And we’re there...

[Jessey]

He’s definitely happier with the trailer, I had to ask him to wait before loading so I didn’t get run over and he all but ran on when asked.

Jess had stayed out in the field and was yelling for him and he didn’t fuss, the first 10 minutes he didn’t move at all, just ate his dinner and waited.

Then a little bit of shuffling but only because he was having a nosey around. And waited patiently while I untied and took the breach bar down until I asked him to back half way, and back on and off

 

[Skib]

You are so clever with them. I love the way you do things.

 

[Jessey]

He’s been showing his plush velvet coat a lot recently

He’s not that bum high, just a bad camera angle and on a tiny slope!

Quick hack, and he was very good when a moped came down the drove towards us just as we were going past the building site where the tarps on the fence are still billowing at us, though he wants to stop and chat with every person we see

Then another trailer session, he’s keen, I had to back him off so I could get out after putting his bucket in and he went on like a flash when offered. Quiet as a mouse eating his tea, then patiently waiting, i felt happy enough to walk away to give Jess a treat. Then I started the truck and moved a couple of feet without a murmur from him. No fuss to open and undo everything but a little keen to back out but with a ’not yet’ he immediately took the stolen step back forward and waited until asked. I’m really happy with the progress

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

He is coming on great. What is it that happens to his coat that makes him look like that?

 

[Jessey]

He is coming on great. What is it that happens to his coat that makes him look like that?

Plush or crushed velvet is what I’ve always known it as, I don’t know what causes it. He’s not hot or sweaty, it’s just the coat lays in different directions, but not always.
ETA Google didn’t have any answers, HCV the vets seemed to think a normal genetic variation but even they weren’t sure!

 

[Jessey]

We had a good ride tonight

They’ve baled the field but left them there for now, but we still had a little play about


On the way home through the estate there was some kind of street party, bbq going and kids everywhere, he was wide eyed but found his brave pants because a tiny toddler wanted to pet his nose, he does love attention!

I moved the trailer into the driveway and we did another session. At first I thought we were going to have trouble, as I put his bucket in the front he went to the side of the ramp (one of his favourite evasions if he’s going to) but when I came off he hopped up and straightened himself up and went in as soon as offered
He ate his tea and waited patiently for 10 minutes he was a little bit anxious and wanted to get off but he waited when asked and did relax. Not helped by Jess screaming bloody murder!

 

[Jessey]

Corking ride today, my friend came over with her mare. Last time we rode together must have been 10 years ago and we’re both on the next generation of horses now.

Monkey can get upset at new horses initially but he took it all in his stride today, they were both champs throughout and L and I got to have a long overdue catch up! I can’t wait to do it again.


A quick pub stop was in order

We almost lost little lexi in the bracken

 

[Jessey]

Trailer practice is slowed by the heat, I couldn’t ride and load in good conscience, the trailer was baking having sat in the sun all day, so I chose a short ride. Glad I did as it was a very pleasant pootle, warm, sunny and breezy apart from one thick bit of woods.

 

[Jessey]

Monkey being his usual self this morning

It wasn’t as hot this evening on the thermometer, 27.5c, but there wasn’t a breath of breeze in the forest and it was stifling!

We had a nice little ride, though it felt like autumn is suddenly approaching

Though perhaps it’s just the bracken drying out all of a sudden but that’s caused 4 forest fires within a couple of miles of home today!

 

[Jessey]

Bit of a funny old ride today, went out to scope out where to hide the picnic for tomorrow’s ride with L&L

Across the river and there was 2 big camps of people in the car parks either side of the level crossing, an rv and several tents at the first, then several rv’s at the second. You’re not meant to camp in the forest (or the car parks), and I don’t begrudge people having a nice time, but the mess! And big groups sitting around drinking make me wary.

Anyway we passed without issue and continued on our merry way, we had some nice canters up the hills and trotted the downhills to the tunnel under the railway

He has to duck and I hang down along the side of his neck! His couple of inches on Jess make it much tighter!

On the other side there was a couple of horses riding 100m or so ahead, he was calm but focused on them and a sneaky log in the grass jumped out at him causing a spook and tipping him over the edge he grew a hand and concertina’d, and bounced sideways and got himself in a pickle about catching the other horses, but couldn’t move forward enough to keep up with them, which compounded the problem. When they turned off down to the river and I told him to keep going straight he screamed and thought about being a plonker, but complied and surprisingly quickly settled.

