eaten alive

by midges .....ggrrrhhhh could feel them crawling about my skin whilst i was riding...

didn't do a huge amount, and stopped once we'd managed twice round the arena on left rein ... default at the moment seems to be right rein, my feeling is it might be my balance, not sure...

anyway, one problem - the tip for getting movement/turning is lift the hand and turn the wrist so the knuckles are on top with fingers towards you ... which is fine right hand, but is not doing my left wrist any good at all....

so will have to send message to RI about that

and i do so wish someone had been able to video my lesson...

we've pretty much lost enough light for evening hacks now, save for a nip round the 20 acre, and that'll not be possible by the end of next week :-(. winter's coming in ... but at least the weather is good at the moment, despite the midges...

we're all melting

it's like a warm bath outside, which is very bizarre for September, end of! and forecast to continue into October....

anyway, didn't ride tonight, decided the need for food took precedence...Monfils is looking well, and shiny, probably because of the heat, and am waiting for any signs of a winter coat. i was wondering the other day when was the last time he DID have a winter coat, and wasn't fully clipped - it'll be a good few years back!

Keys and hacks

Apologies for last nights lack of report.

Went in the arena to practice after Sundays lesson, and progress was made.  When he had statuesque moments it was easier to get him going again. Turns not quite so easy partly because carrying schooling whip in case needed to reinforce leg, which it was, so got in the way, and partly because of strain o left wrist - lift and turn not good.  O willhave to see how that goes

tonight  Hack out just round the twenty acre gorgeous weather but needed toget round before dark - nights drawing in - went out with Beth who was gutted to have missed Sunday advise going to try do the next time.

But you wouldn't believe - i didn't realise till we got back my right stirrup was two holes longer than the left! What was that about?!!!

excellent stuff.....

New RI, trained by Heather Moffett and by Racinet's pupil in the states, so i had hopes....

and they were fulfilled.

as for me - i had, of course, forgotten a lot of what i used to know (i suppose understandable after loads of time NOT riding after injury!) and need, of course, to not ride Monfils the way i used to ride Molly - her issues are not his (if he has any apart from being clever..)

Raise the inside hand to get flexion and look where I'm going and stop being so damn busy! and to get the statue to move, again, raise the inside hand and then take him slightly off balance - job done

and when he gets to the point where he wants to take the contact down - let him...

and I'd started pulling back .baaaad me...

and i was blocking.

but i was more pleased for Gaynor, who had her first lesson in her life - a good rider, but needed more - and she was well made up (but needs a new saddle, so will be borrowing mine!)

another bad day.....

didn't even get on! ggrrhh

the day got off to an unexpected start - Gaynor was going to turn out both this morning, but her OH (he's in a band) hadn't come home from a gig in Harrogate, the band had been offered a caravan near there and since it was a late finish ... but she didn't know that until 10.30 last night! failed to get through to me on the mobile (she'd texted, and we were upstairs listening to the radio on the internet ) so it was fortuitous I got up earlyish anyway and saw her several texts and notifications of missed calls from her - she'd been on the point of waking the kids to go and do the horses, as she hadn't been able to get to me....

we spent most of the day waiting about for TV to be delivered - had expected it today, had booked it today - it didn't turn up, and when i checked the website (having found one could track orders!) they have it down for NEXT saturday ..ggrrhh. Partner was VERY bored as (even though she was busy) she didn't get any time away from the house, at least I managed that much...

did take time out to collect new rubber stable mat - Gaynor took me up in her 4WD, would never fit in my car!

so when i did make it to the yard i had that to put down, which meant moving the bedding over, lifting three mats, putting new one down, and then cutting the two bits of a whole one I had left to fit the last space left....

by which time, it was too late to ride - well, i could have done, but everyone else who was going to ride had ridden, Gaynor had hoped to, but ended up unable to do so as had no childcare - and i think i want company, even though i know he'll go out on his own I'd still rather be with a friend

hopefully, we're all good for the lesson tomorrow ....

The view

Might be good but we were playing statues i wish I'd not got on!

