the calming effect of a bad ride on a bad temper

very odd. normally a bad ride make a bad temper worse, but i concentrated on the work, and found i'd calmed down (also of course concentrated on not feeling bad tempered).

and why was i bad tempered?

firstly, partner had promised to come home promptly from work i.e. at 5 so we could have an early tea then i could ride and she could go off to her choir. should have been home for 5.20. turned up at after 6 ....

then when i got to the yard, the children had the worst radio station in the world on at full volume, which i hate (can't bear the radio station, and full volume is painful).

then molly started cow kicking when i was trying to brush her belly - again!

this time i pulled her out, put the pressure halter on and backed her up and down the aisle. and i got her belly groomed with no further grief!

tacked up and got on and walked round whilst i did some deep breathing. then trot work. still, left rein lovely, right rein pants. right rein getting worse! and yet i'm not conscious of changing anything about my position between the one rein and the other. i was out for about 1/2 hour if not longer, lost track of time.

so MUST text RI and sort out a lesson.

and have to think hard about grazing issues, on which we have a problem (due in large part to the water boards activities last year, they haven't reseeded that area of land yet - hopefully they'll do it soon! but even if they do, it won't be ready for this season of course, and possibly not for next...

edited to add: i think on right rein i am blocking somehow with my thighs. and on left rein i keep my hands settled (one reason it's going well that rein, i expect!) but not on the right.

as i said

i lunged. And Molly lunged well. the canter is improving, she can keep it going a shade longer (particularly good after last week off) and she's looking something. Then i did a little longlinging but that wasn't so successful, which is my error as i haven't done any for a long time! also, i had her in the roller, and put the reins through the terrets, and that's possibly an error with her at the moment.

apparenlty the forecast is good for a few days!

hurray!

despite the minus 1 this morning, it was a gorgeous sunny day, the wind had dropped, no clouds

so I was able to ride.

left rein we're going great guns, but have lost the plot right rein altogether. So need another lesson, I think.

But i'll lunge her a couple of times through the week as well I think

rainy gales.....

horizontal rain after i got home from the yard this morning (it was only gently vertical when i left their...) I did give a passing thought to going back down and getting her back in, but didn't. and i had caved in and rugged, as i knew the rain wasn't going to stop.

and would you believe - this evening, got her in gave her tea, more hay, left - and the wind dropped. typical.

think it MIGHT be a nice day tomorrow.

and my online banking for the office account doesn't work - but at least i got a prompt reply to my email!

the month of march

has left all it's gales until this week, it seems. I Shan't be riding today! It's dry - but that's all that can be said for it!

halifax, west yorkshire

was the venue for the day trip for partner's birthday.

we visited the Piece Hall, which is amazing.

we then went to Bankfield Museum, which was fascinating. an embroidery exibition with pieces dating back to early 1600's, and stuff from all round the world; the Duke of Wellington's REgiment Museum, stuff about Edith Durham, of whom I'd not previously heard but clearly had a fascinating life, and then went to Dean Clough, but didn't really have time to look at the galleries there, so I guess we'll go back at some point.

Then stopped at a pub in Masham on the way home for dinner .. sorry to say, I had to make a complaint. I'd asked for steak pie, but what I got was carrot with a bit of steak, rather than steak with a bit of carrot. tasty, and hasn't put me off the pub (chef, apparently, was mortified)

Left all done for Molly to be brought in tonight, and hope it wasn't wet up here - in Yorkshire, sunshine was interspersed with wintry showers...

was it worth it?

Probably not.

Actually managed to ride today ... didn't take my schooling stick, a conscious decision as I usually end up putting it down somewhere.

but we couldn't really get going at all, in trot. walk was nice virtually all the time, but i could not get the trot right. i was wrong, she was wrong ... whether it would have been assisted had i had the schooling whip to start, I don't know.... but since it was clear i wasn't going to get anywhere for whatever reason, i made sure we finished on a nice note and called it a day very quickly.

and we have a new cat. My friend is moving house and not allowed to take her cat with her, so we have him.

he's not quite as big as he looks in this pic, and it's a very small pic as taken on friend's mobile phone...

nothing to report

due to busy work day, unexpected new client, and going out this evening... I used to be a morning person which would be better really ...

