Anything horse related

[boofaloo]

The yard with W sounds fantastic and it would be such a great set up to share with someone like this. i would love it!!

Took my camera up today to the stables so wil get piccies of Charlie loaded up and on the comp tomorrow. (too tired now!!)
Rode him today which was nice. He does have a few bad habits like not standing still to be mounted etc but they can be fixed easily enough.
I do think he will benefit from a more experienced rider schooling him as well as me. He is still a baby and is young in a lot of ways. Think he'll be a cracking horse in a couple of years though - I am hoping for lots of red rosettes!!!!!

 

[boofaloo]

Here are a few piccies of charlie just click on them to make them bigger.

Excuse the name plate on the door. I havent got around to changing that yet. It belongs to the horse that used to live in Charlies stable!!!

 

[HorseyCarrie]

He looks gorgeous, boofaloo. He looks very settled and has a nice eye. I am only having one of mine clipped this year as I show the other one and, being welsh section d, his coat is still really thick and the clip doesn't grow out til about June time which is well after showing season starts for me.

I thought it was time to introduce my two horses to you (I also have a fieldmate pony). I hope this works.

The bay is George and he is Welsh Section D, 13 years old. He is gorgeous, bombproof in every single way but goes through occasional bargy stages. He is 15.1hh and I have had him for 4 years on xmas day. He is now hog maned because he gets bad sweet itch and it really suits him and he does really well in the show ring with it hogged; the only problem being I can't show MM with no mane. The palomino is Sparkle (Priddy Fair) and she is 12 years old. She is 15hh and Welsh Section D and I have just had her 9 years. She is of a non-marish, very sweet, obedient temperament but has problems with eating too much! I love them both dearly. These pics aren't that good but I couldn't get my high quality ones to upload as they are too big.

 

[boofaloo]

Your horses are lovely!!! I am hoping to show Charlie next season in some kind of local class so i hope his clip grows out in time!!
I am very new to the whole showing thing as a competitor been to so many horse shows i have lost count but have never had anything to enter before!
I am hoping charlie will do a mountain and moorland class.
Have to work on him though and i may not make it for next season - there seems so much to do with him!!!!

 

[c2b]

Helen he is heavenly. I love the photo you have as your avatar.....he looks like he is saying.."that had better not be what I think it is..."
Carrie they are all lovely.
I can't get enough looking at peoples horsey photos

 

[chicken on a mission]

Ooo goodie, pics

They all look so gorgeous as does your yards.

Boofaloo, thanks for your lovely words. I didn't see them until after I had left this morning but it was nice to read them tonight. W's yard is great (I was up there again today) and if there was accessable land to ride out on then believe me I would not be in such a quandry. W would love someone to share the work with and an arrangement would be easy to come to but I don't just want to ride around lanes and an outdoor school so it isn't for me I'm afraid

I am reading like a goodun at the momeet and have enough books to sink a battleship I feel closer to the stables if I have a good equestrian book in my hand

Anyway, I am on another late night/early morning foray into the land of minimins because I just can't sleep again so I will revisted the thread to make some proper comments but for now I will just cut and past yet another long post from my diary and then try and get another couple of hours sleep.

 

[chicken on a mission]

To be honest this was the worst day of 2006 for me. I didn’t sleep very well last night because of my nervousness about meeting Joy’s owner and I ended up having a bath at 6.30am. I really wanted to have a good lesson in case the owner turned up early to watch. Not only that my friend, and my husband were watching and I wanted them to see Joy and I at our best. As it was the owner didn’t watch which is a good job because I had the worst ride ever. If I hadn’t have paid £22.50p for it I would have got straight back off because it did more harm than good for both Joy and I. Joy picked up on just how nervous and unsettled I was and took advantage by pulling all the tricks in the book and I just sat there like a novice and let her. I deliberately stopped several times as I was on the verge of just taking her back to the barn. My riding instructor and I had a few long chats but quite frankly I had no confidence and hated every moment of the lesson. All day I have been catastrophsising the situation. I’m useless, not good enough to ride, own a horse, be a mother, deserve such a wonderful family…

My husband bought me back down to earth with some sensible talking this evening. Days like this filled with self doubt and loathing used to be fairly common place which I dealt with by some mighty binging sessions. Days where I was depressed but not filled with self loathing were dealt with in the same way, at least I was consistent! I used to have at least a few self loathing days a month and 2-3 depressed days a weeks but thanks to the therapy I received on LL this is the first of either type in 5 months.