I did get some movement but not enough and then i was last there so end of that attempt.

a better night in the arena

the new girth arrived (i spiked my finger with a staple getting into the parcel!)

so, decided to go into the arena - no one to go out with, and we do need to do this... young beth came to spectate (i say young, about 17 but a good eye and a good rider) and i was pleased she did as she was able to assist the process of getting him going

of course - he was taking the piss was the problem....

at one point, beth got up, came in, and physically moved his front feet forward, so eventually he was forced to move his back ones and we got going again!

after about 1/2 hour (was it that long? not sure, probably) i was able to dictate the place we stopped!

i think a lot of the trouble has been that i've been stopping when my wrist hurt - which for me was valid - but of course he doesn't know that, he just knows he hasn't had to do it....

so, more tomorrow!

then hopefully a hack out on saturday, and a lesson on sunday morning assuming the weather holds....

in the meantime, here's that mohican....

mohican

if i shorten the mane, Monfils has a Mohican ....needed doing, but interesting result. had hoped to take photo, but had to move him in instead (his "parking space" is near the tap and friend needed to cold hose her horse's tendon!) so will try and get one tomorrow......

by which time, i hope my new girth will have arrived, apparently it has been posted!

Another nice ride

Out with tracey and her dun Marcus.  Tracey was riding for the first time for a good while since she fried the tendons in her ankle. So walk - up the steep hill behind the yard,  through the gate (which i opened) along the track following the peasants we were putting up in front of us - monfils not phased at all in the front. And back round.  Excellent.

sunday

was largely spent footing a ladder ..... i HATE it when it is time to paint the house.

ride the horse? well, i should have done that first thing, had i but known.....

but one good note - when i went to the field for him in the evening, they were having a MAHOOSIVE hooly - but i called anyway, and do you know, he came!!!!! i was a bit stunned by that

lovely evening ride

with Gaynor - unexpectedley, she arrived a minute or so after me, i thought everyone else had been & gone!

and I did ALL the gates... mind, i really will have to be careful, they're not good on the left shoulder, much easier with the ones i can do with my right hand!

and it was so warm we had to get the fly spray out!

just as monfils and i got to his stable door...

the heavens opened!

i expected it, and TBH was surprised it had not started sooner.....been forecast! and set in for the weekend, we are told...

more solo hacking

not that that was the original plan, but i'd got there too late to have company

so ... deep breath -

along the back drive (i knew that wouldn't be a problem, did it the other week) and round the 20 acre - i started singing as i got to the first corner, as i do dislike wide open spaces, and who knows what's going to happen .... also, of course, got to get rid of the memories of molly planting, disliking fishermen, and so on ...

walked along quite happily. put up a pheasant, which startled me but not him ...

and i was surprised to be able to open the gate at the end - i could feel it in the shoulder, which isn't wholly fixed yet, but since i couldn't have done that at all a few weeks ago, very pleased indeed.

was going to trot up the hill to home, but the girls on ponies were at the top so he stopped and dropped back to walk before we'd really got going...

there was a change in log positioning at the top - there are some logs that people pop - and there were two at a narrow place, leaving a gap to go through - he was a shade snorty at that, as it wasn't like that last time we went up that hill with company, but went past it no bother

also, unlike the last few times we've done that (when i was at the riding school) he walked over the blue pipe thing on the ground without a second glance - that's possibly been assisted by the fact that i used that stretch for in hand grass when he was on box rest a few weeks ago.

overall, very very pleased with both of us!

Rug time

Its getting nippy so rugs on. Only lightweight for now but it's time.

And we're still getting that wind

Hurricane katia

Has vicious tail!  Too dangerous to ride in that wind!

i said to max...

back in June, that i thought that when Monf is licking & chewing, he's not actually thinking about what he's learning, he's thinking about his next evasion..

i watched the film i took of that session today, as a reminder..

