practice...

standing at the mounting block (the yard's big one).

it is in a corner; if she stands on the left of it as you go up it, then she can't move away, but would be on the "wrong" side for mounting. and there would be a risk that she would panic ....not that she's a one for panicking, but you never know.... if she stands on the right of it, she can move her quarters away so that she is along the fenceline but with her head facing me.

so on the left, i was able to use the pressure halter, gentle pressure, to get her to move right up and stnd alongside. but, if i moved back she moved back away.

on the right, she stood along the fenceline.....despite treats if she stood in teh right place..

phooey...

i would be happier if the mounting block were somewhere where she could move round it (so i could keep her working without getting off it... and try not to get pulled off, but it's a large area to stand on) or if it was alongside the fenceline itself away from a corner.

ah well, weather permitting natasha's coming tomorrow and we'll see whether we can sort it again...

aaarrrgggghhhh

the frustration of trying to get on.

then once i'd had a hand to get on, and we were both concentrating, i was interrupted by someone wanting to know if i'd read my letter - to which i said, what letter? the one from YO about increased rates. haven't read it yet. after that didn't really get it back... lot of head tossing. but some of that is improved a lot when i remember to slow her down with my seat. but really i'd got so pissed off with her tonight.... don't know why, as it's nothing new this, but it seems particularly frustrating when she stands just slightly where you don't want her, you move the block, get up on it and then she moves as you lift your leg to put it in the stirrup.....

lugning over poles

was the order of thre day today - i was far too knackered to do justice to riding! spent the day in the garden, dug out the potatoes (rather good) and related tasks...

so decided to lunge, over trotting poles, and tried a very small cross pole as well.

she's better with them in a straight line than a curve, although that might be me, and didn't really like the cross poles.... she did one proper jump and so far as i'm aware that is the first time she's jumped anything.

i think she found it interesting, at any event - interesting in wrking out how to cut in and not do them!

but over the straight trotting poles at first, it's really good to see her really using herself!

this sort of thing wil do her as much good as the other bits of things i'm doing with her...

i wonder if it would be worth while seeing about a proper jump/loose schooling? dunno ... and would probably take me forever to set up.

summer at last

two good days for weather, and apparently another tomorrow. so we got a lot done.

I didn't struggle to try & get on Molly without help, it would have taken too long - just got her head held.

we're starting to get somewhere with the trot, and the walk is improving every day, so I'm very pleased.

and even more pleased that I have great confidence that I'm NOT going to slip off the saddle! the joys of a suede seat.

apparently Molly is chewing up the segregation paddock, whilst at the same time not moving about ...

hopefully, if it stays dry (ish) she'll be able to go out with the mares by tuesday..

there's a new mare out she hasn't really met yet, as they have not coincided in the field since the new mare arrived... that'll be interesting!

and the rest of the day ? dug out half my potato crop,must do the rest tomorrow and hopefully plant some garlic..and possibly partner might come out for a walk with me & molly (and pick blackberries..); and went to the hairdressers..

boots

have been a trouble to me for half the week.

firstly, i got that huge blister the other day, walking in my mountain horse high riders - sill thing to do.

then, yesterday, the zip at the back of said boots finally died and will have to go to cobblers to see if it can be mended.

today, i took my posh regent leather boots that i haven't worn for years (since i got my first pair of mountain horse, in fact) - but had to spend so long on ground work (trying to see if i could get herself to stand) that my left foot was protesting severely by the finish. and i'd forgotten how slippy they can feel against the horses side!

after an hour of ground work, I'd almost got her to stand - but to the point where when I started to lift my foot to put in the stirrup, she'd move! eventually, got someone to hold her head. he said, i should be quicker - maybe, but i'm not getting younger and i can't be quicker and she SHOULD stand...

i did feel i'd made some progress though, but she's a challenge...

after that i trotted a bit, even managed a change of rein whilst in trot, and then asked for a nice walk - which we got! 2 circuits of the arena

so then we stopped.

lovely day

glorious, in fact, so nice we could have lunch outside after our morning meeting.

