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.

Oh no :( what a nightmare

do you have any income protection guarantee type scheme you can claim against?

Sadly not, it was only 18 hours a week but suited very well as it was from home and flexible. It did cover most of my horse bills and all our family shopping so it is going to be a bugger to replace. I've been working on a cv today, but after 13 years in one place I'm struggling to remember what I did back in 1984 when I had my first proper job!

I expect I can find something temporary (hope to god anyway), but it's going to be hard to replace in the short term. I'm also well aware that others who worked for the same company are in much more trouble than I am, so I keep trying to remember that it could be a whole lot worse. It's hard to get motivated again, feel strangely like I'm grieving - weird feeling!

Anyway your kind words do help, and I'm sure dhorse will lend a sympathetic ear once he's had his tea (although I went for a nice gentle ride yesterday and he had other ideas, like trying to run away with me!) - hope so anyway!

it must be a terrible shock and a worry, hope you find something soon and hope horse was sympathetic and supportive listener

mine was so naughty with the farrier today, I think it's because I kept him in overnight but we did have a good gallop (get money's worth out of old shoes) before he arrived. It was humiliating, he was biting, trying to rear, kicking and he escaped about seventeen times so had to hold him in bridle. Usually he just stands there, was full of it on our morning ride too - dancing about and backing into ditches and being really annoying until we got to a gallopy stretch. This evening's ride was bliss though, at least he is nice and fit and raring to go. Wonder if he is a bit too fit or if hunting is too stimulating for him? Opening meet not until Sat but morning hunting until then.

oh frosty,I am sorry.I hope you find something else to tide you over.

Went for a little hack today on the mare, could only walk as she has been kicked. Going to rant about that and other stuff now on livery stress thread!

Finally I've found a moment to post/read/access a computer! my god the last 6weeks have been hectic in a totally un-horsey way . Haven't had chance to catch up with everyones news yet but hopefully I will do soon. Just wanted to say hi!

Hello! (i am the op - namechanged, though think i have been on here in this name, it has been so long)

Frosty, so sorry about your job. Hope something comes up soon.

Horses are well, I am struggling to fit in exercising them both with the dcs, and DH's stupid work, so have lost all motivation at the minute. Hopefully get some hacking in at the weekend.

No news on the job front, had a really depressing staff mtg yesterday and the company still hasn't gone officially into administration so we have no idea about when or how much we will be paid. It's a miserable sort of limbo, we're expected to work (!) but have little to do....

Horse wise dhorse is very frisky at the moment so I'm reviewing his menu options - currently he has a herbal pasture mix, alphabeet and a dble handful of oats. I think this is too much although the mix and alphabeet are both supposed to be non heating, I am cutting out the oats altogether so do you think alphabeet & mix are enough on their own? My friend uses just conditioning cubes to good effect so I was wondering about those instead. It's so complicated now! I have a back person coming to look at him tomorrow as the farrier has commmented that he's hard to shoe behind and when the vet gave him his jabs on Friday suggested that it would be a good idea. God knows how much that will cost, but hopefully it'll help - there are no signs when he's being ridden that he's stiff or sore.

Both mine are on Haylage, one huge scoop of Honeychop, handful of high fibre nuts and today I have started to reintroduce the kwick beet.

They are in light work though to be fair. Although it always amazes me what people think is hard work for horses, so many people assume their horse is doing hard work because it is hacked out every day with one or 2 half hour sessions in the school a week when it is actually classed as light work (by feed companies etc)

Miserable weather here today, winter does feel around the corner now (hence the sugarbeet!)

The dds seem to have regained their confidence after their experience with newboy [who has gone back as he didn't improve] and today dd2 was keen to try a little jump again.By the end of our sesion,she wanted to try the bigger jumps that dd1 had been doing,and surprised me by getting over them with no tears.It was nearly 5 o'clock and getting dark by the time we finished and there was a lovely full moon up,I think the girls enjoyed riding by moonlight.

Mirage, I completely missed you had got a new horse, sorry it didnt work out.

I got Your Horse magazine yesterday (i don't usually) as they had three interesting looking articles - feeding your ex-racehorse, lunging exercises, and how to give your horse a decent workout in just 20mins a day.

Hoping to ride the mare today in the school, will try out the 20mins workout :o

Finally found some time to get back in the saddle, did some 'serious' riding then messed around playing gymkhana games with ex-racehorses - so much fun - they're actually really good at it!

Just catching up with everyones posts:
Mirage: you found your mare so i'm sure the right 'pony number 2' will come along soon, keep searching.
Frosty: Sorry to hear about your job, hope you manage to find a new one soon.
Manatee: Hope the whole college thing is sorted out now, such a shame it didn't work out but it was worth a try - free livery would have been so good if the people weren't so crazy.

Today was my first time back on a proper horse since my accident - went in the school on my friends eventer and it went really, really well. Too well possibly as she started muttering about doing some paradressage tests

That is great news CMOT - hope you continue to have fun.

