derwentwater (keswick, lake district)

I did remember to take my camera; here are some views over derwentwater.

this first one is from Friar's Crag through the trees











This has turned out slightly better than I expected...













And this clearly isn't derwentwater - it's on the shore, the soil around the roots of these trees has been washed away over the years and makes an interesting effect with the roots....

keswick & gales ...

yesterday in keswick ... it did stop raining, happily after we'd eaten, and we had a good potter about, along the lake, loads of brent geese, a heron (too far away to get a decent photo of that) and a norwegian sweater shop with a sale on ... still pricey, and we shouldn't have bought the sweaters that we did, but they are good. we bought one each, and the friends we were with bought one each, then another! and were given a hat ...

this morning we had another ride out - 5 of us altogether - she was still good, so i was pleased - but very cold, the wind got up after we set off and i didn't have enough layers on ... oh dear. and the wind got worse after we got back, so we definitely chose the right time to ride!

windy....

first time for weeks...

rode out with a couple of the others, short and windy! and molly was good again ... save for getting on. she ws even good when her exercise sheet blew off, ddin't want to turn round to let me put it back on again ....

then went to allendale to see and pay for queenie's keep, had breakfast on the way ..... useful thing, a croissant...

then visited several saddlers and replaced the troxel hat that got broken in july

then to the metrocentre (biggest shopping mall in the country, jean! just up the road from us) but only visited a couple of shops and starbucks for coffee - there was a plan there, the airport is not far up again and it was pointless going home (south) to go to the airport (north), then to another shop then to the airport in time to pick my ma up

her plane was late; her suitcasehadn't arrived ... duh.

nearly 9 pm by the time i got home, via our favourite curry house for takaway..

phew.

and it was teeming down when i finally came home as well.

tomorrow partner wants us to have an awayday, which is fair enough we haven't had one for a while....

frosty ride

this morning, being as how i was there and the others were too, i went out for a ride with paul & julie; it was FREEZING and mist was forming on the river, but it was sunny. A long walk - along to the ford, through to the field, up holme hill (the rest of the world think blast up there, i don't believe in always blasting in the same place! and anyway we only wanted a walk) back round, across the road, along, back across, down the track back to the ford and home. Molly didn't put a foot wrong.

I really wished I'd had the camera though. it was gorgeous.

then had to go back at lunchtime (vet came to do booster jab, shoudl have been done last friday) so all in all i went to the yard 3 times.

if i get up in the morning i'll go out again with julie & kirsty...

i should have believed the weather forecast

and ridden or whatever this morning.

got down to the yard, got her in, groomed her, tacked up, spoke to a couple of people about a couple of things, took the haylage away, put the bridle on - and the heavens opened.

i'd planned to lunve as we hadn't done that for a bit. decided against it. even with waterproof exercise sheet on, i'd stil have had a lot of horse to dry, which isn't a useful way to spend time on a cold wet wednesday...

hi viz ...

rode out the way i had to walk her yesterday - i was done up like a christmas tree and gaynor wasn't .... she realised how important this was when we got to the top of the track and out onto the road... it had got a lot duller in the space of 10 minutes, i could be seen and she couldn't .... we cut short the original plan and went back fairly sharpish along the road (sharpish mostly in walk, charlie's quarter sheet came undone and gaynor had to try and do it all back up whilst on the horse!!!) and when we did trot i lost my stirrups, couln't keep the right leg down and a sewing machine trot....

but at least we rode what she woulnd't ride yesterday....

christmas day ride

not as successful as last year. she only got so far, following partner, when she stopped and wouldn't move forward wanted togo back. to be fair, i think half of it was a really odd noise that we could all hear, like an electrical whine, very bizarre. but i didn't want to get her to throwing herself on the ground in a tantrum and didn't want to let her go back. so i got off and led. which is tedious as i can't get back on again ... so i got exercised as well. did half the ride i'd originally planned, and thank goodness it was christmas day (back along a a country road - i ahd my hi viz jacket on!!!!). when we got back, i did some work in teh arena, and feel as though i'm getting there with the rising trot ... and i rather think nicola was right, the cheyenne tries to put you in a chair seat ...i'll do better with the fhoenix & knee blocks i think!!! getting there, anyway.

all done by 4 pm, now cooking our dinner ... duck breasts with roast veg.... yummy ... but partner hasn't done the mulled wine so no nice wine gravy...

by the by - was far too tired yesterday recovering from friday!

muscles

don't always remember where they are meant to be.... i was back to trying very hard to keep my right leg where it belonged.

i was non the leess pleased. a bit hunched up through the cold, which didn't do huge amounts for me, had to keep remembering to sit up. when it worked, it worked.

i did a fair amount of trot; she sets off quite quickly then i have to think about slowing my rise down and making it more subtle; when it get it, it's good.

and now she's got back to to much arguing with the bit. i think it's in the process of accepting it - she will eventually - and she's working on a better way of going herself ... but she needs to stop playing with her bit.

and we wrapped it up with a walk through the yard to the geldings field (after managing to open the arena gate) with virtually no attempt to nap back to the stable and i took her back to the arena gate to get off. don't want her to learn that i get off at the stable ..

will try to ride out tomorrow; like to ride on christmas day, partner comes out on foot...

560 miles

from when i filled the car up last night to getting home tonight .... knackered....

but in the scale of things it was a good run, left mothers (she's about 17 miles north west of me) at about 7 a.m, dropped her at heathrow terminal 3 at 12.05 ... including two stops. A fairly decent run down, despite the patchy fog, largely, i think due to the fact that loads of people were off work. Also, i'd expected a huge jam to get into the airport, but there wasn't one.

getting back wasn't quite so good ... M1 northbound roadworks and an accident, so i did a diversion that included getting fuel (for the car and me!) and a 40mph trip in the fog back to the M1 cross country. i was really pleased I'd put the sat nav in the car - Milton Keynes wihtout one is a nightmare (I know, i did it in the dark one night without .... eugh).

The fog cut in with a vengeance then, so 50 mph to north of leicester (being passed by all sorts of pillocks going too fast), cleared, then cut in again north of Leeds for most of Yorkshire ... a fair way at 50/55 (sometimes slower, and again being passed by aforesaid idiots!). the one thing about fog, it minimises glare from cars coming the other way ..

back home by just after 7 pm .... pretty impressive.

but, as i said, knackered...

no longer

tried the stirrups a hole longer again, but that didn't work at all.... just a bit too long. but it feels a bit short otherwise. will have to fiddle with it.

and didn't do quite as well as yesterday - apart from anything else, took 15 minutes to get on and then had to get jimmy to hold her.... duh.

there are no domestic flights to/from heathrow. mother was booked to fly to heathrow from newcastle .... she can still do her international flight from heathrow, but guess what i'm doing? 300 mile drive to heathrow and back.... horrid. happily, we have friends in perivale, so if i really am not fit to drive home, i should be able to stay there (if they're in...)

i am not looking forward to that at all ....

putting it into practice

the stirrups went down two holes.... i think they'll go down another tomorrow.

result was - i couldn't QUITE get the feel i wanted in the trot, but it was a damn sight easier to keep her going, right rein especially .

She didn't really want to do anyting much at all . it was cold, should have put exercise sheet on and I rather think something went awry under the saddle ... but we did do some nice work and the trot on that rein was a lot better.

I was working on just trying to get my rise as low and slow as possible ... it wasn't quite low enought, hence the need to drop the stirrups another hole .. and in consequence wasn't quite as slow as i wanted, but as i say once i was very nearly there i needed no leg at all to keep her going.

And i didn't lose a stirrup.

YAY.

methinks it'll be better in the new saddle.

I don't think the cheyenne puts me in a chair seat, but i think it's easy to fall into it unless you work on not doing so.

i think tomorrow, unless it thaws, i'll be wearing my fleecy lined chaps .... it was cold. but at least i was full of lunch; went to the chippy in spennymoor (it has a restaurant attached, it opened the year before i was born and is still going strong) with partner ... i'd been there anyway for the dentist. Realised that the cobblers was still there... took the boot in .. he thinks he can fix the zip without having to put a new one in ... YAY.

and rashly went to the saddlers at thinford ... wooly hat (left mine in yorkshire yesterday, oops) and pro choice trimmer/clippers .... which i'd been debating for a while, and since our jointly owned clippers have to go back as they're broken, and after hearing manypeople say these are pretty good for rechargables, decided to go for it.. me, made of money? no made of debt, OUCH. should stop really... or may be loads of stuff up on ebay, more to the point!!!!!

equisimulator

today i went to wakefield for a lesson on the "rider powered" equisimulator there .... different. (if anyone want to know about them, go to www.enlightenedequitation.com and follow the links...)

by "rider powered" - you are on it and it goes if you make it go properly by using your seat. if you get it wrong, you either bounce or it stops.

It can simulate trot and canter (and really walk, in that some of the time i was practicing "walking my seatbones" to get a feel of what they should be doing).

It took ages, and a MUCH longer stirrup length (about where i thought i should be, or even a shade longer) than people keep insisting i ride with, but I DID get the rising trot right. I knew it was meant to be barely a rise, and knew i'd got it odd times on the horse ... what i meant was, it was even subtler than i thought, and i'd only partly got it on the horse....

gave up trying for the canter .....

the machine squeaks, and essentially the squeaks are in a regular rythm, and you slow and slow until you're right...

hard to explain really unless you're on it, and no doubt others would have a different way of describing it.

at least, nicola said I didn't squash her hand!!!!!! which was good.

the simulator had an SBS on it; I am so looking forward to my fhoenix!!!!

