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.

If you get stuck just ask - the Champs schedules can be daunting when you first look!

Yes showing is Toddlers and Tiaras (we loved that show because of horror of it!) but to be honest you'll find a level of class that will suit you down to the ground. Your DD will get lots of ideas and the specialist kit you see there will inspire you. DD got as much fun going to look at the Fylde, Mrs Candy, Showing Selection and Courtlea numnah stalls as actually riding at the Winter Champs!

Notinmylife ooh he is a really handsome boy isn't he?
Butkin Your palomino is gorgeous and your DD looks so smart on him.You must want to burst with pride looking at them.

We haven't ridden since Sunday,thanks to a combination of things,including a poorly DD2 who has had a nasty tummy bug.We are hoping that the rest of us don't get it as we are going to a cross country rally for the first time on Saturday.Apparently X Country is dpony's thing [along with hunting].

I got to the paddock this evening to find that dpony had jumped into the starvation paddock with newboy and was very agitated.My neighbours beast,whom she has lived next to for the past 8 months,had broken into the pony paddock and she was really upset,kicking and squealing,trying to get down and roll,then getting back up,pawing the ground,kicking her tummy and frantically head waving.I was convinced she was colicing,but as soon as I herded the beast out,she was back to her normal self and even ate her tea 6 inches away from them.I watched her for a good half hour after that,checked her tummy for noises,picked up the normal amount of poo,and she was grazing happily without a care in the world.She likes the beast but obviously feels very territorial about her patch of grass.Silly old mare.

Thanks Mirage - I do hence finally getting round to putting a picture on here!

Good luck for Sunday.I don't think we are going now,as the weather looks bad.Also the ADC where the household cavalry horses/army horses are trained is having an open day and the dds are keen to go and have a look around-then there is a Shire Horse show just down the road too.

Yes forecast for Rutland is grim. We won't take the Palomino in if it is actually raining or getting oppressive - but he is in two classes - RI and normal FR - so we'll make a judgement when we get there. The SHP will go in regardless!

Have fun at your event and hope the weather is OK.

Good luck for Sunday Butkin if you do go! Had a look at your pic, they make a gorgeous pair!

Thanks Mirage, I am getting pretty attached to him already!

We had a bit of a setback yesterday. He has been getting so good at standing to be mounted with someone at his head I decided to try getting on when there was no one around. I didn't quite make it and ended up standing in one stirrup as he cantered off towards the field. I had to jump back off again. I could kick myself now! Just hope I haven't set him back too much! We did have a nice lesson after that though. He seems to be starting to settle down and work

I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend and the weather doesn't end up being too terrible!

good luck to everyone showing and competing in your various disciplines this weekend even and especially the art of Mounting At Speed (have to do that on the pony and as you can see on profile, it is not even a very long way up )

it's COLD

I wish hacking was recognised as a sport, all the things that come naturally and that I have an actual aptitude for (like sideways show jumping, ambling/chain smoking for miles and cantering up Debenham high street) are scorned and discouraged :(

Our plans have come to nothing.DD2 has had a bug,and we thought she'd got over it,but she was sick again last night,[with hindsight pizza wasn't the best thing to eat 2 days after being poorly] then I felt really rough with an upset tummy last night and went to bed at 8pm.Consequently,none of us could face getting dpony ready and the drive to the cross country course,so we had to cancel.We'll miss the street party today too.

I've found what on paper,looks like the perfect pony for DD2,but someone else is trying her today,and the owner is going to ring me and let me know if they want her or not,if not we'll go and see her.I'm crossing everything I can because she is exactly what we are looking for,nearby and well under my budget.Let's hope our luck changes.

Good luck to everyone out and about this weekend.

Alameda, hats off to you for your mounting at speed skills, think mine still need a little work!! Your skills may not be recognised as sport but they sound bloody useful, and fun

Mirage, sorry to hear things haven't gone to plan. I hope you and DD are better soon!

Fingers crossed Mirage, it's not the one from Rearsby Lodge is it? Shame you haven't got to spend all day out in the rain! Hope you're all better soon

Perfect pony has been sold,but they can't pay and collect for a few weeks,so if it all falls through,they will ring me.Trebles the one at Rearsby Lodge was lovely,but only 4,so too young for DD2,but thanks for letting me know.A couple of PC mums have rung today to see how we are,and they are all looking out for us too.

Pouring with rain here,and a couple of local shows have been cancelled due to slippery ground.I hope Butkin has a good day at Rutland.I'm hoping to console myself by watching 'All the Queen's Horses' tonight.

Thanks Mirage. It rained all the way there, all the time at the show and all the way home! DD got through 3 changes of gear and we were pleased just to leave the showground without being towed off!

We did put palomino Section B in the PUK Brineton FR despite the icy rain. He and DD never put a foot wrong and won this class but sadly only came reserve. They kept us waiting for ages for the Lobster Pot class to be run and then they were cold and out of steam. Judge came over and said to DD that she wanted him to be her champion but she just needed to keep him going.

