happy molly

moved....

well, molly is anyway!

gaynor decided to ride charlie from the field to HH and i would lead molly the other way back to the stables we were leaving.

that almost went seriously pear shaped at the start, as gaynor got bucked off. but she got back on again (with benefit of a leg up .. she told me later that charlie doesn't like being mounted from the ground and is at a loss to explain to herself why shd tried it). she's in a bit of pain but just bad bruising.

molly and i had to let them out of the field as they were going other way from us, and hence, of course, molly spent some time circling round me insted of walking, and trying to get after charlie!

power walked with intermittent shouting all the way back along the track and to the stables... when i got her in, she stood and shouted (between mouthfuls of feed...)

wagone arrived and we got the hay in; i wasn't sure how molly would load, but she did, and travelled well - only a couple of miles ... and came off quite calm.

turned her out in field with three other mares - a yearling shetland, a palomino and a black, none larger than her .. a bit of a run round and they all seem quite happy. so that's good.

unloaded the hay, cleaned the wagon out, went back to see gaynor and decided not to do any more tonight..

tomorrow, finish off sorting rugs, moving all the stuff that'll fit in the car, refilling cupboards et.c.

both gaynor and I have lost our respective drills, so taking stuff off walls will be interesting if nothing can be found...

then at some point we have to jet wash the stables...

but i decided i'd done enough for the week! it is friday after all...

it's amazing

what you can fit in the back of a Peugeot 206 with teh seats down. one long tall cupboard (with front seat down also); ditto large trunk thing; loads of boxes full of stuff.

i'm binning things.

that's the first time the trunk has been emptied for some years; can someone tell me why i might have had a duvet in the bottom? i imagine i wanted it for some particularly cold horse ona cold night, but i really can't remember... reckon that'll go the journey.

selection of girths that i shan't use again.

hey ho.

loads more to go - rugs, feed dishes, etc and more stuff... that one collects over years....

less water

but not by much... roll on the weekend.

looks like it'll be friday night move, not saturday

moving stuff in the car ahead (or rather, in gaynor's car...)

must find and charge drill .....

worked hard - drank hard

now that's a title to get you all going...

i worked hard work wise.

i worked hard clearing stuff up at the stables.

molly & charlie drank hard... Gaynor;s OH went along early afternoon as it was hot, and filled the water. when gaynor went along after her work, she had to fill them again ...

then molly having been covered in fly spray rolled ... and knocked all the water over. doh.

it is hot.

pictures....

molly's bed is all moved and charlie's is lifted....more work to do tomorrow night.

in the meantime, thought you'd like some recent pics.

molly & charlie last week (molly had finished, at which point charlie realised there was a feed dish .. don't normally feed her in the field, i hasten to add!)

scenes from the garden in which we saw much ado about nothing last thursday

the local restaurant/pub tonight (the cow added today)

rough ...

gaynor after a late night out last night....

actually, she wasn't that bad, but somewhat tired...

we COULD have ridden ... but didn't; instead, we moved and laid my rubber mats in the new stable, decided what's happening with Charlie, and made an executive decision that the horses can just stay in the field for the week until they move next weekend...

YM insists I'll be back before the winter...

but hopefully by the end of next weekend i'll be in a better position to start regular work with molly again....

all i need to know is whether transport is saturday or sunday..

it blew, and it rained, and it blew

and the horses wanted to be out again so badly that charlie trashed stuff in his box, that normally he never touches (including a brand new bottle of fly repellent so there'll be no flies in his stable for a bit)

we rather concluded we needn't have bothered getting them in last night, and turn them out again.

partner and I then went on a lengthy (and successful!) sofa hunt (we haven't had one for years..) and by the time we'd finished the rain had desisted, it was a lot warmer, but still blowing hard....and too late in the day even if gaynor were able to come out & ride, which she wasn't by that time ....and anyway, i do HATE a gale...

edited to add link to sofa - we're getting it in brown, manual recliner, and a chair ditto (given that we CAN have a recliner)....

two in hand...

had to get them both in on my own tonight - horses were good, but wrestling through the vegetation and the furrows caused by winter tractors was a bit of a nightmare - i ended up in the middle where the long vegation was, after i'd dodged the giant hogweed, whilst the horses tried to avoid walking in ditches either side of me... until it widened up and the vegetation died off - then much better - and for a change, charlie kept up (he's usually horribly slow when led, to the extent of often needing to be hauled....not easy!)

hoping the weather stays dry for tomorrow...

much ado about nothing

performed by "The Pantaloons" at Crook Hall Gardens, Durham.

Excellently done.

Gaynor sorted molly out; she says, they're fed up again and we'll have to bring them in overnight tomorrow!

yesterday's post!

was composed in my head - but it ws't until i'd switched off pc and was nearly into bed i realised i hadn't actually typed it!

So, to yesterday...

Gaynor rang early afternoon to say she had a child free 2 hours from about 4.30 ... so we went and got the horses in to give them time to digest their grass before then!

managed to get out for a hack ... went up to harbour house through the park, which was full of shorn sheep (very disconcerting for molly, who didn't quite see that they were exactly the same as the sheep she'd seen yesterday unshorn!) and followed by a lost car! which we had to put right, he was well off where he shoudl have been!

got to HH, thought we'd have gone through the yard for a 10 minute play in that arena - but yard fenced off, more sheep shearing.

horses VERY good despite the noises off (baa ing sheep, and shearing!) that they could hear but not see.

so along back drive and round 20 acre.

bear in mind that most of the way i was carrying Gaynor's whip (mislaid my short one, molly all over, and head tossing) and all way round 20 acre more head tossing... calmed down as we got to the gate at the end and then .... drum roll .... stayed put and let ME open the gate. immediately set her jaw to rush through it, but hey, at least it was me opened it!

then carried on straight along the riverside (a shade slippy) to their field, where we left them...and carried our tack home

so why the head tossing etc? who knows. i put the drop myler in, rather than the combi, i suppose that might have been relevant, but who knows! not the same horse that marched happily out last saturday! but at least we managed to ride midweek! Unlikely to be able to do so again until Sunday, i think... not totally sure but think that's the case..

will it dry up?

for tomorrow?

we hope so we're going to try and see if we can get them in for the afternoon and do something in the evening...

rained all day again

so that put paid to any plans - TBF, the forecast did SAY it would rain, but we can live in hope, can't we?

we chose a dry moment to go along to see them - didn't take the fly repellent as thought they'd be too wet and wouldn't be any flies - wrong! they'd been under the trees, so were relatively dry ... ah well. i said, for future, we take the FR whatever the weather! (2 weeks to go...)

oh, and i shall have a better stable at the new yard than had originally been planned. originally was going to be put in one of a set of 4 - mini barn type arrangement - when i viewed, 2 horses on shavings, 2 empty boxes.

went back yesterday - one empty box filled with straw for another new arrival's horse .. molly can't hack straw, she'll get COPD ..(as we discovered first time she was in a barn, when i first moved to Harbour House a few years ago..) YO was there ... discussed this problem - so instead of that stable, i get one larger, with a huge overhang in front under which to store my hay/stuff - not in a mini or any other type barn! result.

chuffed...

