gates!

are not good, especially when they are on a steep hill and come towards you. we ended up on the downhill side of the gate from friend's horse, with gate shut .... doh.

I could feel a stressy me moment coming on, so got off .... and no where to get back on again

anyway, monf was a good lad on a new direction for him - he led along the road past blackdene, down the dip up the other side, all the way along to cocken lane, down there for some ofit until i asked Lynne to come ahead (partly because we were steaming so far ahead of her in walk....) then along past Gaynor's at ford cottage - up through the park.

But we didn't go straight up the track - should have done - to Harbour House Drive, we went up the hill to the gate in the middle, described above....

so i walked him along the next field and down to Harbour House to get back on at a mounting block..

i don't trust my ability to climb onto logs and stay balanced!

then along the back drive and led though the ford with no hesitation at all, had to wait for lynne - then tried to d the gate into the field on the right - guess what, my left wrist won't do that (TBH, not sure my right wrist is strong enough any more, bearing in mind i had to get someone else to punch holes in girth straps!)

trot up the side of that field, back onto track and out onto road (lynne had to do a another gate!) and then up another field to yard

good ride.

the one thing about the land is there's very few rides you can do without meeting gates somewhere, and if i find i am physically unable to do them (irrespective of whether monf is trained to, it's about the strength, or lack of, in my wrists) then it's a bit sad....

surrounded by flies virtually all the way - not landing on him, but all round, lynne's horse not nearly so plagued!

edited to add: i did try and post something yesterday, but it clearly hasn't published (from the tablet, not the PC... always a shade iffy depending on signal strength!)

an enjoyable ride out...

on a good lad

lynne and i had to persuade ourselves to ride out, but as is often the case, once we were out, enjoyed the ride.

her horse is a Friesian, and he and Monfils well matched in terms of walking ability! they can keep up with each other...

of course, Monf happy to lead along a track he wouldn't go into on saturday - it is a confidence thing

we did the harbour house ride again! must start going a new route.. - but with variations, in that we trotted up the hill to harbour house, Monfils had to give Luckas a lead past the scary conveyor (not moving) and harvester (also stationary and locked up for the night) and through the ford..

then trotted up beside blackdene, again in the lead, Lynne hadn't done that in trot before as thought it was too uneven with the tree roots etc, found it was fine..

Monfils was up for all this - in fact, given the opportunity, think he might have been up for a canter - but in fact he found he'd done a shade much when he got back, his feet were a shade ouchy after yesterdays trim.

so i reckon tomorrow he'll either get the day off again or go in the arena

also resolved a quesiton I'd had in my mind about girthing - someone actually checked the girth after i was on, and in fact the 24" is correct - done up to the top hole both sides.

feet again..

we're very pleased with them, they are hardening up nicely, the walls are good, trimmer pleased with sulcus, etc.... all good

not planning on riding because trimmer coming... and it looked as though it was going to tipple down (but it hasn't! thank goodness!)

Here's a thought

Is monfils in fact one of those horses that won't wee when they're being ridden? That thought occurred as after 1/4 hour god work he stopped again, and first thing he did back in the stable was have a wee.

Wanted to go out but no one riding out - in fact no one else rode

Not wholly well

Me, that is. So decided safer not to ride just in case.

oops ....

saddle slipped as i was getting on ... amazingly, he didn't panic (although i did a bit!).

reason? i'd put a shade more shimming in, and decided the 24" girth looked a shade tight or short, or not right at any event, really, so put the 26" on - it's a different make and slightly different against the skin. it LOOKED ok - but i reckon was the cause of the slip.

put it back together again and got on with someone holding other stirrup, and when i got off later it still seemed about the right degree of tightness .... so i either go back to the 24" or, i think, by a pro choice non slip girth....

into the arena, more manège patterns - with added few steps of shoulder in.

a lass at the yard had been to a centred riding clinic this weekend, and came back with some interesting tips, the one for shoulder in being the most interesting, I've ALWAYS struggled to begin to get it

and do you know, i think I've got it now. He certainly did a few steps at the correct angle and it felt as though his legs were doing the right thing

clearly i didn't try for many steps of it, as it's very early days, but very pleased....

cue for a lesson, methinks - when RI back from Royal International, which is where she's off to

bath time!

it was pretty hot, so i decided he could have his long put off bath - no doubt he had a bath very regularly in his previous life, so i wasn't expecting any issues, but first one i've given him..

he was very good, and the first horse i have had who has been happy to have his chin hosed and to drink from the hose whilst running...

then after that a walk up and down the drive in the sun to dry off, whilst he picked his fancy of the vegetation on the verge

then tacked up - no particular end in view, but since he was hapy to go all the way down hall drive with nary a glimpse of a stop, i decided to cross the road with a view to going down the side of blackdene field..

that was further than he was prepared to go on his own, so instead went a long the road and back up, essentially going round the block

so half a good boy, since we went round the block, but not wholly, since he wouldn't go down the side of blackdene's field, which he has done before - although, granted, in company, and not in front...

that may be relevant!