my interview went ok, i think, but one of the people who was suposed to be interviewing me wasn't there as he'd caught a lurgy that's doing the rounds, so if they decide to go for me i shall have to go back for a second interview. but that's par.

then came home and rode, eventually after i'd washed the feet/lower legs. think i've cracked the scabbing properly this time, can't feel any more coming back.

didn't bother with anything save getting a hand to get on.

took me half the session to remember what i was meant to be doing!

saddle really comfy,very happy with it.

molly did some nice work once i'd remembered what i was meant to be telling her, especially in terms of rebalancing her by slowing her down!

and we did some serpentines that we haven't done for ages and ages.

i thought she did well considering its a few weeks since we've schooled!

shattered....

well, my legs are.

Jill and I set off mounted (lush saddle...) and were going to go up to the pub then right up Marks Lane and back round through the village...

we got nearly to the pub, and someone started giving it what for with clattering metal behind the farm opposite the pub, and Molly wasn't having that - turned round - i could NOT get her to stop very on her toes ...

finished up back at yard, got off, and then turned rond and WALKED her out, we did the full thing we were going to do mounted.

then Jill's Oscar wasn't right, so she got off and led as well.

Did try to get back on Molly moo at the only suitable spot, but she wasn't having that at all ...

and of course, i was still in mylong riding boots, so have discovered a corn on my left little toe that i didn't know i had.

Jill thinks Oscar is becoming anaemic again, so will need some time off, so suggested that on Friday we'll go out with her on foot and me mounted... on the grounds that that will assist in reassuring Molly.

I think we would have been ok if it hadn't been for the crashing metal...

So pleased with the saddle, though

the vogue arrived

here it is.....
suede seat, lush....

a dry (ish) paddock

i checked the small isolation/starvation paddock this morning (it currently has grass!) and found that the mud in that was not at all deep - in many places the ground was dry, and where it wasn't, the mud would not get higher than possibly the tips of molly's feet... so out she went.

the legs are looking a lot better - and better again tonight than this morning. definition is back. If the weather stays as it is, she can stay in there for a few days. still too deep to take her up to the field, as there's a morass to get through on the way.

so that was all she did today, partner wanted me to come home for an early tea, which we don't normally have...

a visitor!

Stephanie came for the day, enjoyed the visit as always!

She says she thinks I'm trimmer - must be all the walking, LOL!

She also thought - not having seen Molly since the end of July - that she is changing shape in the right way, so that was pleasing also!

and Molly? we thought, lunge and in hand work, the plan had been of course lunge in walk, but Molly wanted to go faster - so we let her, and - get this - I got CANTER - YAY! haven't been able to get canter on the lunge with a horse since I can't remember when! did it. both reins.

then back to in hand work after she'd got that out of her system, and that went really well left rein - not so good right rein, but then that's both our worst sides of course. but very pleased

and the poor mare had both of us scab picking, one on each back leg - so she couldn't do anything about it, can't kick out at both of us!

well exercised!

i woke early (had set alarm for 7, but up at 6.15).

so by eight, Molly had been mucked out, bedded up, hayed, watered, AND walked out - we went over the motorway bridge (not empty, even at that time on a sunday!) and saw a a red squirrel just the other side of that bridge in the hedgerow. it sat and looked at us, and we stood and looked at it. Very impressed, I was. Don't know what Molly thought.

then home for my breakfast, put laundry out, sorted out some of the video from yesterday, went to tip, then to sainsbury's, back to yard, ate the sandwich i'd bought and did some in hand work in the school. I felt much more confident about that than I had prior to yesterday. skepped out, back home, cleaned the bathroom (faint...)

back to yard again about 5, mucked out, washed feet/legs, walked her out again! crikey! all done by 1830, and then i've come home and have made a pie and some flapjack (well, they're in the oven as we speak)

and spent too much on ebay - one new camera for under £50 (well, new to me, i'm sick of mine forever running out of charge on its AA batteries!) and 50 DVD-R discs on a spindle - much cheaper than PC world, even adding in the costs of cases - under £17 including postage.

