Nowt really interesting to blog at the mo. Can't wait until we have lighter nights or proper arena lights (sadly I know which one of those options will happen first) Rory hasnt been ridden too much and its showing in hes dropped quite a bit of topline and hes looking rather lean but as he's adlib hay and a warm rug and as much fattening hard food as he will eat as a feed there really isnt a lot more that I can do. Whoever said Dales were a good doing hardy breed obviously forgot to tell Rory.
Got a bit of time off between xmas an new year so will try to up his work. Trouble with that is though getting him to eat more food as hes not greedy and gets full easily.
Pait is doing well with Em riding her shes had a couple of lesson with moody mare hat on but really worked well today. The show trot is beginning to emerge and I cant wait to see her fully fit and in the ring. Her nickname is either going to be tank or bull as she's certainly not small and looks set to fill out even more!
Speaking of bull like at 3.5 Duke is looking rather huge 0.0 he's going to be another well built chunk but will be a good 14.2 like pait if not slightly over. Poor Rory really is starting to look weedlike in comparison.

A very motivated day today. I actually rode both ponies. Poor Rory hasn't been ridden in well over a week which is never good so put his fluorescents on and we went out for a hack. Opted to do a mainly roadwork route as the ground is so slippery at the moment and I didn't fancy a ride with Rory losing the plot as I was making him go slow on the canter tracks. Our ride was mostly without incident barring one moment that a st Bernard appeared on top of a low wall at the side of the road. Cue Rory jumping straight off the nearly 3 vertical bank onto the planted farmers field! Managed to pull up and spin him back round only to realise that I now have to jump back up the bank onto the road! Hmm not a prob says Rory and thankfully the last bit of the hack was uneventful.
Got on Pait for the first time in ages seeing as Em is riding her and went out for a quick hack. It's honestly like sitting on a tank compared to Rory. I also discovered the garden with the full sized plastic gorilla now has a giraffe looking out onto the road over the hedge and yes it is taller than me on a 14.2 dales.

Well either Rory is working up to a huge norty ride or someone has swopped my little nutjob. Lesson with L today and first thing is Rory is still only shod on 3 legs I have been waiting for his to pronounce his unshod hoof falling off but it didn't happen. Next thing was YM's 2 horses were turned out in the field at the side of the school and the second I started riding round both took off hell for leather and one promtly jumped into the field and commenced flybys. Given that Rory has the attention span of a gnat on a good day I was quite prepared to write the session off so when he did half an hour of bending correctly, engaging his hocks and giving the most brill upwards transitions he's probably ever done you could have knocked me over with a feather!
Afternoon farrier turned up so he now has 4 shoes again!

Think Rory may want to disown me after this winter with all the dressage we're doing. Sunday was back to syndale to do intro b and prelim 1. The warm up was a complete bog so they were letting people do a quick warm up in the indoor before starting the test. Both tests he scored well but was still quite tense for and that really shows in his downwards transitions and canter work but he didn't break the canter this time so just need to work on collecting and slowing the rhythm down a bit now. Em rode Pait in both intros and they are both improving verytime together although pait did sneak in a quick stop and shake in the free walk in intro a (sniggers). She has brief moments where it all comes together and those moments are just wow- blow you away stunning.
Rory also did his tests with only 3 shoes on as I got there and realised under all the caked on mud (he lives out 24/7 hes not going to be clean in winter) he'd lost a shoe. The loving mother I am decided it was on a surface and no jumping so he could suck it up and just do his tests lol.

I never thought I'd say this but I do enjoy schooling and lessons at times! Rory as quirky and daft as he can be is just such a trier and now all the physical issues are sorted (fingers crossed and touching wood) his schooling work is steadily coming on. Today we were doing spirals and leg yeild into canter and in the canter really asking him to use his back end and lift the front and he tries and tries his little heart out. My instructor L has known him for a few years now and has seen him through all the uneven and hindend issues and he suprises her every week and how changed he is.
Dressage again on sun looking forward to it. Doing intro b and prelim 1 this time.
Proving he is still Rory though he decided to tram Pait round the field and not let me near her when I went to bring her in for the night!
Pait is currently in the naughty books and sharing a field with him and Duke as she has been letting herself and others into Rory's field to get to their hay bale. Little madame has discovered that if you pull the plastic posts out with your teeth from the very top you don't get zapped! So she is just being turned out with the boys every morning. but I do think she's starting to regret it as Rory is horrid at times.