The trot is sorted out, it seems - i pushed her on and she came right, fast, but ok, after attempting to bunnyhop... resistance was by trying to put me on the wrong diagonal, easy sorted, and circles were not a problem - avoiding gaynor was! oops. wearing specs means i tend to concentrate on what's in front of me to the exclusion of too much else!

and we cantered! first time since before I left blackdene last year - not for long, but i was particularly chuffed as i was able to steady it up with my seat and i could feel her back rounding under me.. took that too far and ended up back in trot, but hey...edited to add - this is the first time in my riding life that i've done that. not quite sure what i did, but clearly it was right and will have to try and replicate it....

then we went round the huge field we did last week, in walk (they'd done 15 minutes hard work in the arena and they ain't particularly fit, of course!) and no way was molly letting charlie in front (once he'd led the way IN to the field, LOL) that got to extreme as we came back up to the road, charlie trotted on to catch us up and molly deliberately (and before i twigged what she was doing as i hadn't realised he was there) cut him up.... oops. and was NOT going to let him out onto the road in front (apologies to the chap who had to let us out, molly was refusing to be stopped, i was really struggling and chap in car let us out - which meant he had to follow us)

So very pleased with all that.

before we got them in, i'd lifted my rubber matting.

after we turned them out, i jet washed it....

oh, and I am still moving!

trimmed and lunged

and then turned out again. 24 hours in is as much as the horses are prepared to put up with at the moment!

turned into a lovely day, hope it stays good for the weekend.

trimmer pleased with her feet - some minor bruising at the toes of the hind feet, but we think that's because they grow a bit fast and i haven't been able to get the work into her that i normally would in the summer...

in the stable

for tonight, and hopefully tomorrow night...

we'd both like to get something done! and molly's getting her feet trimmed after work tomorrow ...

i can just see it though - all week they've been wanting to come in, now they're in, they'll want to be out...

supposed to improve for the weekend

i hope so. heating is back on and it's teeming down...

this is boring..

not working my horse...

but they're happy....in the field, eating grass

the plan i mentioned the other day can probably happen.... which may mean i should stay.... mmmmmm

and I've just listened to a real weepy on the radio -The Archers - they killed one of the characters off by way of heart attack, whilst away in Oz, totally out of the blue - and SO well acted....

nettle rash? fly bites?

our money is on nettle rash or something of that nature, down molly's neck... very odd... we walked all round the field to see if we could see where they've been lying...

raining again

waiting to hear whether gaynor's plan will be allowed...

late visit

and 2nd post of the day - we went down after dinner, partner & I, to walk out to the field, check the horses over, feed molly her tea & supplement etc..

gaynor couldn't come out as her OH had gone out at lunchtime and not back...

Charlie was spooked by my partner climbing back up the hill with full water bucket - goodness knows what that was about, as he doesn't bother about gaynor or i doing the same! that spooked molly as well, happily she had eaten most of her tea by then! had to put her back in the field and let her go...

then of course they both settled back down, wondering what that was about, LOL

giant hogweed:

just outside the field gate, we're going to have to be very careful...

from blazing to raining

i know i said if it rained it would save me taking the hosepipe to the vegetable plot but that didn't mean i wanted it to rain most of the day!

ah well, mary lou did warn me...

if it dries up later i'll go then and at least give molly her feed/supplement...

and we might have a plan on the stable/grazing front ....

bunnyhopping again! drat

so i reckon i need to up the dosage on her supplement .. hadn't had her on full dose, but i need to .. this is what she was doing last year before she was nerve blocked, regular readers will recall...

so, you'll gather we did get a ride!

actually RODE over the bridge to the arena, which is unusual in itself! 10 minutes in there, molly bunny hopping when trot was tried (the walk came ok) and charlie needed a bit of a canter, but it was a bit hot...

so we went for a long walk round a really really large field - well, several fields, probably - along the bank of the river and back - sounds nothing, but it's about 40 minutes so shows you the size.

Molly led ALL the way - only two minor glitches, firstly when we set off for the ride out she thought she was heading home and i had to work hard to turn her, but i'm learning about ensuring my seat forces the turn in that situation....

then most of the way back, you go past the back of a field some geldings are grazing - they weren't bothered (too hot) but as we came down the slight incline towards them molly did stop and stare .. but didn't set her jaw or anything, and then carried on in the lead all the way home (which includes back along the road over the bridge and turn right).

mind, i was pleased someone was coming out of our turn to tell us if someone was coming down the hill, as i wasn't sure the brakes were 100% given the direction, and you can't see round the bend!

then we hosed off their saddle areas and turned them out again....

then i came home and mowed the lawns and did some hoeing round the vegetables.. hoping it doesn't rain tonight, which will help the weeds die off that i've hoed, then i'll give it all a good soaking tomorrow, the ground is very dry.

saturday

we might be able to get it together to get the horses in and do something with them.

mind, when we go to the field, they are there waiting for us now.. guess they now know the routine of when we do come, and the novelty of the grass has worn off a bit. they don't look quite so huge, either...

partner has returned from the mainland from St Kilda - says she saw a whale, amongst other things, so looking forward to seeing the pics; be home tomorrow....

cold to hot

hot tonight! wouldn't think it was the same week as yesterday...

but gaynor had to take her mother, and mother's cat, to the vet - cat didn't return.

and if we were going to do anything, we should have had them in around lunchtime...

so i went out on my own, with molly's painkiller in a small amount of feed - interesting, she loves this stuff (pure horse feeds pure easy) .. even if she's in , and no way interested in her hay, she loves this.

they both came trotting over as soon as they heard my voice (are they sick of the grass? LOL) so molly was taken out of the field to have her tea with supplement, and they both got fly sprayed, and then i filled water buckets - that's a strain, up a steepish hill from the river.

anyway, some pics.

this is a cone growing - we're so used to seeing them brown and dry, not common to spot them fresh and young - and an interesting shade of pinky red..

this you can see the clouds of midges over the river

and a reflection in the river ... molly was immediately behind me eating!

what did i say about naff weather?

rained all day, with few breaks.

Gaynor went and checked the horses.....they were fine (it wasn't cold!)

i decided, therefore, to come home and do some more work...

metronomic canter

on the lunge, yet! very impressed with that i was, as it's a pace i've always had trouble getting her to do on the lunge at all, AND it was good both reins!

