Anything horse related

[c2b]

My grandaughter has regular lessons at our local school. She is 4. It is the highlight of her week. She struggles with concentration but is learning week by week. To hear her giggle as she breaks into trot is a wonderful sound. She will walk the 4+ miles to the farm and back to see Zoe. That's a long way for a tiny 4 yr old.
No prizes what she wants for xmas.

 

[chicken on a mission]

I ended up on Trauma, a 16h2 hanovarian thoroughbred cross with a very bouncy trot which I had trouble with to start with

He was lovely. Willing to work once I convinced him I wasn't going to be a walk over but he still made me actually have to ride him properly because he wasn't you average riding school horse

Next week I am riding a New Forest Arab cross. I'll give Louise her due, she is making me work hard and not letting me get too settled

I got my hat, it is a perfect fit and is a kiddies one, I bought a schooling whip and I have a second hand rain jacket on its way to me so that's me kitted out. I'll think about body protectors when I move onto to learning to jump properly.

Louise asked me the stand up in my stirups and balance whilst walking Trauma round the menage. My face must have fallen big style because she asked what was wrong. I explained that the last time she asked this I couldn't support my own weight to get the balance and that was why I didn't return.

This time was different. Supporting my own weight was not even remotely a problem and I had no trouble finding my centre of gravity so that the balance was there and it wasn't difficult So different to my March experience.

My confidence on a horse is returning because I know what 4 things I have to do to get me back to where I was pre weight gain.

1. I have to get some muscles in my core and legs.
2. I have to work of becoming more flexible through my back.
3. I have to lengthen my legs and keep my heels down so stop me losing my stirups on occasions which I get so disappointed in myself for doing. Acually I find it easier to ride witout stirups (until I get knackered) so I think I have them too short.
4. I have to learn the layout of the indoor school and the exercises so that when Louise asks for a particular exercise, I don't feel like an idiot trying to work out where 'A' is and it becomes second nature.

Roll on Friday again

 

[Purple Hugs]

Sounds like you had a great time!! Well done for getting back in the saddle!

Muscle WILL come believe me!!
The rest will all come, tip your toes up slightly and that'll help get your heels down.

There is a website called new rider that has the menage lay out in there.. but if you google (or whatever search enging you use) you'll find a layout for you to figure out where A is etc... i still have to look around sometimes though! lol but you know you'll be coming up to it, so just look onwards till you see it! lol

We didnt' get to ride this week.. and i'm missing it already! But we do love our horsey time and my non-horsey hubby even 'keeps his hand in' by turning out peanuts etc sometimes.
Erin is learning to pick feet at the moment and loving it. Peanuts will lift his front feet for her, but has yet to learn to keep them up for her... i hold them, she drops them.

 

[c2b]

eeeeeeeek Trauma??? Hardly a name to inspire confidence lol.

You do sound like you had a great time. The muscles will come like PH says. I have a lesson tomorrow and my 'oss is playing up big time. Should be fun .

I used to lose my stirrups. Rarely do now. For me it was because I tensed up.


For a 20 x 40 arena

All Fat Bay Mares Can Hardly Ever Kick

centre line markers
A - D - X - G - C

For a 20 X 60

All King Victor Edward's Show Horses Can Make Really Beautiful People Fall

centre line markers
A - D - L - X - I - G - C

Time to head off to the farm to play let's see if we can stay on this wayward 'oss today . I do so hope she is in a better frame of mind than yesterday.

 

[HorseyCarrie]

I have two horses and a pony which I keep at a yard near here. I wouldn't be without them and riding burns hundreds of calories a day!

 

[boofaloo]

Chicken - It sounds like you had great fun riding - not sure on the name 'trauma' for a horse though.

One exercise that is very good for getting your heels down is to stand on the bottom step of your stairs at home so that the balls of your feet are on the steo and your ankles are hanging over. then slowly lower your ankles and then raise them up again.
This helps to 'lengthen' your leg and trains your muscles to keep your heels down.

Have made a decision today. When i get to 11st 7lbs (have to lose 9 or 10 lbs) I will be 'treating' myself to a riding lesson. No more excuses

I so want to get back into riding - it's great exercise and i know it'll help keep me at goal.

