That's how many days I've ridden. One, in seven! I hacked him the other day but apart from that it's either been tipping down or I've had to work late.
Today it rained all morning, I dragged our motley crew in to give them a break, so that they could dry off and warm up. Mostly I was thinking of their feet. Quadi initially neglected to be gathered in but he soon realised he would have been solo and obliged me in having his headcollar on. All the while I was feeling super-attractive in full waterproofs and a woolly hat!
Once all in, Quadi began to shiver :( I put his fleece on, and a stable rug over the top. Plus he got a warm feed, which he was most grateful for. Anyway, he stopped shaking pretty quickly but looked a little withdrawn so they gang stood in for a few hours with hay and water until he brightened up. Of course, it was dry and sunny all afternoon, but I didn't want to ride him just in case his kidneys had gotten a chill.
To cheer him up we did some physio stretches for treats. Hopefully he'll be feeling like his old self tomorrow and we can do some real work!
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Interruption to Regular Services
Ugh. Just...ick.
Quadi has yet to do any real work since the weekend. This is partly due to the shape-shifting weather we seem to be experiencing. I can only describe myself as looking like a homeless and soggy spaniel-type pooch by the time I arrive at the boys' field. The only assurance I seem to have is that it will rain as soon as I leave the office every day >:( It makes for a soggy and unpleasant journey to the yard.
The other part is my being tired. I know I'm tired because my shoulder, neck and back hurt. Clearly I'm so preoccupied with carrying tension around with me all day, I haven't the time or inclination to do anything enjoyable like ride my horse! My shoulders have returned to their default position, lurking somewhere around my ears.
I've been maintaining 6am starts with 9pm finishes (when I leave home and when I arrive back each day) for some time now and they're starting to tell on me, I'm knackered to the point of forgetfulness. So I'm taking Friday and Monday off work :D
I did do some stretches with Quadi last night, tonight I would have worked him but he was a sodden, muddy mess and it rained most of the time I was at the yard. I decided to come home and soak my weary bones in a bath instead :)
Quadi has yet to do any real work since the weekend. This is partly due to the shape-shifting weather we seem to be experiencing. I can only describe myself as looking like a homeless and soggy spaniel-type pooch by the time I arrive at the boys' field. The only assurance I seem to have is that it will rain as soon as I leave the office every day >:( It makes for a soggy and unpleasant journey to the yard.
The other part is my being tired. I know I'm tired because my shoulder, neck and back hurt. Clearly I'm so preoccupied with carrying tension around with me all day, I haven't the time or inclination to do anything enjoyable like ride my horse! My shoulders have returned to their default position, lurking somewhere around my ears.
I've been maintaining 6am starts with 9pm finishes (when I leave home and when I arrive back each day) for some time now and they're starting to tell on me, I'm knackered to the point of forgetfulness. So I'm taking Friday and Monday off work :D
I did do some stretches with Quadi last night, tonight I would have worked him but he was a sodden, muddy mess and it rained most of the time I was at the yard. I decided to come home and soak my weary bones in a bath instead :)
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Quietly Does It
Not quite such a sunny start but I felt the need for more hacking today. So that's what we did. Once I caught him of course. I had been up in the field earlier and touched him to say Hi as I snuck through the switched-off electric wire. When I touched him as he saw the tape wiggle he shot off, poor love must have thought I was going to zap him! So when I returned to capture my pony he was having none of it. But the field they are in is much smaller so it didn't take much time to persuade him that I wasn't going to make his coat stand on end!
I booted his hind feet for a change, they seem in need of a little support, the heels aren't changing as much as I'd like so I think they need some help. So he was a little careful over stones but not stumbling or sore. I reckon we'll have to get another pair of boots...
We took the first track over the ditches and meandered through the forest. All very pleasant. He took a look at the water container both times around today but since we stuck to a walk for the entire hack he seemed calmer. I played once more with flexions and I think we're losing some ground so there will be much schooling this week.
On our way back into the forest there were some folkies cutting up fallen trees with chainsaws which made Quadi beetle his way home. Once we were in the forest and out of earshot I halted him and regained some calm before we continued. Much better :)
Not a terribly exciting day but productive. And most pleasant in the scorching sun, despite wearing SPF40 I seem to have caught some rays...