Dressage take 2

Took Pait and Rory over to Ledston today to do more stressage. It's so weird being back there and riding down Red ash seems like only yesterday we were liveries there with Dusty and Mickey. Miss them both so much.
Pait was doing intro a and rory intro a and prelim 12. Em warmed pait up and took her into the arena she had a good look at everything but tried her heart out and was a lot more forwards and less green than at snydale.
Rory was tense even with having a good walk round as the judges were sat in a car and that should not be in his arena thank you very much. Test went well and took him back to wagon to chill for a bit whilst waiting for his next test. We were first to go in the next class and there was a break before us so I snuck into the arena to do a lot of wondering round trying to settle him down. Tst felt like the best prelim hes one so far we did have tension but his canter work was nice and I was able to keep him in front of my leg so we didnt break.

Another belated post :-p. To be fair to me though I've been ill with a lurgy since a week last weds. Sunday I started off the winter dressage season. Em rode Pait as she will be showing her next year and did 2 good albiet babyish intro tests but shes only had a couple of ridden trips out anddone dressage once before so I was pleased with especiially as the warm up was boggy in places and only hedge was between it and a field of randy cows!
Rory did intro b and a prelim test both were very tense ad I didn't get chance to show him the arena at all which he really needs. Prelim a bit diabolical to tell the truth as the venue was running 20mins late but had a scheduled half hour break between intro and prelim. Kept asking if the break would still go ahead and got no answer so hesitated on warming up not wanting to be waiting ages and boil him over only for them to come out and announce they were starting prelim now and Rory was first one in so my warmup consisted of a quick canter on each rein and nothing else. The test was very tense and he wronglegged and kept breaking in the second canter.
Heyho its all experience though

Currently feel like I'm on cloud 9. I had entered Rory into the Olympia qualifier at countryside live for a bit of experience and to give him a last showing run out for the year. To say he went over and beyond my expectations is an understatement.
Got there and it was quite windy so decided to leave the ramp up and undo partions so I could get ready in the wagon. Rory had calmed down after a major strop setting off and me finding him with no headcollar and the partion partially undone when we arrived. Got ready and went to warm up. I'd usually only do a single canter on each rein to warm up to prevent his head from blowing and him throwing all slower paces out of the window as they aren't as fun but my instructor had said lots of transitions so deep breath and gave him a rather long warm up with him offering wrong legs and flying changes at first until he decided to put a slightly more sensible head on. Bit of a wait whilst judges had a break but just kept him walking and awake. I made the decision to take him into the ring as lead pony and I'm glad I did as he behaved and walked round alert. Group go round was ok bit of overtaking going on which I don't really like but I just blocked that out. Lined up in any order and managed to get into the ride group first rather than confirmation. He went out in front of the judge and just switched on. Did try and preempt me a tad on second canter but I said no and make him wait until I was ready to go got to the top of the longside and just let him go for it. That pony can certainly gallop, did briefly question my brakes at the end but he pulled up and stood nicely. Quick tack off and then confirmation time he was stood like a bit of a lemon at first but straightened up after a quick poke :-p nice trot back and back into line to retack up. Short wait then the started calling numbers, it got to fifth place and they called 151- Drat I thought I must have the wrong number on but nope my name and Rory's followed so a rather stunned rider remembered to ask Rory to walk forward! I am so proud of him it was a very strong class that I wouldn't have been ashamed to come last in so to place was just amazing.

