an after work ride!

first one since september, i think

was at yard early as trimmer was due, and she arrived on time, very pleased with M's feet. so since it was still light i thought i'd get on.

happily, shoulder recovere enough that i could tack up myself!

got on and round to arena - well, he KNEW there was something/body/who knows what behind the hedge (at right angles to mares field next to arena) - and his head was there, as was his body - he kept growing! no WAY he was coming back to planet earth until he knew what it was. so off i got and went to find out - new horse, being led out in hand. so they had a chat whilst i had a chat to owner - said horse coming in our field saturday.

then .... eventually got him back round, went for stick, got back on (without help) and back to arena where we did walk figures and showed young lady on pony how to do square corners (we're getting good at square corners).

didn't do a whole lot, maybe 10 minutes, but he'd been being really stubborn on the subject of going back round to yard anyway, plus with having had to get off, i was pleased that i got back on , by myself, calmly, and we did some calm work (and that despite someone having left the empty beer keg in the middle of the outside track in the way, he doesn't like that, and despite small new chestnut pony in mares field playing sillies, he does like mares!)

So hopefully more as the nights get even lighter!

monfils had a blast

But with Gaynor up!

She offered to ride him for me, to which i said yes please! i couldn't lift the saddle and then found i couldn't put the bridle on either, couldn't lift the arm high enough!

so she did 20 minutes or so in the arena, and then took him out - round the 20 acre (which had been ploughed, i gather, so was a bit scary! hasn't been ploughed for a few years, that) and he wanted to go, so when they got through that instead of coming back up the track she went through into the field and let him go ... they both thoroughly enjoyed it, although she said she would have enjoyed it more if he had a GP saddle, which is fair enough. a dressage saddle isn't really the thing for a blast!

in the meantime, i'd got Charlie in for her and groomed him

and then this evening partner & i bought a bit of land with a garage on it, as you do.....ex neighbour had moved to Australia but didn't sell the garage with the house, and we want a garage, so deal done - she was home for a holiday so deal had to be done pronto! Don't suppose my firm's conveyancing people are going to be too happy, but one does the best one can on a quick weekend deal when all the offices are shut!

shoulder froze

again! yesterday just before lunch during a long conversation i was having with a client, i could feel it seizing... phone call, but client was on speaker phone...

actually, it had been twinging somewhat lately, and (may seem silly) i wonder if its my jacket - the jacket I've been wearing lately now its warmer required the arm/shoulder to move back to get hand in pocket, and physio did say that backwards was not good...

so car left at office (would not have been able to take handbrake off) and i'm stuck at home until it subsides and will move again.

at least i'm not crying with pain this morning!

bizarre

rugs off in February!

but had to be done, he would have been far too warm een with a lightweight on - 14 degrees c it was forecast (that's 57 F), and apparently went higher - and still warm tonight so it's staying off until it gets nippy again, if it does!

wounded Monfils...

Kicked at the top of the near for, in the fleshy area - not a deep on, but slightly swollen and a bit of heat. seemed sound. I've put some ointment on him and some no-bute in him and we'll see how we go.

As for me, Doctors this morning - reckons its the IBS that's causing my grief. so some prescription stuff to help ease all and hopefully it'll sort itself...

New mounting block

In place and much admired.

Monfils was lunged by Gaynor and worked hard. Shame he won't for me!

bad weekend

gaynor didn't have childcare so todays lesson had to be cancelled - but i would have had to cancel anyway, for illness. plus a howling gale yesterday, and what was tshirt weather last week has gone really cold again!

i'm hoping my ill health is resolving by means of lots of movicol and little solid food (soup! and not a lot of that) and no great desire to eat anyway .... but not good. if it's not one thing it's another!

looking forward

lighter nights - not dark till 6 - so looking forward to being able to start working the boy at night - but hoping the health remains good...

tonight, plan was for a night out listening to a band, partner's plan. but i was pleased when she rang at 5 to say she didn't want to do that, as i was about to cry off myself being unwell.....

anyway, hoping also the weather will stay good the weekend so i can ride both days, and next lesson is this sunday...

practising....

not had much chance of that what with all the weather, so today practising in the arena

We were much better at riding corners correctly - amazing what a difference being shown how to do it properly makes, LOL. My corners have never been as good

and we weren't bad on circles, half voltes (I do like a half volte!) and other changes of rein.

and got a bit of nice trot as well but that was really to get Monf going again as he was getting a touch bored with all the walk, even though walk is good at the moment

and NO sudden plants!

roll on summer and more riding opportunities though, my legs knew about that when i got off.

Sadly, so did my wrist. it had been twinging nicely and continued to do so... went for a swim later, and only managed 1/2 my normal time, if that .... not good....

the sheepfeeder

i thought a good plan for today - given it's still pretty cold (had to use hot water on the tap!) was introduce Monf to the terrifying sheepfeeder ... so when we went for the, instead of heading back to the yard, we took them into the field with the sheepfeeder......much snorting, not too much prancing (well, none at all - there was a bit of grass and some hay as well) and in due course he walked round it and touched it... and then we came back, via more grass. Charlie, of course, was ahead of us leading the way....

whether, next time we hack, he remembers that the sheepfeeder he sees from the track is the sheepfeeder he touched this week, i don't know, but certainly he shouldn't be quite as terrified as he was last sunday!

too cold

for anything.

i do know it's not as cold as europe, russia, canada, etc ... nonetheless, too cold for here, and tis getting to my bones (and the plate!)

monfils is at least toasty in his rug with sufficient hay overnight, even if there is nowt to eat in the field. Oddly, he & Charlie are always happy to go out - it's as if they forget overnight how boring the field is these days, with no grass in it ...

a rdie out!

first one since october! (when i fried my left wrist).

only down the hill and round the 20 acre...

i made a pigs ear of going down the hill (it's a steep one, i dislike it, and i was too stiff).

both horses were very dubious about a bit of orange plastic hanging off a fence, it was tiny.

the very dead and rotted log half way round was clearly going to kill both of them and had to be snorted past, sideways, whilst being given as wide a berth as possible consistent with not heading over the bank into the wear!

and poor monf was totally terrified of the sheep feeder to the right of the track on our way home - quicker and quicker towards it in a faster and faster walk and then his nerve went, a trot/canter u turn whilst, literally, crapping himself .. but i stayed on, and he was ok to turn round and follow charlie!

freezing....

properly. hose being taken inside overnight, tap frozen in the morning, minue 5 (c) yesterday morning, minus 1 most of today, then when it got fractionally above freezing, snow.... that started lunchtime.

forecast to be a lot warmer tomorrow, hope they're right!