hapless hacking and Actual Riding log

[Mitchy1nge]

is the riding log full now? Haven't seen it for ages.

Anyway we (well, me and the horse) are back in very light work at last, 2013 can finally begin!

What are your goals?

[Pixel]

Oh he's so pretty, just the sort of pony I imagined getting for dd. Shame she turned out to have zero interest in ponies!
I'm afraid the word 'feisty' does seem to go quite well with welsh ponies, but at least it means they have character so I'm sure he will be a lot of fun .

[frostyfingers]

How nice Pixel, sometimes nothing beats a good ride, even if it is only a short one.

This young man arrived yesterday - he's settling in quite well, but quite feisty so needs some attention paying to his manners, and reminding that I'm in charge of where we go on a walk, not him! I haven't put him out with the others yet, may do that this afternoon or tomorrow.

[Pixel]

Hi all, I finally managed to get a ride on dhorse today, seems ages since I did as the weather has been foul and then when it was dry I didn't have my car so couldn't transport my tack.
By the time I'd scraped off a thick layer of dried mud I only had time for a quick ten minutes round the block and was so filthy I was barely fit to be seen in public . He was lovely though, he seems to have grown up all of a sudden and got almost sensible. He's finally realised that dried leaves skittering along the road are not going to kill him .

[frostyfingers]

New pony arrives Weds, passed his vets & his scope was clean so he'll be here in the morning. I'm planning on spending most of the day with them - he'll be in the stable and the other two will be on the yard so they can make contact but aren't able to kick him. He can retire to the back of the stable if he feels harassed! For the night I'll pop him out in the grass yard and put the others next to him but move the electric fence so there's a good gap between them. Hopefully they won't disappear off around the corner out of sight. The lady I'm getting him from said to do that for a couple of days and then just let them out into the field together as it's big enough for them to tear around and for new pony not to get cornered.

Glad things are going well MrsL - don't rush into something if you don't feel ready and if things are going well with the share then it's definitely worth sticking with for now.

[mrslaughan]

Oh and frosty, I don't envy you your decision
and carrying it through with your dpony - I am absolutely positive you are doing the right thing, but it is still far from easy.

[mrslaughan]

I'm here - still horse shopping...well thats a little bit of a lie, I have been so enjoying riding the horses I have been having lessons on, that I have let the horse shopping slide, plus the owner of the yard has a horse I may buy a half share in....I just am not quite good enough yet.
So all good on the riding front.
DH has started jumping again and loving it!

[frostyfingers]

I seem to be keeping this going by myself - where is everyone?! Dpony had another bout of colic 10 days ago which we caught early but the vet has recommended that we call time on him which is devastating news. She's right, but it's hard to take at the moment with him skipping around the field like a 2 year old - until the next time.

I have spent the last week looking for another companion, and hopefully will pick up our new family member next week - a Section A who was rescued as a colt from Wales and has been in the rescue since then - he's now 6. He's very pretty and although well handled has never worn a bridle or saddle so a bit of a project. He's quite nervous so it's going to take a while but I think I'd like to show him in hand next summer if he's up to it.......

Ideas on how to introduce a youngster to a bridle would be welcome!

It all means that I have to decide when to take dpony up to the kennels to be pts, it makes me feel sick really but I must summon up the courage before he goes down again - it's been 3 in 3 consecutive months, almost to the day. Dreading it.

[frostyfingers]

This seems to have gone very quiet, so thought I'd give it a quick bump. Dhorse is now fit, clipped and raring to go - we've been autumn hunting over the last couple of months and he started out quite quiet and has got progressively nuttier the more we went! It's the Opening Meet on Saturday so I'm a little apprehensive but hopefully we'll stay in one piece.

Dpony had another really bad bout of colic, we were moments away from making the decision to have him PTS but luckily he picked up just in time. The vet is pretty convinced it's pedunculated lipomas which are causing it - fatty lumps on stalks which get caught up and cause blockages. This last one happened overnight on a really wet and windy night so as well has having colicked for a good 3-4 hours the poor boy was hypothermic as well. He's now wearing a turnout sheet (and not overly impressed by it) as a way of at least warding off the worst of the weather if it happens again. The vet has said that if they are not overly frequent then treating him each time is ok, however if they are close together then we have to decide whether to continue. The last two were only 4 weeks apart so I have my fingers crossed that he doesn't have another bout too soon.

Would love to hear from anyone else who's been out and about, hope things are going ok.......

