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....