The rest of the way home was uneventful

And once back in the forest we had a nice long canter (about a mile) and moseyed the last mile along the drove like nothing had happened.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Oooh he does keep you on your toes!

 

[Jessey]

Yeah other horses are still our nemesis, a product of our situation I’m sure, if he’d been on a livery yard with horses coming and going, I think he’d have got over the excitement long ago.

 

[Jessey]

Another lovely ride with L&L today, I dropped a picnic out this morning so we had a pit stop in the forest.

I love this picture that L took, that’s Monkey all over, he’s always so enthusiastically engaged

I’m so happy the horses are happy together, I enjoy riding with them and they’re coming again next weekend, I think it’s going to be a regular thing.

 

[Jessey]

I managed a quick ride on Wednesday evening, monkey was good but the bugs were horrid so we didn’t slow down for any pictures!

Then work was busy so I didn’t get out again until this morning, we were out the gate by 7 so it was still cool and bug free!

No pictures from the stubble field as they’re still working on the power lines up there (didn’t go that way last week as saw them up there), lots of highabs chopping branches meant a quick diversion from where I’d originally planned to go!

It’s finally looking less like spring as the grass is finally drying out!

We were a little unimpressed to find one of our fun narrow twisty paths being logged, it’s the nature of the beast when the forest is a crop but they seem to be doing everywhere this year


Then we get to the end to find they’d closed the track but only from the end we didn’t start at!

From the other side it was clear we weren’t meant to be in there! Oops! But they really should put signs at both ends!

 

[Jessey]

Saddler out today, in 34c and it took 3 hours and 7 rides to (hopefully ) get to the bottom of the minor problems I’ve been having all year! Monkey was so patient

Hayley is great, comes and can instantly see what I’m talking about (front of the saddle drops and goes to the right about 7/8 weeks after she sorts it), last time she came we concluded it must just be old flocking (and the piss poor saddlers of last year) and to get a complete reflock (at the factory by the guy who designed/made it) and start fresh. Again it lasted about the same time before it started again.

So today we ummed and ahhed, but it still wasn’t quite right so we kept tweaking and retrying. It all looked good until I was sat in it (I just had an osteo appointment just in case), but again feeling under the panel from the gullet there was very little flocking, but where can it go!?!? I was just fiddling around high up and noticed the flocking bulging out of the flocking hole! It looks like over the years they’ve stretched/ripped bigger allowing it to pop out when under load a few stitches in each side, another regulate, and it’s not dropping (or bulging out) anymore! Crossing everything it lasts more than 8 weeks this time

 

[Jessey]

Saddle felt good this morning! We had a very pleasant couple of hours, Monkey is in beach donkey mode currently met a double decker face on this morning and he just stood and waited for it to get out of the way so we could turn off the road Then into the forest


Sneaky canter across the high lodge car parks!

And nice long canter across the stubble finally! I nearly videoed it but decided I should probably keep 2 hands on the reins the first time!

Waiting to cross the main road on the way home I heard sirens, just about had time to turn him away and an ambulance flew by doing at least 60mph! He tucked his bum but that was it, he probably wouldn’t have flinched if I’d left him facing it but if he jumped I’d rather it be away from the road!

On the way home down the long hill I hopped off and built a series of small jumps alongside the track, ready for another day then back on for the last couple of miles and some more nice trots and canters through the forest.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Sounds like Heaven!

 

[Jessey]

Beach donkey for the win! lol We went up the hill to my little jumps, he trotted over all bar 1

Then we went down to the river to practice going in away from home (he can be fussy about it) and he barely hesitated. There was a horse on the far bank refusing to cross, a young rider here on holiday with dad on a push bike, so we offered them a tow back across. Monkey was a bit excited to meet them, but kept his cool and took them through and we moseyed on home

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Oh, it feels so good when you and your horse can help someone else and their hore!

 

[Jessey]

I didn’t add Fridays ride! I’d had a really busy day, and it was late so hopped on in shorts for a quick ride, we just did an hour of walk, but it was a pleasant sunny evening!

Saturday and Sunday were manic so no riding and I was so exhausted Monday none then either. Last night I’d planned to but my friend popped into the yard with her 4 month terrier puppy so I opted for puppy cuddles instead!

Tonight we got out again and a nice surprise to find a lot of our forest tracks had been mowed! So lots of canter work tonight, and we had a crack at the jumps again. He only jumped the few bigger ones so I’ll have to go and build the smaller ones up at some point!