Best laid plans

Today I set out with the heartiest of best intentions. I was at the yard by 8am, and had poo-picked in half an hour. The plan was to come home and do a few chores before meeting a friend for lunch, then back to the yard to work the boys. All went splendidly till I got to the yard in the afternoon with a tummy cramp. I've been having them for at least a week. Between that and the wind/rain, my motivation waned.

The boys were keen to come in, and both were quartered and fussed after their feed. Nothing special, just nice to be with them. Feel a little guilty for not doing something with them but I get waves of pain in my tummy, thought it best to keep two feet on the deck.

I'm away to Norway again tomorrow. Thought it was today, good job I checked my flights. Assume I'll be back well before Christmas :)

Quadi has developed a patch of curly hair on his neck. It appeared when the heavy rains first started a few weeks ago. Lovely soft thick hair when it's dry, but bizarrely the curls haven't disappeared even when we've had a stretch of rain-free weather. Will follow a friend's suggestion to clip out a patch of hair and see if it grows back very quickly...if it's still curly when I get back I might consider a blood test. He's not showing any other outward symptoms of Cushing's but it wouldn't surprise me!

Back to normal

Just in time for me to head offshore again(!)

Was brimming with energy today. I also think I've sussed out Fin. We went for a reasonably-long hack yesterday, he was much more amenable today. Like Quadi, he needs to be worked. Part of it is mental stimulation and I think a little part is jealousy that the other boy is getting attention. Just like hoomins then!

So another meander on Fin today. I felt 100 times more relaxed and so did he. I let him warm up long and reasonable low on the buckle, and just let his back move my seat. It's something I used to struggle to feel on him whilst schooling, he's much more forward on a hack so I could 'allow' with my seat much more freely than before. He was a little gung-ho on the way home, leapt a log on the ground which resulted in the top of my hat colliding with a low branch, but apart from that a superstar surrogate pony! He's also been better about going into his stable. Quadi also didn't seem too stressed when we returned!

I tacked up Quadi in his bridle and roller for some long-reining. He went most of the way in a long, relaxed frame, with even steps. Apart from having a huge spook at a passing walker on the way out, but he spooked by buckling at the knees and hocks. No biggie, we were moving on before I really realised what he saw! And we had a sneaky trot! I almost got left behind to waterski but it was nice to see him so sprightly :) On the way home we met Kate's brother walking the dogs. Whilst I said Hi, I pulled Quadi into a gateway with your YO's three mares standing there. They were fighting to get closest to Quadi. He seemed to enjoy their attention and puffed himself up but he didn't turn to them and stood squarely where I asked him to until we moved off. He looked so happy when we came back, he seems happy to be doing 'stuff'.

His heels look like they're finally moving back under him, and also widening. All in all a really pleasing day :)

Sunday hack

I wish I could shake this lurgy!

Even poo-picking was a struggle. Not complaining, just damned frustrated as I have lots to do and not enough time to do it in. That done, I restrung one or two parts of the fence that had blown out in the wind and went to catch the boys. Mr Fin wandered off as soon as he saw the headcollars. When I'd arrived at the field, pre-poo-picking, he came to see me, and had been bothering me the whole time. I collared Quadi no problem and when I made a second attempt at Fin he bogged off again. I shooed him and went off with Quadi, hadn't really the inclination to try and coerce him, I had zero energy...

He stood stock-still whilst we left. When I returned he was tail-up trotting around the field. I came to the gate and he charged me. Whilst cornering he fell on his side! Not hard, and almost in slow motion. He wasn't out of control, just having a tantrum. Anyway, he gathered himself up, looking terribly embarrassed, and I caught him no worries.

Our physio came for another hack today, she on Fin and I borrowed the little black Sec D mare again. She was sluggish on the way out but very zippy on the way home. Apart from trying to remove my kneecaps on a tree it was a good ride :)

When I got back I was torn between coming home to lie on my face/try and complete all the chores I have to sort out before I go away, and do *something* with Quadi. In the end I opted for a little walk down the road and back in-hand. No boots for him, we had to take our time but he didn't look lame. Just like he needed boots in front. Good to know, and his back feet were fine.

That's it, that's all I could do. My get up and go has f**ked off and left me!

Stretchy ponies

Today's forecast was for rain. My plan was to move the boys' grazing area and get all my chores done before working The Terrible Twosome.

With only a couple of toddler tantrums, I got the fencing moved. The have a whole new area in the middle of the field now. Whilst I was busy unknotting myself from the fence tape, Quadi was furiously chesting the fencing in the next field, and then kicking out at it. Don't think he was too thrilled about being stood out, grumpy hippo!

Fencing really sapped my energy so when I brought them in, and after the usual doorway difficulties, I stuck to a groom and a fuss for each. I also did stretches for treats with both. Quadi was good as can be expected, obviously obsessive about the food but he is learning when I say 'manners' to turn his head away. I would rather he wasn't so obsessed but at least he is starting to learn to control himself. He did really well, and even managed to bow without me guiding him. I find it really good for stretching the whole of his back. Can't hold himself together with a rider on him right now, but can bow(!) Ah well, at least he's good for something...

Fin also enjoyed sweeties although it's not something he normally gets. He didn't really need to do stretches as such, he's a super-stretchy rubber ball of a pony!

I had the appointment this afternoon so had to leave before I'd have liked to. And the rain is teeming down now, hope the boys aren't soaked tomorrow. The part of the field they're in has little shelter apart from a dip in the ground.

Hacking is on the cards tomorrow, fingers crossed!