I booted his hind feet for a change, they seem in need of a little support, the heels aren't changing as much as I'd like so I think they need some help. So he was a little careful over stones but not stumbling or sore. I reckon we'll have to get another pair of boots...
We took the first track over the ditches and meandered through the forest. All very pleasant. He took a look at the water container both times around today but since we stuck to a walk for the entire hack he seemed calmer. I played once more with flexions and I think we're losing some ground so there will be much schooling this week.
On our way back into the forest there were some folkies cutting up fallen trees with chainsaws which made Quadi beetle his way home. Once we were in the forest and out of earshot I halted him and regained some calm before we continued. Much better :)
Not a terribly exciting day but productive. And most pleasant in the scorching sun, despite wearing SPF40 I seem to have caught some rays...
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Lather, Rinse, Repeat
I had every intention of schooling Himself last night. Sadly the weather put paid to my enthusiasm. Glorious sunshine all whilst I was trapped in the office, and then the clouds opened at 4pm. The rain had subsided before I arrived at the yard, unfortunately Quadi had managed to find himself a mud patch in which to wriggle around in. Little worm! There was no hope of having him suitably clean or dry enough for tack so I fed him and chucked him back out...
Today it reached 26C, and I rode at lunchtime >:D
I didn't mean to, but got caught up a few chores, like giving the Baby his Very First Bath. He found this agreeable once he realised he would not end up dead. Then I had help trimming Quadi's hooves. In the sun, I was dying on my backside! We'd also had some clearing of hay and poop in the field so I was glad to get in the saddle for a rest!
Despite Fin being mid-bath on our way out, Quadi managed to tear himself from the yard. A couple of stop-starts but better than I expected. The sun had slipped behind a high cloud so our walk out was very pleasant, we even managed a little trot without any hysterics, and the forest was reasonably cool, humidity aside.
As we turned right for our first circuit of The Loop, Quadi took great offense to the now-fallen over water container, we had a few stops and sideways steps but we managed past it and onto a great canter. He spooked at something at the top of the brae so good brakes on this occasion! We also had a canter up the next part of the track, the forest was abandoned. Unusual for the weekend, I guess people had better places to be in the blazing midday sun :)
Mr Princess took exception to being asked to go around for a second time. Some ploughing backwards and indignant halts, but he passed the water container better this time. And I put my foot on the loud pedal! He took a good contact in the reins and really levelled out up the hill. I wish there were more room to do fast work with him...
After this he was a little jog-joggy, and heading up the next part of the track he was fine in walk. Instead of cantering I asked for a sedate trot. He returned with his head in the air and forged through the rein into a really daft big trot/canter/trot/canter every two strides. I harshed the good work we were doing by asking for trot, I should have continued in walk.
As we came back to the relative cool of the forest shade, Quadi started playing up again. I wanted to return home using the track we came along. As we stood that was furthest away, near the water container. Quadi assumed I wanted to go past the Scary Thing a third time. Which was tantamount to horse abuse in his little herbivore brain. He is nothing if not imaginative, we have a new evasion!
Once he realised that marching backwards over tree stumps, divots, etc, was making no impression, he decided to try his new tack. I reasonably and gently asked him to make a move forwards and he set his neck, ran through the right rein (his stiffer but stronger side), reared, plunged forwards. And reared, and plunged forwards. And reared, and I think you get the picture. He was in enough of a huff to keep this up the whole way home. I found myself bouncing through trees trying to wrestle a horse normally quite sensitive of the mouth! My upper body strength is non-existent, my arms are vestigial...I wouldn't fight a horse anyway but certainly I wasn't going to win this one.
I regained some semblance of control, dismounted, and walked him straight to the water container. In his mind, the danger is genuine because he was apprehensive even with me on foot. I asked him to sniff and touch the container. Which he did, and he was rewarded with praise and pats on the neck. We moved further along the track, and I mounted up (from the ground, not something I usually like to do but pleased I even could!), and he moved off happily. Go figure! I walked him a little further and, when it was my idea to do so, turned and retraced our steps to the track I wanted to use in the first place. We managed some flexions with varying degrees of success. By this point we were both tired, he was rather sweaty but only after having the aforedescribed hissy fits.
