i'm better but the weather's worse....

started raining about 3/3.30 and didn't stop.. horrid cold mizzly wet .. 

but molly's body was dry, did her massage if nothing else (head too wet/muddy for bridle to be added and do flexions...)

impressed she consented to go out again!  last year she insisted on stopping in from beginning of september or thereabouts!

poorly....

me, that is.

must have eaten something that didn't like me ..hope it wasn't the fruit cake, i've not had a problem with iced fruit cake slices before...


whilst i was feeling a bit better by this evening, i decided not do do any work with molly "just in case"

another first..

i think it was last sunday i said i'd failed to go the way I'd planned, a route molly has always refused

This is it

As you can see, from the bottom, you can't tell that there's a gap between that log and the fence...

today, she went up there without a moment's hesitation - even though YO's mother in her electric wheelchair thing was the other side of the hedge on the drive... YAY.

out the gate at the top (without getting in a tangle of lines!), left, through antoher gate that opened towards us!  round that field left and right, without being phased by geldings rushing up to fenceline to see what was going on, left along top of geldings field, at which point you could hear them but not see them, down the very steep hill and then instead of going back to the yard straigh away (we'd done a big circle at this point) round the 20 acre to make the circle even bigger.

i won't go so far as to say we've had total breakthrough and everything wil be plain sailing, it won't, but we have to be a long way on ...

why didn't i do all this years ago?  because i didn't know how....

PMG & Fords (of two sorts..)

PMG first - that's Peter Maddison Greenwell - did a lecture demo at a local EC last night; Steph came down from Scotland, and Vic & Nicola, and loads of other people. 

I didn't post last night, as it was late and I wanted to reflect before commenting.

One spectator got thoroughly told off by a lot of people, including me, and I repeat here what i said quite vociferously at the time - if she thought PMG rollkurs his horses, she needs her eyes testing.  She clearly didn't understand a thing that she saw, in particular that.  She left at the interval, having had that altercation.

1. he was showing us what we shouldn't do, as well as what we should!
2. the breed has a tendency to "curl back" and if you're busy showing people what they shoudln't do, it's bound to have an effect!
3. he doesn't have the horses warmed up before they come into the arena, he warms them up in front of you whilst lecturing, so you don't see the finished product immediately.
   

also, I have to say (and i've said it to him in an email) I think he relaxes more himself when riding with one hand than with two hands, I think he spends so much time riding one handed it's more comfortable for him.

What was really clear was the "body stop stop" - that is, stop the horse by stopping your body!

It was also really clear how to do shoulder in (not that that'll help me replicate it, but helps understanding of what to do, LOL).

The garrocha work was fantastic - on a 21 year old horse that was SOOOO supple it was unreal, proof that good gymnastic work will help a horse keep going into a good old age!

and the Q & A at the end was interesting - Trudi, i specifially asked, on both our behalfs, whether or not he thought good high level work was achieveable bitless, and he thought it was.  He'd had one experience with a Dr Cook's, and after a little play with said horse and bridle, had it soft etc and thinks it can be done. (i still think, the more so having seen him, that it's all in the seat!).

So that was last night.  no pics, sorry.

Now, fords, today.

Ford 1

Steph stayed over and this morning we went down with a view to riding molly up to Blackdene, using that arena, and riding back.  This was all very successful - Molly was very good going up, despite a halt as she clocked the YO's dog through the willow and we had to wait until it came up to Steph and Steph was in front of us, but then she was more than happy to go under the willow and take the lead most of hte way to blackdene, including on the road.

She worked well at the Blackdene arena, as I expected, as there's a  good space there unlike the one at Harbour House.  Here's some pics of Molly ridden by Stephanie - we forgot to take any pics of me!

then back down the way we had come - and she went THROUGH  the ford, of her own volition, without a lead - steph was behind us and to our left.  VERY pleased with that.

She needs a clip, though!