Molly, I hope, will appreciate my efforts - hopefully i'll be able to get on her tomorrow!! one thing is for certain, my stirrups are getting a lot longer ....

Nicola did wonder if the cheyenne was putting me in a chair seat - i don't think so, I've been working hard NOT to be in a chair seat .. but bearing in mind that my instructor had me sitting upright in trot rather than slightly leaning forward, and with a short stirrup, it's entirely possible.

fog

all day.

horrid.

did all the christmas cards though so felt very good with myself, even if strictly the post office won't guarantee delivery now....

went for feed and some shavings, saw a friend i hadn't seen in ages, told teacher about the new saddle, drove home inteh dark and fog - horrid, 30 mph all the way, couldn't see hand in front of face and cornering was interesting - trying to remember where the corners are, and metaphorically feeling ones way to them... there'll be some accidents tonight!

loose horses ... on a road

nowhere near the yard - but gaynor, who'd been intending to ride out with me, spent 1 1/2 hours catching loose horses near where she lives - well, firstly trying to ensure they stayed on the patch of waste ground she'd herded them to, she couldn't leave her car as she had the bairn, then when the police arrived they didn't know what to do so she left them to mind the bairn whilst she caught the horses and put them back where they'd come out of (a broken down gate, who'd knocked the gate down being an interesting question.) this on a main road, and the passing traffic just carried on by, at speed, without a care for themselves or the horses.. typical.

so by the time she did get to the yard she was knackered.... and i've just remembered we forgot i wanted my back support back...duh.

anyway, whilst i was waiting and before i knew why i was waiting i tidied molly's mane up with the solo comb, that'll last a while now, and then eventually rode in the arena again. managed to stay on the stool whilst molly did a few small circles round me till she decided she'd stand, but did get off a coule of times - it's a small stool and if you teeter you're off, which i hate as the left foot still hurts even landing on the arena surface. but did get on on my own, YAY.

and then she did some really nice trot. (and some nice walk, but i think she overbends in walk .. better that than stargazing and we will get that right eventually).

I'm managing to keep both feet in the stirrups which is helping a lot!

i think next time i'll do more walk/trot transitions...

freezing again i think. left the thinner rug on, not sure yet when to change rugs ... may be a lot to be said for the thick rug overnight and the thin one when she's out ... will have to see how she goes and how she feels in the a.m. but she's certainly warm when she comes in...

good weather!

well it was pretty cold (compared to recently) but sunny and calm and not raining or anything horrid at all, so was able to RIDE. Thought that was pretty amazing really considering i hadn't been on her for over a week and the last thing we did was lunge last sunday (and, btw, discovered i'd left lunge whip and long lines in the arena, they were still there, very very wet...eugh.)

But she was pretty well behaved. got a hand to get on, but at least i managed to stay on the stool whilst she walked round me LOL.

again working on my position, you can tell when it's right as she walks on better etc. I must start wearing my velcro stock again, it's amazing how much support it gives my neck (which is killing me this afternoon, partner had me helping put up christmas lights in the maple in the garden, which means looking up, which hurts, dammit).

And we got some really nice trot.

Teacher had said I should sit upright when trotting, but that's wrong.... it felt wrong at the time, so i leant slightly forward and that was heaps better - i was with her, not against her.

but towards the end she started having a minor paddy (very minor,but still a paddy) in that she kept wanting to turn to the gate. I had thought about riding through the yard again, but decided against it. I thought i'd done pretty well by then, and with the pain in neck (and right shoulder, goodness only kows what i've done with that to make it hurt like it does again....) i decided an argument wasn't what a wanted!

and then on the way home went for my sunbed session and the zip on the back of my riding boots broke. very annoying - mountain horse sport rider, not cheap, very comfortable especially ow they're broken in ... ggggrrrrhhh. Will see if i can get a new zip in, but have a feeling that what passes for a cobblers these days won't be able to help...

the shoulder - have had three falls on both shoulders (i.e., 6 falls altogether), first one in the bath at my ma's when i was 18, the rest off horses. either way, both are knacked, but don't usually hurt during the day....

dosed to the eyeballs with ibuprofen tonight then..

new saddle is in hand, finance sorted out, getting all excited. need a couple of boxes to parcel up the old ones ready for sale, but think i'd better leave that to after christmas .. no one wil have any money left at the minute.

a sign of old age

is when you get a letter saying come for a breast cancer screening - I'm now on the list and qualify for regular screening. letter waiting for me when i got home, and the appointment is first day back afer the holidays, so shall have to try and get it re-arranged. Still, at least over here we have the NHS with that sort of provision for free.

Should be ok, no history of BC in my family that i'm aware of - other things, but not that!

Had to ask someone to get Molly in tonight, knew i'd have to work later ... and i was right. and i still had to bring some work home...

subsided

the wind, that is... but it was raining, so couldn't even get the mud off as it was wet...

hey ho.

but it's warm, and hopefully will be ok for the weekend...

gales

i thought the weather was bad earlier in the week, tonight takes the biscuit. gale warnings from the met office - don't think we need them, lorries being blown over everywhere, a portable building blown off a lorry on the A1(m) (that's the main motorway from the south, it's the only motorway from the south) and they finished closing hte entire thing for about a 20 mile stretch, htere were so many accidents.

i had to ring up and ask kirsty to fetch molly in when i came to a halt behind about 2 miles of traffic. turned out there were some roadworks as well and it cleared quicker than i expected, but horrid. makes me bad tempered, gets under the horses tails, hopefully no trees blow down that haven't already ... have visions of not being able to get to the yard tomorrow if that happens, one road i go down is very bendy with loads of trees to the right, and one came half down a couple of weeks ago, council had to come out on a sunday to sort it....

partners gone christmas shopping and i'm not allowed to go as she's getting something for me; she thought it would be quiet at the metrocentre if the weather was as bad as it is.... mmm.

and as for Molly? pleased to be in, wanted to know where her tea was, not too hyper considering...the muck heap was blowing away in the direction of her stable....

at least its a bit sheltered down there. the last yard i was at, all the rooves blew off two winters ago and we had to turn the horses out 24/7 until they got mended. they were better off outside than in in that weather (it is at the top of a hill and at least if out they could get away from whatever.... one horse was lucky to still be alive).

saddle

decided a few weeks ago that the cheyenne isn'tworking ( i blogged about that it think ); can now get finance for a fhoenix.... approved ... i'm getting a fhoenix... YAY. so that's my christmas present to me.....

if anyone wants a Barefoot Cheyenne grasshopper? or a KES gp? off to find some large boxes and get them up on eBay i think! my luck they won't make a sensible price....

not that i can do anything with molly at the minute, the weather is pants.

but she's still in her lightweight rug - it's amazing how warm she keeps herself... it's inthe blood, her mother's the same (even now at 24 ....)

car sorted....

thank goodness. partner's car sorted. i got picked up at 6 pm instead of 5, partner insisted on trip to tesco, we went to see if i could get my tan topped up (for the psoriasis ....) but it had shut early, up to chester le street for car, didn't get in house till 8, didn't finish eating until 9 .... had of course organised for molly to be brought in as i knew i'd be late...but of course as it wass warm this morning she had a thinner rug on (she was well overheated when i got there.) and it's cold tonight... hey ho, can't win. and bad day at work.... need to think about it but by this time it's far too late and my brain is fried.....

weather

another howling gale, and substantial wind chill ... i hate a howling gale. so again, no work done... but that's winter for us ... at least we don't get horrendous heaps of snow..

back to square one ..

i knew that would happen ... a week off because of the weather, and she wasn't having any of right rein. She loose schooled that way fine, but wasn't letting me get her going on the lunge right at all. Almost there once, but i made the mistake of bending down to pick my whip up which was her opportunity to turn in ... ggrrhh... eventually gaynor turned up, after i guess 30 minutes of me trying to get her to go right (i'd done the left rein ....) and i got her to lead her round. even then she turned straight in ... took the side reins off and she did it - for about 5 minutes or so and then turned in without my spotting the signs of her being about to. of course, i hadn't bent down for my whip, didn't want to lose it doing that ... propulsion was by my swinging the end of the lunge line round and round ....

so i was well hacked off.

not assisted by being ill all morning ... i was impressed i was even able to do anything, as when partner dropped me off i still wasn't feeling right and had visions of asking someone to bring her in ...

one car between two = partners car has had to go to the dealer (always expensive!) for some serious diagnostics, will cost about £300 to mend and won't get it back until at least monday night. and partner has to go about 40 miles north tomorrow for a walk (well, doesn't have to, but willl....)

pah.

BUT i have organised a session on an equisimulator week tuesday, looking forward to that, my mate's coming too (when I told her she immediately asked if she could ...), that's part of xmas present ....

howling gales

euch.

and i'd rashly taken up the offer to have the horse turned out for me this morning, to give me a lie in, i regretted that! duh.

three weeks of me being off sick spoilt us in a way as i was able to do a load of work, but haven't been able to do a thing since saturday because of the weather...

plans to pot

the plan was, partner was going out with friend, weather forecast was good, i'd work with molly then come home for tea...

partner rang at 5 to say she'd come home early ill again and would i come home instead.... so i did.

duh...

downpour

very very wet ....

not even going to try to do anything ...

tired

first day back at work after three weeks off sick, very wobbly really, so molly got a night off ... anyway it was spitting on to rain. so that's two days off she's had..

