breakthrough? and before & after pics

We got on. she set off (really keen), down to the 20 acre.

Now, bear in mind the usual track, well worn, is to the right hand side, with the River Wear on your right again and the field off to your left.

We got a little way along but she didn't like this. Set her jaw and turned round. But then stopped again. I turned her right (so i'm going at right angles to the normal track, towards a fenceline with woods on the other side).

We then turned right - so we are now parallel to the normal track but going away from the yard.

We carried on. There is a gap through to the 2nd half of the 20 acre. she looked at it but carried on walking through. We turned left up the fenceline. At this point, you get to the corner of the field and if you turn right you are then heading for the normal exit to the 20 acre, with a stream (that has come down from the ford) on your left, and both our thoughts were to do that.

But we both clocked people on foot - estate owner & wife - and their two dogs. Molly thought, no don't fancy the people - she wasn't sure - So there's also a gap to my left and I can see there is then a track which I "know" (not that i've done it before, it used to be closed off) up to the hardcore track that leads from yard to ford.

So through the gap, and Molly at first wanted to go across the field. BUT - i turned her to go up the track I'd spotted (pleased I could see other hoof prints ahead!) and up there we went, even got a small amount of trot.

At one point half way up there there is, on your right, a large (huge) whiteish slab of stone over a rivulet - that was a "stare" and lets move away from this, but she agreed to carry on and we trotted some more (me ducking for low branches) and out onto the hardcore as I thought.

and left along that, down past the main house and back into the yard.

really pleased. Course, she did blot her copybook slightly - i always go into the arena to get off, to save the foot, but Jackie was mucking out her trailer, so that was scary.

but I was SO PLEASED. I really think we are making a breakthrough now. it might just be she;s bored schooling (fair enough, so am I for now!) but there has to be some confidence there as well.

Now, the before and after pictures. you all think these will be the horse. wrong.

We had the carpet fitters in today! Hurray! this is Coir, herringbone pattern.

spectacles

my long sight is going ... had to get driving specs last year, and now have to wear them riding/walking around.. back to the opticians, appointment week tomorrow - guess there'll be more money going on specs.....

friday night, molly got a night off ....and i made pie (home made pastry ...)

a hack out!

with Julie on Suzie. round the 20 acre, an argument about turning right over the ford rather than left to home (Molly ALWAYS does that there ... very tedious! but this time i didn't have to give in...) over the ford, right along a track, through gate (stood nicely) u turn through another gate (stood nicely again) back along field parallel to track - was going to see if she'd do the gate, but another horse was coming through so that person did it), through ford (i.e., through thewater following suzie this time!) back round the 20 acre, and finished up with a canter up the hill, and had passed 2 fishermen with no worries about them

so a successful night.

Went to Killingholme today for work, and Molly's breeder now lives near there, on my way back, so called (rang, of course); least said soonest mended, but i was only in the house a minute and shan't be going back...

not so good tonight - with canter!

she actually wanted to go up that steep hill again, i think, but i wanted to go the way I wanted to go (20 acre) - which we eventually got into, and i htought we were going ok - i was relaxed, she was relaxed - then she stopped, and I really don't know why. so turned round, and nearly back to the gate when fisherman with rod popped up from bank side in to path in front of us! she didn't spook or anything, but did stop. then couldn't work out which way she wanted to go! she turned round (but not spookily) and faced the other way (which was the way i originally wanted to go, of course) but then decided that wasn't the way to home or anywhere else. so turned round again and we walked nicely back through the gate.

she still, i think, wanted to go up the steep hill ....maybe i shoudl have done that, but didn't, by that time, want to end up walking!

BUT cantered back up the track towards the yard, YIPPEE first canter since June 2006!!!!!!!

then back into the arena - some nice paces, and did eventually work out how to do a circle again!

need some lunging to remind her she can go right!

tomorrow, apparently, a hack out if i get back from hull - which i should! and maybe i should let her do that steep hill again! hopign she don't stop at the log!

a positive adventure

on my own! We marched off headed to the 20 acre, and she didn't "block" when she saw two people walking towards her. Dwon the hill she did what she did the other week - turned right, to the wood and steep hill, not left to the 20 acre. (bear in mind one can't have an argument on these hills, they're a bit steep). After 2 false starts, she consented to GO UP the steep hill beside the geldings field next to the yard (that is, on the opposite side of that field from the one we'd just gone down) in trot of course as it is very steep (probably 1 in 3!). There was a log looming at the top round the corner we hadn't known about, so she blocked (don't like logs that look at thought they're blocking the way). So i got off and led her in hand the rest of that route - which we hadn't done before in that direction at all, ever (we once came down that hill with gaynor, something I am never doing again it is scary steep!).

So i guess we were out about 3/4 hour. I did try and find somewhere to use as a mounting block, but was pleased I failed (we had another block, despite being led, once we got out into the open again from the tracks as she clocked a pheasant on the ground on the other side of the field (well i assume it was a pheasant, but it might have been a fox? the distance ...). Then that takes us to half way down the drive and out next to a new cattle grid, and we are forced to go down the side of the other gelding's field which was a bit of a chew as they all were following her down from their side of the fence. happily she stayed with me.

she much prefers tarmac drive, but we can't do that any more due to the cattle grid and fencing, burgers.

the arena is 14.5 metres by 22 metres.....so no wonder it's all hard work, we can't even do a 15 metre circle!

OK, now, video.

this is with the new bit in - i.e., at the end of the session. I still can't get the other one short enough, will have to do some more editing on the bits i chose with the myler combi in, so that will come tomorrow/by the end of the week (tis' very time consuming!)

legs

I realised today that i'd been concentrating so much on getting Molly settled in her mouth, i hadn't been using my legs as much as I should ... oops!

anyway, had a really busy day so I am well behind on sorting video out, sorry folks ... getting there!

went out at about 10.30 to go up to pay for queenie's keep and buy her feed and etc; Allison was at work so had to go there, rather than to allendale to see the horse as well..

then back home via the garden centre @ ebchester for plug vegetables (lettuce lollo rosso, leeks, a rose, an astilbe ....)

then to sainsbury's for shopping

finally got to the yard for about 3 30 and got molly in - then ate lunch! shopping went in fridge ...

rode

out round the 20 acre, with gaynor & jackie, Molly charged off in a really fast walk down the hill and on, and had to be slowed down as no one could keep up! she kept that up until about 3/4 the way round, and this was with the new bit in - she was softening and then not - couple of attempts to turn round and go back! that was funny, as jackie had just finished asking why molly was so confidently in front, when she stopped being! for no reason. then after that molly was good whilst waiting for gates to be opened, normally at those two particular gates she has a strop, but was in fact very calm about them today, very pleased.

then back to the yard and i went in the arena for about 20 minutes or so (we were after all warmed up by now!) and this was when i realised i'd forgotten the use of my legs! oopsy. so started to use them again.