[Bonkey]

Thanks - he is lovely.
Ridiculously quiet to handle.

Slowly building up his wardrobe too - all my mares rugs went with her so am starting from scratch again...aint cheap is it??

Had some bad news yesterday about Dshetty - think he may have done a tendon. Vet put the fear of god in me yesterday by saying worst case was he won't be here anymore.
Have since calmed down and will look at my options again when he gets scanned - he's only 10 and I have had him from 18months old another rescue case . We may have a rough year ahead trying to get him right or it may be it - I have no idea but praying there is a soloution :(

Currently on painkillers with a support bandage and seems fairly happy pottering around - fully expect to go down tomorrow and find the bandage chewed off but I can but try :)

[OscarWinningActress]

Hi Bonkey!

Fingers crossed you get the all-clear. Your boy sounds like a Dear.

OWH has never raced but his parents were racers and he's registered with the Jockey club. Apparently, he wasn't hyper enough, which is fine with me .

It's starting to feel chilly here today so I've ordered OWH his fall and winter wardrobe (I didn't have any blankets or sheets and he's going to be clipped). DH will NOT be amused when he finds out how much they cost .

[Bonkey]

Hello, can I barge in too please even if I'm not currently riding?
Long story but the short version is: Bought a horse that was being mistreated - ex racehorse - as you do....after him having the summer off to recover attempted to get on only to be bronco'd off and crack a few ribs .
Apart from this incidence he is a love, not put a foot out of place and we have a incredibly strong bond for such a short time together (bought mid july) .

His back was sore but we are ever so close to be given the all clear to attempt to be ridden again so somewhere to clear my brain of it all would be nice the dh is bored to tears of horse talk .

Had his saddle checked today and thats got the ok, so just the horse to go....

Physio is out again next weds - if he gets the all clear then I have someone coming to start him off until I am completely up to trying again (with body protector this time!).

In the meantime we have been attempting clicker training, doing lots of ground work and walks out in hand.

OWA He sounds lovely - Fellow TB lover
Has he ever raced?
We also have issues with puddles .

[OscarWinningActress]

That's fab, Mrs! Keep us posted .

[mrslaughan]

well done OWA - sounds amazing

I am horse shopping - but looking for something far my schoolmaster-y!

[OscarWinningActress]

Hello! May I join? I started riding again at the beginning of the summer after a fifteen year break (had a horse as a teenager) and last week purchased my first 'grown-up' horse (the grown-up is me). He's a four year year old TB gelding and he's the sweetest boy ever. He's quite green and we need to work on a lot of basics but I think we'll have a lot of fun together. This morning I rode him for 45 minutes. We worked on walk-trot transitions and keeping impulsion through corners. His default mode in the ring is still 'wiggly line' so we also worked on keeping nice and straight on the sides of the ring and bending around the corners. Lots of circles and a few serpentines. We also worked on tackling the "terrifying" puddle in the corner of the ring and by the end he was splashing through with enthusiasm. I was very proud and made a MASSIVE, soppy fuss of him There was a man working on the fence as I was riding who probably now thinks I'm a certified nut-job . I don't care, it works .

Tomorrow I have a lesson and on Wednesday I'm going to try lunging him, in an effort to get him a bit more supple (I bought a line and whip). Will let you know how it goes.

[TeenagersDriveMeMad]

I'm trying to bring DMare back into work after 8 weeks off - original plan was 2 weeks walk hacks.

Second hack was today and we bounced sideways for most of it .

[mrslaughan]

she was actually originally at the same yard, that I am looking at keeping Dhorse, when I find him/her. The person that runs the part of the yard I would be in will help me find something and also be my trainer. There is also a prof rider who will do schooling.
I want to do low level dressage competitions, hacking doesn't "do it" for me, but realise that is something I need to do when I have my own.
I am quite a nervous person (which I keep v well hidden), so horses temperament is really important...actually I think the most important thing...which is hard when you don't know it.

My husband will also ride it, and he would like to do some jumping. He also doesn't want a cob, and I have to say there are a fair number of bolshy cobs out there, which would rule them out on the temperament front.

the mare we were looking at is younger than we thought we would look at, but had a fab temperament with a v trainable attitude.

So will look on horse quest and also I imagine that lady that runs the yard will keep an eye out locally. Only thing is she really is a fan of warmbloods and I would (I think) like to spread the net to incl irish sport types......I do like something with a bit of ID.......Though having said that my current horse crush is Westphalans

[frostyfingers]

Run a while? MILE!