We seem to be rapidly decending into the depths of winter. Ponies are now coming in caked in mud, Rory has been clipped and by the end of Em lesson tonight it was getting past the dusk stage into dark. Boys have got a large hay bale in their paddock now as there is barely any grass for them and it's starting to churn up.
Rory got to have a lesson today and after a rather norty tacking up session where he broke Em's grooming box slamming it to the floor as I told him no to eating the leg paste tub I think he realised I was rather a tad cross and knuckled down to do some nice work. I must remember not to throw my weight forward when asking for canter and to trust my legs and that he will go forwards.
Pait had a quick lunge and her plaits redone but other than that got to have a lazy day.
Countryside live on sunday got to think how on earth I can get the pony clean and keep him that way. Least it's Rory not Pait but it does mean that Rory will have to go in Pait's stable sat night and she will be left out which I can see going down like a lead balloon especially as Duke cries when I just take Rory out hacking.

Opps wrote this on Monday an forgot to post. Well a really good day on Sunday with the ponies. Em and I had booked lessons with Nic Eminson as part of a Yorkshire DPS day. I’d decided to take Rory and had told Em that if she wanted Pait to  go she was riding as I was not riding 2. First up was Rory I had decided to do the lesson in his show Pelham and was trialling his new/old show bridle which is part old sabre and part new made-to –measure noseband so nowt like diving in at the deep end.

The last time Rory had a lesson with Nic is when was a just backed, wired up 5 year old so the difference in him pics wise is amazing. Nic really worked both of us hard and got Rory really powering from behind and using himself. I was riding with a lot shorter and slightly stronger contact than usual (I am very guilty of just letting Rory have his head to avoid a tense battle) he did some absolutely fab work and the difference in his way of going from the start to the end of the lesson was phenomenal.

Next up was Madame P-pot who had been put back onto the wagon by Auntie Em for being a tad impatient. Quick saddle swop as she and Rory share although if she keeps bulking that won’t be for long. I only saw bits of Em’s lesson as I kept going back to check on Rory but again Nic really worked them hard and taught Em a few new tools to stop a few of Pait’s blocking evasions and help with riding a green pony.

Pait was rather wet and glad for a sponge off at the end of her session and stood with Rory at the side of the wagon until she got bored at which point her and Rory both got shoved back on the wagon where they stood good as gold whilst Em and I watched a few more lessons and had a good natter with people.

Little bit of a catchup. Rory seems to have now become my lesson pony after I decided that I was to knackered to convince Pait that forwards is fun. So decided that he may be a nutter but these days he's a sound one so Id try schooling him again and hope he stood up to it. Well you could knock me down with a feather as he's taken to it like a duck to water. Have to be careful not to blow his brain if he starts getting into a tizz about not understanding but he has been trying his heart out and is actually going quite nicely. Started him with lateral work and nearly got shoulder in as well as lots of transitions to strengthen the hind end but the difference in him not only physically but mentally to when I last did schooling work a year ago is amazing. At 8 he's starting to come into his own.
Madame P-pot has had some solo hacking and lunging work as well as been introduced to stubble fields which she is learning are fun to canter on. Still trying to install the forwards button in her before we do any serious schooling but she is coming along and I have to remember tht she's only 5 so plenty of time to mature yet. Speaking of maturing she currently weighttapes at 480 and stands at 14.2 and a half hh. 0.0 This is compared to Rory who at 14.1hh weigh tapes at 370 but he is a lot lighter build and I do struggle to keep his weight on. That being said Pait certainly doesnt need any more weight on her at the mo.
Sunday I got the cart back out with mum as foot solider and went through the village and back. Ditched mum on the way home as I wanted a trot and she wouldn't get in the cart. :-p need to do some more longreining and really enforce the standing though as was a tad impatient at times.

Sometimes you just need a pony day. Took Rory out for a decent fast hack did a lot of canter and transition work. Trying to crack the current habit of wrong legging that I've given him with my weight and balance being off. Trouble is too many transitions blow his brain cell but he was pretty good at keeping calm today. Coming home along the last field he asked to extend and of course I obliged him. I did think he wouldn't have much petrol left in the tank as we'd done a lot of canter work by then and he was rather sweaty but the extension still managed to sneak up into a bit of a gallop. He pulled up and sauntered home on a long rein. He does know how to put a smile on my face.
Did blot the copy book on standing in the yard though as he stole a mouthful of Tally's feed then tried to use me as a rubbing post- both of which are big no-nos in my book.