 

[HorseyCarrie]

Go for it!

 

[chicken on a mission]

Thanks for all the tips everyone, I really appreciate them all.

I am going to try and get to the main library to see what books they have on riding and horse care. My local one was useless

Once my daughter is at school full time I'll be able to spend more time at the stables mucking out and cleaning tack, all the mundane jobs that I used to love doing when I was a youngster

If I can get the stables to do a work for rides swap then I'mm be even happier couse this riding lark is very expensive but I can't get enough of it

 

[boofaloo]

A friend of mine decided to do her NVQ in horse care when her children went to school full time. She had riding lessons and horse care lessons paid for by the college - she loved it and has her own horse now!!

 

[c2b]

When I worked out how much it costs to keep my horse. With everything included over a year it works out at slightly less than a smoker who has just one packet of 20 cigs a day!!!

 

[HorseyCarrie]

My three set us back about £500 a month in all, depending on when we take two of them on holiday with us and any extra expenditure such as a splurge on rugs like I had a few weeks ago. But we have no mortgage or rent to pay as we own outright, we have no children and only two other small pets, we go out now and then but don't spend a lot, and we cut back in other areas. Only my husband works at the moment as I gave up my new job through bullying. I am a graduate and will be teaching by 2008 so we'll hopefully be comfy then, but for now my payment is my horses being happy!

 

[boofaloo]

Your horses are very lucky to have you Carrie. And to own outright is fab - one day that will be me and hubby.

Have to say owning isnt as expensive as i thought. Still need some spare cash to afford one at the moment but my main issue is time. With 3 kids and a husband who works away alot i dont have much spare time to myself!!!

 

[chicken on a mission]

Friday is riding day and I had my new hat and schooling whip at the ready. A jacket I got off eBay was far too big but will do.

I had the best time ever at the stables today. I was early again and was told that the horse I was on today was not ready yet so I was more than happy to volunteer to get her sorted out…that was until I saw the state of her! She was caked in mud, so much so that I had a job seeing what colour she was underneath! She’s a 5 year old 14h 2 welsh section D who was forward going so there was no need to carry my new schooling whip let alone use it, it was more a case of keeping her in check and slowing down her paces as she just wanted to go all the time. A light squeeze was enough for a change of pace if the voice didn’t do it.

Joy had a tendency to bend her neck in if allowed and occasionally got distracted but I was able to keep her engaged on the whole and I felt more natural on her than I ever have since riding as a teenager and I didn’t even lose my stirrups once which had been a major problem in other weeks.

I had no problem keeping on the correct leg but had to keep looking to check (like I wouldn't be able to feel it was wrong ) because I couldn’t believe it was coming naturally without thinking!

I did quite a bit of work without stirrups too and I’m sure this helped immensely with my riding position. I have asked to ride her again next week because the improvement in my riding was marked and I’m delighted with the progress I made. Unfortunately she is up for sale as she is working livery and I really hope she remains at Pinkmead. I am very tempted to have a word with hubby because working livery is the cheapest way of me owning my own horse so I can get in more riding (he got a massive pay rise yesterday so I'm more than happy to help spend it!), I would have the back up of an experienced professional yard to learn horse care from, I could continue to take weekly lessons on her to continue my progress as well as keeping her up to scratch. It’s a lovely thought but I think it is too soon though and the stables are too far away for this to be entirely practical although anywhere closer and I wouldn’t be riding in the countryside.

She’d be great as a first horse but I would have to change her later as my confidence and skills increase and I would want to stretch myself. I’m tempted but wouldn’t want to rush into anything that I (or Joy) would regret, after all I have only ridden her once!

 

[HorseyCarrie]

Mine are welsh section Ds! I love 'em! Well done, chicken! Do be careful with working livery though because your horse, if a good horse, will be used for hours a day and not every rider will be as gentle and forgiving as you are!

I pay £13 a week for DIY livery and the people at the yard, which is a beef farm, are very friendly and always willing to help out. It is also surprising how much you pick up when you are thrown in at the deep end and you have this amazing creature depending on your every action.

