2019 Hacking/Riding Thread

[Skib]

Back to the long mac question. Military and Police do ride in long macs or cape and the Queen does too. But her long mac looks very different from mine, Hers looks to be modern proofed cotton. Light in colour.
Mine is presumably heavier, a drizabone, oiled cotton. It isnt a good fit. The straps on mine come too far down my legs so I have to pull them up in order to mount. The same happened with cheaper brands of riding mac worn by staff at my old RS.

Mine is large and waterpoof but the only time I wore it in a real down pour, water came in round my neck and the shoulders of my fleece were wet which doesnt happen with a modern musto jacket. I dont really like riding in it.

Yesterday at Olympia I bought a pair of waterproof chaps which should enable me to ride for longer out in the rain. Most people on our yard seem to have them.

The reason I i didnt have them sooner was ones I bought mail order never fitted. Mine are from a company called Just Chaps and they have different lengths in every waist size.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

Hell of an ice storm yesterday.
I needed ice tread things on my boots to walk and a very small long handled shovel with a pointy nose for support just to walk out ..
Even grassy areas had too much thick ice to walk.

But all the kids were happy and healthy thats what matters

We got coating of snow over the ice and and putting a foot out front and back it seemed to stick onto the ice like flocking
And not be too slippery .. not sliding on top of the ice
In gonna do a short test walk putting goats hay out to see how things are footing wise and if gates have frozen up again.


We are not too too far below freezing
And are aupposed to be sunny and go a littke bit above freezing

I'm hoping to maybe get a bit of gentle play in the grass If SAFETY permits..

I'm already sick of winter and it ugh doesn't officially start til this weekend.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

So that mac is kind of like the oil cloth
Western dusters??.
THEY are really heavy and kind of stiff.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

WOO HOO ON AN AWESOME NOTE
MY "PRE TRIP""
WAS SUCCESSFUL
I can walk without falling and most gates seem yea.....

That goes a long LONG WAY for decent day..
Will it be complete with some play.
Thats unclear but ohhhhie Im off to a good start.

On another good note when the sun comes up its going to be DR Zvigao
Georgous without the 8 feet of snow.
and horrible cold

 

[Skib]

So that mac is kind of like the oil cloth
Western dusters??.
THEY are really heavy and kind of stiff.

Yes. Absolutely. My OH and I were keen on Western History and travelled a lot in USA but I think they were all the rage in UK at the time. In the USA we used to take our normal riding/mountain climbing anoraks Berghaus or Musto.

 

[Huggy]

This talk of Macs and chaps reminds me - I had some waterproof chaps, must see if I can find them. I've cracked the keeping warm and dry bit. I've got a lightweight puffer jacket that I wear under my rain proof loose jacket - I look like two ton tessie, but I'm toasty!

 

[horseandgoatmom]

When it comes to staying warn warm and dry LOOKS DON'T MATTER

 

[Skib]

I had some waterproof chaps, . . .. I've got a lightweight puffer jacket that I wear under my rain proof loose jacket - I look like two ton tessie, but I'm toasty!

I too look terrible. Plus I have a high viz waistcoat over all the rest. But people are always very nice to me out hacking. May be looking two ton Tessy makes one not theatening.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

Sonny unmounted 153.00 hrs
Mounted 31.50 hrs
Andi unmounted 1.75 hrs

One more bitter cold day to get thru.
Wed I did play a little good liberty in his paddock.
The snow and ice did look magical quite pretty.
And had not melted on trees even as of yesterday afternoon with 2 days of lots of sun.
We were 6f yesterday am with wind chills of -14f.
It was horribly cold all day.
Today is starting out close to the same temp wise but we are supposed to go to mid 20s f
and not as bad a deep freeze tonite.
No way could I do any play yesterday.
On good note and its not often good and SNOW are in the SAME sentence for me..
Wed pm we got a heck of a whiteout snow squall that actually adhered to the ice a bit.
Making walking yesterday pretty good and not slippery.
It was sooooo bad that news cameras showed it coming into Providence then totally NOTHING ON CAMERA
It almost looked like the camera went dead but it was just the total whiteout.
I was creepy to see it here thru the windows and really interesting to see from a news weather camera on a big building.

Thankfully it went thru pretty fast and did not drop a huge amount of snow.

Today will still probably not be a play day but after today day and night temps will be a bit better and woo hoo
SEVERAL MORE SUNNY DAYS.
GETTING INTO THE 30'S F WILL SEEM LIKE A HEATWAVE

He was fixated on something Wed am.. I looked and looked I have no idea what it was.



Kinley took advantage of ice and snow making branches lower.
Dead leaves are like potato chips for goats




If you have to have snow and ice it may as well be GEORGOUS



I was careful with play but he was a good boy. You can see at the edge of the fence where the sun got to melt some of the ice


It was pretty thru the window late in the afternoon as the snow squall was heading in

 

[Huggy]

Winter wonderland! As opposed to the wettest I've ever seen the forest since we've lived here. Went out today, as the rain stopped for a few hours, and the lane down to the forest gate was literally a stream. Hogan was a big Jessie about the puddles and mud. I swear he was like a Victorian maiden, lifting up her skirt and tippy toe-ing through it (or round it more often)! Still, nice to get out, and I think he enjoys it too - I swear he thinks he's being abandoned to be a field ornament again, if we don't get out regularly - he gets quite snarky.