Monf's evasion is, to come towards me at an angle .... so therefore can't get him to go away from me...

out on my own!

did think about going in the arena, but decided instead to go along the back drive, would decide whether to come back via the 20 acre depending on the weather - if it's really windy, there's a stand of bushes that, from now on to spring, clatter in the wind - and the wind kept getting up really high, then dropping back.... so went as far as the ford, then turned round and came back, as the wind had got up (course, it dropped again when i got back, but that's sod's law...) - the boy was very good, and very brave! there was a horse screaming it's head off for its friend in a field over the hill, and someone could be heard opening and closing a gate out of site (two riders then seen coming down hill) - and we met one of them coming the other way on a track to the side of the back drive....the pheasants (of which there are 100's just now, stocked up ready for the shooting season) didn't phase him one bit (but then, they run round the grazing as well). i reckon putting a pheasant up is more startling to rider than to horse...

anyway, enjoyed that; will try another (gateless - i think I've mentioned, i am physically unable to do gates at the moment!) route next time!

got back and thought we'd do some schooling in the arena .. not. he's a stubborn b when he wants to be....

broken girth!

happily, i noticed as i was tacking up. It certainly wasn't like that last time I rode on Sunday, it was very odd. In the bin, and i need a new 26" one - will get a Professional's Choice (I was looking for a reason to buy one....)

so put the 24" on which is, strictly, a shade short, and which i don't really like, it doesn't have the elastication and the girth straps don't fit inside the girth neatly, which i like on a dressage girth...

went in the arena - did think about going out (Charlie was being ridden too) but we both ended up in the arena

still won't lunge!

that was quite amusing in one way .... Gaynor had thought she could sort it .. wouldn't believe how hard it is (I really do think he really DOESN'T see the point and so won't do it) and to be fair she did get him going both ways once - then he turned himself in, as he does very quickly - and couldn't be got going again. should have just stopped there (I had to be at the airport in 40 minutes to pick partner up) but I let her enthusiasm get the better of my judgement and we tried again. no good... so he won that one. But on the other hand it was interesting, and useful ...

I only want to try to get it going as we're going in to winter so less riding, plus I would really like him to actually start volunteering this just on principle.

but I really don't think it's going to happen...

rained

as i drove to the yard it started teeming down... and really looked as thought it would continue, big black clouds looming ...

guess what

it didn't.

ah well, wrong again!

note to self...

don't try and do in hand work any more, it hurts the shoulder and doesn't do a huge amount for the wrist!

he actually tries quite well on the left rein but not the right, and going right is not good for the left wrist, and neither are particularly good for the shoulder.....

roudn the 20 acre...

at a quick marching pace! Charlie could not keep up, and Monfils did not want to slow down ...all a bit stressful, but compared to molly's ideas on walking out, an improvement!

Decided the leg was improved enough for walking ridden work!

after that, we went in the arena for a bit - not doing anything exciting myself, but it was interesting giving Gaynor tips - at one point, she had him on the bit beautifully and i had been trying to explain the lack of need for hands - so I said, just turn your shoulders in - result, beautiful circle, whilst remaining on the bit. Gaynor = lightbulb.

not sure what I think of him with the new bit i bought... lozenge snaffle ...mm...

stuff sorted..

Everything had been sort of dumped when we moved yards 3 weeks ago, I needed the time to sort it - and some new pallets! as the ones available were somewhat wobbly and unsafe....

Sorted the pallets today, Gaynor came up with her 4WD and we took the ones I had in my garden (not sure WHY I had 3 pallets in the garden, may have been something to do with the garden remodel a few years ago) down to the yard, job sorted ... took most of the afternoon - the sort of thing best done when partner away

Monf's leg is looking a lot better. the scab came off yesterday, so i put some green oils on it this morning, looked ok tonight....

another couple of days should do it...

at least another few days

the swelling is much reduced; the scab is coming away and it all looks clean underneath - I'll put some green oils on anyway in the morning - so should only be another couple of days or so before I can be sure it's good

in the meantime, evening out for dinner for a colleague's retirement.... good grub and good company

good feet

trimmer was here today; we're both very pleased with Monfils' feet, going from strength to strength (literally, of course!).

leg is still improving as well!

plan is not to ride him until there is no more swelling when he comes in....otherwise, IMHO, i will be riding before it's fully healed, which would not be good