Back on board part 2

Well I've also been back on board Rory. We have just got access to our hacking back after restrictions put in place after a neighbouring private yard got strangles. It's best for us all to be cautious and health consious but it's still annoying to lose your hacking.
So YM on her newest SJer Whisper and my sister M on her 20yo schoolmistress Becky went out for a hack inviting me along.
So I decided to take Rory who after standing like a rock for me to scrabble onboard (the knee is still unstable) decided it was highly exciting and we piaffed out of the yard following two 16.2hhs. Well he didn't stop piaffing the whole way round unless he was cantering. Daft pony the only time he semi behaved was when Whisper took a dislike to the duck sheds and Bex decided to play up to him so Rory very briefly put sane head on to get them past. And as soon as danger from the ducks was over we went back to piaffe!
I have to love the pony though as when we got back my knee had really gone and I did not look forward to jumping off so decided to park Rory along side M's box and just step off which again he stood perfectly for.

Back on board!!!!!!!!!!!
Today our yard was holding a fun xmas show so in true me fashion I decided that I was going to ride a pony and do a class. :-P
I did go for the safer option of the laid back Pait who will just trot (or in 1 case) walk over fences rather Rory who I know will be fresh to say the least when I get back on and to combine that with his favouritist thing jumping I think I'd be revisiting A&E.
Pait was such a good girl to say she's never seen so many poles in one arena and there were planks in on a couple of fences. She trotted round a mini course of crosses for a clear round. Then getting brave I went back into the novice with straights set at the dizzing heights of the first hole! Still she tried her best even if we did demolish a few fences and stopped then walked over the first part of the double.
She was very good standing in a big group waiting between the classes even if she did pull some awful faces.
Am now contemplating hunting in Jan with her doing the non-jumping ride!

And I'm still not back on board. :-( We have a yard show this weekend and I'll be gutted to miss it. I am contemplating seeing if I can mount Pait from the wrong side and do the trot poles class. But I may then be murdered by my mothership so we'll see.
Boys are both living the life of riley and Rory is just getting an occasional ride from a friend but I am worried to how his joints will be seeing as we'd managed to build his muscle and suppleness back up to jumping level before my little airs onto ground.
Pait is being a moody madame with the boys over the fence as mummy doesn't spend much time with ponies at the moment so it's not appreciated when I give the boys HER attention. I have been cheating and putting her in the stable early so she doesn't see me in their field.
In my cripple state I'm in a nostalgic mood and have found this pic of Ozzie a dales we sold a little while ago.
I took him out to my first and so far only hunting experience where he did the breed proud and was a saint. I think he was 6 at the time.

Well Im still on the wounded list but today Pait's vacation came to an abrupt end as Em offered to ride her. (I do think it was wanting to make her work after she'd squashed Em in the gate yesterday but I certainly wasnt arguing.) Pait really did try the can't sharn't won't move at first but quickly found out that Auntie Em is not a pushover like Mummy. Em got some amazing paces out of and they went really well together. Cue me wanting to throttle the very stubborn dales mare. But I did forgive her when she behaved for me to paste her legs in Heavy horse leg paste.

Looking very pretty.

Dales Trot!

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.

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

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.