Ford 2

Gaynor lives at a cottage near where there used to be a ford and moved her horse down to there - this is all part of the same estate as the yard i'm currently on - with another horse and owner.  Had a falling out with other horse's owner for reasons that need not be gone into here, and asked me if i'd move Molly down there - you may recall that i mentioned this when i moved back to HH, had she known i'd wanted to move off blackdene she'd have asked me then.

anyway, I've decided to do that.  it'll be just the 2 of us, and the 2 horses, very quiet, i'm so HOPING that molly wil be cool about it, she's shared a field with GAynor's Charlie before for a year or so so that shouldn't be a problem ...

I'll be able to use the arena at the main yard over the bridge, and YM has said that if it doesn't work out for Molly there'll be another stable ..

Whilst moving AGAIN after only 2 months is probably not ideal ... we think it'll actually be good for molls in terms of new tracks to longline on (i've never ridden that half of the estate anyway) less traffic altogether, there'll only be us usually using that track

plus we're allowed to put big bale in the field, which will work out much better over all.  they won't be rushing their food when they come in, and won't be screaming to be in at lunchtimes over the winter!

So that's next weekend.  We had wanted to do it tomorrow (would have made more sense for me, as partner's away this weekend) but it'll be next weekend, YM says, whilst she sorts others out and lets people know

We have to poo pick the field, as it's only small, but that's not a hardship (it'll be a benefit, LOL)

dark.......

by ten to 7 ....

anyway, time Molly had her massage i thought it's a bit late to try going out, but nontheless set off - of course, someone had closed the d*** gate again!  so i thought i'd see if i could at least get it open 

no, was the answer to that.  after about 5 minutes trying.


and then it was getting dark and couldn't have gone on even if i HAD got it open!  so went back up the arena and did a lot of walk work

in one way, that'sa concern, but so long as she stays moving on, not so bad, and she did some nice work...

and even better - we got rein back, which i haven't managed for a while!  i'd done a couple of flexions ridden, and don't know if that might have helped... anyway, one step back, walk forward, halt, one step back ... three times, and ithought that's a really good place to stop!


and the midges were held off my scalp by my wearing my buff... a bit warm, but if it saves the scalp, i don't care!

flexions!

you'll remember i said we were struggling wtih flexions at previous yard as molly woulnd't stand at all... so plani tonight was lunge, but i was being eaten alive with midges on my specs, in my ears, under my hat....so gave up and back into the stable, and thought, let's see if we can start flexions again.

Well, not the best on the planet, need to watch dvd (new one and the one steph took last year) but Molly did manage to stand pretty square, didnt' protest more than a smidgeon and i think that was as much my technique as anything...

so now i know we're back to relative calm for that, i'll be getting back into doing those as well

YAY

and it rained most of the day

and still no simba.....

seamus heaney

is reading his stuff at Newcastle Civic Centre tonight, and we have tickets, so I am giving Molly a day off.  

In the meantime, we haven't seen our cat Simba since yesterday afternoon at about 4.30 pm (as i was going out to the post) so we're a bit worried; another cat from the street went missing a couple of weeks ago....

1/2 hour

in the arena, first time since what, last monday?  not perfect, but better.  got some nice walk and some pants walk.  trot?  in and out. There's really NOT the room, she wants to move on and before we know it we're at a corner, and can't really get balanced in the space, especially as i want to keep her moving forward.  Did get some nice strides on a circle, though, and a couple of times could feel her carrying me momentarily...

I'll be pleased when i get the hacking cracked and can ride up to blackdene and use that arena!

loooong walk on the lines

i did think about trying another hack, but thought that given the nice weather, and the fact that i had time, it made more sense to do some more confidence building on the lines.

The original plan was to try to take her up the track by the drive, which involves a narrow gap between a huge log and a fence (normally the geldings are in that field, but haven't been moved back into it yet after the summer).