She was a bit stiff i think this morning pulling her out, possibly because i got her in early yesterday, or maybe just general early morning stiffness through lack of movement ...

groomed her, fed her, came home to find partner ill (literally) ...hey ho.

queenie

molly's mother ... went up to allendale to see her today. got there and the horses were of course at the farthest end of the field ... but it was dry if windy. helped unload a load of shavings and went in for a cup of tea. came out - the heavens had opened. so we got them in.

Allison said a friend of hers came round the other day and asked who queenie was in foal to .... HAH. she certainly does look pregnant! does herself very well, person was amazed to be told her age (24) and she does look well. has gone a bit sway backed, as they do, but hasn't lost anything for condition.. and when we called them in she charged on up with the rest of them (on 3 year old rising 4, one yearling, and one shetland g*t)

The yearling is to die for. Black filly, by Dance in the Dark ... I want I want ... I can't have, she'll go for good money. Lovely conformation. We decided she needs to be shown ... her dams not been put back in foal this year (this one was her 3rd in a row) but I said really put her back to the same stallion next time ...whatever, this is her third lovely filly.

and Molly's daughter Cleo has been sold on for a good sum ... hopefully to a good home ..

bought some shavings from them unexpectedly (at £3.60 a bag, instaed of the usual £5, not to be argued with) and also unexpectedley bought a rug ... Allison had been to Blair horse trials and bought this but found it wasn't a fit on any of hers but it will be fine on Molly (too long for Queenie, who had it on .... her's being soaked).

More money I hadn't intended to spend ... but it's a nice rug, and I hauled my slightly heavier weight one out of the cupboard yesterday to discover it had a rip in that I'd forgotten all about and therefore will need to have mended....

the weather didn't improve at all. i got molly in about 1500 ....left her with huge quantities of haylage, but it was so wet, so windy, not going to improve and it's all a lot easier to do in daylight!

clip

Molly can be a star about so many things, and today it was clipping.

She stood like a rock throughout, and actually seems to like having her face clipped.

We were particularly impressed as the clippers seem to be faulty - they 'seize up' for no apparent reason (and remain seized even after they've been cleaned out ....); it's analogous to the gears going on a car - put it in gear and nothing happens because they've died ... like that.

So we're going to have to send them back; and hte real pain is it is just over a year since we bought them, rather than just under ... we did wonder last year if they were quite right, but thought it was just not being used to them...

Ah well - she looks very smart

and I was really pleased i'd had it done.

After that, I lunged her; she worked so hard she had sweat above her eyes, so imagine how sweaty she'd have been unclipped.

She dried off well, however, and was toasty and warm when she got her tea ... although a bit miffed she had to wait so long for it.

And just as I was about to start my mother & sister turned up; seemingly sister had come up for the weekend, so they decided to come see me on their way elsewhere... neither of them dressed for standing around a cold yard watching me lunge, and being a horrid person I wasn't prepared to keep Molly standing about forever tacked up, we were ready to go....

hey ho. sister now knows both where my house is and where my horse is ...

photo shoot

the results of today's efforts.....

this is Molly with Jimmy, falling asleep together in the sun









and if i say so myself, this is excellent..... almost good enough to have someone paint it ...

so much for plans

the equine dentist came today.

my plan was, after she'd been, to do some ground work with molly - and it was a gorgeous day for it ...

i brought her in to stand in the sun with a haynet outside whilst i mucked out and we waited for the dentist.

first time i've tied her up outside since the end of june as she'd kept pulling herself free, usually to go back to the field ... and because she wasnt' doing being left on her own well.

so im in the stable mucking out and she's standing happily eating, in a suntrap .. it was about 65 degrees in that corner; farrier's just finishing another horse and that horses owner is watching that...

one of the estate workers turned up to empty the bin...

next thing i knew there's the sound of hooves and riots, and molly's pulled back in fright, snapped the lead rope and was turned round to head away ... happily not fast but still

turned out the man sorting the bin out decided it was a really really good idea to flap the empty new bin bag about ..... stupid person .

so when it was molly's turn to have her teeth done, she wasn't good like the dentist says she normally is, but generally was very unhappy, especially when we were trying to keep her head down ...

think she's probably given herself a headache

so i thought the better thing to do was not do any work at all.

but she went out without her rug on for the afternoon, as it was so nice...

hopefully getting clipped tomorrow

here's a picture:

a rest day

caused by howling gales ... any way she hadn't had a day off for a while, since i'd had a lot of them...

interesting ....

and worrying and decides me about the saddle ...

i'd put it on, and she was still eating her hay. had the geleze pad between the saddle & the grandeur pad. you could see the sheepskin of the grandeur pad moving against her back..... duh.

It wasn't has horrid when I took it off as it had been on Monday but still .... that isn't right.

So that is being sorted out .... partner will not be happy at me getting a new saddle, but there we go. My old GP is now for sale if anyone wants an 18" KES black wide fit, VGC, only 5 years old .. and the cheyenne will be as soon as new saddle is sorted out/confirmed. ...

in the meantime, i did ride .... the difference in her when I'm right is interesting, it just shows how much I'd lost/forgotten/bad habits fallen into whilst concentrating on other stuff, and particularly since my two falls!

Molly was doing some really nice walk and then some really nice trot, both of which fell apart if I did - especially in trot

and my muscles know about it as well ... but it won't take long I don't think for my body to remember what it's supposed to be doing, as opposed to what I've been doing the last few months ....

had to leave her with the fleece on again .. MUST get her clipped... saturday, hopefully, partner will be away anyway...

worked hard

lunging

i decided we'd done enough riding the last three days so we needed to do a bit of flat work or lunging.

was undecided whether to lunge one rein or two, but decided one, to get back into the way of it with the bitless bridle on

started left, a debate about going right which i won but she was rushing it at first, back left, then an argument about going right - she tripped herself into the fence whilst arguing about it, but clearly not having hurt herself i made her do it.
s
she had certainly worked hard .....

and i remembered (don't know how i forgot on friday when she was sodden with rain!) that she has a fleece - - i suppose because it had been put away after being cleaned ... so she got that on to help wick the sweat away and keep her warm betimes.

it's going to be a cold night, and even when she cooled down she was still a bit damp, so the fleece got left on for the night ... it'll be filthy in the morning.

on the saddle front, i think i'm going to go back to the gelpad underneath .... was discussing it with gaynor, she said it didn't 'float' as much with that on as without ... but not wholly satisfactory - i think it wouldn't be so bad if the grandeur pad had a smooth fabric finish rather than the furry finish it does have .... but i think i'm going to have to have a concentrated effort to sell the GP, then sell the cheyenne and invest in a fhoenix .... don't see much choice, as it clearly is wholly unsatisfactory to have a rub on her back .....

but anyway i was pleased with her

and i think she's becoming pleased with herself.

she's so much happier with the stable mirror up and the hay bar in the corner ..

leaning forward

was what i was doing .... talking to gaynor afterwards she said she'd noticed that, now she thought about it, since my fall inthe summer....

so to work on sitting upright - the feel at the moment is as if i was stargazing! but I am assured that in fact when it feels like that I am upright..

clearly gone very backwards the last couple of years ... probably all the trying to get molly to accept stuff and not thought about myself...

and of course, the difference in her way of going was noticeable ....

so i've to work on that ...

and we put my stirrups up a hole. and the left stirrup is about 1/2 hole shorter than the right, which won't help.. can't drill holes in the barefoot leathers .. will try and find my old ordinary ones as they can get holes drilled in them, you just put the buckle at the bottom just the same and wrap em up!

and she started off on a good note as well... let me on with no one holding her head, YAY. hopefully that lesson is sinking in ...

teacher agreed that the grandeur pad isn't right - she said it looked as though it were floating about ... so will try harder to see if can get something else sorted out ... it's always useful when someone else confirms one's view of an issue...

But, i did get hte saddle on without any argument today .... so overall we've had a good day..

a mixed bag ...

in the molly behaviour front.

to start, i had to have someone hold her to get on - was lucky there was someone there!

then i concentrated on trying to keep her listening and keep my reins very light at the same time, and then on trot - by the finish she was offering some nice trot.

So i thought for a change, and since she'd been good yesterday, i'd try and ride her out the way we went yesterday, if only as far as the ford.

hah!

she napped back to the stable.

i thought, she's going that way anyway, so led her all the way to the ford. Some of it to keep her going i was having to position myself (as I realised) as one would for in hand work, ....

anyway got there, came back, decided not to put her waway. went to the arean, she stood and let me mount.

thought, let's try going through the yard again

no, she said, i'm napping back to the stable.

I'm not prepared to risk getting dumped there, it's hard concrete with things to bash one's head off on the way down...

so got off, led her back round to the arena ... she let me get on without anyone holding her. so i did twice round the arena and got off in the arena.

So, as I say, mixed bag...

lesson tomorrow...

rode out .. yay!

The plan was that gaynor & i would ride out - see if Molly would go along the lane, and possibly further, without having a tantrum.

