And we’re there...

[Jessey]

Another great ride he’s definitely getting more consistent and less looky at everything.

A slightly shaky start, I’ve been walking the first 1/4 mile to avoid the planting we got last week and a woman with a spaniel on a flexi lead came onto the drove behind us, she gradually got closer and closer with the lead at full stretch, monkey got worried by it and when she was about 10ft behind he started whipping round. She then got a bit snotty when I turned onto the path she wanted wanting to go in front of me, when I said she’d upset him she snapped at me as she didn’t know how since I knew she was behind me but he’s getting good at settling quickly now which is great.

But once I got on he was foot perfect for the 4.5 mile loop

I don’t think he’ll ever have a walk like Jess had, he’s much slower and less purposeful than her, but his trot and canter are much more forward than even a month ago.

We managed half the drove on the way home but when we got to the building site he planted, not wanting to spoil the fab ride I hopped off and walked him. I’m actually ok with the plant for now, better than the spin and bugger off we were getting! and I’m confident as he matures it will disappear.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

It's a nice stroll, isn't it? I'd be happy with it for now...

 

[Jessey]

It's a nice stroll, isn't it? I'd be happy with it for now...

It’s perfectly fine, after years with Jess’ purposeful walk it just feels underwhelming, but I’m sure it’s a totally normal walk really.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Cally has a nice, free, ground covering walk. His owner (used to big sharp show jumpers) thinks it's slow! I think it's fast. It's a;; context I suppose

 

[Jessey]

Another great ride today, our friends trailered over and he was very excited to see them, all cute, calling to them before they were off the trailer.

Then we went for a nice easy ride (Monkey had osteo yesterday afternoon) and he was really lovely again.


I had to laugh when we got to the pub, he stopped on the lawn and I could do nothing to get him to move, all I wanted was to follow our compadre to the better grass around the back as we’d planned to stop for a quick drink anyway, but he wouldn’t even budge when they went without him. I may possibly have stopped at the pub with him too often I love that he’s getting the hang of these things though.

We even managed the drove on the way home again, we’re definitely making progress in leaps and bounds at the moment.

 

[Jessey]

He’s worked 5 days in the last 7, and has been great. Today was a day off and he was a raving blooming lunatic!
He came galloping down the field bucking when I arrived, nearly crashed into Jess, then went galloping laps around her. He stopped to check for fresh hay then launched off all 4’s 6ft in the air and went cavorting again. He managed to stop long enough to eat his meagre dinner, then off he went again. I dished out hay while dodging his antics. Boy am I glad I wasn’t riding tonight! Bit apprehensive as to what I’ll get tomorrow to sit on

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

With luck he'll have worked it all out. I suppose that's what a good saddle horse does!

 

[Jessey]

It’s been a heck of a week so Monkey hasn’t been ridden since Monday, so I grabbed him out tonight. As we came out of the gate he spooked, spun round, clattering straight over the top of my mounting block, all very dramatic over nothing. I feared it would set the tone for our ride but once on board he was actually a champ.

He did think about refusing to go out but soon gave up, and he was a little looky once out but made nothing of it and felt really solid. He feels like he’s finally getting his job before he’d do it but I always had to really ride every step, but he’s getting that he just needs to get on with it without constant micromanagement from me!

 

[Jessey]

I made a mistake thinking I’d just dose on the sofa for half hour at 4pm, woke up at gone 7! So a late ride tonight but it was lovely as hardly anyone around anywhere.

We managed the drove both ways!

and had a really nice ride in the forest, I can’t get over how his brain is in a much better place, he’s sooooo much more focused.

We had lovely long trots and a couple of canters, then came back on a little wiggly uppy downy path through the trees and trotted most of it, up and down hill, round tight twists and me ducking branches without him breaking pace.

After dinner he was loitering, hoping for another chance at his lick (he gets the mini horselyx after we ride as a treat)

 

[Jessey]

No riding today but, I led all 4 out together this morning, and let the little boys go, followed by Jess, all 3 cantered off down the field and the little guys continued doing excited laps. Niko waited without question, I took him in his paddock and faffed about and he stood perfectly, as soon as I let him go he leapt and squealed and charged around, so he’d obviously been brimming with excitement. I love the horse he’s growing into

 

[Jessey]

I rode Wednesday, just a quick whip around the block and he was good.

Tonight I set off late, He was really good, rode most of the drove, just hopped off for the building site as 3 of the harris panels with tarps on were loose and threatening to blow over in the wind, he led past perfectly.

In the forest there’s barriers to stop vehicle’s getting in, 2 gate posts with a metal bar hung on chains, it drives me nuts that it always seems the end with the gap to get past them, has the bar sticking out. Monkey didn’t bend enough going through a particularly narrow gap tonight and caught my foot on the pole, scared the bejesus out of himself, and did his signature sit and leap, but came back as quick as he went and acted like nothing happened, so it ended well.

