Thursday 28 November 2013

Can this year be over yet please?
It's been a hell of a year with some good moments but rather a lot of totally crap moments. In particular this year has been full of injuries and time off for both Rory and myself so to end the year properly I have managed to fall off the poor boy jumping and stuffed my knee. Am still waiting for swelling to go down for hospital to reassess the damage but seeing as I'm not even able to walk riding is seriously on the backburner for the rest of the year.
No pics as I can't crutch round the yard due to mud so haven't seen a pony since sat when I came off.

Monday 18 November 2013

Bit of a quiet week this week with the Dales. Rory got hacked out on Thursday (3mile mainly roadwork route in collected trot) then ridden in the school by A on Sat and I schooled on Sunday. I had a bit of a play with a jointed pelham as I'd like to show him in it next year and he went really nicely in it tbh. A few tense and choppy moments in trot after we canters but that is just Rory. So I focused on pushing him forwards and low until he got out of it.
Pait has had a life of riley this week work wise as I just ran out of daylight with work and I hate to say this but workwise Rory is the priority due to stiffening. I did manage a schooling session on Sun in which I think I did most of the work but Pait did canter (yes 1 stride counts) a few times on both reins. Aims for next week are to get out hacking again with her and I've a lesson with Laura on Friday.
Rory and Duke have now got ad-lib hay in their paddock and Duke looks like he's due with twins anyday! Rory weigh-taped at 380 at the beginning of the month the best he's been for a while and going into winter I'm pleased but have to keep check he doesn't drop off when the weather does. He does have a brand new h/w epic rug to switch into though. #spoiltponyalert

Tuesday 12 November 2013

He's back baby!

On Friday we set off with a few people from out yard to Tracey Newman's yard in Bury. Mum and I took Daisy wagon with Em's (sister) 2 mares on board, Bex is back from mummy duty and Talya. Rory was dumped on a friend's wagon as Bex takes up more than 1 horse space. He really was as good as gold now he's finally got the hang of loading onto a 3.5t box (he no longer gets to the top of the ramp and goes where the heck do I go now?)
Tracey had very kindly agreed that Rory could use one of their paddocks as I avoid stabling all together now. Typical Dales put his head down and constantly scoffed the entire time we were there much to everybody's amusement.
Saturday morning I had the second lesson and as it had absolutely poured it down in the night we used the indoor school. Tracey got us doing lots of pole and turns over poles exercises. We did trot poles (distance just over 4) then she lengthened the last two to get him reaching out and using his shoulders more (distance 5.5). Next was raising the poles and getting him to use his backend properly. Once we finally mastered this she turned it into a canter pole exercise. I have honestly never done raised canter poles and the way Rory took them it felt more like a line of bounce fences! :-p
Exercise to finish was over an angled pole on the 3/4 line hit the track and change the bend to go over another angled pole then turn and down the raised poles and when we finally got the turns right she turned the angled poles into small uprights.
Rory was drenched by the time we finished and he had just been reclipped! But he was absolutely buzzing and so happy to be doing his main love again. I had to laugh as doing the poles if he messed up and hit any he immediately shook his head annoyed at himself after we'd got over them. Bless him he hates to touch a pole.
Sunday morning was a slightly later start to the lessons and I was up third this time. The outdoor had very quickly recovered even though we'd had more rain on the sat. We started off with canter poles and built from that until we were basically doing a short bendy course with canter poles (last pole being a jump). Rory was on fire and jumping out of his skin. I finally seem to be getting my pony back 100% (touches wood and crosses fingers frantically).




(yes I knew my postition is crap. I need to work on it, but the ponio was trying to jump me off lol)



Whizzy pone coming to the straightness poles.