2025 Hacking and Inhand Thread

This is the year I expect AJ to grow up. Hasn't got off to a flying start with the weather and the ground conditions, but that's January for you.

Got to stressless dressage yesterday. We didn't get a very good score, I'm a little bit disappointed tbh because we were MILES better than last time. I am really pleased with him though and that's the main thing.

Last time we went he got so wound up in the warmup with the other horses about that by the time we went in for the test he was an anxious mess and threatening to black my eye with his head shaking. This time my trainer told me to ride him at home before I went so that's what I did. Before we even got in the warmup he'd done 3 dragon snorts and was wild eyed and flared nostrils at all the other HORSES and it wasn't looking good. But despite his anxiety he stood still at the mounting block and once on he felt explosive for 5 minutes then he started to settle rather than get worse. HUGE improvement, I'm so chuffed.

He still wasn't relaxed in the test, but there was no head tossing and his paces were lovely, and transitions 'obedient'. Bless his little cotton socks, he does try.

Here he is looking like the little fluffy baby that he is. Please can I stand near you people away from all these scary horses, please thank you
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Bodshi said:
This is the year I expect AJ to grow up. Hasn't got off to a flying start with the weather and the ground conditions, but that's January for you.

Got to stressless dressage yesterday. We didn't get a very good score, I'm a little bit disappointed tbh because we were MILES better than last time. I am really pleased with him though and that's the main thing.

Last time we went he got so wound up in the warmup with the other horses about that by the time we went in for the test he was an anxious mess and threatening to black my eye with his head shaking. This time my trainer told me to ride him at home before I went so that's what I did. Before we even got in the warmup he'd done 3 dragon snorts and was wild eyed and flared nostrils at all the other HORSES and it wasn't looking good. But despite his anxiety he stood still at the mounting block and once on he felt explosive for 5 minutes then he started to settle rather than get worse. HUGE improvement, I'm so chuffed.

He still wasn't relaxed in the test, but there was no head tossing and his paces were lovely, and transitions 'obedient'. Bless his little cotton socks, he does try.

Here he is looking like the little fluffy baby that he is. Please can I stand near you people away from all these scary horses, please thank you
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So pretty 😍
 
Well, another lovely day here (but that's all changing come Friday allegedly). So I had a nice little potter about in the school, but, I felt a bit like I was waiting for a balloon to pop as we had a field full of greylags at one side and when they take off no matter how many times ours have seen them, they do a spook! The ones in my neighbours field took off all at one when I got to the top end of the school and Fuzzy didn't bother, but, I was feeling nervy about them. So kept it short and sweet and they didn't take off - but admittedly I did keep my distance as far as I could. She was delighted to take me home a bit sooner today hahahaa. But I did marvel at the winter sunshine, it makes me feel so much better - and we are half way through Jan! Yaye. 😁 🪿
 
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Trewsers said:
Well, another lovely day here (but that's all changing come Friday allegedly). So I had a nice little potter about in the school, but, I felt a bit like I was waiting for a balloon to pop as we had a field full of greylags at one side and when they take off no matter how many times ours have seen them, they do a spook! The ones in my neighbours field took off all at one when I got to the top end of the school and Fuzzy didn't bother, but, I was feeling nervy about them. So kept it short and sweet and they didn't take off - but admittedly I did keep my distance as far as I could. She was delighted to take me home a bit sooner today hahahaa. But I did marvel at the winter sunshine, it makes me feel so much better - and we are half way through Jan! Yaye. 😁 🪿
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Oh it sounds amazing where you are. Even the Greylags. What a good girl Fuzzy is ❤️
 
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We went out today. I was going to go in the afternoon, but I was over in the field in the morning and it was bright and sunny, so I called Sid and asked if he wanted to go. He said he was about to have a zizz, but if I really wanted to he was cool. I didn't have to go and fetch him, he came straight over to the corral.

However, he was exceeding dozy and slow, so I think I got more of a workout than him! But we had a few nice canters - no gallops today - and it was lovely to be out in the sunshine. The afternoon was cold and grey so on balance I think U'm glad I went in the morning.
 
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I was very excited to be able to start the week with a hack after all of the recent horrid weather. I had only got about 1/4 mile when I came across a road closed sign. I carried on in the hope that it was passable but sadly it wasn't, so I tried going another way. Only 1/4 mile further I found 3 chaps with chainsaws and a wood chipper in the road so Harvey said we were going back!
The next 2 days were more successful but I didn't go too far as Harvey has done so little recently
On Sunday we went for a play in the school and did a little bit of jumping up to 90cm which Harvey loved.