stephanie said yesterday what i'll have to work on now is just how much of any particular aid to use, now i'm on the way to working them out....that is true!

but molly did some really nice walk/halt/walk transitions. circles? no way, she said, so we've forgotten how to do turns and circles i'll have to remind both of us about....

then home for about 5 30 and planted most of the plants i'd bought, finally came in to start cooking tea at 8! we realised later i should have put the tea on to develop when i first came in.... but there we go, i didn't.

and whilst i was cooking i also made a video to upload to photobucket, definitely less than 5 minutes - but it's more than 100 mb and it won't have it, drat! will try again tomorrow, might hve to do some more editing...

pictures

renvers

for two strides! i was so gobsmacked I lost it of course. that was when we were going really well, right at the end, finally relaxed (we'd had a lot of stress and tenseness for about an hour, for assorted reasons good and bad) and changed the bit to a new (bought this morning, reduced as previously tried) myler hangning cheek dressage legal mouthpiece.

that latter was as a result of a lot of thought about bits and the way the combi works, what she likes about thinner bits, the way she goes, de dah, and concluded worth a try; assisted by shop saying that they had one the right side, that had previously been tried that i could have for £40 and take back if no good.

it was really good, and once i have the video edited i will upload it so you can see...

in the meantime, we were trying to video a session and were handicapped by

1. napping away from the arena with a set jaw before we started, resulting in me tensing


2. starting to relax a shade from that when jackie turned up to move her trailer which is backed up to the arena fence.. that was SCARY.....

3. when that was done, new livery owner turned up with friend and child to get pony in from field.... which since it immediately followed the trailer being moved and much calling for new pony (normally not a problem) was scary.

noneo fhte scariness involved spooking etc, but did involve tense, jaw set ... listening a bit but all over - and then the vicious circle of tenseness and stress.

the trot was awful - did improve somewhat with less contact - but no room!

with new bit in we both relaxed (especially when we got the cheekpieces short enough, it was slighly difficult to tell at first!) and got some WONDERFUL walk with, as I said before, 2 steps or so of renvers.

that came about because of the lightbulb moment yesterday re moving the body t get SI etc.....was trying that (the SI didn't work, BTB) but that did ....

so despite the general disasters of teh day, we ended on a really good note!

and then we gave her an hour off and did some more (with the moulded panels, not the suberpanel) just to see what woud happen.

i'll continue with teh suberpanel, is what.

I'm still reflecting on the clinic yesterday....

but really lots more walk for me, and that's one of the things i got out of it - how much you can do in walk (which i think i'd pretty much got anyway but seeing it in practice, and consequential improvements, is another thing!)

and must move to somewhere with a larger and better surfaced arena, really ...

anja beran

was a really good day.

no photography/video's allowed, of course.

lots of food for thought.

some interesting work

some lightbulb moments ...

steph & I are going to work molly tomorrow.....

busy weekend coming up

company coming tomorrow night for tw0 nights so had to come home clean the bathroom etc as you do...

then we're going to Huddersfield Saturday for the Anja Beran clinic, really looking forward to that - partner's staying at home... so that'll be a good report Saturday night.

then on Sunday we're videoing me riding and hopefully going to see Nicola all being well....

so poor molly will work on Sunday having done nothing since Tuesday... but I'm sure that'll be good!

and then should find time to go see queenie....

back to wet mud

after last night's successes. ah well, i was knackered anyway! woke up wondering what the noise of the alarm was and a steaming headache... whilst the day did improve, thank goodness, i was in a way quite pleased that she was covered in wet mud as i don't think the motivation was there!

very late night

out with Molly.

natasha rang this morning and said they were going up to holmeside (about 5 miles north of me) showjumping and did i want to come watch - we decided to put Molly in the wagon since there was a space on the grounds that it would be good for her. There were 8 other horses, all for a jumping lesson with an eventer based at yorkshire riding centre, and me along for the ride.

So whilst it wasn't a competition, it was Molly's first time away from home at that sort of venue. Huge indoor, show jumps set up one end, collecting ring/flatwork space the other, big wall between with a "cross country fence" forming a viewing place between the two. so she could hear horses thundering about the other side of this wall, but not see them.

She didn't put a foot wrong. When we first went in i took her in in hand, with the pressure halter and line, in case - then i had the tools to get her back to me if necessary.

Oh, and the instructor they had ajusted the bit - apparently i had it too low in her mouth.
then got on and essentially jsut walked about for 40 minutes. didn't get the nice work i've been getting at home, but then i woldn't have expected to, the object was just to get her used to that type of experience and not have any riots.

and we didn't have any.

she decided enough was enough after about 40 minutes - and then after everyone had done we went to the pub, horses stood in wagon whilst we ate.

so good night had by all and I was very pleased indeed with her for behaving to well.

She wasn't really interested in her tea when we got back - just wanted to be back out in the field, so most of her tea went in the bin! she wasn't objecting to that, fine put me out she said!

and i'm being really decadent - writing this in bed on the laptop!

wet mud

she must have done a rain dance .... it would have taken maybe an hour to dry enough to brush it off (it was right where the saddle would go), so of course, had i waited that long i would have not got home after doing anything until about 9 ....so she got fed and put out again. i always say rugs are for keeping them clean!

a mixed day

some things went really well. feet picking up - it's like a different horse, all four feet, not one protest!

mounting, not a problem - she's even moving up to the mounting block much easier, not setting her jaw about it...

down to the 20 acre (she volunteered) but instead of turning left to go to the 20 acre, she wanted to turn right. I wasn't going to stop her.

In the past when we've done that in company, it's been in the summer; in the summer you can then go straight on through a wood, but it's closed in the winter as it turns to a bog. still closed today.

if you go right, you go up a very very steep hill - the sort that's a pig to come back down (did it once, horrid!)

she stood at the bottom of the hill but didn't fancy it; i turned her round, did a circle, she really wanted to go straight through the wood and stood for a few minutes facing the close gate and the track through the wood.

you can see the bluebells starting to come through there...

so after a while we turned round to face the 20 acre; went through the gate into it but she really didn't fancy it on her own - paying attention, i could see her looking for another horse behind her ... had there been one, we'd have been fine.

so back to teh arena.

walk was fine.

BUT i had the kerrits on. I love them for hacking ... but TOO sticky for schooling, they just stick me a shade too much to the saddle and if i get a twist on (which I felt as though I had today) i can't seem to sort it out. very odd.

So i gave up before it rained (as it was threatening again - rained all morning!) as it seemed pointless winding each other up! I don't suppose anyone rode this morning, it was pretty wet!

what a good girl!