She did.

We went past the spooky willow tree, along the track to the ford, over the ford bridge (the others went through the ford) up to the road, up to the riding school (another yard on the estate with an indoor riding school, with mirrors no less!), through there, back down to the road, up to the drive and so back down to the yard.

a minor attempt to nap back to her stable as we set off, various veerings off to the left as we went through the coppice just after the willow tree, tried to turn round after the ford as two others with us turned off to go for a hooly, but then easy to turn back to follow charlie, a minor spook at a wheelbarrow that was peacefully propping a wall up, as they do, and canter up the road to the drive entrance ... but good as gold. I was so chuffed.

mind it was interesting watching her confidence build. at the start - and really till we got to the riding school, which is about 1/2 way of the ride we did - she was hanging back behind charlie, which really is not like her she normally marches on miles ahead of anyone else we're with - then once we got to there she decided she was fine and started marching on.

so i was very pleased.

I'm not so happy with the saddle, which is moving on her back .... not good. i want a fhoenix.... i'll have to carry on wanting for a bit, i think.

and it was dry - it actually got out to be a nice day, having started off damp, and we got the best of the weather this afternoon.

bitless bridle

well i was right - it was a lot easier in the bb than with a bit .... she did give a vague bit of argument and try to do left not right, but gave in a lot quicker. AND i got the side reins on - so we did both reins twice, once with side reins, once without.

result. So i think we're back to the BB for ground work anyway

And we were getting very wet as well ... i tacked up and it started raining again, but i decided not to let her off - it was just wet, not cold - and out we went.

The only thing that didn't impress me was how wet we both got . she won't be dry for hours yet, so i had to leave her rugless. Should be ok (if filthy) as it isn't a cold night at all. maybe i should invest in one of those wicking rugs that dry them off quickly without sweating .... although if I'd had my brain screwed on i do have an excercise sheet hiding at the bottom of a cupboard .. but I wouldn't want to have untacked and had to start again though...

more bad weather ...

but at least the mud had dried off in the gap between storms when i got her in..... there's a lot to be said for working ones horse first thing in the morning, as a generaly principle the weather tends to be a bit better then ....

anyway, pondering over the bitless bridle & groundwork, and consulting with sheila @ bitlessbridle.co.uk, will now revert to using that for lunging, two rein lunging & attempts to long line and see how we go

thinking ...

it rained this afternoon so didn't do anything with molly - she was a bit wet!

but i was thinking; when i finally got her going right last summer, per the photos - it was with the bitless bridle, which i haven't used since new year save for the odd occasion.

it is a pressure/release tool, hugs the head - the idea is - well, best off reading it for yourselves. pull one rein, pressure on the opposite side of the head - release rein = release pressure.

it therefore occurs to me, that may well be why i was eventually successful with that

so, i think i'll go back to using that for lunge work; no reason why it shouldn't work for long lining either, in principle! will ask....

and finally got hold of teacher - turned out she'd been having problems with her phone. lesson organised. but I won't be going up there for a lesson on one of hers - because her indoor is full of bits of her wagon whilst the brakes are mended....

addendum

just been looking at those flickr photos - which were taken summer 2005 - you wouldn't think looking at some of those that she ever had an issue with me being on the right side, since clearly i was.

my recollection was it had taken a long time to get there; after that, we moved, and then did a lot of riding last spring/summer till i broke my foot in june.

so some of this is reverting back to where we were before. she clearly hadn't been totally comfortable with it and i should have done more ground work interspersed with riding to keep that up.

feet

someone who'd seen the photos i posted in the spring sent me a message saying such things as molly's frogs looked not right through lack of contact with the ground (the message was recent, even though the photos werent'). i printed it off and showed my farrier today when he came out to trim molly's feet. he was quite amused. my farrier trains other farriers and is good at what he does ... including barefoot trims. Molly's happy with her feet, no signs of any lameness, goes over anything (that is when she goes at all LOL!). we also discussed asymmetry and related conformational issues.

in terms of the asymmetry at the back - i have to get the physio to ring the farrier, he won't take it from me as he's been caught out in the past with the old 'chinese whispers' messages and i can quite understand that! so i shall have to get lee to ring him. also said, a bit difficult to do too much remedially without shoeing, and i don't want to do that ....

generally, we both remain of the view that the more work i can get into her the more balanced she will become generally and thus the more balanced her feet will be in turn.

before he came, I'd done some neck stretching exercises in the stable.

after he went, i took her into the arena to loose school. She was in a bit of a hooly mood at first, took herself off full tilt and even threw in a buck (which I haven't seen her do loose before!) - i think because it was a bit windy and the others were way over the other side of the field and not standing watching as they usually do!

but all the time she had an ear on me ...

eventually she slowed down and walked; my plan had been, of course, to see if i could get round to the right side of her head without too much grief.

i did indeed manage to do that, she remained standing still whilst i stroked all over the right side of her body and even walked round me properly once, instead of doing her usual turn on the forehand to try and put me on her left again!

the first time was better slightly that the second, but she did do it.

but as soon as she gets a chance, she has me back on her left side again.

still, small progressive step.

I then took her a walk through to the willow tree to cool her down, she'd got herself a little bit sweaty. I suppose we were in the arena about 1/2 hour, probably longer than I'd intended

overall i was quite pleased.

right side ... pressure/counter pressure

in the stable, molly's happy for me to be on her right.

loose schooling, she's happy to be on her right rein. she listens to me, i can change direction no problem (even with only the floodlights)

but attach a lunge line or whatever - not so happy.

the original plan had been long lines (probably two rein lunging) but that went out of the window as i wasn't going to be able to get roudn to her right side to attach the rein to the bit that side .... so my plan changed to having her go right,combined witih standing still

so loose schooling first, both directions.

that was fine.

walk trot walk trot.

then getting her to stand still, not so fine... partly my body language not so clever, i suppose, but still if i stand stock still i'm surely not doing anything to tell her to move.

then when she did come in to me, she'd stand, then start walking round me .... and pushing into me. i did work out what she's doing - counter pressure against me becaus she was actually using her body to move me....

eventuallyh got her to stand still ... and attached the lunge line to the bit -through both bit rings from the right so that i could hopefully try and get her to go right


which i did manage after putting the line round her back, walking round, as she's trying to go left I make myself large and point right ... she gives in, like she did the other week.....

i probably need someone to watch how i'm doing it.

but it still doesn't make sense.

why is she quite happy to be set off left, but not right?

why is she quite happy for me to be on her right except when she's going to be working?

why does she free school right when she won't lunge right without an argument?

has to be something physical about going right, one would have thought. But i can't think what. we've had everything checked out!

ah well, will persist with the exercises, get into the clicker, possibly a pressure halter as well (you can tell i've been reading maxwell as well as kurland!!!!) - here's a thought, can you combine the two?!

i can see where the pressure side works - that's why she eventually does go right, because i've put the pressure on enough and at the right moment .... so am i being inconsistent somewhere along the line?

ah well, more tomorrow ...

in the meantime, i moved the rug rack off the door and into the stable ... much better place for it, and happily the stable is more than large enough and it's on a wall she doesn't go near .... it's not where the bed is.....

tunstall reservoir

this is where we went for our walk - down this hill, round the reservoir at the bottom, back up the hill slightly to the right of this path down ..... it was very sunny but very cold due to wind chill. lovely at the bottom though, very sheltered, and some nice views across the reservoir through bare trees that you wouldn't get in the summer ..

i think it was the hill back up that finally did for me.... they talk about muscles not used to riding, mine are not used to walking ...

walk

partner wanted me to go help recce a walk. i said, go on then; it was a glorious day and it had to be done. only (she said) 3 1/4 miles ...... yeah right. i reckon more like 5. but by the time we'd done that and got back to the yard it was really cold, my legs were telling me they'd done more than enough for one day thank you (and my foot had done enough walking as well!) so ended up not doing anything at all with Molly.