That plan went pear shaped when bellows could be heard across the valley (i think, chap trying to get his horse through the gate that i managed yesterday :-)) but molly i think thought the bellows were ahead of her, and wasn't having any of it.

so instead of that we went under the willow, along the lane, over the ford, through the gate on the right beyond that, along the bottom of that field through the (open) gate into the next, diagonally up to the left to the top of the hill at the far corner of that field, turned left along the top, through the narrow gap (open gate) and along the top of the first field, left down the hill back to teh first gate we'd entered through, back over the ford and then round the 20 acre and up the hill to the yard.

One hissy fit from molly, half way round the 20 acre just before the gap in the hedge at the middle, resolved by putting her on a circle

and my mistake?  i kept my jacket on.  I was totally melted by the tiem we got back to the yard.  it had been a bit nippy when we set off, but the sun got up, and most of the ride was sheltered from the wind .. phew.

and she's back out without a rug.  forecast not to rain for a few days....

i'm knackered.

partly good, partly not so good

but overall, i was pleased...

set off to go round the 20 acre again, but molly wanted to turn right at the bottom of the hill not left (had i but known, paul was walking down to do the gate for me ....) anyway, so went through partially open gate to track through woods the opposite way from the 20 acre, but neither of us liked the look of that, seemed a bit plodgy...

so i decided to try up the steep hill, which is the opposite side of the geldings field from teh yard (if i look from my stable, the geldings field goes up the hill away and a track the other side of it) it's very steep, and horrid to come back down if riding...

she didn't want to set off, but did; half way up she clocked the big log further up the hill and stopped (for some reason, she's not over keen on big logs...) but i knew it didnt' block us, and got her going again...

i didn't know there was a closed gate to go through, where you turn off left to a track at the top of the hill through the top of the wood...

impressively, i managed to get her where i could get the gate open from on top YAY - pushed it away, and just enough time to get through before it swings back .. no way i was going to be getting it properly closed again .. but again, no stock that way

so carried on along, pheasants flying about all over the place .. got to a place where there's a small track up to the right that we have been along once a couple of years ago ... molly wanted to go that way, i didn't, the argument resolved into a neck setting marching back the way we'd come .. so back to the gate and i decided to get off and lead, on the grounds that the hill is far to steep to ride down

so that was the not so good bit, but overall i thought molly was very brave to do all that....we'll build on it.

and i think we got the best of the day, sure it';s going to rain again.

we're going to see joan baez tonight at the sage, looking forward to that, so after lunch and getting changed will be off out...

rugged

because it's forecast to rain a fair bit over the weekend and molly doesn't get first dibs at the field shelter....she's got a nice woollyish coat, but that'll not help if she gets very wet ..

friday night, and it was very dull and dark when i got to the yard, in fact was impressed i got there before the rain.. then of course, wouldn't you know it, molly's half way through her tea and the sky is lightening a bit ....as the clouds thinned.

never mind, subject to the weather i'm going to try longlining her a bit further one day over the weekend, and try another hack out (but hopefully, without the saddle slipping !)

equine sports massage

I met Lucinda when I was at Trudi's in the summer, lovely lady, and the massage works a treat, so pleased to find she has a blog....it will be very interesting to follow it!  just a shame she's not up here...

having left the numnah on the line to dry

longlining was again the order of the day (different set of padding under roller).  

round the 20 acre again ,the same unusual route we rode last night, and this time in stead of leading her through the narrow bit and to the gate, i longlined the entire thing.

the only vaguely worrying bit was opening the gate, which had been closed again, molly followed me through and me with my heart in my mouth in case we had a tangle, as i hadn't had the opportunity to collect the reins up even more and/or go back and longline through it.

happily, fisherman coming the otherway offered to close it for me.

after that, no problems at all, and i got back before it got dark..

won't be able to do too much of this in the evening unless i knock 1/2 hour off at the end of the working n day.. really i could do that without problem at the moment, as i'm starting work when i get out of bed whilst partner gets ready for work...(being disciplined about working hours....)

vast improvement

despite the slipping saddle (twice) in that we went (eventually) roudn the 20 acre and a slighly different route to the usual...