Was very pleased with Molly. As i'd hoped, I did go ride this morning with the others. She was impatient to be off whilst Julie mounted, but settled; led the way down to the 20 acre no problem and was about 500 yards ahead of the others till more than 1/2 way round that, which was really good - normally, even in company, she stops at the half way point as there's a log and a (not very) narrower gap - when she did stop, once the others caught up, she was happy to walk on again (i should say Molly has a really good striding out walk! on all previous horses I'd be always trotting to catch up! it might be riding as well though..)

anyway, paul at this point said he really doesn't understand why i can't get out on my own when she's miles ahead in company - julie & I both reckon its still a confidence thing...

when we got to the end of the 20 acre i nearly lost my knee on the (narrow) gate and then of course she did think about giving battle on the left or right decision - left is home. but didn't - i insisted right was the way and she thought oh, go on then, follow the others.

Normally then she'll have a bit of an argument as we go through the gate, but she stayed chilled.

then right round 2 huge fiels - you go along the bottom, through an always open gate, to the next one, then left up the fence/wood line, then left at the top, through a narrow gate (this time we got lined up for it properly!) and then left down the hill to where we first came in

good as gold, save for one stop along the bottom, one stop going up and one stop going down. The stop along the bottom was caused by her clocking two horses coming the other way, she hadn't realised they were there i don't think and it certainly looked like we'd meet at the gateless gap. I think the stop going up was caused by the echo of my voice off the wood in front of us (it's quite dense) and don't know about the one going down.

after the ford/bridge again (she wasn't doing the ford today, she said) i carried on along the track whilst the others went for a canter

Do you know, I haven't cantered since June 2006, when i broke my foot?

really need to do that again, it's as if we've forgotten how - and TBH I'm not totally sure of my balance and thus am scared to do it again in case...

Think I need to do it out, not in the arena. As I've said, that arena is too small..Also, think i need to do that with only one other horse out with me, to avoid the possibility of races...

But I was very very pleased with her. she didn't get her stress head on once.

We were in the Myler combi of course.

and then i got really posh and cleaned her saddle whilst she was eating...

friday headache

but i reckon it's the paint in the house - partner's repainting some woodwork upstairs.

will try and ride in the morning, hope i'm ok to do so - forecast to rain tomorrow!

lunging

with the myler 01 in. got right and left; but last time i lunged it wasn't nearly such hard work going right...can't remember which bit i used, will have to find that post and check.

I have:

1. mullen mouth snaffle
2. Myler combi short shank
3. myler 01 on loan (going back, she doesn't settle in it)
4. bitless (Dr Cook's)
5. Pelham (she tried to buck from stationery, but that might have been me - i think not)

currently she goes best in the myler combi, reins on the bottom ring of course, which is interesting.

Also, of course, the mylers are thinner, which is good for a horse with a small mouth (4 1/2") and large tongue.

so something thin, and not single jointed (HATES single jointed!) might be the thing.

i did think about the magic bit i hear about and might well try that. it's thin and ported ....

natasha thinks I should try a KK ultra lozenge..

Her issues with bits go back to her youth, so whatever the issue is it's too late to know what started it.

as for the going right - well, at least she goes. But whether long lined or lunged, she's really pulling me over almost have to work hard to stay put! left is fine.

But, on the other hand, she isnt' rushing as she used to so the balance is a lot better

and, when I put the roller and polypad on tonight (use polypad under roller) it was more symmetric side to side than it has been - normally (her mother's the same) you put in on and it's square one side, you go round the other side and everything's well off . Wasn't NEARLY so off today, so whatever i'm doing, it's working in squaring her up, which has to be good!

longling bitless

is as bad as longlining with a bit. right is not good.

so, i think i won't try that again for a while, lunging/rope circling when I'm not riding..and sort out a dressage legal bit that she don't object to!

another success

for four...


went round the 20 acre with Evelyn on scarlet (she shares him with her husband) - this time last year there was no way she would even hack out, she's come so far, and there she was volunteering to come round the 20 acre with Molly & I. I was so impressed with her getting her confidence back like that!

and Molly did protest a bit the first half after we got into the field proper, but i was able to keep her going so that was good too.

I'd put the mullen mouth snaffle in (hadn't anticipated going out) and I think she's gone off it - no beginnings of any lightness at all. but hey, we kept control and got where we wanted to go.

jean of course i was pleased with last night, compared with previous - what you said, really!

and finally, thoughts are with Erin in the states on the loss of her parents. Hope she's got loads of help from all round and keeps strong.

you're both right, of course

but on the other hand - there is something else as well.

You'd think she'd be bored with the arena and be more willing to go out, at least on a route she's been before.

Anyway, we got down to the bottom of the hill and through the gate into the 20 acre (which is always left open) but a few strides further on she stopped. she didn't try and turn round in usual style, unless i asked her to walk on ... eventually we saw george and sheila coming back, way over the far corner, and we weren't going to go forward then.

ended up back in the arena, and did get one really nice circuit of trot, with her soft!

but i keep saying, the arena's too small - can't get balanced... not enough room, so if you lose balance on a long side you haven't time to get it back before the corner...

at last

was able to do something with Molly today. Actually was able to get on without any ground work (just a Polo) - 3 times, which is impressive.

First time - she wasn't listening to me and wanted to go to the track down to the 20 acre, but she was seriously on her toes and didn't mean that she wanted to do that (I can tell, by now....). anyway, that wasn't what I wanted to do, so we didnt' do it.

Led her back to the mounting block got back on and she did go where I wanted, which was into the arena so see what if anything we'd remembered.

she was doing quite well. came soft a lot quicker and i decided to see about trot, which I haven't done (deliberately) for a good while.

I had a habit of preventing the transition by tensing, so the object was just to get trot, whether sitting or rising (the latter for preference) on the correct diagonal and not rushing, which we managed a few times, also a circle - I'm doing something a bit wrong circling, as if I push her round with my outside leg we end up rushing, which isn't wanted.

We're not assisted by the fact that the arena needs harrowing - sides higher than they should be which is unbalancing...

a few times over the poles i'd set out (in walk...)

anyway, then decided to try to go through the yard. She didn't want to do that. i though, back to the arena to get her settled - she didn't want to do that either.

so we got off and back on again....

Paul volunteered to walk in front and see if she'd follow, but she ended up with her stress head on when I got under the willow. eventually got off and led her up the track a bit to where there's some rocks and stuff been left that can be used to mount. got back on, but she wasn't having any.

Now explain this to me - at this point, I can - if I'm pointing the direction I don't want to go - get her jaw soft, she comes soft and round and you'd think she was listening - but as soon as i try to turn, everything tenses up, jaw, neck, body - head tossing, de da...

ah well. At least I got on 4 times!

Oh, and I tried flexing the bit a little before i got on.... the first time.

then came home and planted potatoes... probably too late in the day but it needed doing or there was no point in buying them.

Experiment - some just in holes (hole per potato) some in a trench to cover over as they grow, and some in a trench covered over now...