No photos this week - m hands were too cold!

Hacking
2 hours
7 miles

Schooling
30 mins

Totals
Hacking
3 hours 20
12 miles

Schooling
1 hour 20
 
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I made the most of it today as looking at our weather it's going to be a nasty Friday / Saturday. So hope to do a little potter tomorrow as well. However, we avoided the school today and took to the fields as my neighbour was spreading in the field adjoining the school. And, there were red "snake" pipes being pulled along which this morning the terrible two took great exception toward! So played it safe and opted for the field, wading through the mud at the entrance preferable to facing the red snake monsters in the opposite direction 😁
 
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Do what you can Jan continues. Thursday was a reasonable day so we went for a nice hack round. Friday was the storm with 50+ mpg gusts so I decided it was too dangerous to ride with things blowing around. Saturday was a beautiful day so after lunch outside I made the most of it with a longer hack. Sunday was wet and windy all day - seems like the weather is teasing ATM!

Hacking
8 miles
2 hours 30


Totals
Hacking
5 hours 50
20 miles

Schooling
1 hour 20
 
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Took the cob out for a walk in the sunshine. I was going to ride but felt tired and she had tried to walk off.
I needed to over rule that as we have the farrier tomorrow and I wanted to check what boots we would be needing. 😂
Trimmed up the feathers again so they don't get on the velcro. When she's got the boots on she doesn't look like someone trimmed them with a hack saw.
New gloves, seem much better so far and I didn't get so filthy. Farrier ranch trimming gloves. Let's see how I get on with these. They will live in the boots so I don't go off trimming hedges and trashing them as per the norm, or leaving them in the field.
 
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Took AJ out in the box for a little hack today. First time since well before Christmas. He's so different from Raf, so much braver about a lot of things and he learns so quickly. But he gets so anxious about other things.

Gutted because I took my headcam and it didn't record the bits I really wanted to look back on. One was his first encounter with a narrow pedestrian bridge over quite close, fast flowing water. It took him a few minutes to muster up the courage to put a foot on it the first time, but on the way back he barely hesitated. At 19 Raf STILL snorts and carries on if he has to cross a bridge like that - he does it ok, but he makes no bones about pointing out it is potentially extremely dangerous.

The other time I wanted the footage was when AJ got really anxious - about traffic noise I think. I wanted to show it to my trainer to see if he had any magic ideas to help him with it.

Anyway, it was a pleasant ride and AJ was a little star, mostly 😁
 
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Well "do what you can Jan" is now "boil a pan Jan" as our boiler gave up and we desperately either need it mending or a new one. Cats are cold, I'm cold so yesterday I just couldn't face riding. But today we have sunshine so I hopped on and had a little pootle. She was fab, I felt a bit nervous for some reason, maybe because I was cold and a bit stiff and was feeling a bit ouchy with my chillbains................... :eek: 🤪 Anyway, she was super and for a change I got on actually on the yard rather than the track leading to the school. She got a few polo's afterwards😁
If there are any plumbers on NR that would like to re-locate to Orkney then I can help and encourage you...................lol I'm on my tenth plumber and still nobody to fix it.............................................
 
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Trewsers said:
Well "do what you can Jan" is now "boil a pan Jan" as our boiler gave up and we desperately either need it mending or a new one. Cats are cold, I'm cold so yesterday I just couldn't face riding. But today we have sunshine so I hopped on and had a little pootle. She was fab, I felt a bit nervous for some reason, maybe because I was cold and a bit stiff and was feeling a bit ouchy with my chillbains................... :eek: 🤪 Anyway, she was super and for a change I got on actually on the yard rather than the track leading to the school. She got a few polo's afterwards😁
If there are any plumbers on NR that would like to re-locate to Orkney then I can help and encourage you...................lol I'm on my tenth plumber and still nobody to fix it.............................................
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Oh no. Sending boiler fixing vibes your way. It's rotten being cold. Well done Fuzzy for keeping you going.
 
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We went out in hand today. Honestly I think this is the first time we've been out for a meaningful walk together since my leg was broken. But today I had the energy for it, and it didn't even hurt!

We didn't go far because the main purpose was foraging, which was accomplished. I had him on the long lead rope which enabled me to make reins at the steepest hill and scramble onto his back for a lift up. Oops, no hat. Well, no harm done.

It was lovely to be out with him and I was glad not to have been on his back when he squeezed himself right under a branch to get at some grass. While I waited, I worked on my Sid Foraging poem, which started last year with

Sid thinks that gorse is
For horses.
He also enjoys a bramble
While we amble.

For the new illustrated EP version, hop over to Sid's Diary!
 
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