I really really <3 my pony at times. Got to the yard and Rory and Duke were both laid down asleep. Snuck over and Duke spotted me and got up but Rory was spark out and when I did get to him he just woke up and watched me so we had lots of laid down cuddles with Duke standing over both of us. He got up to follow as I left and pulled the most amusing faces whilst yawning. Moved both boys back to their field and have got them a round bale of hay. Duke had a minor reminder that he doesnt pull when being led especially as I had him and Rory in the same hand whilst doing an electric gate with a knacked shoulder.
Had a lesson with L this evening and given how bad the shoulder has been and that Pait can be hard work to say the least I opted for Rory who hates rein contact so I knew wouldn't pull or lean on me, :-p
Bless him he got straight down to work really relaxing and using himself. Did lots of lateral work to get him using himself now the hocks are decent and he tried his little heart out even nearly managing a shoulder-in when doing flexion work. I really have to get stuck into schooling now hes not as crocked just need to remember to do lots of hacking between sessions and restart using his massage pad which I have fallen out of the habit of using.

Lovely day with  the ponies. Rode Rory out round the fields for an hour and to say that he did nearly all of it in trot and canter he still came bounding back into the yard like I hadn't even worked him yet! Remembered to change bit out of the snaffle so my arms weren't pulled out of their sockets but I put him in a wilkie rather than his other myler which M has "borrowed" and he was not happy about it so I had to keep almost completely off his head in the slower work which lead to a rather high head carriage at times.
Got back and M had arrived at the yard she asked if I was riding Pait but my knee is rather sore at the moment and I didn't feel like another ride so madame P-pot got out of work. Suggested I'd help her with Duke instead so we tried my albion saddle on and its ok with a thick pad as the girth is a tad lng otherwise and took him into the school. M spent a bit stood on the mounting block leaning over and applying weight whilst I held him then she bit the bullet and got on. (So far he's had me sat on once bareback in the large stable whilst M held) Did a few laps of the school including a change of rein whilst I lead him and he was brilliant needs a change of bit and a lot of long reining to introduce steering and breaks as the next step. While we were doing this another livery came into the school and was riding round while Duke showed he truly wasnt bothered!

Bit belated ODE post. Em and I took Rory and Bex to do the mini ODE at our local RC. It's only 35cm and intro tests so I will admit to babying Rory but my jumping confidence is zilch since doing my knee. This was the first one that we actually had a working, MOT'd wagon and a driver so didn't need to hack down hindsight is Rory is much easier to warm up and more chilled when made to hack first :-p
First up was dressage we went in and had a walk round the arena at which point Rory said he disliked one corner and I knew he would not get over no matter how many looks I gave him so made a mental note of short reins and lots of inside leg otherwise I'd go past it in a beautiful leg yield which sadly isn't part of the test. Test was ok but he didn't feel quite right on the corners it was windy and he was a lot tenser so hopefully thats all it was. Test was marked quite harshly IMO and I definately disagreed with his mark for free walk and the comment calling for more stretch. Yet the trot 20m circle with only some stretching shown which I agree with got a higher mark. Meh Ive kind of just dismissed that score sheet. Dressage finished up on 58%
Onto the jumping he warmed up rather keen, I'd prefer to trot into the jumps at the moment he said no way and shot off into canter a couple of strides out each time so decided just to canter as I actually had more control of the pace then. He did a fab clear round and really motored on between the fences had a minor spook inbetween fences at catching sight of fencejudge sat in a chair! but quickly relocked onto the next fence and was off.
Finished 4th with our dressage score but had a fab day and am determined to refind my brave-pants for the jumping.

So pleased with both ponies today. First was Pait I'd got dad to bring the cart up to the yard for me to get Pait back into it. She hasnt been in the cart since she was away being broken to harness last year although I've long reined etc a few times in full harness. Had D giving me a hand so harnessed up and longreined Pait in the school, then had D hold her whilst I hitched the cart up, Did a lap of school with cart on but me driving from the ground with D on lungeline atthed to a headcollar, then got into the cart! Few more laps and I decided to brave the road as it is very tight to drive in the school so we set off through the village with D at Paits head with the line. Spun round at the end of the road with Pait just throwing her shoulder straight into the shaft and crossing her legs to bring it round <3 on way home I asked D to drop back until she was along side me then got her in the cart and trotted back to the yard. I was buzzing you'd think Pait drove everyday with how good she was.
Then I had a ridden lesson on Rory. First lesson since he was lame and had his hocks done and he was brilliant even better he didn't break at being in the school working! Need to crack on and work on suppling him up up now