When it all warms up i've got onion sets to go in, garlic cloves to plant, pea seeds, and want to get some lollo rosso plugs (easier to grow stuff from plugs than from seed...)

nothing doing

last night was friday and whilst it had dried up momentarily, there was a howling north/east wind (i reckon here its a northeasterly, caroline!); today, i was thinking of doing something this afternoon, but we have just realised that our tickets for the Sage Gateshead are for today! this afternoon! next door neighbour (who was trained as an opera singer and has a fantastic voice, you'd love her Jean) is singing. We've been listening to her practice for months (well, we listen to her sing all the time!) and so bought tickets. so Molly Moo will get another day off....

rain? winter? spring?

what is it?

someone on the radio yesterday said it was just a late spring such as we used to have... i dunno about that...

anyway, raining tonight. odd - molly keen to come in for tea, but quite happy to go back out again to join portia over by the exposed fence...

amazon.co.uk

meant to post this on yesterday's (written this morning) but forgot...

driving into swansea, ginormous warehouse on my right, amazon.co.uk; at the same time on my left, two riders, all hi viz, riding the dunes (well, what looked liek the grass area between the road and the sea, some sort of park)

then leaving swansea tonight local radio report that that was a brand new amazon warehouse just opened today.

Gorgeous weather - we were able to have lunch outside in the sun! - all 6 of us (2 lawyers for each party, we put the legal world to rights!)

and we won the case, YAY. even better as one defendant made an offer very late last night which we decided wasn't good enough.... more YAY.

got home, was in the last 5 miles - and it was snowing! only a shower, but crikey.

the difference between there and here is about 360 miles, left just before 4 and got back here 2140 - one stop ... good run up!

swansea

was a good drive down and happily dry once i got here. glad i have hands free on my phone as people kept wanting to talk to me about the case (a good sign).

the bad bits? restaurant where i had dinner seemed to think that lasagne was improved by heinz tomato soup - NOT. which made it an overpriced meal, to say the least - but i got some more of Racinet read whilst i was eating. and despite having paid for internet access when i booked the room, i couldn't get online last night at all and this morning it wouldn't accept the fact that i had already paid... pah. oh, and the satnav or some reason couldn't find a fix for the best part of 100 miles - dunno what that was about, but happily i was still on home territory, so to speak, then..

partner ill

spent the day in bed, got out of it long enough to ring me with an order for more medicine! and came out tonight to see Molly and buy tea (and go to the cash machine - i bought her a new car battery yesterday!)

but she'll have to look after herself the next two days.

Molly was of course quite happy to only get fed and not do anything for it!

and i still haven't packed....

cold - but flies are out?

so it's not as cold as you'd think - but only when the sun's out.

had to do a bit of groundwork to get on, but only a couple of minutes ....

but she doesn't, i don't think, like the bit i have on loan from natasha....

some soft nice steps with her back round under me and everything doing well, but others - nightmare of jigging head, pulling reins from me, de dah...

ah well.

she'll not do a lot this week, I have to go to Wales for a trial!

successful morning

Went out for a ride with Paul & Julie - just up to the riding school and then back round the way we'd come but we were all quite pleased with Molly.

didn't have time for any hoo hah with mounting so Julie held her head.

When we set off Molly was fine going out towards the drive, which she normally doesn't like, and for a wonder walked under the bogey willow with no problem at all, almost as if it wasn't there. so that was good.

Had a couple of stops along the track, then over the bridge at the ford no problem. she got a stress head on after that for a few strides - i think because Paul with scarlet wanted to go up the field, (2 gates) and i'd specifically said no gates this morning (wanted to avoid them).

When we came out onto the rode there were some builders bags on the left, which she avoided like the plague - will be fine with them next time I expect - and put an odd stop in before we turned left.

I think we all wished we had gone the road not the field at the left turn up to the riding school - scarlet & molly both ended up in the plough trying to avoid the mud!

then through the riding school yard, down the copse and out onto southill drive - for all of this Molly was ahead (she walks faster than everything else and then seems to get stressed when she thinks they've vanished!).

bit of a stressy moment as we came out onto the southill drive beyond hte riding school, but settled again - listning to me a lot more, i think - and then walk back along the road to the track and back to the yard.

This is probably about 40 minutes in walk only.

For a lot of the time Molly was pretty light in the hand. I was concentrating on sitting square - i.e., weight in left foot/left seatbone, since that's the side i favour and I need to stop doing that!) and i think that helped.

overall very pleased.

and this is Simba, having helped me make the bed this afternoon, just because it's a cute pose....

rain

which is much less troublesome than Caroline's snow - the pennine divide strikes again!

so wet horse - but warm horse, interestingly being rugless and out. and she didn't really want her tea, she wanted to be out again, so out again she went of course. She and Portia are quite happy.

mind they were full of grass - some horse had knocked down the electric fencing, which was clealry suffering from a flat battery/lack of power anyway, so they'd got into the bit that the YO had fenced off since last summer to regrass itself....

which also had the advantage that we didn't have to go plodge in the mud at the small gate! how long that lasts is another matter.

i haven't looked at the forecast, hope it's ok, but they are forecasting more rain...

late meeting

so nothing done with molly at all, julie did the honours with the feed!

the 20 acre

on foot. I decided she needed to see the rest of the field again before I ride her round it, so walked her out in hand. she had two stops to look at whatever it was she was looking at - something she could hear, perhaps, in the river - and 2 stops to try and eat some grass

and she's out for the night now.

Portia was out (portia had managed to kill a stable by kicking the wall so badly it is going to have to be rebuilt) so she was out as there was no choice. So Molly's out as there's enough grass IMHO for them to be ok and it's about time. and the forecast is to improve, so i'm happy she'll be fine. and portia was glad of the company, and i'll be glad of the minor lie in!

light on the longlines!

you may remember i said that Molly is always heavy on the long lines. She wasn't tonight. I remembered what you said, jean, about half halts on longlines so that worked fine when walking round the outside of the school, both directions. and i also thought i'd try working on turning her using the outside rein, as i've been learning to do riding, and that seemed to work as well. This was all in walk.

prior to that i'd done 10 minutes ground work to establish boundaries (like, you will stand still whilst i put the longlines on!) and then trot circles on the long lines (essentially two rein lunging...)