We went down to the jumpy dip (an old marl pit with logs all around it) we did 3 laps, walking, then trotting between the logs, then we trotted over a couple and he made a cute effort to jump not really a jump but more than just trotting over.

Each lap included going down the pit and up the other side, weee!

It’s steep on the far side, he cantered up it the last time
Got rewarded for the late ride with lovely light in the forest.

Rode all the way back along the drove, he got a freight next door to the building site, they have removed a lot of their hedge and their lab came bounding over and put his paws on top of the low fence. But again he recovered instantly and carried on like a star

 

[Jessey]

Another corking ride today, I finally feel like he’s enjoying it rather than just doing it because he’s asked


We went down to the river but there was just too much going on, we met a pony and cart on the way down, there was kids running everywhere, including across the wooden bridge we’d have to ride under, loads of paddle boards and kayaks and two more horses the opposite side of the river.
So we went off pieste on our way home.

He chucked in a couple of cheeky canters when he wasn’t asked, but in a fun jovial sort of way
I took advantage of the hose in the new field to give him a bath when we got back, he’s never been hosed before but he didn’t so much as flinch and seemed to quite enjoy it. He of course rolled immediately after, 6 times to ensure the dirt was really ground in

 

[Jessey]

With the heat and work and stuff, Monkey had 5 days off, so I expected a bit of pep today, but he was just like I’d ridden him yesterday
He went through an over reactive phase a couple of months ago, and a few weeks of calmer definitely helped him get through that, and then a few weeks later his big adventure really taught him not to waste energy on silly things. Even when he isn’t happy about something it’s far less dramatic now! He also seems to have given up (frantically touching wood!) on the planting
Perfect weather for it this morning, but we cut it short because even with fly spray and mesh exercise sheet the mozzies were horrific, so we were only out about an hour and a half.

 

[Jessey]

Cracking ride today, I think we were both bored of riding the same patch, so we risked horse fly alley to go somewhere new for Monkey and he really picked up his walk and marched
We have to do the level crossing to get to that bit, just as we arrived the alarm sounded, lights flashed and barriers came down, so Monkey saw his first train! I hopped off just in case but I needn’t have, he just watched it fly by. I then led him over the level crossing as I was off.

There’s some lovely canter worthy tracks but we just trotted them as it’s been a few years since I’ve been up there and wanted to check for any surprises the first time. And we stopped for a snack

Explored a bike trail

And paused to look at the view (one of the few places we get a panoramic view) across Grimes Graves, a Neolithic flint mine

And then we were homeward bound. Monkey baulked at the level crossing on the way back, just didn’t want to step over the tracks, but it didn’t last long and he plucked up courage to go on.

 

[Jessey]

On the way back horse fly alley got us, he screwed himself up and went to fly bucking on the spot, a growl got him walking again and I hopped off to get them off his belly, chest and face, poor kid. He was very grateful. Then back on board we got a wriggle on and cantered the last mile through there to try and prevent any more landing, it kind of worked, but I was able to swat the few that managed it with my whip.
First time I’ve put a proper sweat on him, it only took 8 miles in 25 degrees at a pretty active pace lol
He wasn’t too tired though, after I washed him down, I took hay from the barn round to the shelter to hang it in the shade, he came thundering round bucking and carrying on, couldn’t possibly stop to roll and virtually fell in a heap with excitement at it

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Wow, isn't he coming on!

I love the silver in his mane. Is that usual for a buckskin?

 

[Jessey]

He really has come on in leaps and bounds recently, we’re having fun as well now rather than everything being about learning.

I don’t know if I’m honest, I presume it’s normal, now I’m going to have to find out!

 

[Jessey]

We seem to have the drove cracked, even when the tarp covered harris fence is flapping, good job as my companion took the lead today and took us right past the concert site where they were taking down the stage and gantry with a crane behind what felt like miles of it!
It’s only the 3rd time I’ve ridden Monkey over there and again he was enthusiastic once he realised we weren’t going on another big adventure just yet (we went that way on our last one). The fern tracks were invisible in places, they were so tall (H is about 15.2 or 3) and all wet from last nights rain, but Monkey wasn’t phased.


I think he’s actually happier in the lead now than following, he gets to set the pace then

There’s also few flies over that side which was nice. I’d put a crappy old fly fringe on to see how he was with it and he didn’t mind it at all.

 

[Huggy]

Thankfully I don't need a fly fringe, but the ear bonnet makes a huge difference. He looks delightfully dopey in that last pic!

 

[Jessey]

Just a quick ride tonight, the blooming mozzies were horrific after the recent rain so we trotted and cantered all of it apart from the drove (first and last half mile). I’m debating creating a fringed breast collar, as that’s where they mostly swarm around him
He was good as gold, he’s definitely settled into work now