So, shows she's becoming much more balanced, as she was quite happy to just continue on in canter, which she hasn't been keen on before at all... i'm doing something right somewhere! shame it's taken me so long, LOL...

this wasn't the original plan, of course, but we couldn't ride out as Gaynor had no child care as her OH had gone to band practice that we hadn't known about, so youngster sat in buggy and watched us work horses, and then came with us when we turned them out - how to despook your horse to a buggy!

particularly impressed when said buggy lost its balance in a rut - charlie didn't spook, and infant didn't protest at all, and molly (we were ahead) didn't notice.

so we were all done by noon

and i've just overcooked the baguette i was going to have for lunch as i was so engrossed in book i was finished i didn't notice the timer go off.... this is the woman who can sleep through house alarm going off, LOL

and it's a lovely day, after the naff weather yesterday...

rain and wind stops play

but what do we expect, it's a bank holiday weekend!

got some work done, and at least the wind was a drying wind once it stopped raining...

a really good day!

And we missed the rain hurray - saw your post, mary lou, you were very nearly right!

First up, got some washign on the line (it's still there, soaked...)

then got horses in

then went in to durham with Gaynor and her mother - went our separate ways and on my way round spotted a good deal on a smart phone - 5 hours talk time, unlimited web, texts and emails for £15 pcm.

Then back to stables and we went for a hack, gaynor and I.

had a really good ride - set off up the road, trotted them up the hill; then turn right and along to the harbour house drive; through a couple of gates and down a field hill; through another gate to the back drive that goes to the ford; round the 20 acre (remember the joys i've had NOT riding round there on my own? then instead of going back up the hill to harbour house and up to the park, we carried on along the river, through the bluebell wood - and so to the horse's field. let them off there, filled up the water buckets and then of course had to carry our tack back. that was a bit of a struggle, and i dropped my girth and had to go back for it....

then in to gaynor's for a well earned cuppa; she and her mother had had a burger whilst i was wrestling with trying to get through to the people i had my current phone from ... i was still unfed, but copoing..;

anyway, it started raining AFTER we got in the house, hurray!

then 40 minutes on hold to get through to the hpone people to cancel my mobile bundle with them and get the code to port my number to the new phone, then back into durham to get new phone (currently on charge downstairs)

THEN to shops...finally back to village about 6 pm, and decided to get a pizza from the takeaway as i was by then totally starving and couldn't be bothered to start cooking...

have just come upstairs to discover some feathers and dead bird remains on the landing, looks like nessie kitten has now fully grown up, that'll be fun!

and i need to find out how to synchronise phone with pc for contacts etc, as new phone does not appear to have software in the box!

so, we both thoroughly enjoyed our day, first day gaynor has had to herself totally for ages!

plan for tomorrow, get them in a.m, leave them whilst gaynor watches the grand prix and i do something else, then hopefully (weather permitting) ride later.

bedded up

ready to bring them in in the morning, small haynet ready soaked (not that she'll want to eat much!) plan then is to go to durham and then ride or something in the afternoon, fingers crossed....

then i came home and strimmed neighbour's lawn as promised

3200 and odd steps...

to the field and back again! Gaynor had a pedometer and had me put it on .. so that was the total!

plan for the weekend is bring them in saturday morning, do something saturday afternoon, keep them in, do something sunday morning then turn out again..

hope nothing gets in the way!

poooo

it rained. heavily, for most of the afternoon.

lightened up a bit by evening, but we felt sure it was going to rain again, the clouds were certainly heavy enough. so turned out without doing anything, soaking not being part of the plan.

and guess what?

that's it, it didn't rain again (but is going to at some point...heavy black clouds looking seriously threatening).

so fish and chip supper, and then the joys of scanning a huge amount of paperwork into computer.

phone still not sorted, dammit.

well i did say tonight we might work

and i did, with molly, but we had to get them in mid-afternoon; and we're keeping them in until tomorrow night so we can do something tomorrow as well

i lunged .. she worked well on left rein, i could really see her rounding; not quite so well on right but then she never did like that rein!

will ride tomorrow

the bad news - i recently changed phone/broadband provider, and of course set up a direct debit.

guess what?

that's right, they didn't put the dratted DD through, so i had to do it on the phone this morning, and pay the bill that had mounted up in consequence! pah!

thank goodness for mobile phone and mobile broadband, now plugged in to pc! but i did my neck in, due to the place i have to have the mobile phone and still have a signal!

rescuing lambs

there well not me personally - but it was me that became aware that there was a lamb in the river (or at least, so far down the bank that it was not going to get up again, and it couldn't be seen!) Walking along to molly's field to check her over, noticed a sheep with a very small lamb bawling it's head off; response from below bank, it seemed ... odd... as i roounded the bend i looked back and couldn't see anything; thought i may have been hearing things. anyway, Molly and charlie both ok, fed molly (outside the gate, LOL) got some more water, went back. sheep still there. still bawling. lamb still responding. went to place where you can walk down to a beach and looked back (nearly back to stables at this point) but still couldn't see anything. but by this time i was convinced there WAS a lamb in the river. sheep ran towards edge, still bawling. so rang YM. she later rang me, to say i was right. new born lamb had fallen down, had been in river, was on very narrow ledge, duly rescued, happy sheep.

so that was my good deed for the day.

couldn't get molly in as gaynor's OH out at work till who knows what time...hopefully, tomorrow!

came home and set hose to putting more water in pond. Nessie brave and came out to that side of the house, she has been very dubious about that in the past, as a result:

bathed and bitted

it was a really hot day .. we got them in before lunch - the plan was to ride in the afternoon, but gaynor's OH had accepted an invitation for them to go out... doh.

so i went home and mowed lawns and had lunch...

then went back, gave her a bath, dried her off in the sun, tacked up and went over to the arena

only took 2 goes to get the bit in her mouth!

once i got on and had warmed up and adjusted the stirrup (she woudn't stand for that one, had to get someone to hold her head!)i only worked on getting her to accept it, and to remind myself how to anticipate when she wasn't going to (you can tell, but it's subtle of course and i often don't anticipate properly!)

eventually got one circuit right rein nicely, left rein wasn't so good

a very delicate balance between contact and not contact ....

then i came home and set the tea cooking, washed the car, watered the allotment and finally ate tea about 9.15 ....have left hose refilling pond, which is evaporating..

gorgeous day for a wedding

which is where i've been.

the wedding was at St Philip's John Dalton Memorial Church just outside Eaglesfield, near Cockermouth.

the reception was at Loweswater Village Hall - excellent buffet, and fantastic views...