I might go back to the BB for that; that was what she had on when we first did it with Max back in June, and I find that she is ok left but not right (there's a surprise) and fights it. the bit, that is. my thought is that with the BB we avoid that argument and get the work into her, and then go back to trying it with the bit later.....

in the meantime, a new series of CSI ..Vegas, i can't be doing with Miami but won't miss NY

april?

and not having the luxury of an indoor, no work was done with molly ....

supposed to improve as the week goes on, do hope so.

plan for sunday had included planting veg - put off for yet another week!

snow - click on the pics to get full size effect

pictures... the top ones out of our front bedroom over the churchyard - spot the pigeon in the maple!, the bottom one from the back office window over the gardens looking down the street
and hope this video works...

and a repeat of the robin from last week, as it was indeed hard to see...

winter

I so agree with caroline about the weather. We had cold (but not freezing) and showers, very heavy ones of rain/hail, interspersed with sunny spells when it was warm. I ahdn't put molly's rug back on (it's been off a week already) so when iwent to get her in to ride, she was warm, but damp and muddy and of course it would take forever for her to dry...

but i was feeling huge amounts better, i have to say! possibly because there was nowt left...:-)!


more snow tomorrow....but apparently only over lunch time so should be dry when i go to ride....

ryvita

which I like, no longer likes me. you'll remember a couple of weeks ago i wasn't well; that wasn't a patch on today, i had to come home early from work. the only thing that's been different is eating ryvita for lunch in place of baguettes/bread/like that. No more. Had to ring Julie to ask her to do Molly, there was no way i was up for that at that point of evening - glad I like doing my jobs in the morning then if anything does go wrong the worst of it is out of the way! that all started at about 12 noon, and finally started to settle after 6 (assisted, i think, by a bath for its muscle relaxant properties) ...

so no news.

in the meantime, here's a robin i photographed when we went to harlow carr week past tuesday:

more good news

That was AFTER i'd had to re-establish the boundaries at the mounting block

Put the combi on as the plan was to see whether i could get down the hill to the 20 acre (even if we didn't get all the way round it).

so Molly's first idea was, turn the bum away! HAH. got the pressure halter, into the arena, 5 minutes ground work, back round, she stood.

I took my short stick.

she didn't set her jaw, and actually wanted to go into the arena but walked calmly along the track and a few steps down the hill, but turned - but DIDN'T set herself.

so back to the yard area in front of the arena where we stood for a couple of minutes, then I turned her round and back down - and she went all the way down, through the gate, and half way round the first half of the 20 acre when it all got too much for her - I rather think she heard a fisherman casting - we can't see them, can only hear them. so turned round, but again without setting. I think she would have "set" had I argued, but I was well pleased with the distance we'd got, considering she hasn't willingly gone anywhere on her own for months and months ....

and we had a nice, balanced trot along the track back to the yard as well, which was good, so something's going well on the getting balanced front!

Then we went back in the arena and some work ...then decided to follow a couple of other horses out the other way - which might have worked, but george & sheila were coming back in and it all went a bit pear shaped ... so she got taken back into the arena. But again, half good - i was really balanced, didn't tense myself, Molly didn't set her jaw and we finished up getting something nice and soft on left rein.

grass?

Molly thinks there's grass....she left hay last night and wasn't lacing into the haynet when she was brought in tonight.

But we can't get them out yet - snow forecast for sunday, which is mad considering how warm it is!

So we had another good evening. did about 10 minutes ground work and then got on - had to do one more bit to emphasise what i wanted, then she stood

then i did about 40 minutes schooling. Would have liked to go out, but no one about riding when i started (someone did turn up later but then i was committed to what i was doing....) and I was glad i didn't follow the people from another yard who set off down the 20 acre - they were cantering along it, as I could see from my vantage point in the school!

still weren't doing wonderfully well - more of a struggle to soften on left rein than right, and I do wonder if it's to do with me - given that left foot! i need to do work with no stirrups, i'm sure that would help balance me out some more and get the hips opened up....

but we'll get there.

and i did think i'd have to stop sooner than i did, until i realised george and sheila were going out, which meant i could stay on the horse until they came back!

so altogether pleased....


hopefully we can start going out in company soonn, then try again with the going out on our own. for that, it'll be back to the combi (currently using natasha's myler 01, which you will recall i have on loan) but i think the combi's better for preventing jaw setting...

and christened the new breeches i got sunday - nicely sticky! recommend caldene sticky bums!

i wondered

who reads my blog. I am told that everyone on the yard does ... whether that means "everyone" i don't know, but certainly a fair few! so i was rung up and asked if i am moving....which i'm not... but i can see why people might think i am, bearing in mind what I said about the yard i visited saturday.

anyway, it was blowing a real howling gale tonight, so much that they closed the Tyne Bridge again, i walked round to see whether the arena was getting the benefit of shelter or not, and tonight it wasn't, so I made an executive decision not to do anything. i never could bear a gale! they upset me, and if i'm upset, so's the horse.

Blake got moved so Molly's new neighbour is moved in - not a problem, total sweetie....shame kirstie had to take an unexpected day off work for the purpose (some problem with the people moving out...)

more good news

but before that, explain to me - it's a lovely night, warm, no gales, no wind.... and i was the only person riding from our yard? don't get that.

anyway, decided to do the ground work/mounting exercise.

she wasn't pleased having to do ground work, but it was certainly the way to go. she'd been sharpened up a bit (as had I!) by Saturday's exercise. So she tried it on a couple of times on the ground work front but failed in not going backwards - that is, she did - and failed in not going right - she did - and succeeded in standing still at the stool! twice. after I'd got on the first time, i decided to get off again, do a bit more ground work and then get on again!

YAY!

then i couldn't do as much ridden as i would have wanted - as everyone was going. ACtually, if i'd known Gaynor hadn't arrived yet, I would have stayed on - but I thought everyone had gone .. and that was unusually late for her anyway!

blake is moving to another yard on the estate tomorrow, so Molly will have a new neighbour, pony Katie who will spend most of the summer in (laminitic...)

standing and sharing and snoozling...

This was first thing this morning - I'd tied molly up with a haynet whilst I mucked out, and blake decided to share (even though he had one of his own!). neither of them were bothered!

and this was taken by Kirstie, blake's owner, some time later, before she went home herself - always amazes me how good a photo you can get on a mobile!

Anyway, a visit to Queenie in Allendale via the tack shop in hexham (which produced a pair of caldene sticky bum jod's, half price (£19.99) pleased with them!

Queenie had a very nasty cut on her foot....not sure how well the photo of that has worked, it was a bit dark in the stable - but lucky not to take her entire foot off. But looked ok, sound on it, will see how it goes. she'll have to be on box rest until it heals a lot more than it is.then via Ikea to buy stool to use as mounting block (£7.50) which I built after i finally got to the yard again about 4. the weather by then was glorious!

And Molly? up to the mounting block, stood like a lamb! very good. and picked all her feet out without a debate as well! She wasn't so good after I got on, but I think that was my fault, i didn't feel quite square. at one point I put my full weight on that left foot and it hurt, so I guess i'm right in supposing i'm favouring it when riding. we had a lot of rattling the bit about, and unsettled head, and waving it around a bit, interspersed with some nice work when she did round under me. We did a little bit of trot as well - it was at this point I realised how much i was favouring that left foot!

