New 2026 Hacking / riding thread

[GaryB]

The vet came today and Harvey is doing well - he was an absolute star standing while she picked the scabs off his tail. Four of the five came out cleanly, but the fifth couldn't be completely removed so he may need another op in a year or two. I can start riding him gently now so hopefully a quick spin round the block tomorrow. He shouldn't need another visit now - I'm just going to send progress photos to be checked

I have the bill for the first 2 visits - £2150 , so my bank account is feeling very empty. To be fair though considering 2 people were working on him for 3 hours, plus the laser and the drugs, I don't think that's a bad price.

I've been kept busy - he obviously was swishing his tail after the op and it was full of blood so his whole stable is like this from floor to over my head - I've spent several hours scrubbing it clean and I'm and 3/4 through

Harvey was looking a bit miserable in the field so I went to sit with him. He doesn't really do personal space!

Pink tails are the latest thing

Totals
Schooling
25 minutes

Hacking
246 miles
76 hours 45

 

[newforest]

Got out for a nice ride. Did her favourite route as although she's had a clip it was possibly still a little warm even at 10.30am.
For some reason only known to her she lights up when she sees another in front of her. The solution was to stick her head in a bush and let them carry on as I wouldn't be able to manage her nonsense.
Then she spots a man washing his car. Nothing wrong there, I move her over to give it more room since she's turned into a giraffe and full eyes on stalks. The minx then decides sod it, I need to spin. Fair enough I hop off and put myself between the scary man and hosepipe while she's going sideways and giving it full attention. It was too busy and near the crossroads to be using that as an ideal training opportunity! Hop on and continue in trot on with a few head tosses. She's probably still piddled over the man washing his car.

 

[Trewsers]

The vet came today and Harvey is doing well - he was an absolute star standing while she picked the scabs off his tail. Four of the five came out cleanly, but the fifth couldn't be completely removed so he may need another op in a year of two. I can start riding him gently now so hopefully a quick spin round the block tomorrow. He shouldn't need another visit now - I'm just going to send progress photos to be checked

I have the bill for the first 2 visits - £2150 , so my bank account is feeling very empty. To be fair though considering 2 people were working on him for 3 hours, plus the laser and the drugs, I don't think that's a bad price.

I've been kept busy - he obviously was swishing his tail after the op and it was full of blood so his whole stable id like this from floor to over my head - I've pent several hours scrubbing it clean and I'm and 3/4 through

Harvey was looking a bit miserable in the field so I went to sit with him. He doesn't really do personal space!

Pink tails are the latest thing

Totals
Schooling
25 minutes

Hacking
246 miles
76 hours 45

Aw bless his pink tail!

 

[Trewsers]

After yesterday's very quick potter in the windy field today I had a great time, took my time and it was super! We used the school again and omg she's good - she's much more forward in there and ears pricked and no head tossing. However I like to mix it up and go into the field too as I think its good to just do a bit more each time with her. Our rides are so short! I'm trying to get things a bit longer and more variety. Anyway, today was fab which was just the ticket after last nights GREAT ESCAPE by her. To be succinct; fence broken, waist high grass trodden down, veg patch invaded, banking between neighbours cows and our boundary tested to the limit culminating in a very upset herd of cows with calves chasing Fuzzy back down onto our driveway. And all this at midnight! I didn't think she was going to stop at one point but she did, bless her, I just kept saying whoa as peacefully as I could.
We both lived to tell the tale and then I went back to bed. Good job its light up here nearly all night!

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

No riding this week at all, OH still in hospital, poodle had eye surgery, just too tired. Don't have the energy or patience so best to leave it till Saffy poodle is out of the cone and perhaps OH is out of Edinburgh where he has sat all week, no physio and now moved to a room with two noisy women so I can't even speak to him on the phone as they are so bloody loud all you hear is them and he is too polite to tell them to effing shut up. Somone came in with a broken arm, fell and now has a broken hip as well, shows the level of care....

 

[Trewsers]

No riding this week at all, OH still in hospital, poodle had eye surgery, just too tired. Don't have the energy or patience so best to leave it till Saffy poodle is out of the cone and perhaps OH is out of Edinburgh where he has sat all week, no physio and now moved to a room with two noisy women so I can't even speak to him on the phone as they are so bloody loud all you hear is them and he is too polite to tell them to effing shut up. Somone came in with a broken arm, fell and now has a broken hip as well, shows the level of care....

Aw you've a lot on right now. Your horse will be waiting for you when things get back to normal I'm sure. Sorry your other half is in hospital, its not nice and I hope he gets home soon. Lots of healing vibes coming for him. xxx

 

[Trewsers]

Well I had another lovely ride today, I can't believe my good fortune. Super time in the school, she's great in there and I love the view just as much as the field lol I can see the sea and I can nosey into next doors field and I can see further afield up to my farmer neighbour lol
She is really really well behaved in there too, she doesn't even make a play for the lush bankings! Good girl. (Unless she's hatching a plan to break and enter during the night lol). I have no idea how many hours I've clocked up on her back, but I am grateful for every moment. I expected nothing from her and she's given me so much this past two years. I am lucky. And our weather is really mild and not too windy.

 

[GaryB]

Having been cleared to gently hack Harvey I turned up earlier than usual to avoid the hear only to find him having his morning snooze - he wasn't best impressed to be made to get up to be ridden.
We had a quiet hack around the block even though Harvey was desperate to go for a canter. Same again in Saturday, Sunday was too hot as I have been told to avoid getting him sweaty so he got a day off

Unimpressed!

Hacking
1 hour 20
4 miles

Totals
Schooling
25 minutes

Hacking
250 miles
78 hours 5

 

[Trewsers]

Just a tiny potter today really only to see if her foot was better. She's had a couple of days off, I suspect she'd bruised her foot but today she was bob on. Have ordered her a pair of boots for the front because I don't like seeing her struggle and at night Zi chivvies her up and down on the stones when they come up the yard free ranging. Lovely weather up here, bit dull but I can live with that. Not too hot and not too cold. Breaking out the polo shirts hehehee, so nice to take a few layers off.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

Finally got on board for a very short potter up the lane and back.

 

[Trewsers]

Lovely potter today cut short through the dreaded horse fly. Ugh. Hate hate hate. They are one of the few creatures on this planet I kill without hesitation. Blasted things. I knew there was something up because she's normally forward going in the school and lovely in the field. But today head tossing and then trying to bite her chest. Ugh. Poor lass, I got off and killed two and so she's now borrowing Storm's fly rug. Storm doesn't get paddock time until they come in for a snooze. So hopefully that will work out. Darn those flies! Beastly things.

 

[Trewsers]

Poor Fuzzy is lame, I suspect an abscess, I hopped on and she didn't feel good at all. She had been a tiny bit reluctant earlier on when I picked her feet out but I honestly didn't realise there was something sore. So given her Danilon and poulticed and she will wear the hoof poultice boot overnight. Poor lass. I can sort of see what I think might be an exit hole in the frog very close to the heel bulb. So hoping to see some pus - if she's no better tomorrow will have to ring the vet and see if there's anything else going on. I don't want to keep her in overnight, she doesn't ever stop in, she always free ranges so I don't want her stressing. When Zi had his abscess vet said to let him out so I'm hoping I'm doing the right thing with her.

 

[newforest]

With the heatwave here she's had the week in the paddock just being a horse.
The little clip did stop her overheating though so that's good.
Little explore along the beach. I am learning a few things about the tide times as I haven't paid any attention up until now.
The water is FREEZING though, so I second her not wanting to go near it

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

45 minutes today