DPS summer show

Well yesterday was the summer breed show at Barnard castle and I had decided to take both Pait and Rory. Friday I finished work at half 4 then went straight to the yard to start bathing and prepping ponies. By the time I'd finished there then been and moved the cart out of the wagon and gone home and cleaned all sets of tack and long boots it was 11.15pm by the time I crawled into bed. 5am came rather too quickly and it was up to the yard to see what damage control I had to take. Given Rory lives outside he was actually quite clean and Pait had left her socks white but coated her hocks in poo to make up for it.
Set off at 6.45 and arrived at about 8.30 with me thinking the first class was at 9.30. At 8.55 the 5 min call went out over the tannoy and I realised that I was slightly wrong not in show gear and pony not even tacked up it was a rather quick throw stuff on and trot across the field to warm Rory up.
It was a very srong class and I didn't expect Rory to do anything it was just nice experience for the 2 of us. He did a fab individual marred by a wrong strikeoff into canter on the left rein (we've been struggling with this at home and Ive figured out it's my weight and balance that is wonky since the knee and Rory listens to my seat not the leg aid and thinks hes doing it correct) pulled bak to trot and straight back into canter and immediatly asked him to extend and he pulled a fab gallop out showing the (one!) pace hes good at.
Next up was Madame P-pot in her ridden class (sadly and unplanned Rory's inhand clashed so Em had to take him in that) she was a star and gave me a fab ride and stood perfectly in the lineup came sixth which I was a bit disapointed with but just so proud of how well she went for how little ive had her out.
Lunch break in which Rory had a few snort attackes and eyes on stalks at the carriages but that is very tame for him and Pait just let him swing round into her without disembowling him always a bonus.
Just got back n Rory to do his ridden class when the heavens opened and we got drenched he went well in the class if a bit tense but unplaced. It was lovely to see people and Pait's breeders said hello and got to see her which was lovely.
Can't wait for next year when Pait is more established and hopefully Rory will have more muscle on.

Got the go ahead to do everything with the knee again. But concerning as they arent discharging me for 6 months and it's basically do everything and see if it holds up! So today I jumped Rory in the school over a little cross. I have to say though my bottle is completely gone I was so nervous it's unreal. Poor pony was questioning me all the way up to the jump going as slow as possible as he could feel my tension then just popping over on a very long stride.
Pait got lunged as I couldn't get motivated to ride twice but was a good girl and brought out her dales trot so didnt do too much.

Never been so glad to see a sticking stifle.
Sunday with Daisy-wagon finally back on the road I took Pait and Rory to the BSPS area 3b summer show which was being held locally to do some unaff classes. Pait was first to go and after a slightly hairy moment when she took off in canter whilst I was getting on cue me having to balance and get the leg over in canter then pull her up! She was brill in the walk, trot class a bit babyish and overwhelmed but did a sweet little show to come first (of 2 rotfl). Then she was straight into the Nov 4-6 class which inculded canter. She was a little star but her canter really let her down in the individual as she broke on the right rein after gaping at the considerate livery poopicking at the side of the ring fence. But she'd gone in font and behind, took in a lineup and behaved herself so I was thrilled with her and she got a third (of 3 snigger).
Then it was back to the wagon for Rory I had no time to warm up and literally threw tack on and went into the ring. In hindsight this is very bad to do with him. Did the group go round and extend and he was fine had to trot in one of the canters as the waddling welsh in front was trotting and I didn't fancy going up their arse, ring a tad too tight to circle. Stood in lineup then went to do the individual came to the second canter and he just went totally disunited and wrong cue me in tears for prizegiving as the thought of his hocks being gone again was devastating. He had mon, tue off with bute and I went to get him in today and have never been so grateful to see him locking his stifle. Feel a tad guilty as he's not been doing much then a class with no warmup has obviously locked up but it's fixable with work as I know from past experience unlike hocks which we cant really inject again.
So today was walk hacking in draw reins up and down every hill and slope I could find. Also made him go through both water splashes in the quarry and did a couple of short collected trots on the way home.

