Monday 28 April 2014

from rain to dry

but oh the mud 1/2 hour or so to get it all off and get the coat smooth enough to put a saddle on it... all the while waiting for a little bit at the top of the neck to dry (which it did).

then some nice trot work, followed by the saddle slipping back and dropping down :-( tedious he'd being going really nicely .....

hopefully, DV, lesson at the weekend...

Saturday 26 April 2014

people should book the arena...

was just getting as far as putting bridle on (the last thing i do...) when someone else went into arena for a lesson.  who knew? no one could have done.....

so thought i'd try going out, but ended up tensing up, could feel myself doing it, so didn't go far as that's a silly place to be when your horse has just grown himself 2 hands higher

schooled round the yard instead!  but at least we actually left it for about 10 minutes!

MUST sort myself some company out to go out....

anyway, the below were when i turned him out ... first he gets muddy, then he goes off bucking and squealing.  was impressed i got something, as i couldn't actually see the screen due to sun so it was a case of point and shoot and hope i had a horse mid frame!




Friday 25 April 2014

Thursday 24 April 2014

Ouchy

My knee spent tge day seizing up. I decided to ride anyway and dropped the stirrup to reduce the bend I'll probably regret that tomorrow but 20 minutes reasonable work :-)

Wednesday 23 April 2014

and after the excitements of the weekend

a quiet week so far...

rain yesterday, so i didn't do a lot in the dry spell in the evening... lunged! usually a thankless task for me, but slightly less thankless than usual as he maintained a smart walk both ways, no trouble to turn round, no turning in and was ALMOST inclined to trot but we didn't quite make that.... and in some ways better than he was for G on Sunday, when he was shying away from the wall, and, she said, almost looking frightened at some points on left rein, which is bizarre.

today he has his feet done, and farrier was so late G didn't get time to ride ....

Monday 21 April 2014

excellent weekend

saturday was riding - lunchtime, as i was going out in the evening.  he was good, no issues, and we were doing walk/trot/walk transitions and i was concentrating on ensuring he was off my leg... think i've sorted the leg position (i used to have it a shade far back to be truly effective)

was reminded of this point in the evening. Stephanie came down from Scotland and we went to an evening lecture given by Sylvia Loch.  The point that reminded me of my issue with leg position, was in relation to the horse's nerves directly under where the leg should be

interesting ... some of the photos she used to illustrate her lecture were ones i had seen before in a book I have had for many years... but i remember the writer of that book specifically criticising the positions shown (as indeed was SL) but SL said that one of them the writer said was correct......unless it has been used in more than one book? entirely possible, i suppose.....

shame about the food - buffet - soup, gorgeous, with excellent tasty proper bread.  sandwiches? made with bog standard Mother's Pride type bread, horrid. we ended up in Macdonalds on the way home  .....

yesterday, went to Cragside - was on S's way home, she hadn't been, so a good day was had, and we ate there as well.

today, longlined round the 20 acre. That was a first; last few times i tried to do that - about 18 months ago? he point blank wouldn't go beyond the entrance to the mare's field, so i'd given up trying to longline out.  today, no hesitation.  he wasn't even phased by the small group of sheep we met at the entrance to the 20 acre, who shouldn't have been there... he carried on walking and they got out of the way!  That's confidence building for both of us. very pleased.

and the weather has been excellent all weekend, which is most unusual for a UK Bank holiday weekend.

back to the normal tomorrow!

Friday 18 April 2014

still in front of the leg....

so i was pleased with that, as it's nearly a week since he's been ridden!

but had to stop and adjust the saddle once, and then during the first trot  session realised i had the stirrups too long... eventually stopped to adjust them, which is always a pain with dressage leathers.. the left one i manage fine, and i THOUGHT i'd got the right - but it hadn't quite stuck through the hole and when i dropped it and then felt for it to put my foot in, no stirrup... so off again, to sort it out.. and each time i get off i have to go back round to the mounting block outside the stable!  but hey, it's all good mounting practice.  then back in and walk/trot/walk transitions, and a little bit of ridden flexions - left rein he's fine, but right rein needs a lot more groundwork i think....

Tuesday 15 April 2014

vaccinations and tetth

for the boy....

teeth sharp edges so all done and the vaccination for another year..

so that was tonight!

but i did the mane with the solocomb whilst waiting for the vet to arrive, so that's a lot tidier (but needs neatening off some other evening as the last bit was done afterwards and the light wasn't that good....)

sedated for teeth - makes it a lot easier, especially with the state of my wrists generally, and recovering from the RA flare up (which is a lot better today, thank goodness!)

this is he resting his head after teeth had been done and before i did the top part of the mane...

Sunday 13 April 2014

rheumatoid arthritis

is painful when it flares up..

wrist was hurting when i was riding yesterday (i hasten to add, we went as well as the day before, very pleased!)

but by this morning entire right hand and wrist swollen.... painful.... not nice!

had to get help with turnout (to do the welshie, who is a handful and needs two working hands!) whilst i managed M slowly!

seems to be slowly subsiding with the assistance of ibuprofen and paracetamol.... glad it's G's day to do the chores!

Friday 11 April 2014

In front of the leg!

I was proud of myself. 

Not that the saddle is sorted still dropped but gaynor's saddle is fractionally vetter than mine

So very happy woman

Wednesday 9 April 2014

Monday 7 April 2014

Long lined

Haven't done for ages glad I did. But that needs work and he tells ne again he's not keen on whips longer than dressage ones. Mm

Friday 4 April 2014

Red rug

Bought a few months ago isn't it smart!

new saddle ordered

RI came out last night with her saddle agent head on

We need new model, which is differently cut and cut specifically for the TB withered horse....

the difference was striking!

hopefully, i can sell the two i have for enough to fund the new one.  in the meantime, we'll use Gaynor's ....which is similar "horse side" to my dressage, which was the better of the two i have...

RI thinks I can get what i paid for them, which will be sufficient.. hope so!