Normally I would have mainly anticipated Joy’s behaviour and if she had been on loan I wouldn’t have ridden today knowing that I was off form and but I can’t afford to be lax with her. I simply couldn’t concentrate because I had built up today's meeting with the owner to such an extent in my mind that I had unrealistic expectations of perfection (all or nothing crocked thinking) that I couldn’t ever hope to achieve so that the disappointment and self loathing just fuelled the fire and I could see no way out.

Looking back on the ride I can pick out what went wrong for me and how I can learn from it. On a young horse like Joy, you HAVE to be the adult in the partnership and anticipate the horses actions before she has a chance to carry them out so you can provide and clear and firm yet understanding instruction to prevent a situation from arising rather than have to deal with an action. I couldn’t even manage the most basic of riding skills today let alone be sensitive to Joy's needs.

The pressure I put on myself led me to make fundamental basic mistakes that I wouldn’t normally do because leg and reign aids come naturally to me without thinking just like driving. Even the basics like applying the inside leg on the girth I just got completely wrong and was applying behind the girth???

What started off as an 'off' day for me, ending up in me confusing the hell out of Joy and giving this rowdy teenager an excuse to play up and be a complete cow knowing that in my state there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it! This is the joys of riding a youngster as opposed to a school master I suppose. Lesson learnt!!! Calm, relaxed and steady does it or not at all.

I am going to call the stables tomorrow and arrange another hack ASAP to overlay a positive experience over the ride I had this morning because I am so disappointed with myself. Even think about riding at the moment just has me shaking my head at the memories of today. I expect my next ride to be a challenge because the little monster got away with her tricks with me once and will be more than ready to lay them on again to exploit any weaknesses but I'm ready for her and lookingward to it.

A strong positive ride will be required to firmly establish in her mind that I am in charge and I will not tolerate any of her surliness. If I were listening to this tale from somebody else I would be advising them to stay in the school for safety’s sake but my experience is riding in the great outdoors and I feel at home there a hack will ensure that I am more relaxed which is exactly what Joy needs, plus I won't be on my own. I feel like a fish out of water in the school, I still can’t remember where ‘K’ is and I spend more time wondering about where the hell I am supposed to be ridding towards than actually doing so! My RI is compensating for this by trying to instruct me without using the letter references but it isn't always easy for her

Anyway, Joy’s owner turned up late thank god! He didn’t have a clue about horses. We talked for a bit while he stood in the middle of a muddy yard in his suit and what were shiny leather shoes and what he had to say both surprised and reassured me about taking Joy on loan for 6 months.

I have decided that I won’t buy her even after that time and if I weren’t still planning to have weekly lessons on other horses, I wouldn’t be doing that. Besides, I can't buy her now even if I wanted to because hubby has found a motorbike so we don't have any money left after buying that

Having Joy will give me more time in the saddle, force me to be sensitive to my mount and provide a small taster of the responsibilities of ownership in the most cost and time effective way. This sounds hard headed I know but I do hate these people on the animal programmes where owners cling onto their animals because they want and love them when they clearly haven’t got the time or a clue and the animal ends up suffering as a consequence.

Getting a taster in this way will prove things one way or the other. There are better horses out there for my ownership needs and getting a loan for at least 6 months gives me a change to assess what I can commit to time wise to see if ownership is going to practical for me and if so, get the money together to buy outright or decide whether a share would be more practical and start looking. I just hope I don’t reach the stage where I can’t bear to be parted from her. This is never a good thing to do when you only have your horse on lean as you stand to get your heart broken.