So given that we now have light nights, might start the odd small hack out with Julie on Susie if the weather's ok as well.....but at the least sign of her going back to her old ways for mounting, it's back in the arena! if I go on a hack, I can't keep Julie waiting whilst I do 10 minutes or so ground work as well....don't think that would be fair!

ok, you've been waiting

to know how we got on.





that was the start. So you can all see what she does, and that it wasn't just me (the pale jacket is me, the pink is natasha! and yes, natasha did get a hat on shortly thereafter!)

but WE CRACKED IT

or more to the point, natasha did.

the real problem was, by the time we did that, the light had gone & it was raining and I couldn't get any vid of the successful moment! sorry and all that!

essentially, instead of doing what i have been doing (one night riding, if i'm doing ground work, not tacking up and riding after) i need to be doing ground work before riding). and of course often it's easier for someone else to deal with this sort of thing....


there is some more video of the work that led up to success, but it is on the camcorder, not the digital camera, so is going to take some while to sort. and it's a lot of ropecircling, backing up circling, backing up ... and so on.

but I feel a whole lot happier.

and to investigate new yard - went up to visit a chap & his horses we've known for a while, nice yard, 3 arenas of much better quality than i have ATM, hacking without gates it seems! £30 pw inclusive of haylage & straw (possible discount available since i'm on shavings). so will go back, check out mileage, their terms, etc

the plan for tomorrow

involves natasha coming up in the afternoon, then boxing molly up to the indoor - which is on another yard on the estate - and spending time working on the mounting issue. i hope that plan comes off (i.e., nothing prevents natasha from turning up!). we're going up there as the weather is forecast to be not good! of course, if the forecast is wrong, we'll stick with the original plan, i expect, which is for tash to fetch a horse up and try getting molly out as well!

we'll see.

planning on taking camera as well, so if that works we'll have some video tomorrow night as well....

one achievement in 3 1/2 years

is that molly will lunge to the right! we did 15 minutes lunging tonight - it wasn't raining (although thinking about it) and wasn't blowing, and everyone else was pretty much away so I decided that was the thing to do.

will need to go back to a few basics on the feet picking up, whilst she is a lot better it's not completely there yet and i need to reinforce that training with some more click/treat until I know she's consistent about it. would be good to be able to surprise the farrier in a fortnight!

I didn't say on Tuesday, but Queenie had to have the vet again Monday night - so busy trying to eat over the fence that she knocked it down and hurt her foot. alison wasn't going to call out as she knew what to do per clean up etc, but then decided on balance some antibiotics and bute were a good idea. at that point Queenie was showing her age - by the morning she was kicking hell out of the door to be out again, so probably not much wrong overall.

looking forward to the weekend - hope the weather is a vast improvement on last weekend, and i get some solid work done with her. Partner away to see a friend for the weekend so no one nagging as to why i'm not back yet...

and it's worming weekend, which means they aren't allowed out from saturday 10am until monday morning save for exercise, so an afternoon practising stuff is probably going to be a good idea!

general consensus

is that the longline idea is a bad one - which is pretty much the conclusion i'd come to thinking about the tangles one could get into, let alone rearing possibilities!

friend's coming up on saturday so we'll have a conference...

the other option, of course, is doncaster sales.....and invest proceeds in an ottb....or see if someone has something available on long term loan....

don't think i'm wholly prepared to give up just yet....despite my frustrations!

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.

nearly in tears

me, that is.

Decided to go downthis morning, as we're meant to be out this afternoon. So after i'd mucked out etc got her in and groomed. By the time i was tacked up there was no one there but Liz was out on a ride. After 1/2 hour of me trying to get on on my own and failing - the usual bollocks, get her so far and then the quarters go round - Liz came back and came to help me on. so far so good you would think.

Molly set her jaw and set off for the 20 acre - which would have been all very well if she hadn't planted at the top of the hill. turned her round, planted again. turned again, planted again. said, ok then, down the hill - planted again. turned her round, planted again. Now this is quite a steep hill so not a good place for sitting out a plant at all - she was getting to a situtation where we would have been planted at the steepest bit, rather than the bit you can go down. So i got off and walked back, and whilst doing that saw Liz getting in her car and she drove through the yard in front of me on foot.

There was no way i was getting back on - Molly went back to quarters round when i got anywhere near.

No one will be back now until this afternoon.

so i called her several names and turned her out again.

The bit i had in was the new one I'm trying out.

and please don't tell me i shouldn't have got off. I'll scream at you if you do.

I know the idea of putting straw bales opposite the mounting block. There aren't any, and if I did I would have to put them there every time then move them away again, as they would be totally in the way of everyone else trying to do anything with their horse. don't think my back would be up to all that moving straw bales around.

And we did have a period when she did stand to be mounted, I don't know what happened to decide her to stop doing so.

finally got on!

after how many days? Mind, i rather wished i hadn't - or rather, I'd wished I'd gone down in the morning, the weather was better! Managed to miss the actual snow, but the wind had got up again so my hands froze before we'd done the first half hour, and I had to get off as i was then too cold to do anything! Had got a bit of sideways, which pleased me!

I lengthened my stirrups by one hole, which i'd been wanting to do for a long time. It is better- at least, in walk it is! - my legs felt more draped and more effective and I felt more able to use less leg, if you see what i mean. so even though it was short and cold, i learnt something. Oh and I did get one moment of "up" with lightness as well! which was a first, usually it's "up" with a set jaw! hopefully i can repeat that when the weather's better!

but I wish she'd stand to be mounted...she will insist on turning quarters away, and she knows what she's doing, and there's nothing i seem to be able to do about it! get her so far to the block, and she turns away... depressing. One of the chaps insists i can do it, but the trouble is when he comes over then she stands - she always does when someone comes to her head. I'm sure i'ts just badness....well, not totally, but she knows what she's doing!

partner promised to come and video the exercise one day - i'll hold her to that one on one warmer day! someone might be able to think of something that might be persuading the moo to do this...

Natasha thinks I should aim to do a walk/trot test by august. I think, that's probably a good idea, as it gives me a goal to work to ....

weather...?

eventually the wind dropped - at about 5pm or thereabouts - by which time we'd done a load of stuff in howling gales and freezing cold and blizzards, so wehn i got back to the yard i was stunned to find NO WIND - but everyone else had gone home, of course, and i was knackered....

hopefully, it stays that way for tomorrow!

rainbow girls

today we went up to the Scottish Borders to visit a friend and her two fillies - one 2, one 3, from the iberian peninsula - crosses not purebreds, but they're going to be stunning nontheless.

The only photo you're going to get is one eye of each horse....it was VERY VERY windy (still is) and kept snowing off and on ....it was too cold to be out more than 5 minutes

but I think you can tell they're pretty special and very friendly.

and we were given a fantastic lunch, won't need to eat again until the morning, so many thanks for that.

I wouldn't have been able to do anything with Molly even if I had stayed at home - it's been AWFUL. the only good thing about that was that the A1 north wasn't as bad as it normally is on Good Friday, as most people probably had the sense to stay at home LOL.