Home was reached without further incident and I gave him a bath. Despite the glorious start to the morning I ended up doing this in the rain but the water was brown running off of him so it was clearly overdue.
Quadrado, of course, pointedly rolled immediately on turnout. Didn't even wait until I couldn't see him do so!
Today it reached 26C, and I rode at lunchtime >:D
I didn't mean to, but got caught up a few chores, like giving the Baby his Very First Bath. He found this agreeable once he realised he would not end up dead. Then I had help trimming Quadi's hooves. In the sun, I was dying on my backside! We'd also had some clearing of hay and poop in the field so I was glad to get in the saddle for a rest!
Despite Fin being mid-bath on our way out, Quadi managed to tear himself from the yard. A couple of stop-starts but better than I expected. The sun had slipped behind a high cloud so our walk out was very pleasant, we even managed a little trot without any hysterics, and the forest was reasonably cool, humidity aside.
As we turned right for our first circuit of The Loop, Quadi took great offense to the now-fallen over water container, we had a few stops and sideways steps but we managed past it and onto a great canter. He spooked at something at the top of the brae so good brakes on this occasion! We also had a canter up the next part of the track, the forest was abandoned. Unusual for the weekend, I guess people had better places to be in the blazing midday sun :)
Mr Princess took exception to being asked to go around for a second time. Some ploughing backwards and indignant halts, but he passed the water container better this time. And I put my foot on the loud pedal! He took a good contact in the reins and really levelled out up the hill. I wish there were more room to do fast work with him...
After this he was a little jog-joggy, and heading up the next part of the track he was fine in walk. Instead of cantering I asked for a sedate trot. He returned with his head in the air and forged through the rein into a really daft big trot/canter/trot/canter every two strides. I harshed the good work we were doing by asking for trot, I should have continued in walk.
As we came back to the relative cool of the forest shade, Quadi started playing up again. I wanted to return home using the track we came along. As we stood that was furthest away, near the water container. Quadi assumed I wanted to go past the Scary Thing a third time. Which was tantamount to horse abuse in his little herbivore brain. He is nothing if not imaginative, we have a new evasion!
Once he realised that marching backwards over tree stumps, divots, etc, was making no impression, he decided to try his new tack. I reasonably and gently asked him to make a move forwards and he set his neck, ran through the right rein (his stiffer but stronger side), reared, plunged forwards. And reared, and plunged forwards. And reared, and I think you get the picture. He was in enough of a huff to keep this up the whole way home. I found myself bouncing through trees trying to wrestle a horse normally quite sensitive of the mouth! My upper body strength is non-existent, my arms are vestigial...I wouldn't fight a horse anyway but certainly I wasn't going to win this one.
I regained some semblance of control, dismounted, and walked him straight to the water container. In his mind, the danger is genuine because he was apprehensive even with me on foot. I asked him to sniff and touch the container. Which he did, and he was rewarded with praise and pats on the neck. We moved further along the track, and I mounted up (from the ground, not something I usually like to do but pleased I even could!), and he moved off happily. Go figure! I walked him a little further and, when it was my idea to do so, turned and retraced our steps to the track I wanted to use in the first place. We managed some flexions with varying degrees of success. By this point we were both tired, he was rather sweaty but only after having the aforedescribed hissy fits.
Home was reached without further incident and I gave him a bath. Despite the glorious start to the morning I ended up doing this in the rain but the water was brown running off of him so it was clearly overdue.
Quadrado, of course, pointedly rolled immediately on turnout. Didn't even wait until I couldn't see him do so!
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Tired, but Happy
Am One Tired Blogger so it'll have to be short and sweet...
Yesterday:
I decided it was high-time we went back into the school. Good move :) Despite a ham-fisted attempt at in-hand, and a distracted start he went superbly. I worked in all the exercises Perry gave me and muddled in some work of my own. He worked with his back up the whole time and was soft in my hand. All of this in the evening sunshine. Just bliss!
Today:
Because we'd schooled yesterday, I decided on a hack tonight. Once again we had sun and warmth. Little bit of a pest in that we also had a fair few midges (I've been bitten!) and Quadi did headshake out in the open, but a nice evening anyway.