and came back over whinlatter (didn't intend to, particularly, set satnav for fastest route and that was the way it took me - a gated road!) and then fast roads after that, home by 10! nessie please to see me!

slight change of weekend plan...

i did manage to ride tonight - lunged first, then rode, about 35 minutes altogether... better on lunge than ridden, usual difficulty getting lightness in the bitless....

the plan to keep them in over the weekend was abandoned, though; firstly because they were desperate to be out again, secondly because I'm going to a wedding tomorrow in cumbria; so we turned them out, and will get them in early Sunday morning and do something Sunday afternoon. hopefully with no problems as gaynor's mother has the kids...

i handed my month's notice in; was offered something else on the estate, but decided to stick with the plan i made last night. new yard has excellent arena, and i already know someone on it (she highly recommends it). YM has said something will be sorted out for Charlie so he won't be left on his own...

in for the weekend...

gaynor rang this afternoon and suggested we bring them in and keep them in until sunday, so we can in fact do something Friday and Sunday (I'm going to a wedding saturday, and nessie has to go back to the vets as well). i thought, that's a plan, so thats what we did.

when we got them in, they really didn't want to move, and were far to tired and full to be asked to do anything. it is VERY hot in that field. and they had hardly touched the water ... i suppose it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that they'd been down to the river itself, but most unlikely...and molly had a good drink when she came in

so they both got really good grooms, washed between the legs and under the belly which they both were pleased with, and left with hay which they probably won't eat. my best guess they'll do a lot of sleeping, LOL

how to catch your horse in a massive field

when you can't see her...

call, then wander off to fill water buckets from the river....

time i got back up with the first one, they were both nearly there, perfect!

but not, sadly, to be brought in and ridden.....

boo hoo.....

both got 1 1/2 apples each, fly sprayed and checked over, did another water bucket...

hopefully, tomorrow.....

neither g nor i happy.....really....

different horse?

well, we didn't fully test it.

Gaynor went down when she got home from work to check Charlie, and had no trouble catching him and no grief from Molly - although she did send Molly away once!

I went down later to check molly (it was nessie's day for the "op" andhad to collect her for 6 pm, so not planning any work with Molly).

Took me a good while to catch her, eventually caught charlie and led him down to the gate and molly followed at a small distance.

not totally sure she wanted to be caught, moved away when i went to her; i got a handful of grass and that did it.

hurray. but i wonder if she was being particularly cautious after the several tellings off she got yesterday when misbehaving? not that i have any issue with her being told off, she deserved it (gaynor still has marks on her arm!)...

i needed her on the other side of the gate for a small amount of feed with her supplements in, and to apply fly spray!

as she put her head down to eat, they were both spooked by the fly fisherman on the beach - i ended up feeding her handfuls from my hand!

i had been going to top up the water, but i could see they had enough and had run out of time, bearing in mind i had to get back to stable, put cycle away etc and then get to houghton for nessie!

if she carries on like she did today

i will have to move molly.

Gaynor went out lunchtime ish to get them both in - she had the day off, so the plan was she would work charlie in the afternoon, then i could do something with molly in ther evening after work...

molly firstly circled round charlie and wouldn't let gaynor near him.

then when she did get him, molly started kicking at her (or at charlie, or both, not wholly sure about that!)

then eventually near the gate she got head collar on molly - who then bit her!

then on the track back along molly was behaving like a right ...cow, to be blunt! fortunately charlie was behaving! had to stand 5 minutes whilst molly pratted about!

kept trying to kick gaynor whilst being walked along

then bucked and messed about in the stable (till she twigged there was some feed...)

butter wouldn't melt, tonight, of course...

anyway, we think there's two causes for this

1. molly being possessive
2. they have no other company in a very big field.

anyone think of any other cause?

Formula 1

motor racing, that is in which i have absolutely no interest whatsoever.

Had i known it was on this afternoon, i would have suggested to Gaynor we get the horses in before it started...

as it was, i didn't know; and since if one comes in they both have to (it's too far away to leave one, and they neither do well on their own! so not safe!) she didn't have time before having to sort out children's tea...

so i shall have to start keeping an eye on that timetable!

Partner has gone to St Kilda - did I mention that before? gone to scotland to her friend's today, ferry to Lewis Tuesday evening, sails away Wednesday morning, hoping the weather's good!

feel the burn...

in the legs with all this exercise!

we got them in lunchtime ish to stand for the afternoon ... cycled along, gaynor rode back with the benefit of my bareback pad, i just walked!

i rode inthe field this afternoon, that was a bit of a pain as the shimming slipped too much so i got off to sort it out, then when doing the girth back up put the strap through the wrong bit of buckle ... couldn't sort that out had to go back in and take it all off..

so rode her back along to the field, then walked back pushing the bike which had the saddle balanced on it.

rode bitless.... easier than the argument about the bit

maybe she's gone off this particular bit? Myler hanging cheek. i could go back to the myler combi for a while, i suppose, see if she's happier with that in? if she'll take it.

it wasn't, by the way, anything to do with her teeth! it's her head...

we will get fit

cycle to field. walk back with horse. exercise horse. walk horse back to field. cycle back to stables & car.

the horses will get lots of grass and i hope we don't end up needing to buy muzzles

could happily take another 4 horses, i would reckon..

pictures of the field and the river running next to it.

showers.....

of course....but not enough to stop me doing some ground work in the field...

we've been told by YM she wants us to move fields asap (told today...) so she's checking whether in fact the work has been done so that we can! it needed rolling, and some junk cleared up from the "beach" where they will go down to drink from the river...

that'll get us fit, walking along there! horses will end up with grass belly, will have to keep a close eye in case we then need to buy muzzles! and i'll have to keep an eye on molly's feet/lameness as it's half on a hill...

the in season mare again...

is not worth riding.

on the other hand i got some wonderful lateral, felt great! ... shame i hadn't asked for it! and I did get the bit into her mouth!

but really, a waste of time.

a heck of a day..

at 10.30 last night we realised that partner's car was booked in for service today ....20 miles away (where she bought it, and its under warranty still...)

an hour or so later, gaynor's oh out walking the dogs went round by the stables and realised they were both really cold so rugged them (very brave of him as his foot has not yet recovered from molly standing on it!) and we're all grateful for that, for a non horsey chap he's a good lad...

so crack of dawn up to get car sorted, then back to drop me off and leave me carless.

you will recall that the equine tooth person was due tonight to do molly's teeth...

before that, my accountant came by appointment - turned out his office hadn't pointed him to the packet of docs i'd sent, so a lot of what he wanted, he had ...we were both relieved when he rang them and they said they did have them! doh.....

got bus to go to local town to collect my DX (a form of private post) expecting to get something of interest (like a cheque!...) .. all there was there was some marketing bumph! so total waste of bus fare and time!

did some work (eventually!) then got cycle out to cycle down to stables, through closed road (lovely and peaceful, it's normally busy as a rat run to avoid a trail through durham city!), we took horses out for some grass on gaynor's lawn...

then i mucked out and got rid of the mud on her coat whilst waiting for tooth person....

int he meantime, any plan for partner to return car was going pear shaped... we ended up with her picking me up from stables and then going to consett, via macdonalds.....she set off for her singing group and i came home via tesco's....

and then her singing was cancelled! doh.

nippy and cold....

the north wind should not be blowing in mid may, dammit!