At times Rory is angelic. M and I decided to enter dressage/ ode at our local riding club but seeing as Daisy-wagon still has her sicknote in we hacked down. It's all roadwork with a small strech of busy main road and also joys of roadworks. Got there is one piece and M did the 35cm ode on Bex. I called her dressage test with Rory stood stock still at my shoulder then a bit of waiting round until M jumped. After M had finished I tacked Rory back up and headed over to do Prelim 4. Other than doing the test at Mac10 and one silly spook in the first canter he did a sweet albeit nervous test.
Then we had to hack home at which point our 21year old veteran companion Bex decided to loose the plot hence we came home in half the time and poor Rory got used as a bouncy shield between Bex and cars.
So pleased with him got our sheet and he finished third on 58.13%

It's a ruddy good job hes pretty as today Rory really didn't have much else going for him. Id gone out for a hack with another horse and he wasnt being too bad until we started to come home through the village the other horse is 2 hands taller so was walking a lot faster which wound his majesty up so when I asked him not to jog he decided he wasnt going home. Seriously what horse naps to go in the opposite direction of home and company. I ended up planted in the middle of the road with him doing can't sharn't won't move towards home complete with rear spin manouver to go the other way. Finally got him going forwards by spinning him 360 then walking but it was very tense rest of the way home. 200yards from the stables he decided to pull out all the party pieces again. Im so disapointed and upset that he reared though as he's only threatened to do it since his young up and over experience. The other horse just left me and carried on back to the yard which really didn't help matters so I think Im going to have to restrict who Rory goes out with as he was brilliant out with M and Bex yesterday but once hes upset there is no reasoning with him at times.

feeling slightly more upbeat

*whispers very quietly* I think the splint is going down fingers crossed it goes completely. I have already been up and cold hosed, DMSO'd and put madames ice pack on. The thanks I got for this was feed spat in my hair and down my neck whilst cold hosing and the stable door shoved into me as I went to put the DMSO away. I love that pony at times.
Snuck out to top hay up for the girls until they are turned out at 8 and both boys were laid sparko together. They are so cute at times.
Last night had the saddler out as Pait's saddle arrangement was not fitting. Yorkshire saddlery repair came out and she is brill. She fitted the saddle originally so redid templates then asked if she could use them in a lecture on how much a horse can change shape in a year lol. The back is still mostly the same but the amount her shoulders and front end have gone out is amazing. She really is a little tank.
We decided to take off pads and use a very thin numnah and the saddle will be ok for now but she did warn me that any more bulk and it's new saddle time. Seeing as Pait is currently in a wide it'll be fun if she goes up more.
The saddle does get double use as it fits rory though. Think I need to keep an eye out for an albion selecta in the next width up as I do love that saddle.

Well still no shows so far this year! Between weather, wagons and unorganised organisers it just hasnt worked.
Pait decided last sun that I have too much money and too few grey hairs so came in not right with a massive splint. So this week I've been doing twice daily yard trips one at 6am pre-work to coldhose, ice and put some stuff from the vet on it. Fingers crossed its going down and after 3 days box rest I let her go back out in the field but she now has the new addition of tendon boots.
Having cancelled plans for showing today I took Rory out for a hack with another livery first thing. Got on and we trotted and spanish walked out (good start to a ride I thought) he wasn't too bad though we did fall in a field when we met another livery. The other option was a 10ft ditch so im glad he choose the field in retrospect.

Blehlick!

The weather today has been truely horrendous. Rory got ridden in the school and after a disbelieving look that yes I was getting on and going to ride in THAT weather he immediatly got down to work. Perfectly on the bit, listening to me and letting me have a contact without trying to pretend that I've barbed wire in his month and how dare I touch the reins as he currently has a drop noseband on. So a lovely quick session and I called it a day. He didn't want to stay in the stable though and rushed straight back to play reary games with Duke!
Got Pait in and tacked up and I waited and chatted with YM who I was meant to be going out hacking with and finally it died down for us to have a quick hack without getting soaked. Pait went splashing merrily through puddles after Mr smacky stick backed me up on the first one and we had an ace ride. Coming home we stopped to talk to another livery in the village and Pait stood in the middle of a huge puddle entertaining herself by spitting water at Will her hacking buddy. Not bad to say I had a 20 minute battle the quarry last week just to get her to dip in toes in the water!

