Good lad Harvey (though the rug impedes his beauty routine lol lol). He looks to be so happy there rolling!
2023 Hacking and Riding
- Thread starter chunky monkey
- Start date
A post script to my hack from hell. I can barely move my right hand, from all the hanging onto the little twerp. Remind me please why I do this. I'll be lucky to be able to drive tomorrow 
Ah, that's why I do it
the face as I left this morning.
the face as I left this morning.
Mine on the other hand, hates being muddy. All this rain we are having must be giving her a daily showerI was grooming again on Thursday so no time to ride.. Saturday was a nice hack with S and on Sunday a bit of jumping practice as I haven't jumped since early December,
Harvey hates being clean!
Hacking
5 miles
1 hour 30
Schooling
30 minutes
Totals
Hacking
14 miles
4 hours
Schooling
30 minutes
Dry morning, but gusty wind. My confidence has taken quite a knock, so I've decided to have short outings, which atm seem to suit him. He was good throughout, though I felt him winding up a bit on a long trot. He settled well, and we got home with no incidents.
He's got little ears compared to mine. Sometimes it's hard to get the angle that don't look huge.
The usual saying is a photo is just a moment in time.
Let's just say these photos show most of the moments accurately, when the weatherman says it's gonna be dry!!
We went exploring the area you are not allowed to ride. Crossing any wet ditch was a walk in the park because we were already soaked by this point.
Let's just say these photos show most of the moments accurately, when the weatherman says it's gonna be dry!!
We went exploring the area you are not allowed to ride. Crossing any wet ditch was a walk in the park because we were already soaked by this point.
That's a lovely shot of the fur @newforest . Where on the cob is that? (I'm assuming it's not you 
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Trying to keep him in some sort of work. Lovely long hack yesterday with lovely weather. Today I said we must school. Got there, tacked up, it started raining. Never mind, put his waterproof sheet on. Got into school and it was properly raining. Tightened girth and pulled down one stirrup. It started battering down with sleet and very windy. Turned round and went back to stable. He tried to eat his own weight in hay while I grumbled out the window. Brief pause in wether and so back in to school. He was very very good. After 5 mins it started properly raining. We can do this, it’s ok. A couple of minutes later it properly started. Painful icicle rain and wind. So we gave in and came back to stable. At least we rode!
Managed to take the boys out for an inhand walk today. Billy is so forward i feel like i really need to take him out on his own so i can take him further. I took his fly mask off the other week after the snow now its up in the tack room and i was walking him out from the field down the road. Could really have done with it on. Being windy he was having a headshaking day.
Just cant do regular walk outs at the moment, not enough time with the limited daylight. Plus it takes ages to go get them when there down in the very bottom paddocks. In a weeks time they are coming out from the cow rotations as the cows are due to calve and billy will no doubt kill the calves if hes in with them. I dont trust him. Chunky would be fine but Billy is too handy with his legs. So there going in the 2 acre paddock with the 3 calves. Which means they are nearer to get out the field for walkies.
Just cant do regular walk outs at the moment, not enough time with the limited daylight. Plus it takes ages to go get them when there down in the very bottom paddocks. In a weeks time they are coming out from the cow rotations as the cows are due to calve and billy will no doubt kill the calves if hes in with them. I dont trust him. Chunky would be fine but Billy is too handy with his legs. So there going in the 2 acre paddock with the 3 calves. Which means they are nearer to get out the field for walkies.
Woke up to SUNSHINE! So persuaded Steve to do the morning dog walk while Sid and I went out with Uta and Finn.
Sid was his usual lovely self. I've had him 2 years at the end of March, and we are right used to each other now. He eats his haynet while I brush him and do his mallenders and tack him up, and he stops eating for just long enough to get his bridle on, but the moment I pick up the reins to go his ears snap forward and we're off. Good to mount, I can even do his girth up a hole when on board these days. Solid on the road, a huge tractor and clanky trailer squoze past us today while we were in a very small lay-by and all he did was prick his ears and try to sniff the trailer and follow it!