Molly's teeth have been deferred to tomorrow, dental technician texted to change the appointment...

road to yard will be closed for roadworks until, apparently 16.30 tomorrow and the next day .. that'll be interesting! gaynor's doing morning turnout and i'll go down later, both days...

lovely canter

on the lunge in the field, i was pleased with it...

and her trot was pretty good too!

i'm feeling a bit better... still a bit painful but the medicine is encouraging appropriate activity

no prescription required

for the medicine i knew i needed (that gp has prescribed twice previously for issue i currently have) so i was pleased about that - a shade pricier than it would have been on prescription (for american readers, if you get a drug on prescription then you only pay the standard prescription charge even if the full price is a huge amount more) but not by a huge amount.. and hopefully, when it starts working, well worth the extra!

so only brought molly in and got the mud off, as i hadn't done that yesterday...

apparently she was very unhappy left alone in the field whilst charlie was ridden, and charlie wasn't very impressed either!

poorly me...

the human version of colic...

decided to come home....

but just as i was about to leave, the hay delivery we were expecting tomorrow morning arrived...

just as well he trusts us! we hadn't got our cheque books with us, of course! drop money off tomorrow

we needed the rain

but shame it couldn't have been warmer!

kept the horses in, as it was raining pretty hard and we also want to give the grass a chance... so they went out at about 4.15 this afternoon when it finally stopped ... so no way they wanted to be in at 5.30! so molly had another night off...

anyway, if i had got her in, it would have taken forever to get the mud off her!

rein back bitless

granted only a step, but still ... didn't seriously expect to get it and was stunned when i did!

You'll gather that i rode. Took her over to the arena and she was very calm, no grief about mounting

took a good while to settle though and didn't get sensible trot for about 1/2 hour (attempts interspersed with a lot of walk circles and serpentines) .. partly me, getting used to the bitless again, partly her, not sure which

but eventually got some really nice trot, not heavy which she often is...

overall pleased

Charlie wasn't, as usual could hear him shouting!

and Jean .. our back lane is a dead end, nothing comes past... but whichever way a cat goes out, it's not too far to a road so they take their chances...not like yours though

clever nessie...

has worked out how to go round the outside - and bravely went out the lane side today, instead of the garden side, first time she's done that!

Molly? well yet again, nothing done; we could have sworn it was about to teem down ...

it still hasn't, but it's cooooooold (well, it isn't really, but feels it after the last few weeks and the wind chill is making it feel worse than it is...)

i'm turning very much into a fair weather rider... plus, of course, waiting for tooth person next monday so that adds to the demotivation...

had to go to partner's sisters tonight to feed/water her birds (two cages birds, not sure what sort ..) .. but they had plenty of feed so i just topped up their water...

plan was to go again thursday but not sure i need to, could leave it for partner to do friday, think that's a good plan (it's a bit of a hike!)

witton point to point

that should be, rather, the zetland point to point at witton ...

and a freezing cold wet may bank holiday it was! never mind smart, layers were the order of the day!

bbrrrrr

but at least it stayed dry until after dark (not that we want it to, necessarily, as the ground is bone dry but still...)

Longlined round the park and had some interesting debates on direction ...and she really doesn't like going down really steep bits!

then she deigned to do some nice trot on the lines before we went back in... and i turned her out again.

but then she blotted her copy book in the rush to get in - granted quite late, and granted Gaynor got her OH to do it.. but there was no need to stand on his foot and draw blood!

he had caterpillar boots on, so that doesn't say much for them as safety footwear!

and considering she hasn't got shoes on ...

Gaynor texted me a pic of the damage - NOT nice!

forgot to say

this morning when i turned the horses out....

2 deer running across the park, chased for a few hundred yards by some lambs

it was brilliant to watch, shame i didn't have a suitable camera on me, only the phone and the camera on that doesn't have a good enough zoom...

kept an eye on the deer for a few minutes until they vanished round a corner...

more black coffee

which is what happens when you get up early anyway, and work, and hurt your neck going round local office supplies store (turning neck/head to look at displays whilst pushing trolley round....) and then get really really cold taking molly out into park for some grass.

thought i had some energy left when i arrived at the stables... before i knew where i was i was yawning my head off and trying not to fall asleep standing up!

but it was nippy - just temperature drop from earlier in the week, plus a bit of a breeze ... did for me! so sitting here drinking black coffee before i start making my tea...

click/treat for bitting...

my original plan for a friday night was some in hand work - that, of course, requires that i get a bitted bridle in her mouth...

so the plan changed to click/treat for touching th ebridle, the plan being to end up with bit in mouth ..

no way jose!

she'll touch it no bother... but don't try the bit

the tooth person is coming 10th may - i have to wonder whether molly has an issue that is making the bit uncomfortable?

in the past we've been on 6 month visits, and this one was a planned 9 month .. mmmm maybe go back to 6, see what she says on the 10th!

in the meantime, my black office boots have been taken to spain...

some work

just a little bit of rope circling, followed by seeing if she woudl follow me loose - which she did, walk, halt, trot, halt ...i guess i'm doing something right!

the cat was returned .. nessie was terrified! someone said later we should have got a big cage and kept it in that for a few weeks...

i don't like those

if we get another, it;ll be a kitten than nessie can mother.

she's just climed up and over and is now in the gap behind the pc monitor and between 2 sets of drawers i have on my desk.. this is why stuff gets knocked over, of course!

interesting place to curl up...

still a headache.....

and had to be in Boldon for 6.30 pm, so molly got another night off....

and she'll get another tomorrow, probably, as i have an awayday...

we have a new cat - we were asked to rehome one ... so we'll see how it works out. 18 month old neutered tom, seems like a nice lad, nessie a bit hacked off ATM but no real hissy fits so expect they'll settle...

headache..

was what i ended up with ....

not assisted by the bright sun right in my face whilst trying to groom! left the baseball cap at home, guess it should live in the car....

so just groomed, fed and came home - oh, and poo picked the field.

i think it's a lot to do with not being able to sleep in over the weekend!

