2021 Hacking and Riding

Well the forecast has changed since 5pm and the rain is heading straight for us for middle of the night. It went cloudy at 5, then at 6pm i went out to put the bit of track back up for the boys, we had taken down for hay making and i have now fenced there 2 acres paddock off, so they just have a strip in there as a track through. Billy was helping me running back and forth in protest of me fencing it off. Cue squeals and bucks. What a numpty. The sun came back out would you believe and i got sunburnt in the 2 hours i was out fencing. We had a gorgeous rainbow at 8pm that last for a good hour. The sky was really yellow tonight with the sunset so i took Billy out at 8.30 for a hack up across the top of the hill. It then started to spit a little whilst we were out, the temperature dropped nicely. So it made for a pleasant evening hack. Got back and the heavens really opened for an hour.
 
Had a fabulous play in the newest pen.
The grass has gotten deep
Its similar size to the cavaletti pen.
It was soooo nice and brisk no humidity.
Its not going to last but I'll take what we get of it..

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He was very responsive .
Then I went and did a little online in the
Arena it wasnt dusty.
The sand really gives his hooves a nice
Scrub out.
 
Had a fabulous play in the newest pen.
The grass has gotten deep
Its similar size to the cavaletti pen.
It was soooo nice and brisk no humidity.
Its not going to last but I'll take what we get of it..

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He was very responsive .
Then I went and did a little online in the
Arena it wasnt dusty.
The sand really gives his hooves a nice
Scrub out.
Just thought - how come he doesn't just plant four feet and eat? I could threaten Hogan with a nuclear warhead in there, and he'd still just drop his head and binge.
 
@Doodle92 I understand how frustrating that must be. My old pony Ziggy would settle if you gave him a chance to look at something, but Sid just winds himself up more the more he looks. I have decided to try to ride him past things ASAP in future, and if he really has a melt down get off and lead and get on again when we are past the monster and he has settled.

Last time we rode he spooked at 2 big logs in a gateway. The time BEFORE that he walked between those logs, through a narrow gap, so that I could have a chat with my YO. Go figure.
 
I think it comes down to conditioning the horse. I have lunged chunky for years on grass. There were odd times in the summer if grass was long he'd try to eat but he generally knew lunge rein on, ment work. If he did stick the head down he did get threated with the lunge whip mind.

Its the same as riding out. If you let them steal snacks from the grass verge and hedgerows particularly at this time of year then will constantly try it on. Chunkys new rider let him a few weeks ago, now shes paying the price. When the time is right he will be getting a short sharp no reminder.
 
He is always out there for a while before i play.
I put him out first thing after breakfast and go back and play after at least an hour
Usually more.
It depends on the weather..how quickly its going to get hot and if its humid.

Sometimes during the day if i put him someplace to play its immediate play.
Hes still really good about not stopping to eat.
He is special and I do have a lot of fun at libery but I really need to get back to riding.
Riding the neighborhood is the one thing I really miss from the old house.
You always had someone around and it was a closed double circle. One in and out.
NOT A CUT THRU like this road.
Almost every damn car flying thru has a Massachusetts or Connecticut plate heading from one major road to the other.
So I just don't ride it.
There's a bit of room to go off the sides in a lot of places but there is sooooooo much poison ivy in those areas.
And ugh atv's and dirt bikes flying down ugh..
I had a great relationship w the kids w dirt bikes in the neighborhood they were
Very courteous of us..
But lol one father did say to me one day..
If my kids EVER don't take care when riding around you.... let me know and those dirt bikes will be GONE in the blink of an eye..
All the kids were great we never had problems.
 
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Hmm I don't know I think some of them eat it.
Goats eat it..

I had another great play w Sonny this am in one of the big rd pens.
Then I let him eat outside the csvaletti pen.
I can't put my husband off mowing that spot forever.

Hmm I've only just started this but when I play at liberty I am taking off his fly mask for the play.
Mostly because the photos look better but it does set the tone that we will be doing something.

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Dark and grey today, but not raining. Hogan was good - more forward than last ride. Nice and calm, and some lovely trots. The grass at the barn door is so long now, he got a piece without dipping his head!View attachment 107060View attachment 107061
Hehehe love it when they get a piece and it's hanging out of their mouths - Chloe nearly always comes back up the yard sporting an Ermintrude style strand!
 
Played w Sonny earlier in the csvaletti pen.

It was really windy and started overcast.
The humidity is getting much higher.
I was hoping overcast would stay but more and more sun is breaking out but staying a little milky thankfully not
really intense.

I'm watching him on camera to see when he's ready to be done.
It's going to the ugh 80,s f w humidity going up.
Thunderstorms coming later.
 