Wasted day

I have an uproar of a hangover today, only starting to feel hoomin now so the boys were ministered to in the field. Quick feeds, some hay out (they are running out of grass and I'll be moving them to a new patch tomorrow), top up water, check them over and that's all I could manage!

Of course, today was glorious and tomorrow the forecast is dire. Silly me for drinking!

Yesterday we had a shottie of ride and lead again. Fin wasn't great about standing but Quadi body-blocked him on one side and I stopped him on the other. We managed just fine. I also found it a lot easier to slow Fin's walk a bit, not that I wanted to interfere with his tempo too much, but Quadi had issues trying to keep up and I didn't want to keep having to gee him along. I used a long lead rope over a lunge line so that there was no option but to keep them side-by-side.

Had a nice day, they were both much more sensible apart from the usual issues getting in and out of the stables. Better than the previous day, but I have a bruised foot and ankle thanks to Quadi squishing it on his way in, he is a lump!

Snap!

The mess that greeted me yesterday! I spent a lot of today's poo-picking time replacing the divots they'd hoiked from the ground. Actually, they were more like sods of turf!

The soles of Quadi's hinds look false, and because they seem to cope fine unshod, I booted him up and took him out for a long-rein. Sadly I made the mistake of just putting him in his headcollar and used an old set of long reins (not mine, I've never owned any!) so that I didn't have two reins to contend with. This affected steering greatly. He tried to turn round a few times on the way off the yard and also just after we set off. Only to the left. He got a smacked bum the second time around, he was being a bugger. Whilst I wasn't helping in that I was getting stressed, he knows this stuff inside out and I have to insist he does as asked as I'm fed up being pushed around by these two. They're big, boisterous lads.

He was a little 'up' for part of the walk, I hate to see this because it places his whole physique in the worst frame for the health of his back. By the end he was nice and long and low. I should also have used the roller because when he goes low in front I have a job to stop the reins getting tangled in his forelegs! Next time, bridle and roller.

Fin also got a skelp for jigging at the mounting block. I think in both cases I should have saw what was going to happen and tried to deal with the issue but in Fin's case he was getting hysterical about something he knows very well how to do. I felt as if I was in a good frame of mind, I was wondering if I was causing them to be like this? I think ultimately these things happen because of the handler but the handler has to realise what they're doing wrong?

Anyway, I hopped up, Fin jigged backwards in the yard, then forwards over the front lawn (oops!) but we were off. I managed to get him settled to a walk and tried to ensure I was relaxed. We had a lovely hack except that Fin doesn't like mud or puddles and if he has to go through either he speeds up, and forgets that there's a rider up top whose knees get wiped off of trees! Methinks he needs to do some hunting!

Quadi was better about being left alone than Fin was, and Fin had a small fit about going back into his stable. I dunno, perhaps he and I just don't click? I'm sure he'll be pleased when Kate is home. He has some flaky skin patches on his neck and Quadi has a touch of mud fever high up on his hinds, so will have to get some cream for them both.

Ho hum. I had a good day with them apart from my short fuse...aren't I lucky that horses are very forgiving?

Shouldn't have ridden

I am trying in vain to stave off some sort of lurgy. Hopefully it's nothing porcine! It started yesterday with sore ears and throat, I was out in cold wind over the weekend and didn't have a tissue so spent a lot of time sniffing. Hardly a surprise I'm ill!

Today, on the way home hacking Fin, I became 'aware' of my joints being sore. Also, the insides of my thighs and my backside ached too, as if I couldn't bear them to be touching the saddle. I became increasingly sluggish as the afternoon progressed and barely finished poo-picking. I figure I might be feeling worse tomorrow so I had to grit my teeth and get on with it today.

When I arrived today the mares next door had been given access to their other field, lovely long standing hay. This drove the boys up the wall and the mares' owner said they were haring back and forth at full clip. Luckily, they were still in their paddock when I arrived so were not feeling so energetic as to fling themselves over the tape! But I had a sense of humour failure when I saw the field. It looks as if a polo match has been played along one side. It really does go above and beyond their previous handiwork!

Since Quadi felt well enough to do this I decided to see how he looked on the lunge. I approached this with trepidation. I decided I would just give him a quick work around the school in walk and trot to see how the soft surface affected him. If we had to circle I gave him the full width of the school but we stuck to the perimeters of the school. Knackering for me but better for him. He was a little distracted and the surface needs to be levelled but he looked good. No head-nodding, even length of stride, didn't struggle on either rein. And the sand surface was ideal for exfoliating the soles of his hooves. He looked suitably impressed with himself for some one-on-one with me and for doing some work.

Next I tacked up Fin and we went on a hack. I gave Quadi his feed as we left. He didn't finish it so I guess he more distracted by us leaving. He'd pooped a few times but hadn't spun in his stable so hopefully he wasn't too distressed. Better than last time, hopefully we're getting somewhere.

Fin was good but scuttled when we arrived in the forest. I was trying very hard to follow his movement and allow a bigger swinging walk. We had issues about which one of us would dictate velocity, range and bearing! He wasn't bad, but it was harder to relax as my body started hurting. Mr Fin also objected to waiting for a car to cross our path on the way back. I think I'm still advancing my left seatbone as he seems to banana around my leg a lot. It was impossible to correct, I feel like I might need a Portuguese saddle to hold me in place...I'm a little sad that nothing I can do seems to affect a change in this posture but today was not a good day to try too much.

Sufficient to say I was very weary when we arrived back. And it doesn't help when two bully boy ponies express physically their wish to go back to the field immediately, if not sooner. Sick of being headbutted :(

I'm off to curl up in a corner, feeling sorry for myself. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better and not worse :s