thread on which to report positive things

[MiffyWhinge]

firstly the sun came out, hooray

secondly and even more welcome Joey didn't put a foot wrong today (once he started concentrating and stopped having a good look at everything around him). He managed to shoulder in, leg yield and, with a placer pole, put in a single stride of canter before a jump and do a double with a placer pole in between - he was a star, am ashamed of all the grumpy thoughts I've been having about him until recently. Clever, beautiful boy

please share yours!

[MitchyInge]

thread on which to lust after vets and farriers? my vet is about 800 yrs old and stomps about the yard, aghast at how mollycoddled all the show ponies are

I did a good and selfless thing last night, agreed to swap horses partway through lesson as instructor thought girl on the titanic an extremely slow moving ID x diplodocus was getting frustrated and upset so spent most of lesson trying not to scowl at her having fun on Barney while the shock at how much effort one has to put in to get some horses over jumps sank in. Probably good for me. Sadly no thrills or spills, although nearly slithered off half-dead towards the end.

[CMOTdibbler]

You were a good person Mitchy. The id x diplodocous sounds like the horse I ride, although if he even sees a jump he gets upset - owner alleges that he has got him to jump but no one else believes it.

Going out on a hack this afternoon. Hope the rain holds off !

[Owls]

at ID x Diplodocus. Reminds me of a horse I rode at one of my recent lessons. 45 minutes was all I could manage he was such hard work I was actually looking forward to getting back on my own forward going pone.

Unfortunately no drop dead gorgeous vet or farrier for me either

Pixel, are you lusting after Alice's DH?!

Alice, I like Edward have to say or names of that ilk such as Henry/George. Or Toby. Although have a choc lab called that.

Raining here again today. But just think Mitchy, only one more day of expensive livery!

[MitchyInge]

oh yes of course got absolutely drenched too, and our hour lesson was more like an hour and a half - am really smiley now though because instructor just phoned to thank me and said I rode really really well (this is not something I am often accused of ). we did get over each and every jump each and every time, have actually got bruises on my calves though so God only knows how the mare feels this morning (think she secretly enjoyed it)

and in other exciting news am thinking of adding little bit of oats to keep Barney's insanity sparkle when he starts living out (Friday, field will be harrowed and dressed by then) - even if he is a bit loopy he never does anything horrible, now I don't have to share him with my little girl I think the fun can safely commence

[Alicetheinvisible]

Mitchy - you wild thing you!! (i used to add oats to my little mare's feed when we were doing exciting things like xc. (she was only 6 at the time and a good girl) Now she is quite keen and a bit too intelliegent (just how i like her) Well done on your lesson, you will have thighs of steel

Despite the fact it is pissing down, i got the urge to spring clean my horses maybe at the weekend......

Owls - Henry and george are on our list too. I like Toby, but my friend has a little boy that name.

[MitchyInge]

ooh, had dream about washing their tails last night - you just reminded me. how's that for wild?

[Alicetheinvisible]

Calm down Mitchy, getting a bit overexcited now....

[MitchyInge]

they've both got such beautiful tails though

swoon

haha, it's tragic really!

[Alicetheinvisible]

I was looking at how long their manes and feathers are

[MitchyInge]

aw feathers

who amongst us cannot wait to get busy with the scraper blade thing (technical term)? (you've probably all got very advanced tools for that tho)

and the positive things never end - Joey can stand in a stable for AGES now and let me snog him more or less all over (he does not seem to enjoy it particularly )

[Alicetheinvisible]

Mine are not supposed to have feathers - they are TB

Yay for joey staying in a stable!

Trying to wake up enough to go to horses, afternoons are quite hard work.

[MitchyInge]

have you got nice sunshine now? hope that helps, although all that rain earlier means we will probably need a canoe to get to and from fields

am pestering daughter to get organised so we can spend a lovely long time grooming tonight

[Alicetheinvisible]

Just having a coffee and biscuits to kickstart me. DD is not looking likely to have a sleep either which is a pain as everything takes about 10x as long with her 'helping'

[MitchyInge]

hope it worked out ok in the end?

[Alicetheinvisible]

Waited til DH got home and left DD with him How was your grooming session?

[MitchyInge]

that was a good idea!

got lots of winter fluff out (am still wearing most of it ) but was really too cold to wash tails so ended up taking 450 pics of Barney sticking his tongue out

don't know if I need to get out more or stay in more

[MitchyInge]

PS cmot, how was hack? hope you stayed dry!

[Alicetheinvisible]

It is good to have a hobby. I always end up with hair in my throat

[CMOTdibbler]

It was a bit drizzly, but didn't really get wet. BUT horse has obv got into the joys of spring, and decided to race with the tb instructor was out on and was hell bent on cantering round - but I persuaded him that we couldn't do that yet and settled for a very fast trot instead.

The big boys got clipped today as they are going jumping tomorrow night, so Ben looks like a right hairy, muddy lump in comparison. Bless him

[MitchyInge]

Aw Ben, am hairy muddy lump too so we'd be good team, me and him

it is actually too cold to LIVE never mind groom/ride today

think we are having gymkhana to celebrate end of term tomorrow, excited!

[Butkin]

Palomino Sec A comes home from 2 weeks schooling on Thursday and we are then packing off connemara for some schooling on Monday. Fingers crossed we get in lots of riding over Easter and it is nice enough for family to join me at Higham point to point. If weather is nice (and she is feeling better) DD may take Roan Sec A for his first show of the season at Manor Farm, Huntingdon on Sunday.

[Alicetheinvisible]

Good luck with all that Butkin. Did you see my very confused post further back?

Jealous of you all able to ride and hack out Friend rode TB yesterday and may ride mare this weekend and DH is hoping to hack out this weekend He will be fine, just wanting him to get more confident. Not easy learning to ride on an ex racehorse!

[MitchyInge]

hope DH is out having fun Alice

end of term GYMKHANA last night

so exciting, predictably got disqualified from various events though like canter, trot, walk turning into canter, faster canter, mild loss of control and slight crashing through other lanes and also bending race - but it was a stupid idea to use cones to bend round, we ended up jumping most of them

shudder to think what a danger to society I'd be if riding out on an ex racehorse

[Alicetheinvisible]

Sounds fun Mitchy!!! Last gymkhana i rode in was a yard one when i was about 15weeks pg with DD. It was the first time my mare ever bucked (just head between the knees wahey kind of thing)

Our TB is a sweetie, just takes a while for them to get used to non-racehorse life.

Having trouble with them both WRT weight and eating atm. Spoke to my grandma about it and she thinks it is to do with the fact they have had a taste of spring grass and are getting picky. My dad got me some Alfalfa hay yesterday, so mixing a little of that in with their hay to try to get them to eat and put on some weight. Funny time of year though.

DH is still at work

[MitchyInge]

our hay is weird at the moment, none of them seem to like it - even though it looks and smells a bit like haylage, even Barney (who eats everything anything) is just stirring it all into his shavings and soiling it in protest

farmer says 'there is no decent hay anywhere in Suffolk' but can this be true?