Anyway, should be something to report tomorrow (subject to weather) as partner is away out for most of the day.

a good drying day

that's about all that can be said for it. it was blowing mad march gale this morning, and still is now, with no let up. and it's got worse since it got dark, in that it is now raining as well.

But as I say, a good drying day!

and at least it was sunny during daylight hours (not that any of the horses will have been particularly impressed anyway, they were all keen to be in!).

wind....

and i did wonder whether i'd be able to ride, but it wasn't too strong - one of those winds that sounds bad when you're inside, but isn't quite as bad as it sounds once you're outside..

and i had some company in the arena, so it was useful to work round them - guinness the gelding, working well.

we were trying hard and had some good moments.

i've decided that the hole shorter stirrup is the way to go .... leg stabilised much better ....

reckon i need to so some work without stirrups!

mmph.

a bit hacked off ... didn't get to ride, as by the time i'd done all the things partner wanted, there wasn't really time before dark AND molly has minor fly bites right where the girth goes. fly repellent to be applied .. (save we're forecast snow next week, apparently!)

partner now off for a week - i said i'd take the one day for her birthday! - so i might work her mornings ....we'll see. i don't want to interrupt my routine....

ridden....

but still got that sore.... put aplaster on, but i don't think it helped (haven't looked yet!)

anyway, how was she? well, not as good as we could have been, hadn't been ridden since Sunday so that's not surprising. but by the end we were getting there, hopefully we'll get there quicker tomorr.w

and she had her feet trimmed

and the weather turned out so hot (sorry jean) that i had to take my jacket off..

lunged...

if only because the sore behind my knee is still a shade sore and not fully healed....i was given the option of being picked up by friend to ride local estate but opted out on the ground that even though a plaster would have protected the surface, it would have done nothing to relieve the pain which distracts from the riding...

She is looking better again on the lunge, i should be able to tigthen the side reins one hole each side again soon. and the canter is improving. AND i'm noticing that she's "tightening up" underneath - that is, her muscles are toning up and she's starting to lose the belly caused by lack of muscle tone...YAY.


RI said she didn't think i'd done anythig odd that could have caused this (happened to see her this evening) .. so will just have to keep and eye and try not to do it again. RI didn't get chance to ride Molly whilst I was away, so nothing to report on that front.

home again

had a nice curry last night in stratford on avon with a couple of EE friends, another day's training today, got back home about 8pm and hopefully will have a good report tomorrow on Molly...and i now know how you set up documents will all the information already in, and now have to set to and do all that with mine.....will keep me entertained!

a summer's day

at least, that's what it's like on the atlantic side of the pennines, wasn't quite so nice at home when i left due to east wind coming in

so i'm in birmingham for 2 nights, software training, RI is riding molly either tomorrow or wednesday for me, friend is "doing" her and i return the favour over the easter holidays when she goes to a wedding ...

time for my leg to heal up, at least!

now tell me

after 40 odd years of riding, how come I have a sore on the inside of my left knee, at the top of the boot, and have never had one before?

i shouldn't have ridden today, but did (didn't really think about the fact that I shouldn't, until after about 10 minutes when said sore made itself more sore... half chaps, not boots today)

Anyway, I was much more effective about getting molly to listen to me and in consequence we got better work sooner.

i also took my stirrups up a hole.....that has hugely sorted the leg. Partly brought on by the fact that the chaps felt quite slippy on the saddle and for some reason my leg felt as though it was longer and losing place more than it does usually ....

anyway, had a good day.

here's a pic from yesterday that Louise took - chopped off all the extraneous scenery!



and, if anyone can tell me why Molly's ears are like this:


i'd be grateful. we were in trot at the time....

and one last one:

I know i'm looking down and shouldn't be....