I'm half way through the richard maxwell book i bought really pleased I did. interesting stuff he's saying about self carriage rather than 'on the bit' or whatever else people use. and it's interesting the ideas are similar to alexandra kurland's - and probably anyone else who's got any idea about behaviour whether it be horse or human! - reinforcing the positive and not doing anything about the negative (or at least, not punishing the negative as such).

i know i know someone who should read all this ... but won't ... in the context of managing staff ....

another success

on the riding front. the person who is now sharing charlie came into the arena whilst i was riding; i asked if she'd give me a lead through the yard and along to the house, she agreed, so we did. molly started napping back to her stable but not nearly so severely as usual, and i kicked her on and she said "ok then" and followed charlie. we got to the willow tree with no trouble at all - and then my phone rang, dammit, or i would have said can we go further. the phone ringing was of course molly's opportunity to turn round whilst i answered it ... yes, i could have left it ringing, but you never know what has happened ..... it might have been important, after all. it wasn't. ...

but hey, that was a success, so we'll do that again.

in terms of getting to the right side of her head - you're right, jean, i'd omitted to keep up the leading from the right ..... must try and remember that. realised today, with the new haybar up, and where she stands to eat the hay, i'm now starting my grooming from her right, whereas previously i always started from her left. so that will/should help. will try those excercises in that context though - physio has me doing them for her anyway (or i'm meant to be, a lot more than i am!!)

she has started blotting her copybook again in terms of mounting - i had got her to a place where i could get on without help, but she's regressed now. she sees me put the stool there, thinks oh good treat, but forgets that the treat was connected with me getting on. so need to go back to having someone there, with strict instructions no polo until i'm on!

but at least these days she stands still when i get on, instead of charging off in a fast trot as she used to!!!!

another new book to read - one of richard maxwells (not the newest one) - arrived from amazon yesterday so starting in on that .....

walk past goblins ...

it was blowing a howling gale most of the day so i didn't expect to be able to do anything, but it dropped as i got to the yard (nice co-incidence!)

i decided to take her for a walk in hand - and was amazed she went past all the places she'd balked at last time we'd tried that! out of the yard, past the house, under the willow, up the track and quite a way along it. well pleased.

jean, the easy bit is the actual lunging; the difficult bit is that she won't let me round that side of her at all when she knows that's what we're going to be doing. takes about 1/2 hour or more of argument, usually putting the lungeline over her head, walking round behind her, try to send her away, she turns back in, and so on. stand her still at the fence line and go under her head, she puts herself back so i'm on her left again ... and as for trying to put side reins on. but she'll loose school right rein no problem so go figure! i can stand on her right hand side in the stable, not a problem. in the arena, a problem. last time i did eventually get there after the argument, she did eventually give in, but it's a debate or more every time. and last night i didn't win as we ended up with the lunge line caught on the bit ... not a clever idea.

I try to vary what we do

hey ho.

on the ground

yesterday afternoon .....

lunging - no she won't go right rein again

in hand? what's that, she says. So i need to be shown how to do that, i think - reading books can only take you so far. for instance, richard hinrichs says - look where you're going. but if you look where you're going, you're not looking at the horse, so i'm confused. unless e.g. you look where you're going but slightly over the horses shoulder? ?

and the arena is a bit deep for walking on foot - i managed to forget to put my long boots on so ended up with a boot full of arena material, never comfortable that!

But i would have had her walking along the lane, save that there was a very old lady walking the other way (owner's mother ...) and if molly decided she wanted to argue about it, knocking over old ladies is not a good plan!

it was a nice afternoon but no one else out, being thursday ...

and must get her clipped. at least with being off can organise that with gaynor for a weekday afternoon.

and yet again the man didn't turn up to mend our boiler and the roofer didn't turn up to mend the roof. dammit.

the hay bar is up

and after a bit of a 'oh my god what's this' and having to tempt her to it with some feed, once she worked out that's where the haylage had gone, she was fine with it.

and you can see the stable mirror up as well.

i'd been trying to put it up myself (really a two person job) but one of the estate chaps heard the drilling and came along and did it for me ... always useful to be seen to be making the attempt onself!

i've a feeling i'll still have haylage all over the floor as well - she likes to have a look see what's going on outside as well!

sorry about the poor quality photos - taken with phone not camera, and still getting used to new phone .... but considering no flash, not bad at all. I think if i'd used the camera, the flash would have given her another fright!!!

and no work for me. sick note..... whilst i put brain back together ....

and my right foot - the one i broke in july folks! - got stood on, at an angle, and i duly fell over and banged my hand, right hip and leg. rubber matting is all well and good to lie on, but falling on it still hurts. i was putting her rug on and she moved unexpectedly, got my foot and i was at an angle and had no choice but fall over ....

not doing well really!!!!!

no work tonight

with molly as i was too knackered. really really bad day at work .....

jean, thanks for that tip re mounting. will need a larger mounting block - she also moves away and i have to get down ..... tedious. we'll get there and that's another piece of ammunition in the training armoury.

riding

yesterday.

the plan was to put the haybar up then ride.

i made a total pigs ear of putting the hay bar up it won't go on a straight wall, ended up pulling the screw & plug out of the wall (doesn't say much about the walls ...) and will have to get someone to try and get the screw out of the plug before i can start again ..

riding. she's stopped behaving when being mounted - second time had to get someone to hold her, and i thought we'd cracked that one!

i'm still unhappy with the saddle. ithink it's partly molly's asymmetry, which is the same as her mother's at the front (shoulder) which makes it difficult. when i took it off there was some ruffling of her hair.

but she worked hard. had a bit of sweat when we finished. i decided to try some lateral work, first time i've tried that, and it made me think she doesn't really understand those aids. which makes me think i need to learn in hand work (that's why i bought richard hinrichs book & video) so i can try and give her an idea of what i'm after. also get some lessons on that as well.

didnt' do anything tonight - although the weather had improved subtantially from this morning, we had to wrestle with collecting partners car ..... which involves 2 round trips to teesside for her and just one for me and i'm confined to the office with no car...

christmas shopping

in newcastle.

we got up early and were there for just after 9. oh but i'm knackered now - and we didn't do nearly as much as some others do. in fact the only christmas presents i bought were a dvd & cd for my partner .... by 4 hours, my foot was starting to ache which it hasn't done for a while now. then partner wanted to go look at wardrobes, and as i expected we ended up back where we bought the fitted wardrobes in the main bedroom ... i said, this was why we bought them there better quality etc ...

so by the time i got to the yard i barely had the energy to muck out/bed up /fetch in, and now i'm at home i'm struggling to keep my eyes open ....

and the rug molly had had on definitely leaks. I'm very annoyed about that, you don't expect new unworn rugs to leak.

she's in very early with a bit more haylage than usual ...

no they don't count them in - have to rely on someone spotting she's last out. not everyone is bothered about their horse being out on its own .... my view, one should bother as a matter of principle, but on the other hand if someone has said don't get theirs in i wouldn't .

traffic jams

40 minutes to get from redcar to the a19 - about 10 miles, if that. and another 40 minutes after that. i drove up to the stables as kirsty brought molly round the corner, i was so pleased. she'd realised she had to be on her own as she was about to go home herself....

and it was blowing a gale and wet.

so tea and leave for the night was the order of the day!

jean - i can't get your blog anymore, it vanished ..... where'd you go? (it actually vanished quite quickly after i'd found it, the link just stopped working ...)

cold but not alone

molly had been brought in. i was pleased. she was about to be left and was spotted, excellent. partner wanted to go look at wardrobes .... so molly didn't do anything except eat. but it's cold so slightly thicker rug on ...

more yay!

after a bad start to the day - the alarm clock hadn't worked! we woke up at 7.07 instead of 6 .... happily friend was at yard so i rang up, she'd been about to ring me ..... she turned molly out, said she'd been looking very disgruntled!

so i had to muck out tonight, which i don't normally do, and was in two minds as to whether to do anything at all, but decided to see how we were after monday's success.

and we were well. true, she didn't let me move round the front of her to get to her right side. so I put the lunge line over her head and she went straight into trot right rein without a single argument. so i was very pleased. and she wasn't rushing like she had been on monday. so more yay!

kept her going a little that rein and brought her back to walk, then sent her the other way.

what i must do is get a new battery in my watch so i can time how long we go each rein.

anyway, i'll keep this going fo a bit and then move on to putting side reins on again and interchange that with two rein lunging.

i am starting to read richard hinrichs' book which is interesting and will teach me a lot, and will watch the video at the weekend (unless partner thinks of something more important .. but unlikely, she's away sunday!)

yay!

finally got molly to lunge right rein.. took some doing. she argued and argued and argued and i tried various tactics - tried the getting her to listen to me by poking her in the chest and telling her to go back, don't think she'd been asked that before so will have to go to that one another way! tried putting the lunge line over and then going behind her, tried all sorts ofthings ... eventually it was as if she just caved in and said go on then. she started off at a dreadful rush in canter, then to a hurried trot, but kept it going without trying to turn in again as she often does and was giving signs of what would have been join up had she been loose schooled.

so overall i was pleased with that.

i wasn't so pleased with the shenanigans prior, couldn't get girth done up on the lunging roller as she woulnd' t stand still for it. but i conlcuded that that wasn't goint to let her off, hence the lunging

don't know if there's something with her back again.

i finally got an email from the bowen person last week - 2 months later, she said her internet had been down, or her email at least ... i replied saying essentially better late than never and what's her diary like ... no response ...

electric

battery - went flat on the first hole in the wall for the haybar. duh. the one thing i forgot to check. never mind, it can wait till next weekend to go up...

I decided to try something today. I have one of those ergopads, a precursor to the suberpad. Thought, try it under the GP that i haven't sold yet and see if it makes the saddle usable.

it was like sitting on a board. Apart from being perched, I couldn't feel a thing except hardness underneath me.

got off again.

Molly wasn't overjoyed when she realised she wasn't just being put away but i was changing the saddle. so when i went to get back on she wouldn't stand, had to be held. But hey, she'd stood the first time, and we had to wait whilst gaynor finished lunging charlie and then go up the top end of the arena instead of our usual spot.

then i had gaynor check she was using her left hind properly, which she was, so that was good.

but it took me a while to get her to really listen, and then she decided she'd had enough.

she was giving it what for with her head, over bending dreadfully (which is in a way better than stargazing, but too much ....) interspersed with the odd bit of nice walk steps. so i did a bit of stop/start, trying to keep her on the bit, and some trot/walk, which didn't work very well.