I'd arranged for Molly to be brought in this evening and left all ready (I turned them all out this morning....) as I didn't know what time we'd get back - that road is known for horrid accidents, no guarantees at all as there's too many people insist on breaking the speed limit, passing wagons where they shouldn't, and so on....

hopefully it'll improve for the rest of the weekend..

ENT

you will remember the dizzy spells I was getting? had my ENT appintment this morning - the consultant thought he was seeing me at the end of labrynthitis running its course...keep on with the tablets but run them down and get referred back if it all goes wrong again. and I had an audiogram done, which was interesting - i was right in supposing my left ear to be worse than my right! but really not bad at all - couple of dips at the higher frequencies in the left ear (which means i don't hear those frequencies as well, early sign of age related deafness) - hate to think what it'll look like in a few years time!

and easter weekend is starting with a howling gale. swept the yard in front of the stables, put it in barrow - it immediately all blew out again.

early start tomorrow, going up just north of Berwick to see a friend & her 2 horses, looking forward to that - will have a lie in on Saturday!

the innards are settling down but will take all weekend to come back to normal with no pain, i expect! hope quicker, would like to be able to try molly with the new loan bit i've been left with!

not well

IBS kicked in after i got home last night ...did spend some time today wondering why i'd gone to work! but it's settling down slowly so hope it'll be fine by the morning. in the circumstances, i thought riding wasn't a good plan - turned out everyone else had gone home anyway!

RIP Blackie

parter's cat - seen here with partner! PTS today - he'd been failing since last summer when we found him motionless under a tree - reckoned to have fractured a hip - then had a lot of teeth out earlier this year - he'd been a rescue cat and always had bad teeth - been slowly giving up since christmas really and today had to be the day. last week vet persuaded partner that another steroid injection would or might do the trick, but it didn't.....she'll kill me for putting this photo up but it's the only one immediately to hand on the PC!

and Molly? natasha & philip came and lent me their myler 01 to try - complete wit hthe bridle it was attached to which happened to fit perfectly with no ajustment required! We tried it for about 10 minutes - it was dark and very very cold - molly wasn't objecting to it. So they've left it with me to see how we go with it - will need to change reins (i can't be doing with those thick rubber reins, they hurt my hand!). we did well for that time, pleased with her. she was a bit stunned, had been wondering where her tea was! it was nearly 730 when they arrived.... 1 1/2 hours later than originally planned!

daylight! WOW

until about 6.40 - put the lights on anyway (they were mended Friday) as it was going to get dark before I'd finished, but it makes such a difference.

i decided to lunge with the BB on molly, rather than a bit, as I just wanted to see how she's going re going right and being more balanced with it, and that was a good idea. we did both reins twice, and she didn't argue about it more than half heartedly.

The rope circling techniques that max teaches are quite effective when done just with the end of a lunge line if there is a minor protest.

and molly is becoming much more balanced going right

So we're getting there, slowly but surely.

oh, just to remind us - the left foot is the broken foot.....but yes, i see what you mean!

ok, pictures.....

less may be more

but the video shows i wasn't really doing less....paul got his camera, i'll post something later once I sort them out (he kindly gave me the memory stick so i've put them straight on the pc...) but i look too big for the saddle.

She did do some nice stuff, but he wasn't videoing that - maybe i was conscious of being watched?

we started off tiggering round to the car park area in front of the arena and it was a bit scary as she was really hyper for a moment - i wasn't surprised, as she had been unsettled whilst i was grooming her, which is most unlike her.

i reckon the wind, and it was not in the usual direction (which meant it was a bit nippy in the arena, no shelter today!)

but we got in and then she settled down.

i must try and keep my hands stiller, i hadn't realised they were moving as much as they were (forwards/backwards, rather than up down!) and i was doing too much with my seat as well (possibly because i was trying to warm it up).

paul said we both looked much more relaxed, and certainly i think that's right...

i got better circles and serpentines, and we finished with three soft halt/walk/halt transitions, which pleased me! and i made sure we were on left rein for that so i could get off without landing in the fence.

you'll gather my back was a lot better - kept the back support on, of course, and kept taking the painkillers. that, of course, has the advantage of ensuring i stay upright!

update on yesterday

the warmblood came 3rd, and philip was 6th, so everyone is really pleased....i don't think i said, that was Novice 30

back support

is still needed unfortunately - better when i move about with painkillers inside me (ibuprofen for the inflammation) but not right - and not assisted (indeed the cause is probably) by having to wrestle with soaked hay. i think i must have made a mistake at some point earlier in the week in that i can't have been straight in myself when hauling the hay up to drain, and i think that's what's done it.

so today, went up to watch natasha and her fiance philip stressaging at holmeside hall; got there, and natasha had me call her test (i do a good line in clear stentorian bellow specially for the purpose!) which meant she didn't get it on video - they hadn't brought their camera. that was a shame, he did some really nice work - 4 year old on his second outing - if it hadn't been for his canter transition, which was pants, he'd have won the class. as it was, he came 7th and got a rosette, just over 60% and nothing lower than a 5. TBF, as Tash & I agreed, the canter trans was only worth a 2 or 3, but each such transition was part of another sequence of movements, so judge justified in marking it overall up.

philip's horse went tense as soon as it got into the arena - it was an indoor, you'd think he'd be used to them, and possibly some rider tension as well - so didn't do as well. the other horse they brought ridden by a friend, 8 year old warmblood, did a fantastic test spoilt by her failing to count 4 seconds for the immobility at A and when she went for her second canter transition, her calf cramped so she had to tickle with the whip and the horse put in a minor buck (he doesn't approve of your not asking for the movement in the correct fashion!). but she had no choice and did really well, i know when my calf cramps all i want to do is scream with pain and rub it! happily that has never happened when riding (yet....)

then went and mucked out etc, and decided to just do a bit of rope circling- the painkillers i'd taken earlier were wearing off by then, and it was spitting on to rain.....

but a good day. am now going to check the video to make sure it came out!

sun! warmth!

so good i took her rug off this morning. i reckon i'll have to leave it off now - hopefully no more of those howling gales!

but i spent most of the day with my back support on - total agony!

rabbits

that's what we had one of in the bedroom last night - a live one! simba the hunter... at least it was live, the other day we found the back half of another rabbit downstairs.....euch.

evening meeting tonight, which means i'll have to soak tomorrow nights hay in the morning....

spoke too soon

at about 4.30 i looked out at a lovely blue sky and said (out loud, very rash) looks like it might just not rain.

how wrong can i be? huge black cloud followed me north (being blown by 60mhp+ winds) and started to rain about 1 1/2 miles from the yard. hasn't stopped yet. I don't know why i think i can do consistent work with molly in the winter, it ain't going to happen unless i change yards!

i came out of the office

and looked at the black cloud to the north and thought, it's raining at the yard. I was right, it was. wet horse, wet arena ....

put hay order in, be delivered tomorrow (and he'll stack for us as well, which is cool!)

then had to go buy a new kitchen bin, ours broke, and finished up at caroline's favourite place - MacDonald's, as the gale started - horizontal rain, rather than just vertical! That had stopped by the time i got home, thank goodness, for long enough to unload the car....

it's raining

absolutely teeming down...but since they were forecasting howling gales as well, that's not a problem. a bit windy this morning but in the scale of things we can't argue. apparently it was sunny the other side of the pennines...but the south has had the forecast gales (about what we got the other week, i expect..)

interrupted

by a phone call whilst riding - don't really know why i had the phone on me, save that i always do!

