ Summer holidays seriously restricted my riding opportunities. Now the mare is quite unfit and getting her winter coat, so our little ride around the woods today left her all sweaty.

Anyway. looks like she may be going to the agricultural college now. A space has come up, so we are going to go for a 6 week trial, but she needs to get through a vet check first which I am really scared about - it is like being interrogated. Plus I already feel like a crap horse owner as her vaccinations went overdue by an embarrassing amount of time, so now she will need to do that whole re-start malarky with boosters after 1 month and then 6 months :s

EEEK! I have just been asked ordered to go autumn hunting on Thursday at 6.45am, for the first time in about 20 years. Now in a mad panic about my kit - found my breeches which amazingly still fit, and nicked deceased fil's tweed jacket from DH (luckily he was quite a small man, and although it's a bit long of sleeve and overall length should be ok when sitting on horse). Now I have to buy a hairnet, clean my stuff, and spend time begging dhorse to be nice to me.

I will have to get up at 5am in order to digest breakfast, have enough time to spend on loo, and pretty up horse - well, brush the mud off and tack him up. Deeply terrified, but also quite excited. If I'm still mobile I'll update you later on Thursday!

Manatee you're not a crap horse owner - I've let my pony's vaccs run out as he never goes off the premises and we've no other horses near us. Tis one of those things. Good luck with the vet check, fingers will be crossed for you.

it is a pain restarting the vaccinations isn't it? had to do that for one of mine when we moved - good luck though, hope it goes ahead as think it sounded good when you first mentioned it?

hope you have fun tomorrow frosty, there was opportunity for us to go this morning but actually after our hack today I'm not sure I want to, maybe on someone else's horse - it was fun, thought my sharer had suddenly developed a fun streak of spontaneity but after a few death defying incidents realised she just didn't have any brakes or steering. Must try not to let them race one another home like that.

Ha ha, reminds me of when I persuaded my mum to come riding on holiday. Bearing in mind she hadn't ridden for years and is a pensioner I was really impressed to see her cantering down a narrow path in front of me while I followed at a feeble trot. She looked fine to me but when I told her later how I was at her bravery she revealed that she'd been hanging on to the saddle for grim death and couldn't actually stop.

Hope it went well frosty was thinking of you this morning while plodding about riding - very brave.
Manatee hope the livery works out.

I'm another one whose not convinced I have breaks so i've spent loads of time just schooling recently. Its getting a bit boring now but all the fields have been cut so once out of the yard there is just acres and acres of open space, sure baby horse would love it but i'm really scared that as he has no balance if he took off he'd probably fall over and I really wouldn't want 600kg of horse on top of me!!!!
Aiming to go for a good gallop on another of my horses though (one with breaks and balance) so looking forwards to that!

Hope frosty survived at least, ideally survived AND had a very exciting morning?

Those open fields are a huge temptation aren't they? Most of ours have been ploughed or drilled now, horse still turns his head towards them so I can see the gleam in his eye but we had to cross one a few days ago and it was perilous - will be ok once we have trodden our bridle path back in.

Yesterday was good, worked on Not Galloping. It was actually not that difficult on horse, pony is so cool he can gallop on the spot!

forgot - boundary farm today

I seem to not be well, conveniently? don't know if tummy bug or anxiety

Hello all.

Can't remember if I have been here since our sponsored ride? Anyway it went well, had to see chiro 3 times the following week though (thank you jig jogging mare!)

Not much been happening since, DD started back at preschool, then DS got chicken pox, then days after he recovered DD came down with it (again) so we are back in quarantine (sigh)

Hoping to get a quick ride in this afternoon though

Yes, I survived! It went ok except for dhorse objected to being woken up early and was rather grumpy. He blotted his copybook by refusing to load so I had to whisk small pony through the trailer (much to his confusion). Of course I was then 15 mins behind schedule - and got to the meet 5 mins before 6.45 but they had already moved off. I met up with someone who was on a 4yo having it's first outing so we tootled off together.

Dhorse behaved pretty well as long as he was standing beside someone, and a bit noisy and unsettled when he wasn't, but generally was fine. He was quite bouncy when we moved from place to place but nothing scary (no bucking or rearing), and apart from developing a dislike of quad bikes, of which there were 6, he was fine. We did 3 hours and then I had to go as I had an appt at 11am - however he decided he didn't want to go back into the trailer to go home - luckily 2 people helped me out and after 10 mins he waltzed in and scoffed his hay. Hopefully this will not be a regular thing and it's just one more thing to stress about.

I was knackered for the rest of the day, but quite pleased with myself, and I'm not too sore today. If there is somewhere localish next week I'll have another go (and if it's not pouring with rain!).

Just wanted to post as I'm bursting with pride in dpony! DD took him out hunting for the first time yesterday and he was one of the best behaved there.We'd put him in a french link dutch gag but swapped to the snaffle ring halfway through the afternoon because he was so chilled. DD popped a couple of small fences and cantered through a few fields so very sedate but mission accomplished in terms of confidence building. Now need to persuade DH to act as chauffeur in 3 weeks time.....As a suburban boy he remains baffled as to what the fuss is about.

Wonderful,marialuisa.He must be very good indeed and your dd a good little rider to do so well.I've followed the hunts for more years than I care to remember and seen experienced horses and riders come a cropper.It must be a huge relief to know that you can trust dpony to behave well too,it is very exciting for them.

