Adult new or returning riders part 2

[theferry]

I thought I’d start a new thread seeing as the existing one is full.

I’m due to ride tomorrow. Maybe I’ll jump. I’ll see.

She is very limited. One every now and then, and rarely a full one. Maybe half, once a fortnight.

She goes absolutely bonkers for them though 🤣

The ‘made of clementines’ comment was just a bit of hyperbole 😉

I’m very careful with her.

@LunaNorthso…….?

we’ve patiently waited another week!

Im off to see a lovely looking 14.2 light cob today, he looks like a nice (very low level) all rounder and great hacker.

Hi,

Please can I join. I'm hoping to return to riding. Haven't really been for a couple of years but I'm missing it. I'm hoping to drop a day at work in September so I pick it up again.

Well we had some clementines so I tried them today. Got some very mixed reactions from total chompage to disbelief and spitting out in disgust.

My favourite Luxembourg warmblood was not happy as I'm one of the few to give him treats and I got 30 seconds of flemening from him.

Good job I still can't ride because of my bloody wrist or he'd be chucking me off.

This was Clover with bananas. Utter disgust.

No foal yet. I know, I can’t believe it either.

We’ve had slight drama this week, as she pulled a muscle charging up and down her field at the sight of an alpaca trek. Charging is never a good plan at eleventy six months pregnant. She’s much better now after a little bute and some rest.

Hope all goes well at the foaling @LunaNorth . Is it likely to be 3 o'clock in the morning like us?

Hi @soccermum10
Welcome! We are all sorts of returning riders and new riders.

how will you get back into it, lessons or do you have access to something to ride less formally?

as you can see the chat at the moment is predominantly around a very pregnant pony ( or possible clementine addicted con artist), we are all very invested in this foal!

Oh dear, I saw the update notification and thought for sure we would get foal photos today!

Has anyone seen the clip of someone putting a mandarin on the end of a worming syringe? I’m tempted to try, but considering DHorse’s disgusted reaction to any unusual horse treat it may be a waste of a good mandarin.

Who knows? Knowing Clover, she’ll lift a leg at 11am and sneeze it out.

She didn’t read the How To Be A Horse manual 😂

The cob I went to see yesterday was lovely.

14.2 and nicely chunky which is a good size for me at 5”3 but hopefully I don’t look too big on him!

a sweet boy, typical greedy pony, more of a leg on type, but I’ve seen his potential in stepping up the gears for a stronger rider. Great hacker which what we will mostly be doing.

I get the feeling he’s going to flourish in a 1:1 home and he’d be a good partner for me to try a bit of everything with!

So this morning I put a deposit on him pending vetting!

Scary but so exciting!

That’s so exciting! Congratulations - fingers firmly crossed her passes his vetting!

Thank you @PonyPlaiter

How did your purchase go? Are they with you now, was it smooth?

Welcome @soccermum10 , what are your plans for September?

Yes he’s here he arrived in much poorer condition than I remembered so I haven’t ridden him yet I’ve just been feeding him up and building condition. Had him about 4 weeks now. I have had some issues with asserting myself as the boss in our relationship and some basic handling like picking up hooves and him standing still when tied up. He’s only 4/5 though.

The thing I’ve learnt most is that everyone has their own little nugget of advice to offer you and learning what to take and what not to take is one of the hardest bits. I came into horse ownership determined to be kind and I’m discovering that actually you also have to be firm - one person told me I was praising my horse too much and to stop saying good boy. I’ve decided to ignore that particular advice - he needs to know he’s a good boy! I’ve decided to crack on with clicker training now which I always wanted to do and absolutely nobody else on the yard does so I do worry what they’ll think of me doing it like it’s a secret or something! I did his second lesson last night about not mugging me for treats and he learnt so fast that he has to face forward to get the click. He’s a curious horse who loves checking absolutely everything out with his muzzle - a couple of people have told me to smack his nose when he gets pushy but that hasn’t actually stopped him and I don’t feel good about doing it. One person actually did it for me 😩 Just trying to feel my way along this horse owner thing without messing anything up too badly!

i would post a photo but he’s quite distinctive looking

@PonyPlaiterhe sounds like an absolute typical young cob! I’ve been advised that the boy I’m hoping to buy can be strong to grass when leading him around so I’m expecting to need to be firm with manners too.

the owner of the ponies I share focuses really heavily on clicker training, mostly because it’s something to do not she’s not really riding, but for the basic manners it’s been incredible. I am now pretty good at making the click noise!

like you, she’s found the more “trad” horsey people are aghast but it works so well for her and her ponies. She’s moved onto amazing a liberty training for it and the ponies just love it all.

My god though you are right the amount of advice I’ve got just in trying to buy! Everyone means well but ask 6 people and you will get 6 totally different opinions. In hindsight I shouldn’t have taken so many opinions, it got too much!

I’m currently righting hard the urge to start buying things, but desperately trying to hold out until the vetting!

I hope you have great times with him @PonyPlaiter . Unsolicited advice to whack your horse is the worst. My trainer suggests getting DHorse to back up a couple of steps if he is pushy - it’s effective and useful training in itself, and if you have something concrete to do the bystanders might leave you alone?

Yes that does work really well - I misunderstood and thought the person meant press gently on his chest and tell him back - what they actually meant was when he barges me or is rude, go towards him and get him OUT of my space. Gentle pressure and politely asking is ok 99% of the time but that’s what I meant about being firmer

to be clear I haven’t smacked him. The backing up thing does work so now I’m thinking there needs to be a mix of more traditional handling/natural horsemanship way of thinking mixed with clicker training - I just need to find what works for both of us!

I definitely think you just need to nod and say yes - I do it myself I try to help people out and make suggestions for them - but that’s exactly what people are doing to me! I didn’t even realise I was doing it so I can see for the most part and with most people it comes from a good place.

what a massive learning curve it is though!

I would definitely advise you not to buy anything yet unless it’s stuff where the colour of the horse doesn’t matter. I had two previous horses fall through before I got this one and having lots of stuff sitting around will be really gutting if it doesn’t pan out.

fingers crossed it does though!

Wise advice @PonyPlaiter, I wish I’d listened to it earlier and then I wouldn’t have had a poo picking fork and shovel, and a whip in my living room for months!

people must be thinking I’m quite a weirdo!

every time you feel like buying something put the money aside so that you’ll have it there when you’re “allowed”. I had a full set of mucking out tools in my dining room, water buckets, feed buckets, everything waiting for at least a couple of months!

Oh I didn’t think for a moment you were smacking him - I hope you didn’t think I was being critical! Just a suggestion to help deter the officious bystanders :)

Come on now LunaNorth , she can't possibly still be keeping that baby to herself!

I’m afraid she is. I tried to coax some maternal instincts out of her earlier in the week by introducing her to a small cute dog, but…nope.

Tights still firmly on.

No way! Have you told her we are all awaiting the new arrival??