Anyway, Molly and I are improving - certainly she is, in that she's softer, quicker, than she has been, so the work in walk is starting to pay off.

I'd left the poles where I'd had them last night - between B & E, parallel to the fence so that if you turned off the track at B you had to go over the poles to get to the track at E. so they were usefully placed for variation, Molly never knew when she might be asked to go over round or through them (the were either side of the centre line as well).

So some useful work. She moved up to trot 2/3 times, but I think i must have accidentally asked for it; it was a softer trot than it has been in the past!

I got a shoulder in position once (yes, i did ask for it!)

and half way through this good work the phone rang - friend having a whinge....interestingly, after the stand still whilst i had that conversation, Molly was moving forward better.

Had Rhona (hello Rhona!) check to see if the pad was still moving side to side under the saddle, and apparently not, so that's good.

and lovely daylight even when i finished...mind, that was only 17:20! roll on the end of the month when the clocks go forward...

Left her rug off in the stable. I get the feeling that she's shedding so much and getting so warm in the stable, she's itching with the rug on.... (bed all over when it isn't usually.... bit of a giveaway that). I might regret it, as i'll end up having to brush her to rug up before i can turn out in the morning (supposed to be a horrendous storm, and rain, tomorrow). so we'll see.

perfect timing

in terms of the weather. This morning i really thought i'd not be able to do anything with Molly - it was raining, then when that stopped the rain got up, then later it was horizontal rain... got to the yard about 4, having put dinner (stew) in the oven and had lunch after a day out (been to pay for queenie's keep) - blue sky, wind slightly dropped, arena sheltered...

So after i'd done the chores (and everyone had got their's in for the night at only 5 pm!) i lunged

Bitless bridle, lunged over poles. First just one pole, both directions, then two poles, both directions.

That REALLY woke Molly up. First time going right she wasn't having it and I had to go back to MAx's techniques to get her back listening to me (advantage of the BB, it acts like a pressure halter as well when needed, not as much, but enough to make a difference).

Then she decided canter was good, so I moved myself so she was circling round the poles rather than cantering over them (actually, i was impressed, it's AGES since she's cantered!) then when she'd calmed down a bit moved back down so she was trotting over the poles again.

When she was eventually trotting over them calmly, brought her in and changed rein again, then two more times each rein, finishing on the left rein.

I can really see the way this is helping her use her back end, and work out where her feet are, and it should help her balance right rein as well much more than she as, as she's also forced to think about what she's doing rather than just rushing round.

I could really see her thinking about it as she was going round (the lick/chew thing...)

This was, of course, what I'd had planned for Monday, but probably its as well I did it in daylight first!

and then as I was leaving the yard, the rain started again, so even more perfect!

just to say

i am still here, and not looking forward to the weekend (weather going to be pants). Fay forgot to tell the lads about the arena lights, and they're now off until monday. phooey

frogs

two of us left the yard more or less at the same time, i was second (still in the dark, by the way, someone's going to tell the lads tomorrow about the lights!) anyway, person in front kept stopping, driving erratically, whatever, i was starting to think either there was something wrong with the car or with her. this is still on the private drive, not the main road. eventually she stopped and came to tell me - she was stopping for the frogs! i hadn't seen any (because she was in front, i assume) but she was trying not to run them over and occasionally getting out and physically moving one!

so spring is springing -they're on the way down to the River Wear, which runs through the estate, clearly. and that must mean we should soon get some frogs in our new pond, as well, which is the idea (slug control!).

this is going to be a boring week

as there's still no lights in the arena. not that it made much difference tonight - had to get partner packed for a weekend in carcassonne (friend's hen weekend!!!!) - didn't know until i got home that also involved laundry, thus leaving heating on all night to get laundry dry.....phooey.

still in the dark!

no arena lights again... phooey. dont know if anyone's had a chance to see the lads to say and have them find out what's wrong....

no lights

in the arena this time - i can see in the stable, but that of course did nothing to assist the plan, which was to lunge, possibly over poles. goodness knows what was the matter with them, but at nearly 7, there was no way enough light to see by

poles

put some poles out = over them each way, round them, through them, diagonally over them - at one point it was "OOH can we trot over them please mam?" - no, of course - took about 30 minutes again before we got some softening but since I was also trying to keep her "through" behind it was harder work, whilst trying to keep "less is more" in mind. i think i've said before, relaxing myself takes nearly as long - not so much the top half, more getting the hips stretched. and we got some sideways as well, a couple of times, which was good.

not so good on the halt/walk/halt transitions, but i wasn't really working for them , was working for more activity and softness at the same time.

and half way home remembered i'd forgotten to put the poles away, oops.

But it was COLD - could have done with an extra layer to proteect me from the bit breeze coming from across the field. but againn, I chose the right time of day the wind seems to drop abour 4 ish and not get back up again until after 6 or so. if we're lucky it'll have dropped altogether - but i don't think so.

Amazingly, looking out of our kitchen window this morning at the trees being blown about, their was neighbour sitting outside on her patio eating her cooked breakfast.... that patio is very sheltered from the prevailing wind, but didn't think that much. and it was a suntrap as well - her own microclimate! where our back allotment about 10 feet in front of her, you couldn't have done that...

and to add

she's shedding! huge amounts. woulnd't have thought it was warm enough yet, but Molly clearly thinks it is.

and thanks to caroline for introducing me to the benefits of a shedding blade!

less is more

less is more, less is more. the less i did, the more i got...must remember that. she was quicker to remember soft and round - not consistent with it, but it was there.

i chose the only calm moment of the day - so that was well planned. what i call a good drying day (so have lots of dry washing as well :-)). needed help to get on of course, but was very impressed when molly's first reaction when i picked the reins up was to come to the bit. lost it again fairly quick but in a calm sort of fashion.

i was concentrating on not having my hands so close together, keeping a consistent length (have the continental reins on the mullen mouth - prefer the libbys, not so big in the hand and stickier!) and keeping myself upright. seemed to be helping a lot. i was pleased with both of us.

Now, how do I stop her overbending? lift my hands?

oh, and she blinked! so that's fine - must find a way of having her face me properly!