It might have helped if i'd had my bra on though ....

hay bar

finally got one. they have them at farmway hexham, thought they might have, last month they had the literature but no hay bars. bought it. they said, they were walking out the door, which doesn't surprise me. all i have to do now is buy some solid bolts and washers to put it up. people have suggested make something of all sorts of things - chicken wire and wood, garden mesh, various things - but i couldn't wrap my brain round that ... and this I know is ok.

Mind, we had such a busy day I didn't do anything with her at all! had to go up to see about old queenie (pay her keep, provide some feed, see how she's doing) and if we do that we go hexham and corbridge as well, well i hadn't planned corbridge but partner wanted to .... didn't get back to the yard till just before it got dark, and still had to go to partner's sister's after that..... i said, if it raing tomorrow i'll not be happy as the weather was canny today, especially this morning.

and if i needed retail therapy, i certainly got it ... apart from the hay bar, Richard Hinrichs book AND video on lunging/long reining/working from the ground. I'd bid on a couple on ebay and am watching one at the moment (the videos) but the price they are being bid to, when i looked at the price new, i thought i might as well buy the new as by the time you add the postage on to an ebay purchase i wouldn't in fact have saved anything.

so looking forward to that.

and the usual feed/shavings. and we went to ikea last night .....

tomorrow need to mop our new floor; had the dining room/lobby/conservatory/downstairs loo tiled the same as the kitchen (they all run into each other) and it looks gorgeous but once the grouting is dry it all has to be mopped. and the kitchen floor badly needed doing anyway. then will put shoe rack back next to back door and try and persuade partner that leaving outdoor shoes/boots at the door is a really good idea. shame the cats can't be persuaded to wipe their feet ....

alone

molly had been left in the field on her own! I was not happy. I was surprised she wasn't totally demented, but she shoudl not have been left out on her own at all. I thought everyone knew that... i've said it enough times, and really it should go without saying!

clicker

thought i'd try and see if i could use this to get her standing still in the arena when i want, or moving to the right when i want.

i think standing still might work she was getting the idea.

don't see how move right (with me on her right side) will as it's too complicated to work out. i'm too near, my arm isn't long enough.... need to work on the theory. standing still is much more simple!

will try again another night.

but it was COLD tonight ... forecast frost, and i've bought some deicer, first of the year

last week this week

what's the difference?

this week is darker and less wet, apart from that not a lot to choose....

and tonight i got stuck in the most horrendous traffic jam and had to ring to ask that molly be brought in, then muck out round her once i got there... very tedious.....

burnt fingers

literally.

i was busy putting tea together; stew, which i make in a cast iron pot .... so of course the handles get hot. i forgot to put the oven gloves on to pick it up to put it in the oven. i think i'll regret this by tomorrow ...

in the meantime, it was a gorgeous day. i mowed the lawn, hung some laundry out, vac'd up all the leaves from our maple

and rode Molly round the 20 acre in company. Gaynor on Charlie & young Emily on Katie, walk round the 20 acre. the only problem we had was when we met a horse coming the other way, she thought she ought to follow it back ... but that was because she was so far ahead of the other two (far be it from Molly to walk slowly!) that she'd forgot she was with them and wanted some company.

Mind, she'd been a bit of a pain before we set off, wanting to nap back to the stable - but that soon stopped once she clocked charlie! - and when we got to the end of the 20 acre she set off hom in fast trot, but I did get her settled back to a walk.

So I was pleased with her.

Not so pleased with the grandeur pad still. It doesn't sit square under the saddle and slips backwards .....part of which is probably her asymmetry.

If i hadn't had to spend so much on the d*** car i might have been able to afford a fhoenix by now ....

But i know someone who would like to buy my cheyenne if i get round to selling it.... I still need to sell the treed saddle as well....

and Molly was in and done by 4pm. you can tell it's winter coming when the clocks go back an hour and it's dark by 5 or so. TBF i could have gone down later, but then I'd have missed the chance of company going round the field.

more progress?

partner came to the yard with me today. i thought we'd try an experiment since i wasn't on my own.

partner went ahead of molly (had to walk backwards) with polo in hand. that got us as far as the house, which is further than she'd go that way in hand last weekend.

i was really pleased

but she still wouldn't go down the lane, and then a car came down .... wasn't worth the argument enough to hold everyone up, so went back.

but it was some sort of progress!

and we need a new fridge freezer, ours has acquired a leak

and we had to have the aa out to partners car - killed a tyre, and i don't know if you've ever tried to change a tyre on a new car, especially when it was fitted in the tyre shop .... painfull.

so molly's work was the good bit of the day .... rest of it not so exciting!

wind wind wind

not the week for horsing around really!

wet wet wet

but not the band, the weather. i was pleased i'd decided to rug this morning, first time this season - but annoyed as well. i'd bought the rug last spring but molly hadn't had it on; it leaked. not too badly, but her bum was wet. of course, the receipt is history and even if i still had the receipt i wouldn't be able to prove she hadn't had it on.

and she wasn't actually too happy to be in tonight, oddly enough; she was not a happy bunny at all! hope she settled down and remembered she had a friend in the mirror!

hah!

last night i was so knackered i could barely move. so i thought, weather will be good tonight, partners out, ride tonight.

so i was just approaching the entrajnce to the drive, listening to the weather forecaster telling us that it would be a mostly dry night, when it started raining. by the time i got down the yard, 1 mile, it was raining and it got heavier and didn't stop until just now .. if it has...

so HAH!

and i didn't post last night as there was something wrong with blogger, couldn't get on ...

and better again

Molly was back to letting me get on today, I guess yesterday was an aberration.

I was trying to get her to come forward on to the bit and also try and feel the hind legs coming through with a view to trying to get that left hind through more to build some muscle where there should be some ...

don't know if it was working.

it takes her a while to warm up into everything, ages to start thinking about doing it properly.

and whatever i do i can't seem to sit right.

i think it probably is the saddle ... whilst i like the cheyenne, i don't think it's helping my position as such.
and I WISH i could stop my right knee rising so my foot comes out of the stirrup, it's very annoying. it's partly to do with my crook back

but i shouldn't winge, we're making good progress.

might have made better if anyone had been up for walking round the 20 acre with me, but i'd missed everyone.

after I'd ridden i decided to walk her along through the yard to the house - with the clicker and some treats (wrong ones, it was polos, but hey). she certainly has the idea ..... and we were doing ok but it then got all too distracting what with a sudden rush of cars, and then a steady stream of horses.

at one point she could hear two horses rustling in the leaves that have fallen on the track ... they were only on their way back after a hack - and suddenly decided that was horribly scary! she could hear the noise but not see the horses, so i can understand it.

so i gave up at the finish. I need to pick a time like midday or something when there's no one much around (makes a change from wanting people around all the time!!! LOL)

not quite so good

thought she might have kept up her record of letting me get on - but she didn't. possibly my fault, but i dont' think so ... there was another horse inthe arena (standing still!) with person talking to rider. i don't know. had to get fay to hold her (and then she didnt' get a polo, as she'd already had it!)

and she needs clipping. it was really hot, the sun was out, and i was doing some trot as well as walk .... not quite dripping, but wellk sweaty under the girth and starting to get damp down the neck.

i thought i'd try and get her back through the yard ridden, but not. so i led her through - she didn't want to - and then along towards the big house. she did NOT want to do that. once i got beyond the side of the stables, she didn't want to go further at all. clearly something in her head. circling doesnt' work as she still stops and won't move forward when facing to the lane. very bizarre. she'll come back that way ok if we go round the 20 acre, but not out that way. and i'm not aware of anything ever happening!

i think that might be something for the clicker training! every time she takes a step forward there, click etc. if she doesn't nothing. i imagine she'll soon get the idea.

friday night

and i forgot we're meant to be worming tomorrow.

strongid p double dose.

it had clearly been tipping down at the yard, not long stopped when i got there, and all molly wanted was to be in and be fed. she was being verypathetic at the gate.

she was asleep this morning before i got there..... i'm so pleased with the effect that the stable mirror is having....

i want

one of these - never mind the landrover and trailer, this is mint. and for less than the price of some cars.......

wow.

in the meantime, I was totally knackered tonight - got to the office at 0750, did 10.3 hours chargeable work, didn't leave till about 1730 ....

you can imagine, didn't WANT to do anything with molly tonight.

and she was desperate to be in ..... cantered up to the gate, ran through it (i was lucky not to have a loose horse!!!) .... fed, watered, new shavings in, settled ... left her to it.

and then we had to go back see the builder, as he still hasn't sorted the roof (or at least, the roofer that he thought had come to do it a couple of weeks ago hadn't turned up.....).

still good ..

tonight we found out whether she would still stand still to be mounted when there was another horse in the arena.

answer - yes she would.

had to do the girth up with her moving around, but once i'd done that she was happy to take the polo and stand still

and i was ahead of her in her desire to get out of the gate

but i had to stop before i wanted to - a bit of the fence, which is next to the field, had been loose and katie the pony took the trouble to deliberately knock it down, one rail quite a way into the arena. all it would have taken at that point would be for one of the horses in the field just to step up into the arena. plus there was a risk of nails.

so i got off and put molly away and went back to see what i could do about the fence - not a lot, in the dark....

clicker

i could have done something more than that ....but it was a bit foggy and everyone was going home. so i decided to try to start the clicker training. i think she got the idea!!!!

london

me not the horse. had a case in the court of appeal today - being really posh, i'm blogging this from the train home! decision reserved until whenever sowe'll all be on tenterhooks for that. and i've just had the news that partner managed to do molly's bed very well and molly got to eat some apples from our garden .....

continuing progress ..