Also, as she is still only 5, she won't be that experienced either, so she could develop as you develop, rather than her being left behind as you develop. There will always be something new to try. I do cross-country on one of mine and I had her as a green 4 year old. Amazing what you can do with a horse, especially a youngster like this.

Once you get your own horse, you will learn so quickly and everything will come naturally as you get used to her. What you will also learn is that you can't ride every horse according to BHS standards, although they have to teach you this way. Every horse is different and standards have changed hugely over time, which some horses will have gone through as well.

Good luck.

 

[chicken on a mission]

Thanks to everyone for your support and suggestions.

I am enjoying this so much and will work towards my own horse but the problem I have is that I live in a built up area on a peninsular jutting out into the sea so there isn't anywhere close where I can ride in some real countryside and road work doesn't do it for me

So to get out in the countryside we are talking a good 8 miles or so each way plus I have a 4 year old. The last thing I want to do is take on more than I can chew so I was thinking that working livery means that I don't have to be there twice a day and will have time with my daughter. Plus I would have over 100 acres of hacking to look forward to

The last thing I want to do is have any horse of mine suffering for lack of care/experience and for me to be too blind to my own emotions that I couldn't recognise it.

A dream would be to have a horse box and dash off to the New Forest at weekends *sigh*

 

[Purple Hugs]

wow horsie carrie, that's cheap for your DIY. I pay £23 a week for ours.

We're off up the yard in a tick, but i had a great lesson again yesterday.. different horse.. and i bottled canter to be honest, but had some great active trot, which is no easy thing on the horse i was riding. lol
I'm getting used to faster trotting now too, at first this sent me into palpatations when i first cantered.

well.. better get a shake, get dressed and go and turn out peanuts! lol

Oh and from when i started riding i'm down 4 and a half stone now!!! my RI was impressed last night when he asked if i'd lost weight! I've lost 2 and a half since i've been riding with him.
Another 3 and a half stone and I MAY be able to ride peanuts when he's ready! lol
((Hugs))

 

[chicken on a mission]

Oh well done purple. The paces will all come and probably click all of a sudden like they did with me this week

I have my legs sorted out now (apart from muscle tone and lack of suppleness which only time and practice will fix) and need to concentrate on my arms and hands. I have a tendancy to loosen my grip on the riens which isn't the cleverest thing I have ever done! Also I tend to drop my hands and they drift too close together. This is from when I first learnt to ride all those years ago at a non-riding school yard. I was taught incorrectly and have to get out of my old habbits which felt entirely natural to me but are oh so wrong

It's proving harder to break a habbit than to put one in place so I would advise anyone to go the expensive route of a proper BHS approved riding school so you learn properly rather than going the cheap route I did and finding out that you were wrong.

I spoke to hubby last night and he was very insistent that I find out all the details about buying and keeping Joy so that we have some figure to go on because it might just be completely out of the question if she is expensive to buy in the first place. He is keen for me to get a horse eventually even if it isn't Joy but working livery would seem to be the best option to suit our time, knowledge and budget constraints.

I need to get some more time on Joy (I hate that name) and have a word with my RI too to get a decent discussion about the horse and whu she thinks we are suited. I think I'll book an hours hack - I still haven't hacked in the last 10 years or so - and use it as an opportunity to talk to Louise and get her views on value and discover how Joy is in open countryside.

I am finding all this a bit daunting because I haven't a clue how much Joy is worth and the prices vary so much depending on breeding so I haven't got a clue. I wish there was a Parker's Guide for horses but I know it's nowhere near that easy

 

[Purple Hugs]

Be careful.. and make sure if you're keeping her on working livery to get a proper agreement in writing if need be on how long and what days she's used. She'll need 1 day off a week and not to be knackered when you want to ride her!

Also.. a vetting is worthwhile if you are spending a fair bit. Especially as she's a working horse.

Also take into account insurance, as it'll take the sting out of any bills. We have peanuts insured with petplan equine. They cover up to £5000 and with a £125 excess. Which means i don't have to fork out a certain % of a claim.

