Just a nice pony day today. Hacked  Rory out didn't go too far as he's currently getting a tad too fit and losing his marbles. So a slower hack being made to work in a proper outline (did have 1 sneaky gallop though).
Em had a lesson on Pait and did some pole work and tackled a little cross pole bless her.
Then I got Duke in to deal with the rasta look his mane was currently sporting and having got him in I decided to do some work with him and he had his first long rein session. Steering was erm ... a work in progress and a few toys were thrown out of the pram when he tested his boundaries but he gave in in the end and did a few nice laps so finished off with a quick walk inhand up the drive and back.
He's shot up again and looks a tad weedy and bum high so just ground work for now until hes looking more solid again.

fab day out jumping

Took Rory out jumping today with aim of getting round the clear round and the 65cm.
Clear round he was brill if a little over cautious (most fences got a 2ft clearance) and went round clear so next up was 65cm. Rory was brill again and the pilot turned blonde and mistook 7 for 3 (they were both yellow and next to each other) hauled him out at last second but it still counted a presenting him to it so 4 faults. Annoyance with myself gave me a kick up the rear end and in a slight lapse of sanity I entered the 75cm. Well again he was an absolute dude. Just had the first one down as I was busy freaking out over the number 2 spread and didnt really kick on.
I haven't jumped that height since I fell off and kamputted my knee over a year ago so I was really chuffed with us both. Just need to trust him more and kick on!

At times I could quite happily throttle Rory. Took him and Pait to dressage yesterday. It was the new wagon's first run out with ponies on board and we had no swearing from the driver and for the first time ever Pait didn't arrive soaked so she prefers it to Daisy-wagon.
Em was first doing 2 prelims on Pait. P7 and P13. Pait went really well just the canter went a bit wrong in p13 but it is a harder test and only her third ever prelim. 63% in p7 and 60% in p13 so really pleased with her.

Rory on the other hand decided to live up to Pait's name. The bits he behaved and let me ride him were brilliant and he scored 8s. Sadly he also had quite a few moments where he just wouldn't let me have an contact or use leg as he'd just ping me out of the saddle- mardy bugger.
Comment of the day was someone asking mum if he was Welsh. Nope he just acts like it. Scores weren't as bad as it felt though. He got 60% in p7 and 64% in p13. Typically he got the higher marks in the harder test! Really need to work on his right canter strike offs as he went wrong in both tests as he just fired me out of the saddle and wouldn't let me use leg when I was asking for the transition. Of course the left rein he got 8s for this manouver.

I hate british weather at times. Em had agreed to take me out to a local venue to do some diddy sj on Rory but of course the wind was horrendous this morning and she quite rightly didnt fancy taking the box out so seeing as I was out of bed and at the yard with Rory in I said I'd go out hacking with E who is part loaning Talya.
Being 2 overgrown kids I decided to show E where the xc jumps are and seeing as we were there we both decided to bung stirrups up and have a play.
Rory knows the second my leg position is higher what is coming and promptly started jig-jogging and looking for the nearest jumpable object.
We both had a laugh and I jumped a few logs, a filler and a small ditch with hanging log. He's been over them all before and as we were showing off to Tal he thankfully decided not to put in the extra 2 foot air space which orbits me.
E and I did find though that neither us has a horse that will just calmly follow over fences. Tal throws her head and charges after us and Rory goes into jumps sideways and land in extended canter pmsl.
Signs are up for our local hunter trail in May so fingers crossed that I can go this year.
no pics so have one from last summer

opps missed anniversary

Just been informed by Em that last week we've had Rory for 5 years. Where on earth has the time gone he's 9 this year and still a fruitloop lol.
Currently he has lumps (which Im pretty sure is heat rash) and has decided he cant bear to be touched this included my legs on his side on Weds dressage outing.
Leg on = launch forward and the slightest rein contact was try to grind to a halt shaking his head. Not pretty. Still got 60% in both test and am out again tomorrow.
Pait went really well and did her first prelim and beat rory's scores in both classes to Em's delight.

Little update from sat for my records.
Took Rory out for a good fast hack to shake off the cobwebs so he was in seventh heaven. Decided to have a mess with Duke when I got back and fully tacked him up to lunge. Completely not fussed about banging stirrups etc so grabbed Em and I got on him.
Still not fussed so had a walk round the school on both reins with Em on the lungeline. Asked for a little trot and he went good as gold thought I'd stop if he unbalanced on the corner but he was fine so did a full lap to Em's disgust.
Think its a case of long reining to establish steering really now as the next step.

Can''t wait for end of winter

I'm so sick of mud it's unreal. Farrier was booked for friday afternoon as I'd got a bit of time off due to being on a course in the am so Em very kindly promptly booked all 6 in trim/shoe!
Got the boys and Belle in first and held Belle whilst Rory was shod tied up. Well him and Duke created merry hell. First was located all plastic bags and sling them around just to make sure Duke wasn't left out Rory passed him one in the stable whilst poor baby-Belle was stood wideeyed being trimed across from a bag headed Dales. My language was rather colourful. Next thing was I looked over to find no pony- Rory had untied himself and taken the lid off someone's feed dustbin and was quite happily tucking in. Abandoned Belle with farrier whilst I retrieved Rory. I was rather grateful when the farrier declared them done and I could turf them back in the field.
Pait tried it on at first as she didnt want her new shoes thank you very much but as soon as I grabbed hold of her she decided very quickly to behave and thankfully Bex and Tal were as good as gold.