and the new saddle might arrive tomorrow (posted saturday, apparently)

hope i get a job before i spend any more LOL

where to start?

the end, probably - Lincoln Grooming Blocks are really good for getting scabs off. I think I knew that, really, but happily reminded myself today. so from here on, the plan is grooming block THEN antiseptic wash.

the start - 0630 this morning. had to be in Yorkshire (Brompton on Swale, near Catterick) for 9 .... Becky HOlden clinic - so did molly in jig time, turned her out in the arena for her exercise whilst i mucked out etc (that'll save me at least 1 walk out in hand, as she was moving round instead of standing at the gate wanting to be back in). then back home for a quick breakfast and got there just on 9.

had taken camcorder and digital camera. onto second tape on camcorder, needed another battery "knew" i had another one charged - well, i was wrong. and then, to cap that, found I'd left the XD card for the camera in the D***** computer... duh. so only 3 people got videoed. and I would have needed more tapes than i'd taken ...

decided to come home at 1, the lunch break, as of course I still had molly's legs to wash and to walk out etc ....

did the leg washing, was about to walk out, when my tummy decided to tell me it was empty big time ... fair enough. so molly in round pen whilst i went home to chuck food down my neck.

then we walked out - this time i took her a different route, up to the bridge over the motorway. she was a bit unsure, and it was far enough, so we went back, but will try it again at a quieter time (maybe, early one sunday morning?)

eventually got home at 5.30

but what a gorgeous day. sunshine and heat. of course, none of us were dressed for it!

copied from my post on EE just now:

"just to keep me entertained, my friend rang today. her husband (top horse vet in North Yorkshire, all the racing yards about ) told her to tell me on no account to cold hose if giving antibiotics ... i said, when did he say that? ... Tuesday.....

anyway, different vet today. more antibiotics; as i'd worked out, keep washing the legs; the bandages weren't helping in terms of keeping on top of the mud fever (arguably have brought back what i'd already got rid of). more walking out (but I can lunge....) 3x daily (did i say, just as well i'm not in work?), and she tok a blood sample just to be 100% certain there's nothing else going on.

ALSO said that Molly may turn out to be one of those that gets filled legs as they get older. phooey. she's never had filled legs, neither did her mother, nor, so far as I am aware, her brother (save when HE got raging mud fever, then a horrid infection, then colic because of the antibiotics...)

i think i might dig out my tub of antiseptic wipes as well, they're useful for wiping off"

apart from that -

my Fhoenix went off in the post today, do hope it gets there. Waiting for the vogue to arrive.

Now, get this - i knew the cheque for the Fhoenix had arrived, it was inside my paying in book, but still in its envelop. Partner opened the envelope whilst I was out (even though I had already said I knew what it was, that was why it was there) and wanted to know why i was getting a cheque for £600. I didn't tell her...managed to avoid that, by complaining, with justification, about her opening my post.... and happily, easily foudn the box for the saddle wihtout having to ask her where she'd put it. WAsn't overjoyed, I have to say.

took mother to the station, have her car here for the weekend - she's gone to london, haven't told her partner's gone too! TBF, mother booked her weekend ages ago, she's gone to a wedding, whereas partner didn't decide until last weekend...

and the other good news? I have a job interview on Thursday, YAY!

bath time!

we were all gobsmacked, it was a gorgeous day.

it was so hot in front of the barn, i decided to chance my arm at bathing her - i've never given her a bath in all the time i've had her, and TBH i'm not sure, in the past, if it would have been a good idea.

but I put the rope halter on so i had control

and she was good as gold. even let me hose up between her back legs, which is VERY good - and considering last week i couldn't get a brush there without risking a foot in my belly, i was very pleased (but that was probably to do with the infection....)

after that, i walked her round the yard for a bit to dry off, and then jill turned up, we'd planned to go out together, her riding, molly in hand. we only got as far as the pub up the road (7 minutes...) when her phone rang - she had to go back, pick up one of her children who had fallen ill at school (unsurprising, his sister had it at the weekend .....)