first up, Molly more than happy to set off and go down the hill towards the 20 acre... half way down, i thought this feels odd, then realise saddle slipping to left to i gently got off before i fell off, put it back together and led her back up the hill (there being nowhere to get back on down there) and having opened the gate that would otherwise have blocked the route before i did so. I never know why people shut that gate, there's no livestock either side of it..

anyway, back up the hill, got back on and set off again

half way round the 20 acre there's a gap where a hedge used to be; through that, and we could hear hidden voices (hidden fishermen), which rather disconcerted molly .. but instead of wanting to go back, she was happy to turn left and walk parallel to the hedge, instead of the normal continuing along the riverbank (normaly one goes straight on and left at the far end of a square field, this time we turned left and then to go right, the other half ot he square) and ending up back at the normal gate back to the track.   I was singing to us along all of this ..


Approaching this gate from a different angle molly found most disconcerting, and wanted to nap back, and in trying to prevent that i realised the saddle was slipping again so had to get off.

so led her back along the track.

but i was non the less pleased after th eperformance of Monday, so maybe there is hope.


why did the saddle slip?


2 reasons:

1. i hadn't gone back to the pro choice girth
2. i'd rashly sprayed fly repellent under the numnah before putting it on molly. that possibly was a bit daft.  it's now in the wash!
   

so quite happy with that!
and a good thing about working from home, timed it so still done in daylight. 

rained....

all day, just about, with about 10 minutes of not raining and the occasional easing off.  not too bad when i went out, and i was surprised to find molly still warm, had been thinking i should have rugged.  so fed her and that was it, she was damp and would have taken forever to dry.... 

spitting feathers

that mare of mine!

decided to ride today, you never know the further longlining might have been sufficient to persuade her she can go  out on her own and remind her that she'd done so before.

not.

and then she started kangaroo hopping in the arena again and the saddle was slipping even though the girth seemed tight enough..

on the saddle front, think i need to go back to the pro choice girth

on the kangaroo hopping front, god knows, save that the arena's tiny

on the hacking out front.  i'm hacked off.

friend suggested that i get RI to take her out, and i think i'll go with that suggestion. 

busy day!

spent most of the day pulling up the rest of the potatoes that didn't get done a month ago!  it was a glorious day - went out wearing several layers and thick socks, ended up wearing my sun hat!  I knew it would be a long job (it's also an opportunity to pull out loads of stones/broken pottery/etc from that area of the garden) and by the time i got down to molly i really didn't have the energy to do anything much with her!

so i just loose schooled her round the arena, which happily has been rolled etc .. doesn't stop it being deep, but it's a huge improvement on where it had got to!  think she was the first horse in there since it was done last week.

the midges were still out in force as well, clouds of them...i'd have thought the overnight cold would have done for them by now, but no such luck!

good drying day

and that's about al that can be said for it!  the wind was already up when i got up this morning, and still hasn't let up.  bits of trees on roads and verges, NOT a day for doing anything with one's horse.  So i didn't.  but some washing got done, hung out and dried!

getting darker...

will this be the last week we can do anything after work?  i think i'll be ok for at least another week, given that i don't have the hour's drive anymore!  but the nights are closing in (although it seemed worse today as it was cloudy, had rained all morning...)

anyway, i longlined round the 20 acre and back along the track, was about the last one there and don't think anyone else had done anything

molly was very good, more than happy and didn't play up, just as well as my boot lace came undone half way round the field and she didn't want to stop and eat grass whilst i sorted it out!

forecast for howling gales tomorrow, shame as a hack had been planned with a friend...so hoping the forecast is wrong...

willow...

another first - molly walked under the willow with no argument whatsoever!  on the longlines.  very impressed.

now can anyone explain why she wouldn't even thinkg about going that way ridden last sunday?

anyway, only went as far as the ford, as didn't really have time to do much more, but at least we did that much!

hopefully will do a bit more tomorrow, and a hack, hopefully, in company, on the cards for saturday.