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.

[Mirage]

She arrived at lunchtime and settled in immediately,bless her.I've fenced a bit of paddock off so that dpony can't terrorise her and so I could catch her if she proved tricky.So far,so good,dpony who dislikes other equines seems to be very interested in her [thankfully not in a bitey way].

She was waiting at the gate for us to bring her in tonight and DD2 helped bring her in,she is a real sweetie.I'm hopeful as her last rider used to ride her around bareback with just a head collar on,and she's had everything from toddlers to teenagers ride her.DD2 is besotted,and I have a shiny pony at last!

I'll put some pics on my profile.

I was thinking of your boy today,I bet he's in heaven with all this mud!

[50BalesOfHay]

Exciting news Mirage! Fingers (and everything else) crossed that she's the one for dd2, she deserves a nice pony after all the troubles

[frostyfingers]

She looks sweet, I'm glad she's settling well. Keep us posted - I bet the girls are looking forward to their first ride. Dhorse is enjoying his mud baths - his rug is caked in it, even all the rain we've had didn't really wash it off but I've spoilt his fun with his hoody now. I've tied it to his neck rug at the withers and underneath so he can't scrunch it up and get the mud down his neck. He is still absolutely filthy though - when I've brushed the mud off and he moves away there is the outline of his feet and body on the stable floor!

I'm off to see a spinal consultant next week (on my birthday - great!), so hopefully he can come up with some answers for me. I can't ride atm anyway as both dhorse's back shoes are loose and the farrier is coming on Friday so I'm hoping my back will be less sore for it.

[50BalesOfHay]

Awww, new pony looks very sweet. Good luck with the consultant frosty!

[50BalesOfHay]

Inspired by Mirage putting new photos up straight away, I've finally got round to doing a profile and added some pictures in case anyone wants to see our lovely horses

[frostyfingers]

They're lovely 50Bales - especially the one of Nell with her head in your H's lap. Do you have a treatment timetable for her yet?

[50BalesOfHay]

No news yet frosty, we're waiting to hear from Liverpool. I do love that picture of DH and Nell, they adore each other

[Mirage]

They are gorgeous 50bales They look exactly the sorts I'd choose if [and when] I was looking for me.I can see why you love them so much.

Good luck with the consultant frosty

When I went to bring Millie in tonight,she was in with dpony.I know who to blame,dpony has form for leaning on fences until the rope or the stakes snap.She is blatant that she has actually looked me in the eye whilst doing it in the past.They seemed to have settled down alright though,although Millie wouldn't walk to close to dpony as we went out.Dpony ignored her tea [unheard of] and stood mooching by the gate until she was sure her friend wasn't coming back out again.She is a silly old thing.

The test is tomorrow,if it doesn't chuck it down,the girls have a lesson booked.I'm quite nervous because this is where things have come unstuck in the past.

[Mirage]

Arghhh! I'm so nervous about the girl's lesson tonight.DD2 id besotted with Millie and if it all goes bandy today,we'll both be upset.

[frostyfingers]

It won't, it'll be fine. Have faith! It will be a bit strange for DD2 and Millie and they may not hit it off straight away but it will be fine. If DD2 is besotted by her she may be more forgiving if there is a wobbly between them IYSWIM, but prepare her for the fact it won't be perfect first time out.

Ruddy Dhorse really hacked me off last night - I went to get them in to find naughty pony had slithered under electric fencing into the horse's field which actually isn't much of a problem as there's no grass in either. Dhorse had then spent god knows how long careering around because something was different and was covered in mud and sweat. It took me ages to get him dry enough to rug up for the night and clean the mud off. Why are they so stupid sometimes? Last night I really wondered why I bother.....

[Mirage]

Hurray! it did go well! I am so relieved.DD2 was very nervous and I walked around with her for the first few circuits,but apart from a spook at a pheasant and a nap to the gate at the end,she was really good.DD2 concentrated on walking trotting and did a few little jumps towards the end and I was very proud of her.Millie was very steady and even DD1 cantering past didn't bother her.Plus we had my mum and dad & both next door neighbours watching and the instructors 3 children playing football just outside the school-no pressure then!

I asked our instructors opinion and she said that if Millie continues as she did today,and once DD2 gets her confidence up she'll be perfect for DD2,as she has got quite a bit of speed,which DD2 likes.

Frosty your dhorse sounds like the boy version of dpony.When she saw me coming to catch them both,she waited until I'd got within a few feet of Millie,then decided to gallop about like a loon,which caused Millie to gallop about like a loon too.She has never done that before,luckily they are both easy to catch,but dpony can be a right pain sometimes.I too,slogged about in the mud wondering if it was worth it..........

[frostyfingers]

Told you so (smug emoticon)! That's quite a test with all those people watching and another pony doing things as well - they should be very pleased with themselves.

Fingers crossed for some nice weather this w/e and then they can really get to know each other.

[Mirage]

Thanks.We had a short hack around the village tonight and she was a bit spooky,particularly when she heard other horses approaching.Luckily she was on the lead rein,I'm hoping it is just a combination of new people & new home unsettling her.She was on livery at a RS so should be used to other horses by now.Anyway,DD2 wasn't put off in the slightest.

Dpony and Millie are devoted to each other and as Millie is in at night and dpony isn't,call to each other.She doesn't attack her like she has the other ponies we've had.In fact,she has broken the clasp on her rug by barging the gate open to try to be with her friend.

