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'm here! Just been busy writing an essay and trying to avoid procrastination (MN).

Had a nice ride in the woods then road hack today, but my back really hurts atm, which made it all far less nice.

I like the sound of your rangers Olderyet :)

The mare is in a 3 ring french link going from a single jointed rubber snaffle. It has been a fantastic improvement - I can stop and steer these days! She is also more willing to work in an outline with the french link.

That's encouraging Manatee, both our other horses work best in a french link. I think I'll give it a go as working in something near an outline is what I'm aiming at at the moment

Well yes, and our 'outline' is more of a 'something near an outline' than a dressagey 'on the bit', but she definitely engages more in it.

No riding today as I had a job interview - and then tomorrow I am going to a seminar in Bath and have to drop of the DCs at the child minder at 6.30am, so I am busy getting ready this evening!

Sad news at the yard though - one of the other horses got PTS in the field last night :(

That's really sad Manatee. Was it unexpected?
Another thumbs up for french links here. My DD's pony was in a straight bar rubber snaffle when we got him, but needed more. Tried him in a single jointed snaffle, but couldn't get on with it (fussing with his mouth all the time) The french link is brill.......he loves it :)
Our area is Bridford, Christow and Dunsford Manatee. It's beautiful. Loads of tracks / woodland / quiet lanes and we're 15 mins hack from a pretty reservoir :) Really must get brave enough to tow the trailer and venture to Haldon.
I haven't ridden today (too wet here!), but planning to explore tomorrow. I'm hoping to follow a ride that DH and I may do one evening (him on a bike) that ends at a pub for tea :)

He was old, had lots of issues, and then apparently broke his pelvis the night he was PTS. Poor boy :(

Hmm...might have to look at moving out that way in a year or so EP.

I haven't ridden today either because of the seminar. I think it will be dry for a bit in the middle of the day tomorrow so will try and ride then.

Hope everyone well. We had rain at last, thank goodness, but not very much. Haven't done as much riding as would have liked due to work and holidays but have had a couple of great long hacks with some cantering etc. Took horse to local dressage today and came third which was a massive surprise. He was SO good. Only walk and trot but he behaved incredibly well and was hugely calm - gave me great confidence. We increased our score from last test by 10 marks so that was brilliant too. I think we'll now move to elementary and plan to do a pairs mini cross country course in a couple of weeks too. It's taken forever to feel this good and long may it continue. Isn't it nice when it goes well? This time last year I was absolutely petrified of riding him so it's brilliant to have something good to report.
What's everyone else up to? Shows/hacking?

Hello

Well done on your dressage Sykes

Rode mare on thursday, yesterday and today - can't bloody move! Good news is that my back seems to be much better though, it is just my poor muscles that are all weak and wobbly

Mare is going to PC on friday!!!! Yay!!! So excited! We are hoping to go along to watch. I am so nervous about her travelling in the trailer though

Glad your back is so much better SSD. My back is not good atm damn it. I am just hoping all pain will just go away!

Well done Sykes :)

Rode around the woods today. Had DCs in tow, they were being moany and difficult! The mare on the other hand was lovely! :)

SupersonicDave - glad your back's better. Must be so frustrating for you.
Sykes - great news about the dressage. Well done you and your horse
I rode Dpony around the reservoirs today he had his first jump
Just a log balanced on another, but I gradually made it higher until he was jumping about 20" (I'm rubbish at measuring...........it was about a hands width above my knee)
He loved it. Each time he cleared it I got off and made it a bit bigger. After our last jump he stopped himself next to it as if to say go on then, make it bigger
I have realised however that I have no brakes

Yay for jumping your pony EP!!! :o He sounds so sweeeet!!! I often lose breaks when jumping too :) And talk of riding around reservoirs is making me really consider moving Dhorse that way at some point.

I didn't ride today, but at the yard I saw another livery whose daughter was riding the back way out of our yard yesterday which goes through some fields which drain quite a lot of water. They are quite marshy, but usually just averagely bad mud if you stick to the route (the one time DHorse went in over her hocks, we were taking a short cut). Anyway, her daughter's pony sank in up to his back. They are okay although quite shaken up. I am now quite worried about riding that way, which sucks, because that is half my rides, going out the front way goes onto such a busy road :(

Well done, EP - sounds great. MEO, that's v scary. I used to have a huge fear of marshy places/bogs and can't imagine it on horseback.
Had a really nice hack today. Horse is being SO good at the moment. I'm cantering out but asking friend to go off so he gets used to being put back to walk/trot etc and let other horse go for a canter then we catch up. I just don't want that feeling of hitting grass and zoom. God, I do sound boring but am too old and want to make him as safe as possible for my daughter. Mind you, she'll doubtlessly get on in a year's time and tank him everywhere. Isn't that what you do as a teenager?