riding bitless

Molly is noticeably heavy in the hand riding with the BB; much more noticeably so than when i first started riding her bitless way back whenever that was - i guess, i haven't ridden with it for a long time, and we'd been going relatively well last year in particular...

still, an opportunity to think about my seat, and we did eventually get STRAIGHT, not, head over to one side whilst i try to push her the other way...

which means that i did sort out my seat as much as anything else.

no grief getting on, and no charging off before i'd got the second foot in the stirrup, and no problem stopping to adjust the stirrup...

lambs and birds

this morning, gaynor watched a lamb being born just over the fence from our stables - this is it at about 3 hours old

and tonight, this bird decided that trying to get into our front room was a plan - very odd! i hope it stopped once i turned the light off

and Molly?

i lunged. For a mare that used to never go right rein, and still sometimes challenges when asked to go that way, she was going very nicely, very even paces, and listening to me. amazing. We had thought we might ride, but Gaynor's OH wasn't back, and i need to ride molly bitless and haven't done that for a while so need to get back into that within a confined space....and by the time we'd sat about drinking tea for a while... well, lunging was a plan, LOL. probably a good idea after thursday to go back to that...

night off....

for molly; i decided after last nights chew on, and some minor issues the night before, she could have a night off... gaynor agreed, when i explained why i wasn't coming out for a ride with her (first chance she's had this week!)

in the meantime, here's a pic i took last night - nessie in the apple tree...
and one i took last saturday on the Wear in Durham
a bit fuzzy - phone and not brilliant zoom for the distance...

well that was pointless

did wonder when she wouldn't have the bit in again (and it was clean) - eventually gaynor came and did that - even treats weren't doing it!

anyway, tacked up and thought i'd go over to the arena. first off, she didn't even want to set off (led!)

very slow going over

got there and someone was half way through a lesson...stood and talked to an aquaintance then went to watch lesson....fi

molly quite happy stanidng watching, then just before they finished someting spooked her and she grew herself a couple of hands...

went in and had to circle her round before i got on, and when i did get on i nearly came off the side again as she set off in fast walk, oops

she decided she didn't like the top end of hte arena where we went in, something in the field next to it (which only has grass in it, go figure!) i think...

and would she stop whilst i did a stirrup? no.

i gave up after about 10/15 minutes, it was clearly going to be pointless, and in effective with one stirrup longer than t/other!

ggrrhh...

bitless in our field tomorrow, possibly...

trimmer came at lunchtime; at some point in the previous 6 weeks she's blown an abcess that hadn't made her lame! doh. fine, happily, but i would never have known... must buy stiff wire brush!

rode...

but i wish that wind would change direction! cold!

Molly wasn't wonderfully co-operative - didn't want to take the bit, that took me 5 minutes - annoying as we haven't had a particular problem with that for a while! and then took ages to get anything sensible, but did get some nice trot ... i really should have gone over to the arena, i think!

and then should, really, have joined a lady from other yard who rode past...but didn't. will next time!

and have now changed the modem to the one supplied, and (fingers crossed) so far so good! so there may well have been some issue with the original modem. seems a lot quicker...you never know, jean, i may be able to get your blog to work for me all the time LOL

internet problems

i changed ISP and phone provider last friday; have had internet problems since Sunday on and off - rang them sunday, sorted.... it gave up this afternoon and not been cured yet.. they said, check the settings within my modem! pshaw. if it worked already, it works..

a weird problem - i am connected, but no web pages and no email... go figure.

so, i plugged the broadband dongle into the pc, not expecting it to get a signal, and here we are. (for any americans out there... mobile broadband through a wireless signal into a thing that looks like a usb drive but larger...)

Molly? did some groundwork in the field. I was cold, and dispirited, and nearly didn't do anything but doing something cheered me up vaguely...

the weather is not warm ... the other reason to wish for a change of wind direction is to warm us all up, as well as to enable that ash cloud to disperse so all those people can get to where they are going.

i was thinking about that today ... when i was little, no one flew anywhere; no one really went anywhere much in the scale of things ... and now people fly all round the world without a second thought

horse and cart anyone?

longlining out...

up the park, and through a gate, and up a track where i had to lead (something in the wood, and wanting to go back, bit of each!) and through another gate and along a field line to another gate and across the Harbour House drive and along beside it... then got to the gelding's field for HH and they all came charging up to the fenceline and molly thought this was all a bit much (or a bit interesting, LOL) so i led the rest of the way back down the park to the stable...

on the way passed a fair few lambs - one so new we walked past the afterbirth!

it's steep going up! have to angle it to reduce the steepness!

I was pleased i was able to do any of it, as i arrived in a flurry of rain that i thought was going to set in, but happily didn't!

and 2 bags of feed arrived at home - from the pure horse feed co, was anticipated to arrive tomorrow...

back to winter!

certainly feels like it, and wet! and they're forecasting frost by wednesday...

horses came in wet so got fleeces on - normally, i take the view that when the rugs are off they are off, but it did get really nippy and a cold wet horse is not a good plan.

so nothing done...

i've always said the weather is generally better in the morning - so had i gone down then .. but there we go....

if it's tipping down tomorrow, we'll keep them in..

a ride out! :-)

Gaynor had childcare sorted, and we planned an evening ride - at 6 pm, when everything is a lot quieter - went up the park from the stables, a steep climb through the new born lambs (two VERY new, looked like todays..) then left along the harbour house drive, through the gate, along to the road, left along that and left down cocken lane and so back .. probably no more than about 1/2 hour, all in walk, of course! but very pleased all round (with both molly & Charlie)

Got on in the field - to keep the routine and avoid any possible issues - that was fine again

she might have done our first gate immediately outside the stables, but Charlie's nose up her bum put us off that one!

no prospect of her doing the next one - not sure why she "blocked" but she did so Charlie went on ahead to do that...