Trudi was right

it was an excellent lesson, despite the gale that blew RI's words away regularly.

I'd had my hands too far up and back, lower and forward is the key to molly - if you put them where we're all taught to have them, she starts to stress - get that, and the work is fantastic.

keep finger pressures on the left rein (that is, the left side of her head, whichever direction we're going) when she tries to set against the bit, and if necessary open the inside hand

and then of course wants she starts working properly she's more likely to continue. and when she does, i can put hands back central

i need to be quicker on those corrections

once I'd "got" it RI left me to my own devices and we continued working nicely. And of course the better that goes, the better able I am to keep myself right....

then RI got on to try the canter - fantastic canter she has!

We think if we can keep this up, she can go to a party and knock them for 6 ....need to take her somewhere to school away from home first.

and I must find somewhere to have lunge lessons....

Louise took heaps of photos, i shall have to take a USB stick down to get them (her camera, not mine) and then i'll post them on photobucket and link. I did take my camera which takes movies, but L wanted to use her own (which takes much better stills).

Next week when I'm away RI is going to school her one day

fly bite!

right under where the saddle would go. not a big one, and she wasn't reactive to hand pressure, but it thought i'd not put anything on it today. so i just took her round on the lunge with the BB on, just to say i'd done something!

and why did she have a fly bite? because i'd made the mistake of thinking last night would be as warm as the night before, so left her rug off, so she was dirty, so therefore more attractive to the odd fly...

anyway, lesson at 0915 in the morning ...

my lesson

will be on saturday morning as everyone is ill....

so tonight I lunged molly, as it was a while since i had, and after my last couple of nights not very good ridden work, i thought a good plan.

she did some really nice work, and the canter is still there and improving....

i'm with Di

on going backwards.

but that happens.

Quite why it happened to us tonight, i don't know, just one of those things....

anyway, lesson either tomorrow or Friday, depends on how RI's time goes, which will do me good....i think if lesson is friday i'll do something else tomorrow, and vice versa...

rode...

RI was riding at the same time, schooling someone else's horse ... good for us to work round.

Again had some nice stuff, but some not. and Molly was distracted, a shade (not to total not listening, but distracted...)

At one point she wanted to canter, and RI said why didn't I whilst she was there, but I declined - I want her to canter Molly first, and I want to work more on my riding, in particular my legs! which are getting somewhat better, but i want them more inclined to stay put in trot before i start cantering again (don't want another broken foot)

So I'll have another lesson soon, and possibly RI will school molly whilst I'm away on a training course next week.

cooold wind

it was oneof those deceptive days - the sun was shining but I could see that the wind was up - it was one of those go through you winds...

i didn't ride or do anything else

and molly wasn't that keen that i'd turned her out .. even though the grass is growing (just) she's not that keen on being out, and stands at the gate waiting to be brought back in when i turn her out (at least until I leave).

the opposite of saturday when i put thermal undies on and didn't need them - today i didn't, and did...

walking EEEK

partner wanted the other half of her walk recce'd, that she got lost on before, and i had to go ... started in a snowstorm which happily stopped.

i was able to show her where she'd gone wrong (oops!) but by the time we'd done that and got back i was seized up, so didn't do anything with molly save hose the mud off her legs...

better balance

is shown by a much greater willingness to have the near hind picked up and out - Molly can take the weight on her off hind better. I think she was surprised herself!

I'm getting there on the riding. tonight was interesting - halt/trot transitions. got some good ones on right rein - not so good left rein, dunno if that's about my asymmetry (probably, LOL) but anyway, it was good and light as a transition and the following trot was mean as well, and the trot/halt was no bad...

not so good left rein.

this exercise is good for both of us, me particularly as i stay more together...

and yes, RI has no history with Molly - she said herself, after she was on she realised she was surprised (she has seen the performance!)

jean is right

I do need to up my game.

some of this, of course, is that Molly knows I'm not as good (I'm certainly not the rider I was when i had queenie, but hey...)

anyway, rode today and did get some nice trot, if I could only keep myself right she'd be a lot more consistent. need some lunge lessons, therefore need a horse upon which to have same.