we got past a huge artic with it's engine running (parked) with nothing save a stare, and on teh way back, the lorry driver came over and gave both molly & oscar an apple each, so they were happy! and showed us a photo of his daughter over a cross country fence, looked rather good (on his phone...)

then i mowed both lawns, at last (having got changed into shorts!) and went back to set her fair for the night and give her another walk.

i'm having the vet tomorrow - someone's coming out anyway, so might as well share the call out fee - as one fetlock is going back up again...it'll not be the vet who came last weekend, as i know he's on a day off tomorrow...

conflict - he recommended cold hosing for the swelling/heat - is that making the scabs of mud fever come back? thought i'd got on top of it, but I had to wash off and get them off again LAST night and covered them all in sudocrem (cure for all ills, that stuff! and apparently works on sweet itch as well)

now how to i get big box out of loft wihtout partner knowing i'm doing that, to send saddle off to purchaser? she put it away, and i don't know where it is....

edited to add - of course, all this walking out on the road has me on her right, not her left, and she is NOT giving me grief about that, so that's got to be all to the good...

more improvement

went for two walks today, as we have beeb supposed to but haven't been able to since sunday what with all these trips to vet with other horse..

the back legs continue to subside, the near hind better than the off. definite definition, which is good.

rang the vet, though, as the last antibiotic is in the morning and given the off hind is still up a bit, was a bit concerned, also not sure about future management...

he thought it would be fine, see how it goes once antibiotics finished, and i could turn out - but I'm not going to turn out yet, still not totally sure the mud fever is totally gone, and the fields are hock deep in mud, apparently....

so she's better off in, possibly turned out in the arena whilst i muck out/bed up etc, and possibly back into light work - some lunging at the walk, like that...

the first walk out this morning was a new route, turn left, roudn the corner, over the railway bridge (defunct railway) from which you can see our yard/fields, into estate, then back... bridge a shade hairy, stayed on pavement (it's quite narrow, the road there...) and hi viz'd to the 9's..

the second walk this evening, turn right and walk to the pub - we were UNDERTAKEN by a man on a pushbike... plonker! i should say, i was on the nearside of the road, and then inside me/molly was an area a bit like a layby....i.e., for parking!

andback to the vet again

fellow livery owner was seriously let down by the "friend" of hers who WAS going to go up for the horse today, so Jill & I went back up for it...horse had to be sedated to load, she said it would, and she was right. It needs huge amounts of groundwork (and Max if possible....)and huge amounts of time spent to get it not frightened of the trailer. once it's in, it's fine - but it's the getting it in that's the issue. anway, got him home, we were done by 12.30 ... went home, bite to eat, came back to see to molly's cold hosing/walk out.

bear in mind it had been raining all day (still is...) Molly wore her luminous yellow exercise sheet under a roller, and i wore my bright yellow long mac with Hi Viz vest over - we COULD be seen!!! LOL. one man got the finger for refusing to slow down when asked (didn't want people screaming through puddles) and I am pleased to report that I got her as far as we went on Sunday, up to the pub, so that's her full 15 minutes ....

the front legs are back to normal, so i've left them without the stable bandages, will see how they are in the morning

the off hind is showing a great improvement, the near hind not so much but subsiding slowly.

then decided i might as well set her right now until the morning ... gave her all the haylage i had left, and then had to go to local feedstore for a bag - couldn't be bothered to go all the way up to stanley to my usual supplier (better haylage, better value, better packed easier to deal with) so got what the man had .. it's a nightmare to deal with as it's not in slices, you end up with it all everywhere, not as much and cost more.... but i was pretty knackered by this stage!

of course, i'm spending twice as much as i would normally be on haylage, given that she's in, and will have to buy more shavings than i normally do...

towing

the vet came out for other owner's injured horse, and wanted it taken to clinic

the end result was I drove yet another owner's landrover & trailer (she normally has her husband drive and he was at work) with horse in, and horse owner followed...

so most ofthe day was taken up with that!

happily, the horse is ok and is coming home tomorrow, someone else is going up for it

Molly? i decided to do the walking out after rush hour = that was why i was there when the vet came anyway, and thus able to help! - so the end result was she didn't get cold hosed until about 17.30 this evening, and was walked out in the vening rush hour which was a lot busier than usual. The Motorway (which is just across a field from us) had major traffic jams both ways, and for those that know, our road is the diversion.