Sadly I had to have my beloved old cob put to sleep last Friday. He was aged 25 (or 26) and I'd owned him since he was a 4yo so really part of my life. I bought him to learn to ride on and he carried me at HOYS at Wembley and won lots of top shows including Royal International. He was getting uncomfy round his boy bits due to some growths and I thought it was time but my how upsetting it is.

Will be looking for a hunter/show horse of some description but will maybe wait until the Spring to save on costs/hassle over the Winter.

So sorry to hear that Butkin. I'm sure that you've given him a lovely life and then made the hardest, but kindest decision that you could have done. I'm sure all of us will be thinking of you.

Thanks Older. I didn't cry when my dad died in the Spring but wept buckets for my poor horse (felt so guilty leading him down to vet even though it was the right thing to do). Just shows you how they affect you. Responsibility is such a big thing with any animal. Thats why I'm quite tough on posters when they talk about getting horses/ponies - such a big decision.

I'm so sorry to hear that Butkin. Its so hard to say goodbye isn't it

Oh Butkin,I'm sorry to hear about your boy.If it is any comfort,you did what a kind responsible owner should do and didn't let him suffer.

Well done CMOT,good to hear that you are back in the saddle again.

We've had an interesting week,I had an I H Associate over to give me some tips on handling ect,and she was absolutely amazing,she has totally changed the way that dpony and I interact,and the niggley little problems we've encountered have disappeared.She said that my general management of dpony,diet,exercise,field and yard conditions were great,which is reassuring to know,especially as I'd had a 30 year gap in looking after ponies.

She loved dpony and told me that she was a diamond,and that there wasn't enough money to buy a pony like her,she also said that she looked amazing for her age,checked her flexibilty ect and said that she is a rare thing,a horse that is completely straight,no bends or crookedness.All in all,she reckoned that I couldn't have found a better pony for the dds and that she should last them for another 6 years if not more.

I have given her a challenge-to find a smaller version of dpony for dd2,and she said that now she has seen our set up and how well dpony is cared for,she'd have no hesitation in recommending us to anyone with a suitable pony,which is nice to know.

Butkin, it's awful isn't it? Even though you know you're doing the right thing it still hurts like hell. It's almost 6 months since I had to put my old friend down and I miss him like mad, especially when "new" horse is being an idiot, but as you say it is a responsibility of ownership.

Mirage - I used an IH person to help me with loading problems once and it was like black magic really, I couldn't believe the difference she made to him and how easy it was to get it to work for me too.

I'm not around much atm as not only am I still job hunting, we've sold our house and are frantically trying to find somewhere to rent - offer agreed on 17th Nov, then on 24th buyers asked if we could be out by 15th Dec......cue major panic and stress!

Butkin - so sorry to hear your news but what a wonderful time you've had together over the years, it sounds as though he had the most amazing life!
CMOT - congratulations, looking forwards to the updates.
Mirage - - so glad this pony is working out for you and your girls.
Frosty - hope the move goes well!

Promised myself to start riding more, so busy managing yard organising other peoples rides I sort of forget about myself. So had a spare 30min this morning, got on my favourite horse and had a good canter - feel so much better now

Move now off - bastards pulled out 10 mins before deadline after pressurising us to move out on 15th Dec, so now we have hefty costs to cover. Also failed to get an interview for a job I'd thought I ticked all the boxes for so all in all a pretty grim week.

At least now I can concentrate on dhorse again as he's been much neglected for the last couple of weeks except for me buying him a Snuggy Hood to try and reduce the amount of time spent cleaning his head. He was not impressed when it went on and stood sulking for half an hour before mooching off shaking his head! He's got several places in the field which look like a hippo wallow and he spends ages digging them up until they're just right for rolling in. I have never had such a dirty horse!

DD (Sec A) and DW (Connie) went on DD's first pleasure ride today (she is 8). It was superbly run by the local EGB area and although they only did the 12k option it was a great success. Can't wait to do some more in the Spring as DD felt very grown up and they got round in only 50 mins so they went round at a decent pace.

Had a great weekend. Yard Christmas fun day - dressed Dhorse as a wolf and me as little red riding hood! - was so funny watching him look at all the other horses in their costumes totally oblivious as to how crazy he looked himself

Rode today - I am hardly getting any time to ride atm. Just a short hack but it was nice to get out. The mare is quite lively having come back from college rather more fitter than usual, and then stuck in the field doing nothing. I might be getting a sharer soon though, but am now incredibly worried that I have overplayed her safeness, it is the YO's DIL who may share her and I think she is a bit nervous. Dmare is usually quiet, but just on today's little hack she spooked at numerous gateways, and leapt into canter at the sight of a dog. It was all a bit extreme for her, but all the same, maybe bombproof/novice ride etc is a bit of a lie