According to the lates information, Joy was bought as a 4 year old 18 months ago for their 13 year old daughter (WTF???!!! ) having just been professionally broken in and schooled. According to staff, the daughter when she has ridden has just raced Joy around the farm and Joy is only used in schooling and jumping lessons, not hacks. This explains a lot about her behaviour which has actually made me feel better about taking her on loan because there is at least an explanation for it. She should start to settle down once she gets a lot of love and a mature rider taking her out for a decent length sensible hack 3-4 times a week. She is going to have to improve a heck of a lot in 6 months to make first horse material and I don’t think 6 months will make enough of a difference for me to consider her a ownership prospect ( I maybe wrong), in the meantime a working livery loan is perfect for me with my commitments to provide more saddle time 4-5 days a week as well as saving a bored angry teenager from a purely riding school life.

The owner is going away for a while and warned me that I won’t hear from them for 10 days because of this and not because they have changed their minds so not to get concerned.

He is going to go back through his bills for the year to work out a monthly figure, discuss rearranging the exclusive time that the daughter has over one evening a week and all of Sunday to 4 hours 4 days a week and sort out a formal written agreement.

Joy’s owner has said that if Joy needs more professional schooling then he will arrange this out of his own pocket. He has said that if his daughter does decide she wants to ride then she will buy back into the riding school system and pay for a lesson at full price as a normal client from the school and ride Joy or any of the other horses. I get the impression that as well as the pressures of school, the daughter has lost interest in a green horse that I am amazed was bought for her in the first place! I won’t be making the same mistake. Unless Joy has improved out of all recognition, I’ll be looking for a schoolmaster when the time comes for me to buy which is at least 6 months off.

 

[chicken on a mission]

OMG that post was soooo long Sorry

 

[boofaloo]

ooooh. Interesting post. Sounds like you have it all sorted and I am very pleased for you.

I am struggling with my confidence today. Was supposed to be going on a hack with Charlie but dont think I could handle it today. My mind isnt in the right place and i am having self doubt issues!!
HUbby wants me to spend the day with him so I have changed my plans to go riding tomorrow instead. Must get some bach rescue remedy before then!!!!

 

[chicken on a mission]

Hi boofaloo,

I think you are doing the right thing if your head is all over the place and you can't relax. Trouble is, will you ever be entirely ready?

If tomorrow is a coping day then go for it, going out on a hack maybe just the thing you need to bring your confidence back up Try not to put too much pressure on yourself like I did and your instincts should soon kick in and you'll be fine. I only times I have ever had problems they have been created by my mind.

I hope you get a chance to post how well things went for you, i'll be sure to check

I have booked a hack for Wednesday morning on Joy but with a different riding instructor. A change of instructor as well as different horses for my lessons once (fingers crossed) the loan goes through) might be just the ticket so if I can specify times when mine is busy I have an excuse and won't hurt her feelings.

I don't think anything could have shaken me out of my mood yesterday but she didn't even try very hard to rid me of my crisis of confidence. Not only that but having done a post mortem in my head of yesterday's lesson, I was never advised to do what I actually should have done in hindsight and I find that a bit worrying

I should have done what I have done in previous lessons which is a continual play on the reigns to bring her head back onto the bit as well as using half halts to bring her back legs further under her and riding in a positive manner. I got the advice to be more forceful but none of the rest of it. Maybe she didn't think I'd listen anyway but surely she should have tried?

Once I know one way or the other regarding Joy I'll post some pics for you.

 

[HorseyCarrie]

I don't really know what to say, Chicken, but you seem to have good ways of working ways round things and finding what is best for you, which is the main thing in this game. As horsey people you will find we all have different opinions and different approaches to things. My horses, in my opinion, are the best looked after on the yard! Of course, that is untrue in reality as they are all treated A class, but my way is the way I consider best and the way that works for me and my horses and what makes my horses love me! It's how I've got on over the 23 years since I first sat on a horse as a baby and the way I was taught by my dad, a groom, and my farming grandparents who kept working horses. I was taught 'the other way' and have had to 'unlearn' the old way and move forward with some of the new things. But I still get results. My bay, George, still gets placed in top two 9 times out of ten, in shows! I am a proud mummy indeed, despite his faults.