Molly is totally unphased by traffic! just as well. and was quite happy to walk a new route, but not the one we'd already done.

legs still subsiding.

Friesians in Yorkshire

after doing Molly - 2 hours, including a nice walk out in hand, with company (jill came out on Oscar for the walk out!) and having breakfast, went down to Yorkshire to see the Friesian Stallion grading & show - only because Vicki was coming up with Antsje for the ridden mare class.
the grading was interesting to watch - and there was one lovely mare with foal at foot, foal kept trying to knock the runner over! (this is done the Dutch way, the horses are run round by runners, in this case people over from Holland for the purpose, and the judges are Dutch as well)

then came home and did Molly again.

the legs are subsiding, slowly, but tonight she wasn't as keen to go out as she was this morning/yesterday. her near hind is much better, and the off hind is now recovering it's shape

the bad news? another horse on the yard was discovered to have an infected puncture wound - it had been hidden by a flap of skin, which came off today. vet's coming tomorrow.

vet visit

i should have been more concerned about the swelling in the legs than i was. When i got there this morning, it clearly wasn't clever and the fronts were looking a bit up as well. so rang the vet, since it was clear that she has an infection. he took one look and said "lymphangitis"....

so

antibiotic injections immediately x 2; antibiotics in her feed, 1 sachet twice a day for 5 days....

to be kept in, stable bandages on (haven't had to do stable bandages since I can't remember when!)

cold hosed x 2 per day (each leg, 10 minutes each or thereabouts - happily, i found i can do both back legs together, or at least i could today the way she was standing)

hand walked out on tarmac around 15 minutes x 2 per day

and ring if i'm worried/it doesn't settle

but she looks really smart in her green stable bandages and green & blue check rug, also new today - the cotton sheet i'd been using is now minging (that, for international readers, is a local term for filthy!) so had to have a new one so i could wash the other...

and i didn't really need new stable bandages as I did have some, but couldn't resist green on chestnut.....

so tell me

yesterday, i put molly out with her lightweight outdoor on. it was a lovely day and she would have been too hot.

today, she went out without = and it rained, in the afternoon, and by the time i got down she was too damp to put tack on (happily, she was still warm, of course!)

go figure.

on the other hand, i did get the roller and cavesson back from teh saddler. not totally sure the cavesson is right on her, too large round the nose by a shade, but will try it and see.

and for sale - fhoenix, 18" butt leather, £650

1/2 hour

and I gave up and went and asked someone to hold her head. I hadn't done any groundwork, it's always worth a try wihtout, so guess what i'll be doing tomorrow?

BUT we had some successes.

nice walk.

and I think i've worked out what i'd been doing wrong in trot (been thinking about that this week) and tonight got it right, so we got some nice trot - not as nice as the walk, but i didn't expect it to be, i just wanted forwards, straight as we can and neither of us losing balance! my position was a lot better - tink i wasn't trying so hard, and I consciously let my fingers loosen (think i've mentioned before my main issue with it is not doing that!)

long reining...

it's a good while since i've done this, stopped because she was not with it at all. sinc ethen i've done some more reading and thinking, and had a lesson (thanks Jenny) and reviewed Max's DVD on the point as well - i was long reining per Max, not per Jenny (not having the new roller back yet).

decided to put the BB on to avoid problems of her setting her jaw

and we were hugely better than last time. I was working the outside rein better to get her moving/round and thus not pulling so hard on the inside.

did about half and hour walk/trot/ different directions, circles and large. was very pleased with her.

she was in and done by 5 as i had a late meeting and the nights are drawing in, enought haylage to sink a battleship - this is the first winter she's gone into looking thin ....

the haylage i tipped - sorted itself out whilst outside so i rescued it

a good start.....but i made 2 mistakes

the good start was lunging this morning.

roller (not the new one, not got that back yet) loose side reins, bridle & lunge cavesson (again, not the new one).