Out onto the heath, lovely bright day with a sharp cold wind, walk trot and some nice fast canters. I thought we would do two jumpies in the little jumping ring today. He trotted the first, cantered up to the second, realised as he took off that there was an ENORMOUS puddle on the landing side but still jumped, just skewed to the left because he didn't want to land in the water. I could feel what he was doing and just went with him. His canter as he approaches a jump is gorgeous, all springy and energetic.
Lots of strolling along on the buckle chatting to Uta, he made the day of 3 toddlers and 1 Bernese mountain dog, then back home down the lane. He follows me up to the gate, stands by the tack room untied while I untack him and collect his breakfast, and then he gets to eat while I give his belly a jolly good scratch.
We are made for each other. What a true pleasure horse.
Sid was his usual lovely self. I've had him 2 years at the end of March, and we are right used to each other now. He eats his haynet while I brush him and do his mallenders and tack him up, and he stops eating for just long enough to get his bridle on, but the moment I pick up the reins to go his ears snap forward and we're off. Good to mount, I can even do his girth up a hole when on board these days. Solid on the road, a huge tractor and clanky trailer squoze past us today while we were in a very small lay-by and all he did was prick his ears and try to sniff the trailer and follow it!
Out onto the heath, lovely bright day with a sharp cold wind, walk trot and some nice fast canters. I thought we would do two jumpies in the little jumping ring today. He trotted the first, cantered up to the second, realised as he took off that there was an ENORMOUS puddle on the landing side but still jumped, just skewed to the left because he didn't want to land in the water. I could feel what he was doing and just went with him. His canter as he approaches a jump is gorgeous, all springy and energetic.
Lots of strolling along on the buckle chatting to Uta, he made the day of 3 toddlers and 1 Bernese mountain dog, then back home down the lane. He follows me up to the gate, stands by the tack room untied while I untack him and collect his breakfast, and then he gets to eat while I give his belly a jolly good scratch.
We are made for each other. What a true pleasure horse.
Wow can't believe you've had him two years. I don't know why but I thought you'd only been together a really short time. He sounds wonderful.
Well i did a longer in hand walk with both today. We all went up across the top of the hill and back down. We havent been up there for nearly a year. Course Chunky put in a few objections going up the hill, not being arsy just one very unfit arthritic old man. Coming back down i just let him go and he pottled back down the step rocky track. Such a good boy.
Omg you really wouldnt think billy is chronic lame. I had serious trouble leading him. He dragged me and chunky up that hill. It was slippy so i had to watch he didnt stand on my feet as i was sliding around, and coming back down flippin heck my feet on the stones were very much in danger of getting crushed. I swear if id have let him go hed of galloped down the rocky track home.
My arms are sure going to ache tomorrow. I am seriously considering putting his tack back on if he keeps being this forward. I think im safer on board than being on the ground. Maybe i should consider bridling him to walk him out. Maybe id have more control. A headcollar just isnt cutting it right now.
Omg you really wouldnt think billy is chronic lame. I had serious trouble leading him. He dragged me and chunky up that hill. It was slippy so i had to watch he didnt stand on my feet as i was sliding around, and coming back down flippin heck my feet on the stones were very much in danger of getting crushed. I swear if id have let him go hed of galloped down the rocky track home.
My arms are sure going to ache tomorrow. I am seriously considering putting his tack back on if he keeps being this forward. I think im safer on board than being on the ground. Maybe i should consider bridling him to walk him out. Maybe id have more control. A headcollar just isnt cutting it right now.
I know what you mean about the lameness. You'd never know Storm was lame some days. Honestly, if she's got a right old Benny on her, she can march, trot on the spot and do some fancy (and often dangerous) moves in hand. I take Storm in a head collar. I had considered a bridle but her teeth are so gammy and I don't know whether it would be fair. It might not be comfy for her.
Ok that's a new one on me. Rhyming slang, but Benny who? Benny Hill... thrill? Benny and the Jets... pets?
Please put me out of my misery....
Benny from Crossroads. Yeah, I know......................(showing my age there). He used to throw wobblers and it became known as throwing a Benny at my school.
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