Rory mac is back.
Poor pony gets the job of being my therapy- get fit pony. I had him in the plain myler snaffle with a drop noseband and he wasn't happy. A few little strops later and we'd settled down to do some decent walk work until we were joined by another livery and the world ended, after a few more minutes though we went back to relaxed (for Rory). Did some shoulder in, leg yeilding, rein backs and lots of circles.

Pait would like to return me for a fully crippled model!

I have started project topline and fitness and declared vacation over. She's had 2 days of being lunged with the pessoa on as I'm a mean mummy who doesnt think the majority of her muscle should be on the underside of her neck!
Yesterday we had a couple of strops and a bit of can't, sharn't, won't until Mr stick made an appearance. Today she knuckled straight down to work and we even had 3 continous laps of canter on each rein followed by DALES TROT TO THE MAX. As she had decided it was easier to behave give me effort then I'd call it a day.
Finished off todays work with a few treats and a strapping session in the stable.

Rory meanwhile was stood snickering over the fence with Duke as he is still living the life of Riley. This may change tomorrow when I ask my physio if I can start riding again!
All Dales got fly sprayed and all tried to tell me they had never seen a squirty bottle before (The amount of pig oil I get through I didnt believe them)
Rory also had his frogs disinfected as they smelt a bit the other day and combine that with eye drops for his runny eye he was feeling a tad picked on by the time I finished.

No P pics as hands full with lunge line but have 2 daft geldings having fun the other day.

Pait is not happy! I've finally lost my crutches (still not allowed to ride yet) so I thought it was time to start lunging again. Shes been ridden by M once a week/ fortnight when she has time so is rather unfit. Me asking her to lunge properly and use her @rse did not please her but she went well and even had a few trots over a pole to engage the stifles/ hocks.
Rory is still on vacation as I decided against trying to lead him through the foals on my own so he and Duke got a bit of time out on the extra front part of the paddock which has nice grass. They arent left on it as it ajoins the school and Rory will try to kill other horses encroaching on his field so I thought it best not to kill the other liveries whilst they ride so the boys only go on it when I can watch them.
Duke did come over and say hi to Pait (who amazingly said hi back and did scowl or try to maim him!)
Measured Pait and shes just over 14.2hh unshod. Weightaping at 425. lol.

Been a little while since my last update but not really much to blog as I've had my knee operated on so ponies are living a tad feral.
My sister M has been schooling Pait once a week so she is at least still in work and going very well for M. Rory has had his shoes off but the amount of playing him and Duke do should keep his joints mobile!
Both Rory and Pait have learnt the important art of being led from crutches and in typical Dales style just taken it all in their stride.

Belated post

Well I'd waited to put this on here as I was hoping the photographer put some pics of Pait on but no luck.
Both ponies went and did dressage on 23rd Feb at a local venue.
I'd left Pait in this morning and she was not happy about so I put her in the arena whilst I mucked out. (stood watching her do handstands and 0-60s I did slightly question my sanity) Went to get Rory in from field and I so wish I'd have had a camcorder with me. He and Duke were at the bottom of the field so I shouted, Rory picked his head up with something in his mouth and stood and stared at me whilst I tried to figure out what he had got. Both boys decided to come at canter so Rory is cantering across the field with what I suddenly realised was an electric fence post which he is still carrying like a dog with a stick. He got half way down the field before he dropped it! Daft pony.
Got to the dressage and unloaded. Pait was up first doing intro B and she was so good. We lost a bit of bend and suppleness at times but she pulled show trot out and fully relished in everyone watching HER. Like they should. (we had a few people come over and comment on her so she won a fair few admirers and gave the roan dales a good name)
Next up was Rory doing Prelim 12. Can I state now I know he is not a dressage pony he only went as the wagon was already going with Pait. The test went something like this.
Enter at A and get halfway down the centreline until spotting the TABLE OF DOOM at the bottom of the arena so slam on breaks. Get convinced to continue on giving the table a wide birth and a snort on every pass. Rider asks for canter in the corner next to the table of doom. Tell rider hell no and do a beautiful leg yielding half pass past it. Mean rider does a 20m circle and asks again for canter, this time with Mr smacky stick providing backup so promptly take off like your in the grand national and complete the test in that fashion.
I actually apologised to the judge at the end.Luckily for him there was only 2 seniors in that test so he got a frilly still even if he really didn't deserve it!