But why is it Molly DOESN'T pretend she has a sore in her girth area for RI, DOES take her bit no problem from RI, and DOES let herself be mounted from the proper mounting block by the fence for RI

but not for me.

As I said to RI tonight on the subject of moutning, if she walks off from the main moutning block (which she did three times) I have no way of giving her an immediate consequence in the way of hard work round it, as it is on the fenceline and i'm too busy catching her again (if I hold on I'd be pulled off the top, not a good move). so I'll carry on using my own small one, which we've cracked.

I did try when i first went into the arena, as i knew RI had succeeded without any effort Wednesday, but she was setting her jaw before we got there and moveher butt away - i gave up and went got my own small block, went back to it later after i'd ridden. so on that go round, the first tiem, she stood .. i tought i'd do some more to reinforce it, and it went wrong again.

so my last thing was getting on from my own small block, not a problem.

minus 5

This morning when we got up. ouchy.

Lunged tonight, she's doing well

and yesterday? RI said 20 minutes of pure pleasure .. light, on the bit etc etc etc..I should have been there, must be there next time I have her school her, and of course I will be, and will have camera with me...

whoo.... busy day!

but productive, business wise.

horse wise, Molly was ridden by RI as I knew I wouldn't have time. I haven't seen her yet and her phone's not on, but the report left for me is that Molly was on the bit, working well, soft, through, etc... don't know if canter was attempted, and no doubt will get a full report tomorrow.

ordered office supplies online - they sent me 4GB usb's, when I'd ordered and paid for 2GB usb's (back up for system data, as recommended) - so i've told them this, will be interesting to see what they do!

oops

I had every intention of lunging tonight.

turned Molly out this morning - don't think she was too impressed, despite the fact that it was dry and stayed dry all day, when i left she was hanging round the gate expecting to be brought in again! hah! she'll stay in tomorrow.

but time I got back it had go SOO cold - not much of a wind, but out in it it was really through you, and by the time i'd got Molly, her field companion, and the lone gelding from the next field in i couldn't feel my head... and molly was only interested in her tea. so that's what she got.

had an intensive morning - 2 hour phone call, software installation and training - then went to collect new denture seems to be fine compared to previous versions.

and didn't get lunch till really late ... busy day!

improving

it's amazing how we are both improving

it was funny tonight though. I was trotting round (Molly prepared to work much sooner in a session than used to be the case, and was feeling good!) and fellow owner came over to watch and said how good she was looking. I'd been thinking whilst she felt good but i felt really odd.....right leg felt as though it was everywhere ... eventually worked out, that stirrup was set 1 hole longer than it should have been ... duh.

after that sorted out continued to get some nice work, Molly definitely getting stronger. Did some walk/trot/walk/trot transitions, that was cool

the plan for alternative day turnout might not work out - apparently its forecast to rain all day tomorrow, which is a shame the land was really drying out.. :-(

off topic but...

The first day of the rest of my life?

www.cmhsolicitors.co.uk

in business as of today (i know, it's a Sunday - first day of the month therefore a cleaner start).

i don't expect any work this week of course ... although partner came home yesterday and said she'd met a man who'd fallen at work, she did think about giving him my details but didn't know if I'd want her to ... duh.

Need to double check i've done all the start docs i need, am trying to print a business card but it isn't printing right ....

Wish me luck, people!

and back to Molly - she's out in the field. the weather is lovely today, her legs are well covered with aromaheel, she hasn't got her rug on so will come in filthy but happy, and I've decided in to give her today off as well. I expect I'll have to hose off when she comes in (the stuff is waterproof, so i hose the mud off and leave the cream on...) and I think i'll do it alternate days whilst I see how the legs go. it's a good bit drier than it was, if not totally perfect, and the grass is STARTING to come through - she got her head down quickly enough, LOL.