Anything horse related

[chicken on a mission]

I just gave Joy's owners a ring and we were on the phone literally 30 secs or so because I caught them at a bad time.

He said that he just has to gather a few bits together and talk to the stables tomorrow and he'll call me a lunch time. I'm just wondering what tomorrow will bring

 

[boofaloo]

OOOOOOH am crossing everything for you Chicken. Let us know ASAP!!!!

Had a fab horsey day today. Rode in the beautiful sunshine. Charlie was a good boy and is getting more and more relaxed. Doing groundwork as well as ridden work really is the key. He is just a young horse who needs lotsof praise and encouragement.
My friend who is a much better rider than me got on after i had walked and trotted him. She had him going really nicely and he was soft and responsive.
Now i know he is not hurting in his mouth i was able to be a bit firmer when he pulled his head. He did it maybe 4 or 5 times during the whole 30 minutes which is a huge improvement!
I definately need to have some lessons, not sure whther to have them on charlie or on a school horse. What do you think?

 

[chicken on a mission]

Why not get the first one on Charlie and then see what your instructor recommends after that? I'm having a lesson on another horse and I think it helps to ride others but it depends on what your aim is.



It is such a beautiful day today and I can't wait until next Tuesday.

I have a riding lesson booked for 11am and not only that it will be my first day as the new mummy of Joy

I'm only paying a fixed amount per month with all bills and responsabilities remaining in the remit of the owner. I just go and ride and groom and bond with my girl

I'll get some shots of her next week although she hasn't been clipped yet and looks like a bit of a teddy bear. They are getting a new winter rug for her and will get something sorted out within the next week I don't mind her not being clipped but I suspect that it would be preferable to the school to have her done because of the cooling down period.

I found out a bit more about her today. She is good in traffic and at being boxed as the daughter used to compete in jumping classes (he couldn't tell me exactly what classes) so she was transported to various shows. This just confirms my impression from Wednesday that she can jump. Martin said that she was going over 4ft jumps with no problem but I'll have to see for myself.

They are happy for me to take her off the farm in the trailor and hack elsewhere if I want to because they feel Joy wuold benefit from this. She has had her teeth checked and she doesn't have wolf teeth either

Joy has a complete day of rest on Monday's and I will have use of her mornings Tuesday-Friday. There are 2 outdoor schools, an indoor school, 100 acres and a X country course to make use of whenever they are available

I will continue to have lessons in the meantime to bring me up to a much higher standard because I would love to have a go at the X country course next year but am nowhere close to being at that stage yet.

I just hope the weather stays this good for next week because I'm so excited

 

[c2b]

Chicken.....fantastic news. 4 days a week is a lovely amount. Sounds like you have it sorted. Can't wait for the photos...


Laura XX

 

[chicken on a mission]

Thanks Laura

I credit this to you guys on this thread for giving me the get up and go and the impetus to make things happen so thank you everybody

I have a lot of work to do starting next week to get Joy back up to standard as best I can. If I can't do very much then I will be on the phone to the owners to see about that professional schooling they promised.

I am so excited. especially considering that this all comes at 1/2 the price I was willing to pay I just hope things run smoothly now.

I am going out on Monday to buy a grooming kit and I will pop down the stables to see the new addition to our clan. I have my lesson at 11am on Tiesday but should be able to fit in a short hack on Joy beforehand. I am worried about finding my way in term of yard etiquette. I need to find out who to ask when the indoor and outdoor schools are free, where to hose Joy's legs down, where the water buckets are etc etc.

I don't want to annoy anyone by getting things wrong because I know us Brits are terrible at picking people up when things are a minor nusense so that it can get out of hand without you knowing there is even a problem I have made friends with the staff already because I know they are the ones that can actually make or break this.

Roll on Monday

 

[boofaloo]

YAY!!! So excited for you!!!

Find someone at the yard who has been there a while and ask them to show you the ropes. Also watch the others do thingsnwhile you're there - you'll soon get to know where things are and what to do!

It sounds like such a lovely arrangement. i cant wait to see photos now.
I am very jealous of the off road hacking - I would love that!!!!

Get yourself down to your local tack shop and treat yourself and joy to a few things!!

 

[chicken on a mission]

YAY!!! So excited for you!!!

Get yourself down to your local tack shop and treat yourself and joy to a few things!!

I'd like to be able to say that the £100 I spent today can be blamed on you but I have only just read your post

I have a load of new books, chaps and a grooming kit. I'm going down the stables on Monday to spend a bit of quiet time down there with my girl as the riding centre is closed on Mondays and the horses all have a compulsory day of rest. The staff might be a bit less pushed for time to show me where and how things work and I think I'll stick her numnah and noseband (I hate the noseband but mine is not to reason why) through the wash ready for Tuesday morning.