She'd led most of this, and continued to lead for a bit longer - a half "block" some way along the road, and then another one ..... charlie ahead again!

but no setting

and we were both doing something else right, in that i turned her to stand whilst Gaynor & Charlie were closing gates behind us. when in the past she's set her jaw and it's been a struggle to get her back (which of course causes problems for gaynor, as charlie wants to follow!)

only possible issue was going down the hill to home when two motorcylists appeared coming the other way and about to come really fast - the saw us, and slowed right down, and the cahp at the back nearly got rear ended by the car behind him.

generally find motorcyclists are quite good, they being in the same boat as us for being invisible to car drivers

on the subject of which - what is it about drivers that they think they can see round a blind bend? when they can't? they really shouldn't pass us on our bends, even though we are going a lot slower, but they do...

and so one back,

we were both happy, neither horse did anything much wrong, both stayed nice and calm (even molly's "blocks" were calm ones, LOL) and i'd forgotten to give her the calmers i'd bought ...

nice work

we're certainly getting "there" quicker now, so i'm starting to think we're really making progress on getting back to where we were last autumn. in the field again (Gaynor's OH said, from over the hedge, you've got the entire park .. but he don't do horses and hasn't seen the grief we get going out on our own, with gates...)

she was very good when vicky & brooke cantered past on theirs (mother & daughter) - first at a steady canter alongside our fenceline, then full pelt up the hill! i thought, oops, but molly was cool!

we did some nice trot work, she was much more accepting than yesterday, and i started trying to work on lateral (trying for SI) along the fencelines.... a concept i never really grasped despite being taught it several times, but thought about what i've seen people do who can do it re aids and such and did get some progress....

and she's starting to grasp rein back, and i am too .. not that i went for many strides of it, one is sufficient for now! once i know we know what we're doing for one stride, i will try keep it going for 2, and so on...

got home and nessie was pretending to be stuck up neighbours conifer - she was half stuck, but she eventually worked it out, and it was interesting to watch her sort it out and get back down! we promised her we weren't going to help, LOL, on the grounds that if she got up, she could get down...

went out to the chippie and the village was full of policemen, VERY unusual - at least 6! apparently because of the kids (can't drive along the road without interrupting a game of football (soccer, for american readers) being played across the road, always concerned someone is going to run out in front of you .. all in the vicinity of the corner shop - and there's a huge playing field that COULD be used.. but isn't... and apparently some person had been caught trying to buy booze for some underage child...

and a river runs by it..

this evening we walked along to look at what we've been offered for a summer field (where we can do full turnout).

advantages:

it's huge.
the grass is good
there's water
it's a good 10 minute walk each way

the disadvantages

it's huge
the grass is good
it's on a hill (flat at the bottom, but a nice incline after that)
the water supply is - the River Wear!
it's a good 10 minutes walk each way
oh, and people have been riding through it when they aren't actually allowed to!

not sure what to do.

Molly was lame living on the hill at blackdene last year. BUT she's now on supplements for that.

the river - flooded last year, and left a load of crap in the field. some dead tins, stuff like that...

teh gates can be padlocked, so that's not a problem

the access to the river is a sandy bank down to a gravel beach. a shade steep (well, for me!) but shold be ok.

BUT molly may not want to do it.

so we'll have to think.

we really do need to rest ours, which is small. having said which, the grazing on it is poor enough to be good for them!

anyway, after all that (and we walked all round the field as well!) i didn't ride....lunged her instead!

and gaynor has just texted to say the rugs are back on - it's down to 4 degrees C

a spectator

was just what i needed to give me that extra confidence boost to work through into a nice trot...

Riding in our field.

Molly was a total star about mounting - there were two horses going past at the moment i was going to get on - we both knew they were there, of course! - and she didn't move a muscle.

i have to say i think we're making real progress on that front

anyway, walked right round field both reins, pushed her into contact, did some serpentines/circles; practiced halts from seat and that's getting better - save that she moved off when i wanted her to stand whilst i took the left stirrup up one (it has to be a hole longer for mounting than i need to ride, and of course, on dressage leathers it's a bit tricky - nearly lost the entire stirrup off the leather!)

anyway, Gaynor came out after a while, at which juncture M was starting to argue with me, and that gave me the confidence boost i need to work her through that.. so we got some nice trot both reins, and finished with a really nice circle with the trot really moving forward, and the halt from that was good as well.

only 20 minutes all told, but as i said, we're reminding ourselves of where we were at the end of last summer and getting it back relatively quickly in the scale of things!

and, thank goodness, the hay delivery arrived not long after I did, so relieved as i had a fraction less than i really needed for tonight! phew.

the in season mare

is SO not worth working, so i didn't try.

she's been horrendous all day - i went and got them back in about 0930 as it was raining and chilly and they didn't have their rugs on, and when i got them they were flirting like mad...

gaynor turned them out later, and Molly was being a dreadful t**t

so she didn't do anything - not even get the mud brushed off, bad me!

as it happened, the planned hack for both of us couldn't have happened, as gaynor's OH was still on call, and out!

timed lunging...

a benefit of having my watch back - i knew how long i'd lunged each rein.

i always like to do 10 minutes each rein, 5 with side reins, 5 without, but had been guessing wihtout a watch

and she worked nicely until the last 5 (which was without side reins and on her lest preferred right rein!) when she challenged me a couple of times and then tried to canter - well, did canter! - when all i wanted was trot, but at least she went, and i got her back to trot.

i didn't want canter because

a. it wasn't what i wanted
b. the ground is like bell metal

(hadn't gone over to the arena, road a shade busy!)

but overall pleased.

wither rub and arena work

i actually noticed the wither rub last night, but had so much else to say forgot to mention it. I reckon it's the new lightweight rug i bought her ... can't be anything else, as she's never had a rub there before. drat.

Anyway, arena today - gaynor's OH still on call..

we need a lesson fairly soon, is the lesson i took from that.

having said that i remembered what RI said when she first started working with us over a year ago, and pushed Molly on in the walk on a long rein and then gradually took back the contact

kept the inside rein wide to the inside, and remembered about keeping it against the neck on the outside, on circles.

by the end of 40 minutes, we had something a lot better than we started with!

we had also (well, i had also) remembered rein back, and Molly did to, so that was the good note to end on.

and I was VERY pleased to be able to wear a watch for the first time in i can't remember how long - my previous watch broke (smashed the glass) and i'd bought another but developed an allergy to the buckle (i can't wear the metal of a watch next to my skin); had been intending to take it to watch shop for ages to have my leather strap from original watch (that i'd bought separately anyway) put on the new watch; it randomly ended up in my pocket yesterday (had planned i might have taken a trip after wrestling with hay...) and today sitting in gaynors looking at hers, got mine out - and she sorted it for me. YAY. she seems to have the knack for that type of thing. i couldn't even see how you could do it.

i will now know how long i've been working molly for instead of guessing (the alternative being to take the phone out and unlock it and try to see what it says whilst trying to prevent the light reflecting back off the screen)

So i knew i'd done 40 minutes!

oh, and Gaynor's OH kindly lent me a spare monitor he had (he's a computer person) to try, as i was sure mine was dying but we didn't want me to spend money on new monitor if the problem in fact lay elsewhere...

it was, as i'd suspected, my monitor that was dying, so that's more money to spend.

shoudl go off to eBay, but not sure i can wait for delivery...

and a garden helper

i had a helper in the garden today - guess he was attracted by the prospect of worms, since i was bringing them to the surface whilst weeding...

this mounting malarkey

appears to be becoming much less stressful....i walked her up to the mounting block and got straight on, she didn't twitch.