We went out over the ditches, Quadi's starting to get to grips with just hopping or stepping rather than leaping! We had two flat out canters, managed to get him up to a gallop the second time around the loop, as we swerved round the bend downhill! Sadly I don't have the stopping distance to really open him up, and I'm always worried I meet a hidden dog-walker!
On the way home we met some young bulls :)
Yesterday:
I decided it was high-time we went back into the school. Good move :) Despite a ham-fisted attempt at in-hand, and a distracted start he went superbly. I worked in all the exercises Perry gave me and muddled in some work of my own. He worked with his back up the whole time and was soft in my hand. All of this in the evening sunshine. Just bliss!
Today:
Because we'd schooled yesterday, I decided on a hack tonight. Once again we had sun and warmth. Little bit of a pest in that we also had a fair few midges (I've been bitten!) and Quadi did headshake out in the open, but a nice evening anyway.
We went out over the ditches, Quadi's starting to get to grips with just hopping or stepping rather than leaping! We had two flat out canters, managed to get him up to a gallop the second time around the loop, as we swerved round the bend downhill! Sadly I don't have the stopping distance to really open him up, and I'm always worried I meet a hidden dog-walker!
On the way home we met some young bulls :)
Monday, 17 May 2010
Oops!
Nothing doing yesterday, naughty Danni!
But tonight I took Quadi for a hack. Not as long as I'd hoped, but it was work nonetheless. I think given his spooky humour I'd have gotten more out of him in the school. He didn't ever settle down properly, seeming to find everything very dangerous. We went for a couple of canters around the loop and the first time we had a 6 Ft Lateral Teleport. Bizarrely I managed to stay secure and central! We managed to collect our brains long enough for some respectful bend and relaxation but the minute I relaxed he was off jig-jogging or spooking. Just one of those nights, he was full of it :)
It was peaceful to be out in the evening sunshine with him, and great that he feels so good!
But tonight I took Quadi for a hack. Not as long as I'd hoped, but it was work nonetheless. I think given his spooky humour I'd have gotten more out of him in the school. He didn't ever settle down properly, seeming to find everything very dangerous. We went for a couple of canters around the loop and the first time we had a 6 Ft Lateral Teleport. Bizarrely I managed to stay secure and central! We managed to collect our brains long enough for some respectful bend and relaxation but the minute I relaxed he was off jig-jogging or spooking. Just one of those nights, he was full of it :)
It was peaceful to be out in the evening sunshine with him, and great that he feels so good!
Saturday, 15 May 2010
Child-Wearing
Quadi indulged us in a little lead-reining today, my Mum's friend's daughter just loves horses and had asked to come up. Now, Quadi can be a real handful for those of us who chose to pose him questions. But kiddie wearing he can do, and he's super gentle. A real dope on a rope!
As we went up the field to collect him I even got a neigh hello, first time I've heard him do that in years. In fact, I wondered what he wanted ;) But he was just cheerful to see people I think.
I was helped with his grooming and tacking. Bless him, he stayed rooted to the spot. Once his Child was on board we set off to the forest. In addition to all the usual safety gear I put on the seat-saver because it's a little grippier. Just in case. And I had him on a lead rein obviously.
He was a little square paragon of virtue, he didn't put a foot wrong. Walking nice and slowly and not up to any mischief. My Mum said she was very proud of how he's changed, and proud of me for helping him to change. Big grins all round :D
His headshaking is getting worse though. I even tried Vaseline to line his nostrils but it just got snorted out. And onto me!
At some point tomorrow we'll go for a long hack. I could sure use another blast!
As we went up the field to collect him I even got a neigh hello, first time I've heard him do that in years. In fact, I wondered what he wanted ;) But he was just cheerful to see people I think.
I was helped with his grooming and tacking. Bless him, he stayed rooted to the spot. Once his Child was on board we set off to the forest. In addition to all the usual safety gear I put on the seat-saver because it's a little grippier. Just in case. And I had him on a lead rein obviously.
He was a little square paragon of virtue, he didn't put a foot wrong. Walking nice and slowly and not up to any mischief. My Mum said she was very proud of how he's changed, and proud of me for helping him to change. Big grins all round :D
His headshaking is getting worse though. I even tried Vaseline to line his nostrils but it just got snorted out. And onto me!
At some point tomorrow we'll go for a long hack. I could sure use another blast!
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