We went for a long hack to and around my dad's farm today.It took longer than usual because we have to stop and chat to everyone we meet en route and dpony has to be admired.DD1 got dpony to jump the sheep troughs in the fields and didn't bat an eyelid when followed across the fields by some very excitable beast.Yesterday DD1 jumped over 2ft and was very pleased.

We are trying to get dpony used to being stabled,as she hasn't been in the past and it might be useful if she needs to be kept clean.The people we bought her from said she hated being stabled and let her live out all the timeI've tried her in before and she was kicking and banging about after a few minutes.Last night we gave her her tea in the stable and left her in for a few minutes and she seemed quite happy.Tonight,DD2 hacked her back into the yard and dpony walked straight into the stable with DD2 still on board.We gave her her tea in there again and left her a bit longer before turning her out,again she seemed happy enough.We might get there yet.

It sounds like your DD1 is going great guns now you've got the right pony! I'm sure if you make the stable-food association strong enough your pony will come round to the idea! It amazes me what ours will endure if there's a haynet around.

Don't want to be too complacent about yesterday's triumph,but as I was fully expecting disaster and had sent DD out with a leadrope on her d ring we're still smiling. Dpony has had a nice day playing with his friends in the field and rolling extravagantly.

need to borrow some of your daughters' success, hacking with mine is so fraught - she has a very low threshold for coping with unexpected events, and I find it frustrating to walk and trot everywhere (good for horse and pony to learn not to race one another all the time though)

loving how willing and happy my horse is at the moment anyway, he even looks like he's smiling

Went and explored a new ride with loads of open fields at the weekend. DH and I went out on our own and had a good gallop around then stopped at the pub to cool off on the way back. Twas lovely, even if my lovely sensible mare did rear with me while doing a gate. I'm amazed I just laughed, 6 months ago I'd have been terrified and got off. I think she just got frustrated because she (or rather I) couldn't get it right first time.

Mitchie, I insist on GD (and young sharer) doing work at walk with a bit of trotting some of the time. I think it's good for the horse's fitness as well as schooling to do a variety of work, and road work is a big part of how I got my confidence back. It is nice to have a blast sometimes though!

Gates are advanced level hacking aren't they? Have encountered them only rarely, horse is very very very helpful though - he can do the gate to the school with his teeth and nose if I help by holding it away from the rest of him with my whip as we go through. We really are an amazing partnership at times.

I relaxed a bit yesterday while daughter at school (apart from swarming bee incident, horse not fond of the beehives at best of times) and enjoyed lots of lovely long canters. Ground like concrete again, it's too hot for such woolly coats. Poor boys got ready for winter but it's like June?

Yay! went out riding with gd early yesterday morning, and did gates perfectly (even managed to hold them open for gd's inexperienced pony). Mare showed me how she likes to do them (she pushes the gate with her nose) I think she got frustrated that I was doing them wrong!

The other huge positive is that gd's pony, who she's been getting despondent about because she pulls, was perfectly behaved even when cantering side by side across an open field, stopped beautifully, and came back to trot while I cantered off, all in her french link snaffle. No pulling at all after she'd had a bit of a blast. It seems to have given gd huge confidence that she can stop and she's stopped asking for a stronger bit. Feel very positive about it all now

We had wild excitement this morning as the hunt came down the street whilst we were waiting for the school bus.It must have been very hot in tweed.The dds were beside themselves-half term can't come fast enough for them. There was a lady riding side saddle and she looked so elegant.DD1 keeps asking to learn how to ride side saddle,but I don't know anyone who teaches it around our way.I'm also looking for a dressage teacher if anyone knows of a good one.

I saw one of the PC instructors yesterday and she said that as an affiliate member,DD1 can attend the local PC activities if she wants to,so need to buy her a tie now.We've not ridden since Monday and I'm not used to having spare time.Back in the saddle today though,all being well.

OYW-really good news about GD and the new pony,the confidence boost will do wonders I'm sure.

Mirage-if DD1 is keen,look up area 12 of the side saddle association, they do "have a go" sessions. Lottie Parkin is great and has done them forpony clubs too.

Dpony is unimpressed by the hot weather and has transformed from speed demon to sloth! We've been riding when it's cooler but doesn't seem fair to do too much. Dpony is being clipped on Monday, suspect he'll be typically unphased so long as there's a haynet.....

Had a great lesson on Thursday, off to aintree on Tuesday for a dressage clinic and next comp at end of this month. It's all go here!!

I was just having a gentle trot around the indoor school, pony stumbled, and I fell off over her head. In front of the kids as well. I am mortified (and sore!)

I did a new blog post about my clinic if anyone wants to see
www.wannabeadressagediva.wordpress.com

Thankyou marialuisa,I think she might be the same person! When I mentioned it to my helper,I'm sure she said the the huntswoman was Charlotte and taught sidesaddle too.There can't be two of them.

OYW,oh,how painful.I have a lesson on Saturday and have banned all my family from watching in case I make a fool of myself.I hope you feel better and recover your dignity soon.

DD1 is hopefully going to her 1st PonyClub rally on 23rd October,and is wildly excited.I have wangled a lift all being well,but if not,will have to hack there,and back,but it is only 3 or 4 miles.

brighthair,I loved your blog.I do like your honesty and you can feel your happiness when it 'clicks'.