Molly still was happy for me to get on wihtout someone holding her head. still needs the polo, but hey, if that's what it takes!

she had one minor glitch. She hadn't been too keen on going left today, and at one point we'd come to a halt by the gate (which was open!!) and out she went - ah, she says, i can go back to the stable and if i have a tantrum i won't have to come back.

wrong.

i didn't get into major fight, we went back to the stable, she decided against the total strop and i turned her round - and she was happy to follow julie (and a carrot!) back to the arena.

so whilst she wasn't totally perfect, still YAY. the lack of total perfection was of course down to me as i hadn't been quick enough to realise she was going to go through the gate ....

my view - i don't want to put her in any more positions where she will have the sort of strop that could put me back on the floor. just don't want to go there. there's more than one way of getting what i want, and eventually if i continue on the 'no you will go back there even if it is slowly' line i'll get further than if i let her strop away and dump me again...

and the computer is running much better tonight; disk clean up and get rid of a trojan ....

YAY

yesterday afternoon, Molly stood whilst I got on, again with no assistance save a polo; then, we went for a walk round the 20 acre and round along the lane. YAY.

my partner was on foot, and apart from a glitch leaving the arena - I think Molly was a bit disconcerted by partner standing where she was - she didn't put a foot wrong (molly, that is.). She didn't even try to nap back to her stable. No hesitation going down the hill, no grief at the gates, not bothered by the pheasants (would have surprised me if she were, can't move for d*** pheasants but at least our horses are pheasant proof !).

For 2/3rds of the way roung the field, she sat behind partner, almost with her nose toughing partner's back; then we passed partners and carried out out of the field and left up the lane and back to the yard.

Molly also wasn't phased by a couple of horses coming the other way the other side of the fence on the lane, or by the bullocks, and her least favourite bit of the track (all heavy tree cover, scary undergrowth and a nasty yellow bucket) didn't bother her either.

YAY.

So I am really really really happy!

Still a ways to go, but I think that the initial problem was, as my teacher thought, terror, probably in case someone fell off again, compounded by her consequential behaviour which had us falling off again. If that makes sense. and compounded by some soft tissue damage.

I think in some ways its better for her to go out with someone on foot that with another horse, in that she doesn't then feel a need to be ahead. But now we've done that, I shall see if gaynor is riding this afternoon and she can come round with me (but we'll stick to walk for now).

Then the next thing will be seeing if I can mount in the yard, rather than the arena.....

as to why this wasn't blogged yesterday - coulndn't get on. We coulnd't go anywhere on the internet to speak of, and when we did get somewhere it was painfully slow.

hopefully, I am now sorting that as we speak. either that or there's something wrong with the phone line that is compounded by too many people online at night .....

good news

from last night.

i've been so frustrated, the internet was so slow for me last night i couldn't post this.

byt anyway, for the first time virtually since i got her (never mind virtually) molly stood at the mounting stool and let me get on with no grief whatsoever; didn't even think about moving away, just stood there. I had of course given her a polo, but had my heart in my mouth in case she moved,but she didn't!

YAY!

wet & late ...

didn't leave the office till nearly 6; the traffic was horrendous when it should have been all cleared; the weather was dire; nearly 645 when i got to the yard - and just for a change molly wasn't at the gate and i only knew which she was when she started walking towards me - that white stripe down her face certainly stands out on a dark night! so i think she was pleased to be in to get dry.

it is amazingly warm in this stable we're in now, it's in a corner, so it's going to be much better that way than the barn was.

and then came home and had to do some work ... read a case, ring a client (client was at work as well.....)

lunge? .....

it's amazing what difference doing something different for a couple of days can make.

we were doing the two rein lunging very nicely last week. today, couldn't get it. this was possibly because it was a bit dark even with the lights on, but i don't really think that's an excuse.

i think i should go back to alternating - one night lunge, one night ride (depending on the weather of course!!!!). we need to practice all of it

and i need to find my seatbones!!!

what a day

first up, texted carole - she hadn't got the message i'd left her yesterday (she'd had a BE ODE at her place ...). anyway, she was going to northallerton for a lesson, so i asked, could she pick us up on the way and we could go to teh physion on the way back, as it wasn't out of her way particularly. So that was agreed. then had to let the physio know, he had to rearrange and ask his 2 o'clock to come at 11, which happily worked.

the farrier was due at 9; i rang at 9:05 and he was wrestling with a flat tyre. i said, if the wagon comes, we gotta go.

he arrived and did molly's front feet whilst i found the splits in his tyre he hadn't been able to see himself.

Carole arrived with the wagon; thought at one point molly wasn't goint to load, but she did, and off we went.

northallerton for carole's lessone with a trainer from down south; i didn't see any of it, walked molly around northallerton ec (rather nice! she was particularly taken with the showjumping arena!). I wished i'd thought on and chucked my saddle etc in the wagon, could have ridden.

then off to darlington via a diesel stop, and that was a nightmare - missed the sign saying wagons this way, got bollocked by the owner or whatever he was, pah.

then to the physio. found the road ok. couldn't find the place. had to ring up = we'd passed it. the council refuse to allow him to have a sign that people can actually see with his house name on it.

anyway, foudn it eventually, Molly's poll isn't out (or if it had been, it had been sorted out by time/the work i'd been doing) but she's asymmetrical behind. left hip lower than right, probably as a result of the accident in the wagon when she was t3 1/2. glad carole was there, as I didn't know the ins and outs of what had happened and carole did. He treated that, but it can only be temporary. the normal solution is with shoeing, but she's barefoot; so i have to discuss with my farrier how to best trim to get the evenness required. typical, this after the farrier has been.... left side need to be up a bit, right side needs to be down a bit, and if farrier wants to ring physio he should feel free...

and then molly loaded straight on with no hassle at all, which was pleasing; she'd had a bit of a not wanting to leaving northallerton, but by this time she was fine.

and so home. molly in the field for a bit = i'll go back down later - and i got back the house at 16:10. at whcih point i could finally have breakfast!

Carole had had bits of food in the wagon - home made cakes and scones left over from the event - so they'd gone down well. She hadn't had breakfast either...

In the meantime, i've decided i really can't find my seatbones on the cheyenne. is that the saddle or me? carole said that's why she doesn't like that particular saddle, it's the saddle.

farrier was interested to know that molly's front asymmetry is identical to her mothers; and would like photos of both molly's feet and her ma's; when i said that there's another in line, young cleo, his eyes lit up .... he's into this type of research and the thought of seeing three in line, all pretty much of the same stamp, kindles his interest.

Carole was pleased to hear molly's taking to two rein lunging; i think i've said before, she doesn't like to teach it as she's seen too many nasty accidents with the horse panicking at the reins round it's hocks, so we've agreeda lot of that over the winter would be beneficial.

I have to keep Molly's neck suppled to loosen off the tightness inthe muscles by using the polo trick - she has to follow the polo right round .... then gets it when she's done. i've to do that every day.

and when i'm riding, especially on left rein, really make sure her left leg comes through. and the usual of course when hacking, keep changing the diagonal. which is easy to forget.

shredded paper

is scary as a bed. clearly molly thought so. of course, it is bright white, so stands out, so made the bed look really bright. she thought about backing out, so i went and walked all over the bed, and she came in, but turned round to her hay net without standing on the bed. I ended up trying to mix it all up (there was some shavings still underneath) but I've a feeling this isn't going to work.

so the riding today wasn't very successful either, i think because she hadn't been for a wee...

and i still can't get any transport sorted for tomorrow. keep trying, but i've a horrid feeling this is all going seriously pear shaped.

mirrors & let down

are working. Molly is really chilled. Someone was there before me this morning, and Molly had been really quiet. So that is a major success, well worth the £35!!!

but the transport plans for going to the physio tomorrow have gone seriously pear shaped, so i have to try and organise something else between now and teatime .... otherwise it'll all be off. bugger. Partner said, hire a landrover; the place that rents them out is of course shut on sundays ...

and rode

i didn't think i was going to ride today after all - partner was ill this morning (the joys of work leaving do, starts new job monday! so you can imagine) and then we had loads of stuff to do. But, when I did get back down to the yard at about 1730 there were still people about, gaynor was going to ride, so decided I would. At least it had been dry, so I only had to get a bit of mud off .... and Molly went really nicely. Gaynor had Charlie cantering around and Molly woke up a bit but wasn't being stupid, so I decided to do a load of trot work myself. that helped gaynor as well - she tucked in behind me which had the advantage of slowing charlie down! and we did loads of circles turns etc ...

I was very pleased.

