Tuesday, March 25, 2008

an idea

Kirstie had an idea that might work if it isn't dangerous.....and it might not be if I can get it right.

she suggests I clip a long line to the outside bit ring, gather it up in my hands going round Molly's bum as i lead her up to the mounting block. Thus, as she starts to turn her quarters away, I am preventing that happening. then of course once I was on I'd have to gather the line up quickly in my hand and tie it to the saddle such that it doesn't fall down again.

Thoughts anyone?

the other thing I have to think about, as I reminded myself this morning and forgot to say yesterday - if the stool I'm using in the arena isn't high enough - and most of them arent' - then Molly, when she isn't turning quarters away, is moving her body IN to me and thus pushing me off the stool! which isn't helpful, especially to the poorly foot which is the one I usually end up landing on....

For partners birthday today we went to Harlow Carr, the RHS Garden in Harrogate (which also has a Betty's....) and then on the way home to Brimham Rocks. We will go back to Brimham Rocks on a warmer day with our walking gear and a packed lunch - if we'd known they were there and that good before, we'd have done that instead of Harlow Carr! But it was itneresting to see the work they'd done at the Garden, and how the "gardens through time" are developing.

So Molly had nothing done with her - shame, as of course the weather at least wasn't windy, if a bit cold!

I was rung this morning whilst we were on our way south and reminded i have a meeting after work tomorrow night - burgers.

4 comments:

cptrayes said...

Be careful - holding onto the offside rein to stop the bum swinging out can make them rear as you get your foot in the stirrup.

Bigger steps, definitely! I have a neat 2-step pair made in a strong but very lightweight plastic. (Actually it's SH's and I borrow it).

Claire can you vault on? It strikes me that you can get on from much worse angles if you are not trying to mount from a stirrup, especially if you are at all concerned about the saddle slipping. Perhaps if madam could just get the idea that you are getting on, no matter what, she'll give up being stupid about regular mounting. When I say "vault on" I mean lean over the saddle (slip off if you are unhappy and start again) then swing your leg over once she is standing still. Daft idea maybe.

C.

C.

Claire said...

if i were to ride her bareback (well, with the bareback pad) i would be able to just swing my leg over and be on....but i would have to be able to get her level with the top of the mounting block, where i am standing, to be able to do that....and her bum would have gone round away from me before we got to that point...no way i could vault on from the ground, couldn't do that when i was fit and young so certainly can't do it now!

where are SH's steps from then? i wouldn't want those you have in your barn! i thought they were dangerous wiht a safe horse, TBH!

Jean said...

I have a lovely three step plastic mounting block which gets me easily up on 16.3h Tucker. If you put something like that along the wall, then put Molly between it and the wall, would that help?

The bouncing on and off the block has to be hard on your ankle.

I used to be able to vault up on 16.1h Russell, but I was much younger then and had a least one good knee. Ah, the good old days!

The long line scares me a bit. I can just envision too many ways where things could go wrong including Molly's getting entangled. And, as Caroline says, there is always that danger of rearing.

cptrayes said...

Wish you'd told me at the time if you felt unsafe on my steps!

C