Exciting news today: 1) my yard owner, a stingy farmer, has finally decided to put up new fencing in the outdoor school, the only school! He is also putting kickboard all the way round and filling the 20x10 space with a fresh 20 tonnes of sand! This means I can attach my dressage markers to the kickboards and bring up the jumps from one of the other owner's field. She takes them to her field and hoards them but I need poles to work George while the x-country area is no-go because of ground conditions at the moment. So I am really happy on that front. There was no fence down one side of the school and the gate was really old, rusty and heavy - no fun, especially when your horse backs up into it during a hissy fit! 2) I purchased my giant french lop rabbit today and collect next week. Yay!

 

[chicken on a mission]

I think you have hit the nail on the head horseycarrie, I would like to find my way of doing things but with the backup of a knowledgable team behind me. They are so friendly and down to earth. I know that I'll be down the stables doing most of the work and enjoying it too but it is good to know that I have people to help every step of the way

I am daring to hope that this might all work out but if it doesn't there are other options so that won't be the end of it. There'll be other horses to try but perversely I don't think I would be happy with any horse of mine on working livery. The wait is killing me though. I just want to get the agreement in place and signed so that I can make a start. My daughter goes full time after the half term and I will be volunteering down the stables to get some practice in. It will be good just to be there soaking up the atmoshere even if I can't ride. Plus my friend still could do with a hand. She rode for the first time in agaes on Friday whilst I was there but needs someone to do the girths for her. She has been so supportive that anything I can do to help her would be a pleasure

It sounds like your yard is going to be made so much better over the coming months and no doubt you'll be making the most of it

The cross country course at my stables is out of bounds too and the way the weather is looking is maybe underwater before the week is out so swimming lessons might be required

I love rabbits but never had a purebreed. We never went back to keeping rabbits after a fox took our last one but managed to find a great chicken coup so the fox problem didn't deter us. They now do a rabbit verion too but I think that we have enough animals for the moment.

I know this is a horsey thread but I'd love to see some pics of your new fluffy friend if you could?

 

[boofaloo]

That sounds good horseycarrie. I know i'd be stuck without an arena - especially in winter!

Chicken - I can understand you wanting to get the agreement signed. i'd be getting so impatient!!!!

Well i hacked Charlie out yesterday!! Went out with some friends of mine and had a good time.
Charlie isnt shod though and still has wolf teeth so he struggled a bit and was uncomfortable. I was worried about him and was out longer than I had wanted but it has built my confidence with him which is the best thing.

Hubby and I are talking about looking for our next house with some land. It wont be for a few years yet but it is a nice thought - i'd love to have Charlie in my back garden.

Am a bit disappointed with the hacking at the yard, there is a lot of roadwork and I am not a fan of road riding at all!
Am going to have a look on the internet to see if i can look for any other bridleways near the yard.
Regardless of that thought the yard is brilliant. It has good turnout, excellent facilities and is relaxed and friendly. It is going to be a good place to be until I have my own land.

 

[chicken on a mission]

I'm glad you had a good time boofaloo. I know what you mean about roadwork, that's why I am not keen to go to W's yard otherwise I would probably be down there like a shot knowing that I had somebody reliable to share the work with

With 100 acres of farmland to hack around and an indoor and outdoor school I will be spoilt for facilities at the stables. If I have to buy (won't be Joy) then we'll buy but I'd rather wait until we have the money in the bank first rather than take out a loan. I suppose I could always book for 2 1/2 hour private lessons on the basis that this is what I would be prepared to spend each week for Joy on loan and it's better than nothing. I can also ask to ride W's ponies but I don't want to stretch or risk the friendship.

What's going to happen about Charlies wolf teeth? Is he doing to need some dental work doing if they are affecting his ability to work on the bit? Would you have to pay for that?

 

[boofaloo]

I am having his wolf teeth out next week. I am sharing the call out charge with a friend but yes will have to pay for them taking out. Some horses cope fine with them but some dont - trust me to get one who doesnt!!

 

[chicken on a mission]

Today was riding day and it was everything I hoped for as it has served to overlay a positive experience over the disaster of Friday.

I had a private hack and was just my riding instructor (not my usual one and I prefer this one) and I. I led and Joy tried it on from the start which is as I expected. She tried nipping my bum as I tightened her girth and got a sound telling off for her efforts to let her know who was boss. I didn’t let her get away with anything today and was in control every step of the way.