The weather is set to be cold but dry for the next 5 days. I'm going to go to the stables straight from dropping my daughter at school and get 1 hours in on Joy before my lesson at 11am. I am glad I specified not Joy for my lesson

I want to start moving towards the jumping lessons in the hope that I'll be ready for x country in new season.

 

[c2b]

Afternoon out in the woods with the family

Today OH, daughter, son in law on his new bike and their dog Sasha came with me when I rode Zoe out in the woods.


Setting off down the lane.

Hmmmmm whose bum is the biggest?

Stop for a photo session with OH. He rarely gets in the piccies he is usually the one weilding the camera.

Back home and off to find some food.

Laura XX

 

[chicken on a mission]

Gosh you have some lovely riding country Laura and the conditions looked great for your ride.

I'm so glad you put the pics up

 

[c2b]

It's fantastic hacking country. A happy hackers dream. I can ride out for over 3 hours and not go on the road ... or the same bit of track!!! No prizes for guessing what tipped the scales and made me move to this yard!!
Have to beware of the ducks though along the river. They lie in wait to ambush unsuspecting horse riders

 

[chicken on a mission]

It was my first morning with Joy today and the yard is 12 miles from my home. I didn’t ride today because Monday is her day to rest. I went out to the field and eventually found her. The field was massive and in separate 2 halves and there were at least 20 horses in there but worse than that it was very foggy so I had to keep walking round the perimeter until she came into view!

She was quite happy for me to approach her and give her a little tickle but wouldn’t pose for photos as she was too busy grazing! I'll post a pic tomorrow. I wanted to get to know where things were in the yard and the protocol for sharing the facilities in the hope that I don’t inadvertently pee anyone off without realising it. I am more nervous about fitting into yard life and making sure I don’t annoy anyone than I am about any other aspect of having Joy. It’s my age old demon, lack of self confidence which has been rearing its’ ugly head again.

I decided to go and buy a rubber bucket of my own for picking her feet out into because they are like gold dust at the yard and I have been advised to keep hold of all my gear rather than leaving anything down the stables because things have a tendency to get lost when they have been ‘borrowed’.

Donna is going to bring Joy in tomorrow morning ready for me because I want to try and get an unhurried hack in before my lesson at 11am which means missing my LL meeting but I can’t wait another day. After that I will be bringing her in and getting her ready because I am going to need the hands on time with Joy in order to bond and not only that I’ll enjoy the whole experience.

I took the opportunity to have a bit of a walk round the farm to check out the hacking. There is a gorgeous river that has burst its banks that bordered the bottom end of the boundary (I'll pop a photo on), to one side there is a golf course and some woods and I’m not sure what borders the other side because I wasn’t going to walk that far. The cross country course is off limits for a while to protect the ground. 1 of the outside schools is specifically for the use of the livery clients which I didn’t realise so that’s good when the ground is just too boggy.

Joy’s teenage owner called me tonight, we are meeting up at the stables on Monday so she can show me all the gear she has for Joy including the grooming kit wich is a bummer because I have already bought it all. We spent ¾ of an hour chatting on the phone and she was very nice and resolved to the fact that they would eventually be selling Joy. I am feeling a lot more confident after today and am calmer about tomorrow.

 

[chicken on a mission]

I promise my posts won't be as long and detailed after this one today for because I finally got to ride Joy and she is mine so to speak

I have got what I wanted and now will start to settle into it.

 

[chicken on a mission]

Today I missed my LL meeting in order to get down the stables early enough for a ride on Joy before my riding lesson. As it was it didn’t work out like that. Thank goodness the weather was so glorious for my first day Joy was still out in the field so I had to go and bring her in which sounds easy but I had to work out where the head collars and lead reins were then ask where to tie her up.

Even the thought of simple things like putting a head collar on her again for the first time was daunting. I found and caught her easily enough but was all fingers and thumbs when it came to getting the HC on her! I got her back and spent a while grooming and bonding with her. I didn’t want to over-groom given that she doesn’t wear a rug and lives out but I wanted to spend a bit of time with her. I could have got her ready quickly and gone on a hack before my lesson but I didn’t want to rush. I wanted my first ride out on her to be relaxed and unhurried not just for the sake of my nerves but for her benefit too. She needs somebody calm and in control. I got there at 9.30am and had her finished and tacked up by about 10.50am, a lot of that time was chatting and tickles and she was more loving and warm towards me as a result. She doesn’t like having her lower belly touched so I’ll have to work on that with her. I then had my ½ hour lesson and went straight out on Joy on a hack after my lesson. We were out for about 1 ½ hours and she tried it on from the start when she tried to refuse going past the first field with a mare and 4 week old foal in. I soon sorted that out. She had a few spooks at various birds, rabbits and golfers and on a couple of occasions she was just plain naughty, usually when we were close to electric fences which could have been fun!

