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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Original poster

Riding log - anyone interested?

999 replies

SupersonicDave · 26/03/2011 11:25

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.

OP posts:
ManateeEquineOhara · 17/04/2011 09:57

Long ride today Mitchie???

The mare is wearing down her unshod fronts too (she is only shod on the backs, we are different!).

Such a lovely day it seems - and I have the kids all day :s Plus got uni work I really should get on with today - have fun all who are riding - enjoy the goof things :)

Butkin · 17/04/2011 13:51

Did you get to Topthorn yesterday Mitchie? DD won the M&M FR on her palomino (which meant a very long wait for the ridden championship but no luck there). Was a very nice day though.

MitchiestInge · 18/04/2011 10:50

Oh very well done! No I didn't make it, although I was around after the event to congratulate friend who qualified for equifest. I can't actually remember what I did all day Saturday? Can feel what I did yesterday though, which was to spend far far too much time in the saddle!

I hope our paths cross soon, would be nice to put faces to names and am still looking for trailer - is yours sold already? Although sharer wants to go halves on a small lorry which is probably most cost effective. Do you ever show at the Jays?

Butkin · 18/04/2011 14:44

Trailer has been washed but not for sale at the moment. Put that on hold as, with DDs pony at show livery, we're just turning up in the car at the moment as they take it to shows.

Will be using trailer to take Connie to Suffolk etc. Box will be bought when inheritence comes thru!

Yes we frequent the Jays (our nearest venue) - not sure yet if we're going on Monday or not as may be tired after BSPS Winter Champs.

addictedtocbeebies · 20/04/2011 07:52

Hello all Smile

Horses are now on spring grass during the day (hooray!) and so far gelding has not had tummy ache, and he is a lot happier looking.

Mare got ridden yesterday by girl at the yard. I am so pleased at how well she is going.

DD rode our old pony again on monday out up the track, naughty pony dived (surprisingly agile for an elderly pony with sore feet Hmm) towards a rathr tasty looking clump of grass, DD went over his head and landed with a thump Sad poor DD. I asked her if she wanted to go back now (she is only 3) but she got really cross with me and said "No Mummy, i want to get back on, i am going to trot" Grin not sure what i have started Confused

Going to the chiropractor today, so hopefully will be fit to ride again next week when DD is back at school.

addictedtocbeebies · 20/04/2011 07:53

Oh fuck, didn't namechange back Confused

ManateeEquineOhara · 20/04/2011 12:17

I rode past my old yard today for the first time since we left. That was weird.

I hate the main road I have to ride on, hate it so much. And all the rides that avoid it now have fields with cows and calves in, FFS! :s

MitchiestInge · 20/04/2011 13:52

heh at forgetting to change name, I'm due a name change so I can have a long anonymous whinge about Yard Stuff

was ok day, yard stuff aside, pony stroppy in school but settled in and went well for 20mins. Did jumping (preparation for competition coming up soon) all going beautifully - sharer was on him - then the rodeo switch flicked and it was Bad. Handstands, rider off, out of school Shock and bolted. Took a while for him to stop and calm down and be caught, then sharer got back on and finished the course and he was fine again. I just cried but that is my response to everything at the moment.

MitchiestInge · 20/04/2011 14:05

can I set him free in the New Forest? Is that unreasonable?

MitchiestInge · 20/04/2011 14:06

(obviously don't MEAN it, am just venting)

ManateeEquineOhara · 20/04/2011 14:26

I would be kind of mad if that happened to me Mitchie. Is the sharer okay? Why the hell does he do it! I know that obviously you don't know the answer to that, but considering it sounds like he goes beautifully a lot of the time, it sounds like there must be something causing it :s

Original poster
SupersonicDave · 20/04/2011 14:43

Mitchy Sad that is tough. I know it is expensive but have you tried a chiro for him? My chiro does humans and animals, and at one yard we were at she did this horse that kept going completely mental for no reason and found he was so sore that she could only do a foal treatment on him, and even that made a huge difference. Otherwise, it would be teeth, saddle, bit, food etc. There is also the spring grass, but i know this is an ongoing issue.

Also apparently there is a stroppy mare supplement for geldings now, or Nupafeed has very good results.

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brighthair · 21/04/2011 12:22

hey, I'm new here :-)

I had a lesson on my horse the day before yesterday and went for a hack to cool off as we were both sweaty!
Yesterday was SO hot, I did 20 min s schooling and then pottered around the yard

MitchiestInge · 21/04/2011 12:58

Hi brighthair, impossibly hot isn't it?