She did her head nodding trick again today which I was able to counter to a certain extent by allowing my fingers to gently vibrate the reigns to bring her back to concentrating on me, I am now certain this behaviour is only due to excitement. I have been told that Joy’s 14 year old owner was only bombing her about the farm and Joy now expects to do the same on the few occasions she goes out.

I don’t think a martingale is needed at this stage, I think she may well grow out of it given ridden time outside of the ménage by a calm mature rider. I can have a positive ride without bombing her everywhere. If she shows signs of expecting to canter in any given place I deliberately will not do so. I want to break the habit of expectation and shape Joy into a horse that expects to be ridden with decorum and where she expects to take orders. If this doesn’t work then a martingale might be something consider down the line but not until I have had a chance to address the cause rather than the symptoms. She only did the head nodding approaching the start of long straight sections where you can canter and when I had to keep slowing her down for my riding instructor to catch up on the walking stretches. My RI was riding Malcolm, the big 17h 2 lazy git that I first rode when I started down there. Even she couldn’t get Malcolm to increase his walking pace so that make me feel a lot better about my inadequacy to do this when I rode him all those weeks ago.

I am feeling fully confident again because today’s riding conditions were not good, it was a quagmire in places and very gusty. Joy tripped up at one stage and nearly went down on her nose. I adjusted instictively and didn't jab at her mouth, it is only thinking about it now that I realise that my balance must be good because I could so easily have come off but I didn’t think twice about it until now.

I am back to my old self again. I think that I can do a lot for Joy and that she can do a lot for me. I really hope this loan comes off for both our sakes. Fingers crossed

 

[boofaloo]

That sounds really good Chicken - It's nice when we have positive days!!!

Went to see Charlie tonight - it was blowing a gale and thrashing with rain as i brought him in from the field. I am so glad I have him but sometimes I think I must be mad - there is no other reason I would have been out in that weather!!!

Hoping to do some groundwork with him tomorrow and then ride him on Friday. He is starting to nap and evade my aids now - he is obviously getting used to me. Dont think he's figured out yet that i am far more stubborn than him though
Having cobs before i know the way to deal with it is patience! Yesterday in the school he kept planting his feet when I aksed for trot - he was tired and thought if he stopped i'd get off. Unfortunately for him every time he did I turned him in a circle - thus giving him far much more work to do. he learnt quickly that if he did what i asked he got to stop sooner

 

[chicken on a mission]

Helen you sound like you are having a cracking time with Charlie.

That's the great thing about keeping animals, you HAVE to be out making an effort which is so beneficial to us too

My lovely hubby got a massive pay rise and has increased the house keeping which includes my spending money by £150 a month so I can get loads more riding in until an agreement has been reached about Joy

 

[boofaloo]

I need a bit of a moan.

Charlie has been a real pain today. He was very naughty in the school when i rode him and is truly taking the mickey out of me.
He has 2 issues which have made me go easy on him. 1: his teeth and 2: his saddle and back.
I am getting both sorted soon but dont want to tell him off in case he's in pain.
Isuppose what i'm worried about is that he'll still be naughty when his teeth and saddle have been sorted. At the moment he is not enjoying being ridden at all but is lovely to lunge, which makes me think he is uncomfortable.
Even though i know all this it has still made me feel crap today.
Grrrrrr. Ok i feel better now. I just have to be patient and wait until his teeth and sadlle are done then see what happens.

 

[c2b]

awwww poor Charlie. It can't be nice being ridden if you are not feeling too good. I have two saddles a tree'd that came with Zoe and a treeless. I like them both for differing reasons. If I could find a tree'd that fitted perfectly throughout all the body shape changes that the seasons bring then that would be great. Until that time I am happy with the treeless.
Today was a perfect example of what I get from my girl. I felt like cr*p this morning. I got up to discover my bike had been stolen during the night. I had a headache and felt sick and just thoroughly rough. I didn't want to go out at all never mind go ride but of course I had to go see to my girlie. I got there she was as far as possible from the gate . Brought her in tacked her up and within minutes of being on her my headache had gone, my mood had lifted and I had a wonderful hack out along the river. Better than any anti depressant tablet . I love my 'oss.