 

[Trewsers]

Well. Check me out! I had a quick pootle and managed the beast alone - Mr T is still recovering and just spied on us from the edge of the school. Zi was a gent, apart from nipping me whilst I tacked him up! (It's a gelding thing, he plucks at Mr T too sometimes!). Anyway, I feel quite pleased with myself (and Zi). The school surface was frozen at one end, never seen that before up here. We must have had a colder night last night than I thought. It was after lunch when I was in there and still it had not melted. I even got off on my own lol (Mr T usually helps me down as it's a long way to hop and I still have rotten plantar faciitis lingering). So I didn't hop as such, but I slithered off okay! Yaye. Christmas can begin now!

 

[Huggy]

Well. Check me out! I had a quick pootle and managed the beast alone - Mr T is still recovering and just spied on us from the edge of the school. Zi was a gent, apart from nipping me whilst I tacked him up! (It's a gelding thing, he plucks at Mr T too sometimes!). Anyway, I feel quite pleased with myself (and Zi). The school surface was frozen at one end, never seen that before up here. We must have had a colder night last night than I thought. It was after lunch when I was in there and still it had not melted. I even got off on my own lol (Mr T usually helps me down as it's a long way to hop and I still have rotten plantar faciitis lingering). So I didn't hop as such, but I slithered off okay! Yaye. Christmas can begin now!

Go you! Nice way to start the run into Christmas!

 

[horseandgoatmom]

Woo hoo Awesome....

 

[Huggy]

I took Hogan out this morning, and oh my Lord, he was SO SLOW! He did nothing wrong, but was not listening to my leg, or my taps with the whip, or my voice - it was like riding through treacle. When we got back, I lost it with him - he wouldn't stand to get his tack off, and I really yelled at him, which I've never done before. I felt terrible - he was terrified, which is so out of character for him. It took me 10 minutes to get him to let me near him - it was awful. I can only think something happened in his past, and me shouting triggered it. I lose my rag generally about once a year, and I feel rotten that I did it with him. Luckily my grovelling worked, and he's now forgiven me.

 

[GaryB]

I don't think it will hurt him. My old share horse used to sulk for about an hour if he was shouted at

 

[horseandgoatmom]

Ohhh poor huggy and poor you as well.
It does sound terrible for both of you.
I'm glad he has forgiven you.

There has been no play here its been too slippery and it took til Sunday for the ice to start to fall out of the trees.
Yesterday warmed up there was some melting some grassy areas cleared but lots of areas and the driveway actually worse with the bit of melting.
It stayed above freezing most of the night so im hoping dawn brings a nice change
When i go out.

The turkeys went sauntering thru yesterday afternoon. Its been a few days since I had seen them.

I've still heard occasional shots out in the woods very early in the morning.
Just saw on the news 2 deer poachers were caught not all that far from here ..
Up on the other side of a main road
Saturday and 4 more ran off but a new K9 dog found their weapons hidden under the snow and leaves.
Sadly I bet they may have been closer over this way during last week when I was hearing shots.

 

[GaryB]

Sorry no photos this week
Saturday was a visit to my friend Becky to hack with her ex racer. We are ready to go a bit further now but were constrained by the daylight. We did have a nioce canter though which all went well (you never know whats going to happen with an ex racer!)

Sunday was a rush as I had to muck out, do my foster ponies and ride before leaving at 12 to watch YO show jumping. I had a hurried 20 minutes in the school

Hacking
1 hour 15
4.5 miles

schooling
20 minutes

Totals
Schooling
39 hours 10

Hacking
328 miles
88 hours 35

 

[Huggy]

I don't think it will hurt him. My old share horse used to sulk for about an hour if he was shouted at

Thank you - I needed to hear that!!

 

[Huggy]

Well Hogan redeemed himself royally today. Brought all the grandchildren up, meaning to have a little ride out, but it was incredibly windy, and I felt it safer to stay in the yard. Attached a bit of tinsel, and the moment a child was on his back, he went into good boy mode. The littlest one just sat on him, and he stood like a rock, then walked up and down the yardtrack like a right little school master with each of the older ones on him. Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[Trewsers]

I took Hogan out this morning, and oh my Lord, he was SO SLOW! He did nothing wrong, but was not listening to my leg, or my taps with the whip, or my voice - it was like riding through treacle. When we got back, I lost it with him - he wouldn't stand to get his tack off, and I really yelled at him, which I've never done before. I felt terrible - he was terrified, which is so out of character for him. It took me 10 minutes to get him to let me near him - it was awful. I can only think something happened in his past, and me shouting triggered it. I lose my rag generally about once a year, and I feel rotten that I did it with him. Luckily my grovelling worked, and he's now forgiven me.

Oh don't worry - I used to have to read madam the riot act years ago. Boy did she deserve it sometimes! It was often the only thing that quietened her down and put her in place. Honestly, don't worry, it's not your fault if something did happen before you got him. You didn't do it for no reason!