Knackered but a lovely day with the ponies. Went on a long hack seeing as my op got cancelled last minute on Friday. So A rode Rory and I took Pait and we went on a long hack. Poor ponies didn't know what hit them especially Pait.
First thing to content with was going under a bridge then over the bridge (the motorway is underneath us at this point) both ponies were really good and went straight over.
Got to Fairburn and had a trot through the woods and then over a few field tracks to the gallops. Well at this point both ponies were tiring fast so we had a couple of canters with breathers inbetween rather than a long blast like originally planned lol.
Headed home and it was a good traffic experiencing day. We had cyclists, motorbikes, cars and vans past us from in front and behind and neither pony batted an eye.

It's going to be a quiet year this year on the riding front for me as I go for the first op on my knee on Friday. So I hopped on Rory in the school today just to remind him what schooling is before he get a vaction from me.
Well after terrifying me coming into the stables on 3 legs (he had obviously stood on a stone) I picked feet out and make someone trot him up perfectly sound. We tacked up and went into the arena. This point it was trying to blow a gale but I was determined to ride. I'd put him in his show pelham and didn't the little so-and-so do some amazing work. I'm sure he knows I can't follow up and have him out at shows. He dropped a bit of weight and quite a bit of muscle which I'm a bit miffed about as he's being looking really well up to now.
I then decided to hang round until Pait came in with the herd before going home. L goes out and lets all the horses in only no Pait which is very unusual but we do have 2 new liveries that were also MIA and Pait's best friend Lily who lives out just viewable down the bottom end of the field.
I went out to shout and still no Pait (have to admit to getting slightly worried at this point) so I set off down the field. I got half way down and could see her so shouted her again and she stood, tried to take a step and then stood again. Cue a very worried me imaging all sorts of things wrong so got over to her as fast as possible and realised shed managed to wrap her back legs in some old wire fencing that had been missed in the field. Bless her she was just stood stock still and let me manipulate her legs free then when I said it was ok walked away.
She trotted fine and had no cuts but was quite warm so I'm not sure how long she had been there but I am so grateful she has an old soul to her and didn't panick.

Just a quick pic of Pait. She's starting to look a lot more mature at 4.5years old.

Lovely hack

Pait can be such a sweet pony at times. Went to get her in from the field, got to the gate and she was no where in sight. So I shouted. Cue a little dales face appearing from round the far tree with a "Is that mum?" look. Once she decided was it was me she took off in canter across the field. 4 strides out from me she trotted and 2 she walked so she didnt mud splatter me. She is such a considerate girlie.
We just did a quick hack out with A riding Rory out with us (Id call him the babysitter but hes usually worse than us :-p)
Really lovely hack with Pait doing show trot on the bridle for periods when I asked her and a lovely collected canter which she went into at the first gentle nudge. Really need to mimic this in the school!
She did snarl at Rory at few times and got a smacked behind for her trouble everytime but was nice enough not to kill him when he nearly wiped us out due to a plastic bag.
Pait and Rory do take their surrogate sibling rivalry to the absolute max at times.

Took Pait out to our local hunt meet today. Well she was good but very sweaty and on edge for the drinks and nibbles but once the field set off she got a tad excited. To be fair to her I think if I'd have just got going with the non jumping crowd she'd have been fine but I really wasn't feeling up to it after the week from hell- losing my gran on NY day. I decided we'd bow out and have a very fast hack back to the yard. (the good thing about the meet being on our hacking grounds). 
Oh well prob try again next year.