YAY

hope that continues.

i think, even if we do go out for a hack, i ought to continue mounting in the field for a while and then ride back out...

anyway, didn't get a hack today, despite the glorious weather - not prepared to try her out on her own, yet! - and Gaynor's OH was on call, and was called out, so she couldn't leave the premises (2 small children).

So rode round our field for about 1/2 hour (must get a watch ...) practising circles, stop, start, directionality (i'm not good at that in a wide open space, LOL) and so on, not totally successfully as the shims had slipped... tried a bit of trot as well ... eventually she said she'd done enough, and TBF she had bearing in mind how little she's been ridden since october - this was the 2nd time on since the winter ended, i think?

hopefully we'll ride out tomorrow, depending on gaynor's oh's work...

the promised hay didn't arrive. apparently, the farmer the chap had bought it from had to reduce it from big bale to small bale, and hadn't done that yet. but he didn't even deliver the shavings. my phone wouldn't make outgoing calls all morning (a network issue, i've whinged at them ) and eventually i borrowed gaynor's to ring him... we had to go over to get her one bag of shavings to keep her going, and then went and begged another man to sell me one bale of hay (otherwise i didn't have enough for tomorrow night). that was a struggle, he really didn't want to sell me it, but did (when we were able to point out that most of his usual customers could now have their horses out 24/7, and are doing so, where we can't). I didn't ask for my change, though...

and the original plan had involved getting my hair done, so that didn't happen... and partner was supposed to rearrange my appointment, but had forgotten she was supposed to do that, and came home worrying that i was ok

the hay is now promised for Monday, along with the shavings.

only one good deal for the day ... not that i was in the market for jackets, but a buy 2 for the price of one on saxon blouson fleece lined jackets was not to be missed, £35 for two and they're ok (one for me, one for partner)

a black coffee day

probably because i need new specs and the eyes are very tired at the end of the week! my eyes were red rimmed mid afternoon, never a good look!

so didn't do anything with molly, of course!

in hand....first for a while

after a massage, which she also hasn't had a for a while (got it out last night, but battery was flat) - and that results in economical use of time, poo pick whilst she has her massage, perfect

so we pretty much remembered what we were doing with the in hand work, but i can only keep it going so long due to the need to twist the body slightly ...then went to Trudi's way of doing it, which has the major advantage of not hurting the neck!

Gaynor had been watching from the house and hasn't seen that done before so didn't know what i was doing, but thought Molly looked as though she was working well, which I'd thought too so nice to have that confirmed..

and thankfully I've found some hay! rang the only remaining local chap yesterday, who coincidentally was going to look at some yesterday, so rang him back this morning and he's delivering saturday. phew.

a dry field

is somewhere where one can also lunge, longline etc, without having to treck along the track and then over the busy bridge

going not perfect, of course, a bit hard, so didn't ask for canter, but pleased with her trot work and she didn't argue with me at all

the other advantage of doing this in the field of course is that charlie, in his stable, stays calm, LOL

i could see a big cloud coming towards me and after about 15 minutes or so could smell the damp, so stopped and went in.. put her in before it started spitting!

and then this evening after i got home i got these cute poses...

got on my horse!!!!

the wind had dropped; it had served it's purpose by drying the ground up. I had time. I had no rain. I had a calm horse (once Charlie came back, he'd been taken on a hack!)

So, into the field with the mounting block, this time tacked up.

some circling - that she couldn't be bothered with LOL - some go back, forward, etc

and to the mounting block

stood like a lamb

put the reins on, changed from teh 12 foot line to lead rope, back to the mounting bock, still stood like a lamb

took her away again, checked the saddle/girth, back to the mounting block, up, on, not a twitch

do you think we might have cracked it after the winter off?

i don't suppose so, but i was very pleased with that.

then did 10 minutes or so walking round, circles, so on nothing exciting as it's a long time since we've done anything (that hack out to harbour house earlier in the year don't count), nothing to get either of us worked up, and then off again.

excellent.

hopefully the weather stays good. i'll intersperse ground work (lunging/longlining) with mounting practice and riding and see how we go. if our field stays as it is now, i shan't need to go over to the arena...

planning? what planning?

we'd spent the week forgetting that yesterday was a bank holiday and that it was, therefore, unlikely that our usual monday delivery would appear. and of course, it didn't, as we found out on sunday afternoon ... ooops. not assisted by being deceived into thinking that there was enough, the pile wasn't as big as it looked to be..

so after the usual monday opening stores didn't have any haylage, we ended up down at harbour house to try and borrow some... did get some, but time i'd gone back, collected it, etc, it was far too late to do anything with molly

having said that, i'd said to Gaynor that i wanted to put her back onto hay anyway, even though it means soaking it...she'll eat less of it, which will be good for her and, yay, when i went down this morning there was a little left

so whilst soaking hay is a pain, and TBH i wouldn't have wanted to do it through that freeze of a winter we've just had, it is the way forward.

that's better!

went over to the arena to see if we could do better than we did yesterday; had to wait 1/2 hour for someone to finish their longlining lesson, and then we did indeed do better than yesterday!

interestingly, she's doing some lovely canter on the lunge these days, i used not to be able to get it at all;

it wasn't the best lunging she's ever done, a bit speedy but not unbalanced, but since she hasn't been in work over the winter that was no matter, the point was for her to go the way i wanted until i said stop

she had one glitch towards the end - second time going right (which was of course always her least favourite direction) when she challenged me a couple or three times and had to be corrected and set away again

i found the thing then was to let her out as far a possible to canter and then draw back in to trot...

all the while could hear Charlie shouting for her from away across the other side of the river!

swopsies....

in between showers, we lunged in the park; molly kept stopping and turning in, in between cantering, and eventually Gaynor & I swopped.. after all, it might have been my technique, not her. it was not my technique!

and she worked herself so hard she didn't get to get any grass, had to put a sweat rug on and leave her tea to be fed to her later!

but at least we got something done!

why is blogger

telling me i am not following any blogs, when i am? what bit of technology has gone wrong?

uses of a bread knife

do not include cutting flower stems so they fit in the vase.. so i told partner when i returned from seeing molly to find that it had been used for that purpose ... ggrrrhhh

had to work today :-(

freezing this morning (literally) when i went down to turnout etc; time i went back at teatime, i no sooner got there than it started to rain .. doh .. then stopped .. then started ..

there's some daffodils out, though, in more sheltered spots, which shows that the weather will improve at some point....

and i'm going to have to mow the lawn soon, it seems...

easter weekend

is gonna be cold, it seems! but if the wind dies and there's no snow, we might get something done (although I'm going to have to work work as well :-( )