I've flicked slightly diluted horse wee on lots of myself whilst scrubbing the matting a bit too exuberantly and I have no intention of getting changed - given that have to go back and finish the job in a few hours. It's not the best smell in the world is it?

Rodeo pony better today, keep trying to put him in situations where it happens to see if he tries it and then prevent it. He did try a little. Am not convinced we will ever make enough progress for him to be suitable for anything other than a rider with such a high level of competency that they probably wouldn't look twice at a chunky little coloured, unpredictable and hairy thing. But who knows.

Gut feeling is that this isn't health or discomfort issue, he's been this way his whole life and has had regular checks. It's the way he is. Am throwing lots of money at him already but his sharer might want to try the chiro and she is welcome to organise that!

brighthair · 21/04/2011 13:10

too hot!
I should introduce myself and horse really

I'm 27 from Lancashire and I share a 16.2hh ID X TB mare who competes in dressage at Medium level. She also likes jumping, and eating :-)

olderyetwider · 21/04/2011 13:30

Hi brighthair, welcome to the tack room. Your horse sounds lovely!

I'm a wussy nearly 50 year old so I've got a nice little Fell pony, who is a very good girl (but she can go really fast when she's sure it's what you want!) I love her very very much as she's given me my confidence back. DH has a Belgian Draught, who's stopped trying to eat everything in her path on rides, and GD has a pretty and sweet natured Welsh/Arab who is the love of my life because he's so nice to her.

Totally gratuitous introducing of our horses, but it's all so lovely at the moment, and I'm so proud of them!

Mitchy, good luck with Pony, you are brave still getting on him, I'd be too terrified. I am full of admiration for your commitment to him, and jealous of your bottle!

brighthair · 21/04/2011 14:20

Oh she is :-)

I am a very nervous rider but have made vast progress in the last few months thanks to a great trainer. This week I have hacked out and ridden on my own :-)

Ponks · 22/04/2011 18:31

Well have had a brilliant week so a complete about turn from previous panics. Have schooled, hacked, even jumped (though fences so small not really coming under definition of word "jump"), and today went on a farm ride with DH, we had a great time, had lots of canters, popped some tiny logs, no panic attacks from me Smile.
Mare very bothered by flies and / or pollen so think nose net in order. She doesn't do it at all at home or local hacks though.
Has everyone else had a good bank holiday? What fab weather!

MitchiestInge · 23/04/2011 09:06

Look how well everything is going for everyone, the sun makes everything better :)

did lots of ambling round the roads and bridleways yesterday, new nose nets (equilibrium I think) plus fly repellant have made massive difference to the two head shakers - it's still too hard to canter anywhere though so our usual routes take ages

Original poster
SupersonicDave · 23/04/2011 09:31

I am so Envy of you all!

Mare is doing so well with the fab girl from our yard - is it wrong that i am tempted to do some dressage on mare now that someone has been getting her going so nicely? Grin

Back is still a bit Confused so i am not even going to attempt to ride until it stops hurting Sad

We fly sprayed our horses for the first time yesterday. Mare has Switch (pour on every 10-14days) and Gelding has Deosect (coat with spray every 10-14days) which works well for us as usually someone else turns out, and it is a bit of a faff having to put on fly sheets/repellant every morning.

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MitchiestInge · 23/04/2011 15:02

Wow, never knew you could get weekly/fortnightly things - what a good idea. Sorry to hear your back is still not right though.

Does your fab girl want a usually fab but sometimes explosively unpredictable skewbald pony to ride a few times a week?

ManateeEquineOhara · 23/04/2011 18:13

Well done Ponks - that is fantastic that your getting on so much better with riding :D

I rode the mare today in the woods, impossibly hot. She was sweating before we even started. The mare was also incredibly strong again...eek.

Original poster
SupersonicDave · 23/04/2011 18:31

Oh dear Ponks [busad] Is she in season?

Mitchy - the Deosect costs about £30 but this our 3rd year using the same bottle, really is amazing. Just don't put it on in the stable!

Our girl is only 15, so sadly not freelance yet, and also has a young 16hh warmblood that she is doing well with.

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Original poster
SupersonicDave · 23/04/2011 18:31

Sorry, not ponks, i mean Manatee

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ManateeEquineOhara · 23/04/2011 20:53

I haven't noticed any more obvious signs that she is in season...but she could be. She has got herself a male admirer over the fence who calls for her as soon as she is out of the field. He lives alone on restricted grazing, and the mare is out on her own often because her field companions are stabled every day. But their romance will have to continue to be over the fence because mares and geldings are not allowed in together at this yard :s