She really relaxed on left rein; right rein was hugely better, hardly a problem at all getting it.

so i was really pleased with that.

the 2 mistakes? i turned her out without a rug and hung the washing out, expecting, from last night's forecast on the met office website, it to be dry until late. I should have checked it again this morning, as it rained.....the washing it still on the line, wet. Molly came in in a dry moment (and happily had dried off again) but was NOT impressed at all at having been out

and I've had to tip a bale of haylage (small bale) as it was seriously overheating (i re-wrap once I've taken some slices out). rang the man and he agreed with me that not right ....I've a horrid feeling the next one might go the same way... hopefully they'll replace. I've not had a problem with his haylage before, over years, so we'll all be a bit concerned...

rode!

amazing, it wasn't raining, it wasn't going to rain, even got washing on the line!

So, didn't trouble myself to try and get her to stand for me, much quicker to get someone to hold her head .... saves a lot of grief, not to mention time, and we start off relaxed instead of stressed.

Did some nice work! trot not so hot, but that's my fault. walk is improving no end .... she can keep it going a lot better, i'm improving in asking for turns (slight flex inside, let the fingers out on the outside, helps a lot if i don't conflict her) and it's becoming easier to bring her back into balance with my legs (well, thighs).

i still feel as though i've forgotten more than i'm learning.

and of course, this was in the fhoenix, not the trial saddle.. :-(

mats up....

was the order of the morning, as expected.

molly went out, much to her displeasure (had to put the rope halter on to get her out) and with her legs clagged up with mud fever stuff

then the remains of the bedding went, the mats came up and the ponds underneath the mats got soaked up by some not yet soaked bedding and swept out.... i go there a good bit before 8 am, and got home @ 10. all before breakfast, this!

the floor underneath is not level, and there are dips in it - you can't tell this when it's dry, of course! it wasn't that the water level outside got up enough to come into the barn, it's that the prevailing wind direction blew it into that end, and it was coming under the minuscule gap between the floor and the door. they say. whatever, the floor outside the stable seems to dip into the stable, and then, as i say, there are places for ponds to form.

at least i had the rubber matting down. it would have been twice as bad if i hadn't! a

YO has offered me a stable move, we'll see how it goes as the stable is directly opposite the tack room and toilet, next to an outside door so i can get out that way without having to pass any other horse, and in due course the tap/horsewashing area with hardstanding is going to be outside that door. So I'd rather not move her unless I'm forced into it by the weather, and this weekend WAS exceptionally bad...

and we're not as bad off as some!

and after i'd sorted that out, i built an Ikea bookshelf, now sitting in the corner of this room. much needed. will need a couple more shelves, i think.

then went back with a view to riding (it had been a nice day) - as i was getting molly from the field, having put new bed down and filled haylage net, it started raining again...

washed her feet off, no scabs so that seems to be sorted, and legs were no longer filled, thank goodness

ended up doing a bit of rope circling in the arena, just to say i'd done something!

flooded stable

i missed the worst of it (I was there before 7 am, as I had to go to Teesside to pick partner up from the airport, suntan & all....) although it was pretty bad then - apparently later in the day it was pouring through molly's stable door

mostly, it's under the rubber matting - which is another advantage of rubber matting. but the bed is a disaster area and of course I didn't have any more so inthe morning I shall be chucking out what's left (£13 worth of easibed....) and putting shavings back down. hoping the rain doesn't get that bad again for a while..

partner said, can we not sweep the water out? not without lifting the rubber mats, of course, and no way I was doing that

Molly went in the arena with the other 2 mares whilst we all mucked out this evening, it was a lot drier by that stage