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Played w Sonny earlier in the csvaletti pen.

It was really windy and started overcast.
The humidity is getting much higher.
I was hoping overcast would stay but more and more sun is breaking out but staying a little milky thankfully not
really intense.

I'm watching him on camera to see when he's ready to be done.
It's going to the ugh 80,s f w humidity going up.
Thunderstorms coming later.
Hope the storms aren’t too bad.
 
Got out for a ride up across the top this afternoon with the boys. Chunkys little rider was a bit naughty today and i did have to reprimand her. We were on our way out and she kept trotting on in front of me. Billy was a bit lack lustre so i didnt push him. I just asked him to walk quietly which he did. A bit further along the track she got further away from us and out of site. Billy got upset with that and tossed his head in frustration. At which point i had no alternative but to ask him to walk. If id have let him go he would have pulled me and cantered. I kept quiet and said nothing when i caught her up waiting at the gate.

Then on the way home coming up my road. She launches into trot and overtakes a cyclist. Cyclist had headphones in so was startled as she trotted past. I was back a bit behind the cyclist and saw she actually wobbled towards him a bit with chunky as she went past. Poor cyclist nearly fell off as it caused him to wobble to. But then he should not have had his headphones in on a public road. She trotted on 20 metres coming up to the bend in the road, i see one of the neighbours coming up his steep drive with a camper van. It was a bit noisy on the old engine as it is a mega steep drive. She should have stopped and pulled in the layby just befre but no trots on so neighbour had to stop. Ì knew Billy wouldnt tolerate it, sure enough as we got closer he started going sideways. Chunky was being trotted on round the bend in the road so went out of site. Guy turned the engine off as he could see billy was having a hissy, so i got past going sideways.
I calmed billy for a second then he was like where's my mate so then starts head tossing and bouncing, pulling, let me go. I'm like no you will have to walk. Chunky had been pulled up some 200 metres up the road. So when i caught up im afraid i told the girl that she was not to go trotting off like that again. Billy was having a hissy fit and I could have been thrown from the horse. When your riding with company you stay together. Especially when youve been told the horse has issues with large vehicles. I sincerely hope that the reprimand goes home.
 
If one is going to ride with another person, I guess it all needs to be sorted out in advance - rules of the Highway code but also rules for adult/child relationship.

I had a bad experience too. In the days when I had my old share, the RI / YO asked me (riding) accompany a child livery, maybe 12 years old, also riding, up to a meadow where we cantered. The child did not regard me as being in charge and I felt her stye of riding put me at risk by making me scared. Once we were off the tarmac road, I told her to go ahead on her own and I turned home.
I wonder if your child rider actually wanted to trot? Or whether it was the horse's idea heading home?
 
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You were TOTALLY right to reprimand her.

She is young and has to learn the safety aspects .. not just herself..
But others she rides with.

Yes it could have gone badly for you.

Next tone you ride remind her at .
The beginning..

I hate it when people do that ..It doesnt sound like she is a bad kid at all.
You will be a great teacher for her.

It's awful when its adults..THAT SHOULD KNOW BETTER.

I've ridden w people that do that ..
Just take off... especially up hills like out of control wild Indians or running back home.
Im going to go the gait I WANT TO GO
I have heard some screaming of WHOA
and the horse is out of control.
I won't chase after them. It won't help thing's and if they come off I'll pick them up and go catch the horse.
And if you want to RUN HOME.
(That really frosts my a....)
have at it I'm coming back w a calm cool horse.
The worse ever was total screaming But I could not tell if it was help or yippee.
There were screams flying up the hill.
At the top were lots of trees and the busy entrance road into the park.
They were not happy screams of yippee.
I asked her what were you planning on doing if you couldn't stop ...you did know there was the road REALLY CLOSE.

YES.. if I could not stop I was going to steer him towards the trees.

It was dangerous for me when people pulled that kind of crap when I was on
ANDI.
She got very difficult to control but no way was Letting her buy into other peoples riding dictating what we were doing.
It got ugly and I was a rodeo rider sometimes.
 
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I rarely hacked out with anyone when we were yarded for the reason of people not listening to me asking nicely if they'd not canter or decide to do a fast trot and just bugger off into the sunset! One time when we hadn't had J long and we were out with Storm, OH shouted to some teenagers from our yard that had caught up with us, to please take it slowly (we were all headed for home) but no, they shot past laughing and yelling and of course J being a very unsettled at that point tb took great exception and thought he was running in the 2.30 from Cheltenham! Very silly and annoying and dangerous. Storm was not happy either and I got off that time (well we both did) with jelly legs.
 
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