[50BalesOfHay]

All sounds good Mirage. Don't worry about a bit spooky, you have to expect a bit of settling in and some teething troubles. Try to put past experiences behind you and be positive. She sounds like she's settling really well, and lovely that the ponies get on so well.

[Mirage]

Thank you 50Bales you and frosty are my voices of reason.I should give the poor pony credit for settling in so well really,she had been on the same busy yard for years and her first owners there still had a lot to do with her even after she was sold to the people we are [hopefully] buying her from.She must miss them.And the routine is different as they have no turnout from Oct to March,whereas I turn her out from 7.30 until 4.30.

We've got the PC Christmas Gymkhana next weekend.That should be fun!

[Mirage]

Bless her,she was even spookier in the school today,but she had good reason,there are 2 miniature horses and a foal on the same yard who have never been out before at the same time we have ridden her.Obviously they all got very excited and were racing along the school fence bucking and squealing as we rode.Dpony doesn't react at all to anything other horses do,but poor Millie was very spooked by them and I had to walk alongside to keep her steady.DD2 wasn't bothered though,she just said that she'll settle down eventually.She's got some guts for such a little dot.

[50BalesOfHay]

She sounds like she's doing fine Mirage, and as she's not scaring your dd then it all sounds positive. Maybe if you've got a bit of time during the day you could do some groundwork, take her for walks etc to help her get to know her new environment

[50BalesOfHay]

Big news from the 50Bales household is that GD has come back to live with us after an unsuccessful try at living with her mother. Her pony is out on loan with a view to buy, very settled and probably better suited to where she is now so we've decided to leave her where she is.

We'd decided that for the time being GD would share my mare (everything I want in a horse, everything that a teenager doesn't really want!) so she was riding her yesterday. I was chatting with a friend on the yard who said she needed a sharer for her daughter's horse, as he needs more work and is getting a bit big for his boots. GD tried him, and they'll be fine together, so within two days of coming back GD is sorted with a half share of a nice 15hh palamino gelding. It's great news as it means I don't need to start horse hunting for her till spring. She's amazed that we've sorted a horse before we've sorted her return to school!

Funny how it all works out!

[Mirage]

Oh I'm really pleased that your GD is back with you! I know it must have been stressful for you all,and sad that it didn't work out,but you seemed so happy together.And fabulous news about the share as well.Sounds like it was meant to be.Perhaps we'll see you at PC after all?

You and I had the same thoughts about Millie.I'm not busy workwise at the minute and was wondering what I could do to help de sensitize her and groundwork is something I enjoy.Around loud noises and that sort of thing she is fine,but other horses that aren't dpony really seem to un nerve / excite her.I know she has hunted and PC'd successfully in the past so we should be able to get over it.We are off for a hack in a bit and will have to go past a field of excitable loose horses,so we'll see how she does.

[frostyfingers]

50 that's great news, and the order of sorting things is only as it should be - horses are far more important!

Mirage - it always seems to take ages for horses and ponies to settle, longer than you think. If you have dogs take her with you when you walk them, mine rustle about in the hedges and put pheasants up which is very good for nervous ponies! Dhorse has been at this farm for 2 months with a really regular routine but anything out of the ordinary sends him doolally. I was up an hour earlier than normal last week as I had to drop DS off at college at 6am - dhorse refused to eat his breakfast, was dancing around like a loon and tore round and round what's left of his field like an idiot. Why don't they work out that the more galloping about they do the less grass there is for them to eat?

I've had a rush of the blood to the head and decided to get him clipped and take him hunting so my schedule this week is - pull mane and tail tomorrow then hack out, have him clipped Tuesday afternoon, go to spinal consultant Tuesday evening, go up to stables after that clean him, and wash mane & tail. Wednesday go hunting.....Thursday job interview. Am I mad? Actually don't answer that. Oh and it's my bday on Tuesday! (I'm not expecting to be whisked off for a romantic dinner luckily). I took dhorse for a 2 hour ride yesterday including a really long uphill canter which I had to do twice in order to stop him which proved that he's fitter than I'd thought.

[Alameda]

:) what lovely news 50!

am hardly riding at all, hacked them both once all week - is just very difficult at the moment especially as no car - they were amazingly well behaved considering, but horse absolutely desperate for a gallop. Me too :(

[Alameda]

hunting enjoy!

[Mirage]

Good luck for your interview,and have a lovely birthday!

DH bought Millie in today and commented that she was very jumpy and joggy on the way up the field,she apparently isn't keen on men though [not that we've noticed] so that could be it.We had a lovely hack and despite being a bit nervy for the first 1/2 mile,she soon settled and seemed to enjoy it.We passed lots of other horses with no reaction from her,so she got a lot of praise and fuss.Sadly,we don't have any dogs,but have plenty of pheasants as we live in the middle of a big shooting estate,the damn things hide everywhere and love to rocket out in front of us cackling madly.

[CMOTDibbler]

50bales - sorry for GD that it didn't work out with her mum, but I'm glad shes back with you and sorted with a horse already

Frosty - good luck with hunting, and the job interview.

Well, in the CMOT household, ds is now cantering round independantly and I'm cantering and jumping . We've made so much progress this year, and I wasn't sure if I'd get my confidence back, but it has gone so well

[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.