But still not happy with the grandeur pad under the cheyenne. granted this replacement is a lot better than the original in that it is, at least, symmetrical - but it slips backwards under the saddle as we ride, in anything faster than walk. not helpful.

and the other good thing - it was dry and windy everywhere except the yard (where it wasn't windy) so I got a load of laundry done as well....

survived ..

her night in.

she didn't seem as though she'd been at all stressed last night, the place wasn't trashed; not that there's not as much to be trashed with rubber matting down! but she could have made a complete mess anyway with the shavings that are down, and didn't. so i would reckon that the stable mirror is going to turn out to have been a really good idea that i wish i'd heard of before.

and it's a lot quicker to muck out.

just turned her out (i was first there, no one else about!) and will go back later to ride or whatever...

she won, she's in

ok, she's in for the night. she was waiting for me, didn't have to go get her, gaynor said when she was there at 4 yesterday molly was screaming to be in. so this is the night we find out whether the mirror does it's biz!

i really didn't want her in so soon, but hey, listen to your horse!!!

and she was wet again , so no point trying to do anything, would have taken too long for her to dry.

can i come in mum?

molly is desperate to be in. standing at the gate waiting for me every night now, the others aren't bothered at all. my only concern (apart from teh fact that i think she's wimping out) is that she might regret it once she realises she's on her own. on the other hand, it'll be a good test of the mirror. if she's still chilled in the morning, it'll have shown itself to have been a good investment! to get her back out tonight, i had to take the hay net in front of her. otherwise, she'd planted herself and wasn't going anywhere. once she got back to the field she wandered off .... and there was me thinking i could leave her out for ages yet! hah!

she was too wet for me to do anything with her (wet mud, not good ....) but no point rugging her as she'll over heat. if its warm enough for flies, it's too warm to put a rug on her, and we were overrun with little midges tonight.

so i think we'll try her in tomorrow night and see what happens ...

dark

very dark..... mind, i was late out of the office and then go stuck in traffic, but we had to have the lights on when we started, never mind when we finished!

and i was so late that molly was shouting for me (she hears my voice, i think ...)

but we tried some two rein lunging, did quite nicely. we set her off on her bad rein, and she went nicely, then on left rein she was looking for the contact which was good.

didn't do huge amounts. someone else wanted to be in, but what we did was ok.

oh but she does want to be in! she's going soft; none of the others seem that bothered, don't know why molly is!

and edited to add - had the reins through the correct holes...

more lunging

tonight i managed to get her going right rein myself, I was very pleased with me (and with her as well of course, but particularly with me!). This was with two reins. We had a bit of a twist round three times when i went to set her away to the right, and had to untangle everything, but she did it, so i was very pleased. i'd set the reins through the wrong hole on the roller, but not to worry, will get it right tomorrow. and she was on the bit! some of the time which was even more pleased.

tomorrow will try and get the reins through the correct hole and see how we get on.

now all i need is for the tanning place to stay open until they say they do (i'm getting rid of my psoriasis, the tan is just a by product of that, honest!). the man goes home early monday and tuesday and then gets earache from his wife and me. i woudln't have minded so much but yesterday he specifically confirmed to me that he would be there tonight (or i'd have had 6 minutes yesterday instead of my usual 3).

never mind, it is working! for the first time in years I am not spending my days itching and scratching and my elbows are smooth for the first time in 20 years! yay!

rain...

there's a surprise. I should have gone to the yard this morning, it was relatively dry, but ive got into the habit of going in the afternoon. I did a load of work work this morning, then had to go up and see about Queen bee... who apparently is looking young but moving old. well, though, which is good. the person where she is was at work work today (usually is on a weekend, think it works well for her to have her days off through the week...) so it's not often i get to actually see queenie. she's sharing a field with a dance in the dark yearling filly, who thinks she's no fun!

Molly's baby is now backed and ridden away - no problems at all, which puts the kibosh on any notions that Molly might have inherited some problem -her mother is a sweetie, she is too and so is young cleo. another chip off the maternal block.

but by the time i'd done all that it was teeming down. I wasn't surprised, but it did mean i couldn't reinforce what we did yesterday.

isna't that always the way though ...

lunging & mirrors

gaynor and i finally got together to see about lunging molly right rein.

first time roud, without side reins, we conned her nicely - as i expected we would - gaynor on the outside with the lead rein, me on the inside with the lunge line and whip, she set away and did really well, including canter. once she'd set off she was fine, no signs of wanting to turn back in.

left rein as well, fine.

then the side reins, wiht a view to going right rein again. I was pleased gaynor was there - usual problem, even when gaynor had walked her on to set off she was turning back in again and i simply couldn't move myself fast enough to stop her.

so gaynor tried, and had the same problem

so then she lunged her two reins - and after a bit of a paddy (not too bad, but bad enough watching!) she caved in and did it.

I was pleased to see that done by someone else; and molly finished up working really hard and we were very pleased with her.

and the stable mirror was up when i got there.

Molly at first didn't notice it, then did a double take when she did, but was ok about it and spent quite a bit of time with her nose to her 'new friend' ...

so hopefully that will be a long term success.

wasps nest

that was what caused the accident two nights ago. the horse stood on it - and no horse is going to do anything but tank off in that circumstance. It could have been a lot worse. the rider has apparently a fractured vertebrae, bad but she can feel so prognosis not as bad as it could have been, and the horse is on a few days box rest. the nest got burned - but there is, apparently, another one that the YM will have to be told about!

Molly just got fed tonight. I think she thinks she wants to be in, but she would sharp change her mind if she was kept in!!!

arena lights

were on tonight, for the first time this winter. probably woulnd't have needed them if it hadn't been cloudy as well.

i was lucky there was somone there to help me on though! me & one other. everyone else seemingly had been & gone.

I was pleased with molly, especially when the other horse came in, as that is the first time she's had another horse in the arena with her since 29th june when i fell off. she stayed calm, and we did some nice trot work to finish. i think she's probably getting a bit bored with doing so much walk, but it's good for her. can't beleive how many circles etc we're doing, keep varying what i'm doing to stop her getting too bored!!!

apparently the news on the injured girl is fractured vertebrae. not sure about the horse though ... apparently she was stiff this morning, which will be right, but no one who knew was there to be asked.

incident...

we coulnd't drive down to the yard tongiht, the track was blocked by para medics and other rescuers. a girl out riding on her own had been dumped by her horse - probably startled by a pheasant - and been found with at least a broken shoulder and reckoned to have been unconscious for a while, although coming round. the horse had meanwhile tanked off, and having been found by the ford (a bit away, it would have had to jump fences on its own to get there ...) was just being led up. so caroline said take it down to our yard,and i went down to assist with that and see it settled and look at molly. there were far too many cooks trying to help with the incident and they didn't need another two.

got down and had left my yard keys in the car.

molly was standing at the gate - get the feeling she wants to be in, but she isnt' coming in yet - and all i had was half a polo.


hope the girl's ok.

the horse was lame - do'nt think it was too serious, but she'll seize up over night. nothing more to be done though ...at least we didnt' need the vet as well as the ambulance.

trot

for the first time since i fell off, i felt brave enough to go into trot. Molly had being doing really nicely in walk - if a bit heavy in the hand! - and wanted to move on, so i put her into trot, and did a couple of trips round the arena in a nice cool trot. she felt quite good under me as well. so that was the good note to end on.

and I'd got hte bridle on her with no argument at all tonight, so that's a good sign.

last night - i had a headache, and was 100% certain it was going to rain again (it didn't, but hey....i was probably only wrong by about a few yards!!!!)

in and out

today i decided to try riding in and out of the arena. the plan was to do that several times; but i was glad i'd done a lot of other stuff before i tried it the second time, as Molly said 'that's it, i'm done!'

put the leather girth back on; i think the wintec will be going on ebay, shame as i like wintec girths, have one for the gp (that i also must put on ebay!) and very easy to look after.

walking out

in hand again, this time without another horse in sight, just me & partner & molly. she was very well behaved. i also stood at the stream with her but didn't have wellies on - will do that one once it gets cool enough where I can wear them without melting my feet (my wellies are neoprene muck boots, very hot!).

and i started the clicker training ..... but not too much as partner is taking the piss out of that, i don't know why.

oh yes, and i got the laptop back. seems to be working fine!

missed a night

don't know why i didn't post last night ..

i think because i'd stayed up late watching the telly ...

i did ride her, but it was SOOO hot and muggy neither of us could really be bothered. although she did try to go nicely, the little midgies were seriously bothering her, and it became pointless.

So i suppose i was only on her 10 minutes all told. but better 10 minutes than no minutes, which is what she did tonight. Although it was raining!!!!

the stable mirrors arrived today; haven't opened the parcel yet though

and the wintec girth is going to be sold on to someone with a less sensitive horse, i think!

messages

i had to buy paint tonight as the decorator was due tomorrow and there wasn't quite enough for the front room - he rang me on my way home to say he'd been today and there wasn't quite enought for the front room. a bit mortified as i hadn't piled the furniture up, but he'd done that himself. sitting room now looks wonderful.

It was blowing a gale, anyway, so I wouldn't have done anything with molly save look at her ... so that is what i didn. she coulnd't have cared less ... i think i've said before, i hate a howling gale. but it's forecast to rain a lot tomorrow ....

wintec dressage girth

we realised tonight it has pressure points, no wonder she hasn't been happy to be girthed. Easy sorted, but very stupid design.

So you'll have gathered I rode. She was walking very nicely and smoothly indeed. I am almost tempted to see if I can get some company for a walk round the 20 acre. She's showing no sign of stress at all.

Which, as I said to gaynor, is a sign of how totally stupid we both were when I brought her back into work when my foot got better. should have spent a few weeks on flat work then, I might not be having to do it now.

Lesson learnt, I think.

also, her poll will still need looking at ... but having an idiot owner doesn't really help!