I talked to her most of the time and her ears were pricked and she certainly enjoyed herself. I only cantered her once because I want her to get used to the idea of being ridden by someone calm and mature. I will canter her more when she knows without doubt who’s boss. Funilly enough for all her youthful enthusiasm I am not worried about being carted. I did a lot of stopping and starting so that she could realise that I wasn’t impressed by the hurried paces and I wanted controlled paces. I also turned her towards home and if she became excitable then I rode back away from home a few times. She didn’t do the head bobbing thing very much today but when she did I just stopped her and then continued when she was calm again.

I am happy with my new instructor, she is more upbeat and makes me work harder on the technical stuff and explains why she wants me to do things. I rode Demi today and found that although she has a more comfortable trot my position isn’t as good on her and I don't feel as relaxed. This is mainly down to me obviously but one thing I noticed when I got her settled back in again is that the stirrup leathers on her saddle seem further forward than on Joy's and that can’t of helped with my 'chair seat'. Charlie (my riding instructor) picked up very quickly that I favour riding on the right rein so she asked me to canter without stirrups on the left reign and I nearly fell off! I have to work on balancing myself so that I can balance my horse. I did a lot of work standing in stirrups again today. It was a great lesson which I really enjoyed so I am going to book with Charlie again because the fresh perspective has helped I think. I'll have to wait until hubby has been paid again though because we have no money until then

I asked a lot of daft questions whenever anyone passed me but tomorrow I should be able to get straight on with things and keep myself to myself. My tme with Joy is a chance for me to relax and enjoy life without having a role to fulfill. I don't want to be a part of any 'set' I just want to be by myself to be with my horse so the sooner I can confidently feel self suficient the better

 

[chicken on a mission]

These photos were taken by her owner during the summer

 

[chicken on a mission]

 

[c2b]

She is such a pretty girl. I hope you have lots and lots of fun with her.
I rode out this morning in the rain. It was lovely and best of all because it was raining I didn't meet any dog walkers. I have a thing about dog walkers with loose dogs lol. There is someone we often meet with a little jack russell who chases Zoe and tries to nip her ankles. She of course responds by taking off . I keep trying to tell this dense owner that if she kicks this little horror she will no doubt kill it!! Generally she isn't bothered by dogs but I am lol.

 

[chicken on a mission]

Gosh you are calm about the Jack Russel Laura. I wouldn't be as good as you are about it

I had a much better day round the yard yesterday. I got on with sorting Joy out and only had to ask about where the saddle soup was because I wanted to take the tack apart and give it a thorough cleaning on the first day it rained heavily.

I got Joy ready fairly quickly and with little fuss and we were bother eager to get out and enjoy the sunshine. It was a good ride until a bird flew out of a hedgerow right in front of her nose as we were cantering, she spooked, the reins broke and I fell off

I have bruised my left shoulder but at least I got a lovely view of her belly as she darted by

I just wished I done the tack clean/inspection when I'd thought of it rather than waiting for the weather to change

From there I went down to my friends yard and helped to clip one of her ponies. Unfortunately the clippers didn't hold out and the blades are going to have to be resharpened and I'll go down again.

Oh well, can't be helped. I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I can ride Joy again. I just hope the weather holds out

 

[chicken on a mission]

This was Joy on Monday

 

[boofaloo]

I LOVE JOY!!!! She looks gorgeous!!!!

How are things going chicken?

c2b - i'm finding dogs arent so much a problem as the owners. Why cant they show some courtesy and put them on a lead if they know they dont like horses, thats what i dont understand?
We met a dog walker in the woods the other day who's dog was wildly barking at the horses she was like 'dont worry it's all noise' as the off lead dog ran behind the horses barking and barking. My friend said. 'we're not worried but you might be if our horses decide to kick out because they've had enough of your ****** dog'
She was less than impressed and told us we should have more control of our horses. hmmmm same could be said about her dog though couldnt it?

 

[c2b]

The (1983 I think) dangerous dogs act states that dogs must be under proper control at all times when in public areas. Unless you can control your dog when off the lead it's not under proper control.
I regularly meet a tiny woman with two huge german shepherds. One word from her and they move to the side and sit until we have gone past. Never a lead in sight. The only thing that moves is their heads as they watch us go by. It's heavenly to watch her work her dogs.

How's it going with Joy?