I'd recommend riding Joy on your own occasionally before buying her too.. as you need to be able to groom, tack up, ride etc on your own once you own her.. and horses behave very differently around experienced owners/riding instructors.

don't mean to sound down on it at all, i'd be over the moon! lol but just things i've noticed with horses i've helped with /
riden etc.

((Hugs))

 

[chicken on a mission]

Thank you so much for the tips purple hugs, I really appreciate any tips/thoughts you have as I have such a steep learning curve to get up.

I have been guilty in the past of making snap impulsive decisions that I have later come to regret and so I am not rushing into anything for fear of falling into the same trap.

I'm trying to be practmatic about what I can offer in terms of time, money and experience and it could be that it would be more prudent to wait a while.

I have a lot of information to glean about the practicalities of all this before I spend more time with Joy to see if she would be for me or not. I don't want to fall in love with her only to find out that this just isn't going to be for me as I don't want my heart to rule my head.

Hubby has just booked to take his motorcycle test in mid October and so I have abit of catching up to do spending wise Might be better to ride a couple of time a week though and spend it that way or just bank it for another oportunity. Time will tell

 

[chicken on a mission]

I called the riding school today to see if they knew how much Joy was being sold for because it would be pointless talking to the school if she was going to be out of our price range, but they didn’t know and so gave me the owner’s telephone number. I felt very nervous calling as I was worried about sounding like an idiot! When I got through a girl answered the phone and I explained why I was calling and she got her mum. The mum explained that they hadn’t actually decided to sell Joy but were thinking about doing so because she was her daughter’s and her school was quite some distance away and so the only time she had was weekends and what with friends and homework this didn’t leave much time for the horse.

She said that Joy would be put up for £1950 including all tack (less than a year old) and rugs if they went ahead and I think that is within our means although I would need lots of opinions to see if this is the right price. Joy turned 6 in July and had been professionally schooled for a year before coming to the stables. She had been previously stabled but hated it so was returned to being out on grass. She was bought by the grandfather for the daughter and he has since died which further makes the decision to sell even harder for the family – trust me to put my big foot in it by telling the daughter why I was calling! Joy has plenty of potential and likes to jump and so my initial thought of having to change to another horse once my riding had progressed has been quashed somewhat. I don’t know if she has a passport and forgot to ask but as they haven’t decided to sell as yet I didn’t feel going into too much detail was appropriate.

The plan was to leave it until the end of the month to see how much time the daughter actually got with Joy. I explained that I would want to keep Joy at the stables under working livery and so the daughter could still ride her and have contact on a Sunday if she wanted to which the mother thought was an interesting proposition.

The agreement they have with the stables is full working livery at £65 per month. Due to their circumstances Joy is rested on Mondays and is only available for use by them on Sundays, she can be used for up to 5 hours a day although isn't worked anywhere close to this. This agreement wouldn’t be acceptable to me. £40 per week upkeep for a horse I can only use once a week is simply not on, mind you I would be saving a tenner a week on my lesson but paying out another £12.50p to be schooled privately as I am now but on my own horse. I would want to have use of her at least 3 days a week off peak so that I can ride when my daughter is at school. This would leave one day during the week for rest and one day where she could be available to the school plus the peak time of weekends which I believe would more than make up for the additional off peak time I would require.

I have decided to try and get a hack booked in now I know how much they would be asking if they go ahead and put her up for sale. I’ll use the time to speak to my riding instructor to see how mych she thinks she is worth (nobody at the yard knows so that will be interesting) and also find the lady in charge of the working livery side of things as the office was very short on details.

The upshot of all this is that I can’t rush headlong into this even if I wanted to. I have time to spend at the stables to get to know Joy and the routines better and to see if this is going to be for me or if I am just being tempted by the second opportunity to arise. It costs £26 an hour for a private hack so I could have 1 hours hack and a ½ hour private lesson for approximately the same sort of cost as maintaining a horse for a week and maybe getting use of her 3 days a week and that’s not taking into consideration the cost of buying in the first place. I have some serious thinking and finding out to do.

Any thoughts and opinions on this would be welcome but I know I can’t afford the time to go to a yard twice a day everyday so DIY isn’t an option for me I’m afraid.

I’ll post more info as I get it.