We couldn't do RI on him because it clashed with RI SHP LR on new grey pony. This was grey ponies 2nd show and we were delighted to be pulled in top. However he just showed his inexperience in the rain and stepped sideways out of the "obstacle" (two white poles he had to stand in and then turn and step over. We got dumped to 4th for this but were delighted that he got easily the best confirmation mark. The ride part will come. DD then rode him around off the lead - hopefully he'll be doing his first SHP of First Type by July.

Well done Team Butkin!

please can it stop raining SOON

We were so lucky today. After a horrendous night of gales and rain we had a beautiful sunny afternoon for our street picnic. I've been sitting in the sun, drinking wine, eating coronation chicken sarnies and not giving horses a second thought.

Well Done Butkin and DD! The rain was icy so can well imagine how cold your poor DD got.

We are attempting a ride shortly as the rain has stopped.It is still cold though and the dds will need gloves.We are taking newboy to his first PC Rally on Friday,luckily it is only about a mile from our house,so no early start that day.

If anyone is bored and fancies some pony shopping,I'm looking for 12.2-13hh,not bothered about sex,age,colour or breed,but must have hunted and be good in traffic.Budget is £2k at the most and preferably in the E.Midlands.Thankyou.

There's a 12hh on our pc website:
branches.pcuk.org/meynell/for-salewantedloan/

Will keep an ear out though.

and a couple on horsequest www.horsequest.co.uk/3/ponies-for-sale/63/pony-club-ponies/258/pony-club-ponies-13-2hh-under

ref 51859 and 51853

Thanks for those marialuisa I liked both of them,and made some phonecalls.Sadly the mare is only 11.2,and the gelding is 13hh,but never hunted.I saw the ad for the pony on the Meynell site last night and was mulling it over today.DD2 is riding a 12hh at the minute and looks just about right on him,but if I buy one the same height and she shoots up a couple of inches,we are back to looking all over again.I've spent the best part of the last year pony hunting and don't fancy starting all over again in a year's time.

Bloody ponies!

It's hard to judge isn't it? DD is 5 foot and still ok on her not very stocky 12.2. I'm very torn as I think we could possibly stretch another 12 months out of him but deep down I think something bigger would be better. A friend's 13.2hh has just come up for sale and in some ways I'd like DD to see how she looked on her but equally I'm scared it'll confirm that dpony is too small.

You are right,it isn't easy.I think you were correct when you said that PC children tend to ride bigger ponies than the showing world would.My friend has just bought her 6 year old a 13.2 [admittedly the 6 year old is nearly as tall as 8 year old DD1] and newboy's owner is looking for a 14hh for her 9 year old DD.

As long as your DD is comfortable on her pony and not knocking jumps down with her feet,I wouldn't worry.

I think I need to abandon my pc upbringing and embrace showing fully! DD is going to have a sit on the 13.2hh on Saturday at a show we're both going too. The mum knows where I'm coming from so no risk of being thought a time waster which is always a worry.

On a more cheerful note we're off on a beach ride tomorrow, will be intrigued to see what dpony makes of it all, not least because he thinks he's a racing pony. I'm slightly worried I may not be in a fit state to drive back afterwards as last time I rode for more than 30 mins tomorrow I felt it for days.

Oh how lovely-the dds dream of riding on a beach.Do you mind me asking where you are going to go?

There's a lot to be said for a crossover if you can run to it, marialuisa. We got GD's 14.2 last year and she still rode her 13.2 at shows and took him to camp. She's now too big for him and only riding the 14.2 but the crossover period was really good for her. (part-loaner for old pony was hugely helpful though as otherwise she'd have struggled to keep both going). Incidentally, for those who know our situation, she's staying put with us for the time being so no need to part with pony

Yes PC children often ride bigger ponies - sometimes because they just want an experienced pony, sometimes because handed down from siblings or just because they knew it was safe and they could "grow into" it.

Showing people tend to work out what classes are age appropriate and then find the pony to fit. This is particularly true with younger children who need to fit into LR or FR classes or those jumping. DD's palomino can't do Cradle Stakes (tiny jumping) because he is 12.1 and 12.0 is the limit. As you can see in photo although she is 9 (and at least average height for her age) she doesn't need anything bigger at this time. Her grey is only 12hh so she can do 122 SHP off the lead. It is also a big problem with older children if their ponies are over height for one class but small for the next height up - definitely something to be considered - and ponies are priced accordingly.

Third time lucky with this post....

We went here with trebles' sharer and her mum:www.orchardfarmridingholidays.co.uk/ I am bursting with pride, dpony was a star. More traffic than he's ever seen and a totally new experience on the beach, after the longest trailer journey we've ever done and he didn't put a foot wrong!

I know people who have used this place:www.field-farm.net/home up the road which avoids the hack on roads to the beach but they don't have horses you can borrow and I wanted a go too!

Not at all ready to sell dpony, even if he is an awkward height for showing