I can't imagine mud anywhere, it's so dusty :( when will it rain properly? Had lovely long hack but horse desperate for a good gallop (me too) and ground too hard for anything but walk and trot. The further you go the more insane stuff you meet though - since when have so many people kept peacocks? And why do they wait until you are almost on top of them before making that horrible noise!

Mitchie - it sounds like you live in some colonial estate in India or something - no rain and peacocks! Although there was one peacock near my old yard for a while, but I haven't seen it for ages.

Just another quick ride today, can't really justify doing anything that isn't revision for too long atm.

Ah that would be nice, imagine coming across tigers on hacks! Horse couldn't possibly be any more scared of big cats than pigs?

No riding today which is weird but was/am in odd mood and didn't think it was fair to inflict self on any of them unless properly minded. Sneaked off to check out two potential yards with sharer 1 instead, haven't mentioned to sharer 2 yet. Liked what I saw, especially prices - starting at £10 per pony per week for grass livery. Reassuringly scruffy too, with great hacking.

Years ago I used to have to ride past a "conservation" place for animals, it was really just a zoo. They had tigers there at the outskirts of the compound - just next to the road. First time my horse went mental - we galloped down the road. But after that he didn't seem to be that bothered. I was petrified - the tigers used to hug the fence, poor things, and stare at us.

We met a chicken once, it had escaped from someone's garden. That's the most exotic bird dhorse has ever seen (and he wasn't too keen).

My poor horse is a real townie.

I like the sound of that yard Mitchie!

Another revision induced no-riding day for me :(

Well surprise surprise I have ridden three times this week! Would have been four if I hadn't had to fetch ds from school and take him to hospital because teachers thought he'd broken his nose and his cheek. Poor thing! He is ok though luckily.
Anyway, I've almost changed dhorse's name to Tigger due to all the leaping about. I put it down to spring grass at first and thought he just needed work but as his behaviour has got steadily worse all week, ending with him chucking my instructor off in the road yesterday, I've realised a saddle fit check is in order so will have to get organised before I ride him again. He has really filled out lately so I should really have done it before but my lovely reliable saddler of 30 years has retired (selfish) so I've got to find someone else now.
Sykes I hope you are pleased with yourself, sounds as if you are doing brilliantly with your boy. You give me hope that I can get over my terror fears too and do the same with dhorse.

Good grief, Pixel, it sounds horrid. I'm sure you've done all the usual checks but my back person really helped and just taking it incredibly slowly. I put my horse on a calmer as well - doubt it made any difference to him but psychologically it really helped me. Probably complete waste of money but it did seem to help in some way. I worked my horse twice a day when he was being a complete pain which helped as well and had him turned out as much as possible. It just seemed to take the edge off but working him twice a day was not easy. I hope yours gets better soon.

He only had the vet a couple of weeks ago for a thorough check over and he didn't find anything wrong with him so I think the saddle is the main suspect atm. It's a Wintec so it won't be any problem to alter but my sister wants her saddle reflocked so we will get someone out for an expert opinion on both. I'm not brave enough to get on bareback to see if it makes any difference!

Oh and he lives out so no excuses in that department.

'won't be any problem to alter' haha, the famous 'easy change' gullet

obviously hope it isn't a problem!

We need to get our saddles fitted too.

Mare went to PC on friday! Travelled there and back in the trailer fine (i was sick with worry) and did flatwork and showjumping. She was quite excited but good as gold, and the girl riding her did a fab job.

Lunged Gelding yesterday, he is looking really well.

Hmm...not very 'easy' to change I found (in fact I couldn't do it at all, but my fingers are all dislocatey and silly, so I am sure someone with proper hands would get there in the end!).

I have also been discussing saddle fitting - someone at the yard has one that may actually ft the mare (currently confined to a treeless as it is all I have ever been able to afford that actually fits her barrel). Anyway, I may be able to afford this other saddle if the except it in a couple of instalments

*THEY ACCEPT