If tomorrow remains as it is this evening, she's going to have to go out - legs are filling with being in so long. this box is not as big as box at harbour house so she can't move about as much, i haven't had her with filled legs before.

and i left her with her outdoor on (lightweight!) to protect against any further damp from below!

what i should have done

was turn her out in the round pen this morning whilst i mucked out - don't know why i didn't think of that! I did think about lunging, but time i'd mucked out i was concerned to get home as i knew the person was cming to pick the saddle up, and would probably need to ring me to check directions (as indeed she did!).

so, about 9 am it started raining - and raining- and raining - and ..... you could grow rice quite easily in our fields, and i was really pleased molly was in anyway, but of course she's had no exercise..

never mind. hopefully it'll improve....

the vogue trial

ends tonight - being picked up in the morning - and happily the weather relented for me to ride! I worked on walk trot transitions (getting myself to NOT block the forward movement with my hands, which i'm a B for....didn't used to be i'm sure, but I am now") and Molly is clearly getting stronger as she is finding it easier to work through properly in walk and carry herself. no where near consistent yet, but getting there. and we even had one not too bad halt...

unfortunately, the arena has been affected by all the rain, the side nearest the barn is seriously boggy, so we have to avoid that ... which means in fact it's good as you have to ensure you are working about 1 1/2 metres in from the outside track on that side. no support from the wall, so need to work on straight.

natasha thought she might fetch a horse up tomorrow and either go out for a hack with me, or we'd go up to holmeside or somewhere and use their indoor. either way, woudl be good for molly.

bad me...

i rashly believed the weather forecast for today, which I had read last night, and turned poor Molly out without a rug. Oops.

wouldn't have been so bad, but I was in Yorkshire for the day,and it didn't in fact start raining properly until the afternoon...

BAAAAD me.

So she was very pleased to come in, and got her thermatex type wicking rug on immediately.

I'd bought extra feed (up to now, she's just been on Top Spec, so bought some apple chaff)

I've decided on 2 things

1. she's going to be in 24/7 for a few days/week or so until i get on top of the mud fever

2. she's in overnight now for the winter...

Apart from that, had a nice day with Natasha. Lunch at Betty's in Northallerton (and brought some nice cakes home), and the purpose of the trip there was to buy a decent mounting block: in blue, rather pleased with it. the stool i was using has died, and i need one like this that i can move round.

but managed not to buy any jackets, boots, breeches, tack, rugs or anything of that nature, despite visiting two saddlery stores ....

molly the wuss

but i can't blame her in this weather, i suppose.

from which you'll gather she's in again overnight.... why does she choose this year to do this? i didn't want to be buying bedding/haylage just yet!
a couple of years ago - the second winter @ harbour house - she insisted on being in a month before the others. last year it was beginning of November before she came in overnight, and then only because of yard rules. and here we are, beginning of September.

i knew i wouldn't be able to ride -could see another huge storm coming- but thought i might have time to round pen - not. left her to her tea and some haylage with a view to turning out later (about 1930) but no way would she leave her stable.

lunge & ride...

I decided to lunge first - 5 minutes either rein in walk - before riding (AND did some flexions in the stable first).

I liked her walk left rein, nice and relaxed, and seemed to be moving through properly from behind.

right rein - I'd studied the dvd I made of Jenny working with her - we did get without the need to trot first, but not for long and then she became argumentative and kept turning in, irrespective of what driving aids i was giving her. short of winding her up into trot and then trying to relax her down again, it wasn't going to happen again.....

went back to left rein, and that was still nice.

then to get on.

aaarrrgggghhhhh..

had to get someone to hold her head again.

After that, she did some nice relaxed walk - and then got stressed and decided she'd had enough. i didn't have my schooling stick. and to be fair, she had done a fair bit by this time (as when she was refusing to be mounted i did some in hand round the school as well, on the basis that if she was going to move, she could work as well...)

phooey. i guess i need to do some serious ground work every time again before i get on. so annoying, we'd pretty much had this sorted a few weeks ago, but have gone right back