[frostyfingers]

Ah, best left then, you're right. If the vet thinks there's more there then you def need to stay away, and tbh the mere mention of a sarcoid makes me run a while. My previous horse developed them (not present when I bought him), and I lost him horribly to them. Also, if there's no trust then it's just not worth it. There are plenty of horses around, it just takes time.

Are you looking on national or local websites - I found mine on a local site and it was great because I knew people who knew the sellers, and coincidentally recently moved to within about 10 miles of them and bump into them quite often. I felt that the knowledge that I wasn't far away would deter anyone from trying to pull a fast one!

[mrslaughan]

Apparently a rig got into her field and chased her around, got her foot/leg caught in fencing......it is more puffy than the other and he is not sure there is not a wingall......he feels there is enough there that we should leave it....that the lameness may or may not be a result of the incident, but there is something more there than a superficial wounds. (he also found a sarcoid that he is not sure has not had some treatment on it.....he is not really opposed to sarcoids, but felt this one would be a risk)

They delayed the vetting because she supposedly lost a shoe - it can happen - but now I am suspicious.

She is really nice, but just feel there is too much to proceed....plus they would have to bring her back up, and if they can't be honest about how she is today, I don't feel I can trust them.

[frostyfingers]

Oh what a shame - is the lameness a result of the scrapes and therefore short term, or did the vet think it was something more sinister? Did they say what had happened to cause them? Remember the vet passes them just at that moment in time, so if you're really keen it may be worth keeping in touch and seeing her again in a week or two's time. What exactly are you looking for - I lurve horse hunting......

Had the fright of my life a couple of hours ago as the farm manager sent me a text asking if the pony is meant to be lying down - I ran down to the field, hauled him up and he stood there yawning, poor bugger I'd interrupted his morning snooze! I was so convinced that he was colicking again I didn't think it was anything as simple as a quick lie down!

[mrslaughan]

well she failed :-( she had had to be brought back to the yard where I first viewed her. Turned up, to find scrapes on her legs, to be told they're just superficial, blah de blah......straight away I wondered why I hadn't been told. Well she is also lame in that leg......I mean really, why waste everyones time...I am such a novice and I could spot it, didn't they think the vet wouldn't?

It has been such an overall bad week that this just really tops it off, and I am right royally pissed. A big glass of wine is called for once I have the kids in bed (oh god thats hours away..............)

[frostyfingers]

Good luck Mrs Laughan - she sounds nice. I've just had a run of bad luck really, the summer hasn't been great and just when I thought we were on track this happens. I've never had a horse lose a shoe and tread on it before so twice in a week has to be an exception, and now the pony has had colic I think I've had my run of 3 bad things for now!

The farrier came last night and spent an hour fitting a shoe to the back foot which had the initial injury - dhorse now has a front shoe on it, as there was no way a back shoe would go (nowhere for the toe clip to hang on to). It's not a brilliant fit and the shoe itself is a bit exposed at the side so I've put an overreach boot on to prevent him standing on it.

He'd pulled two poultices off the front foot yesterday (he sort of stands with this feet close together and shuffles them up and down until he gets it off) so I thought I'd hot tub it for a while to try and give it a good clean - no chance, every time I went near him he went up and pulled back. He's been hot tubbed before but wasn't having it this time. After another 20 minutes I managed to get another poultice on and although he went out in the field like a rocket amazingly it's still on this morning. So that's progress, hopefully if nothing erupts in the next 24 hours the shoe can go back on early next week......

The pony seems fine this morning, he's had a night out in the paddock and a little breakfast - I think I caught it quickly enough, thank goodness. He was fine and eating yesterday morning at 9.30, by 11.30 he was down so it didn't have a chance to really take hold.

So feeling a little more positive this morning - and on the plus side the wheat is being harvested on the farm so I'll have a few more fields to ride round for a bit.

[Pixel]

She sounds lovely, (young but hopefully getting past any teenage tantrums by now), hope all goes well tomorrow .

[mrslaughan]

I am looking at her half sister, 5 rising 6.....still a little younger than I wanted, BUT has a super temperament and I am keeping her (if she passes her vetting tomorrow) in a livery situation where I will have tonnes of back up (paying for it obviously, but will need it)

As we have had a couple of horses fail vettings, I am trying to not get too excited........

[Pixel]

mrslaughan, are you inferring that we are all mad?

Poor Frosty is having a terrible time 'tis true, but it's not always like that honest! .
How did it go with the horse you were interested in?