Every day better

 Viv is looking so much better. She trotted sound Saturday! We are literally over the moon, it has been so worrying as with her being an older mare (shhh dont tell her i said that, she still thinks she is 8!!) We worried she might not come sound again. She has hock arthritis but she manages best when in regular work with a mixture of many things to keep her supple and sound. After her fall she was stiff as a board and it affected her whole body as Sarah discovered. However after her massage. Her gentle walks inhand and field rest she has trotted up lovely for us. HAPPY HORSE. HAPPY OWNERS!! 

Poor viv had a fall

Viv had a fall on the yard, she slipped trying to get away from another horse and the way she slipped meant she went down, her back legs under her! She was very stiff! Thankfully nothing broken!

She has had a few days rest in her field and has had a massage off the massage lady who comes out to her routinely. She was so kind to fit Viv in as an emergency and I am so thankful as she has made a huge difference to her! Shes Amazing.I have booked her again as part of vivs recuperation. She has magic hands and is so honest and professional. If you live in the North East England area her name is Sarah Bramwell and she runs

  Horse harmony equine therapy.

 Viv was lame and couldnt trot. Its been a few days days since her massage and yesterday she trotted up for the first time and although not entirely sound she is at least able to go forwards without dragging her toes and looking in pain. Im hopeful over the next few days we see even more improvements in her. The massage has done her wonders!! Thankyou Sarah.

I have started her on turmeric to go with her linseed. She likes the linseed shes had that all winter BUT the turmeric she is not so keen on and she picks at her dinner so i think i might need to make turmeric treats with apple or something to get it into her and because i feel guilty i have spoiled her menu hahaha!!

The last few days we have just took viv on short walks as instructed to keep her active. We will see how she is at the weekend and if she seems sound we can start to slowly bring her back into work. Until then she is ABSOLUTELY LAPPING UP THE ATTENTION!!!

Easter holidays

 - A week of it all - 
The Easter holidays are here !!

It Has been a fun week. Monday and Tuesday I was able to borrow my friends Appaloosa and take Z on a couple of long hacks through the woods. Monday we did a short loop ( Short loop meaning 2 hrs) Tuesday we did a longer loop and stopped off half way for a picnic. YUM,YUM!!

Monday

My word it was windy. Riding an 18hh Appaloosa i did wonder if i would be blown out of the saddle!! Thankfully i stayed there and as we dopped down into the valley the wind dropped. Although the trees still creaked which freaked Z out a little "Mam will the trees fall down?" Hahaha bless her!!

We had a lovely hack though and a plodge in the river - Horses not us haha, thankfully they happily trundle in. Im sure they smile and seem to love it!

TUESDAY

Best day for the woods! We took a picnic. It was about 18 degrees and bright sunshine. Better still. No wind! We went on a longer loop and took a picnic. We made ourselves tuna panini melts. It was tuna with red pepper, red onion and mayo. Baked in oven with cheese and then wrapped in tin foil MmmmmMmmmm. We also had some biccies, a drink and some crisps. We took carrots for the horses and let them graze while we ate. It was a brilliant day!

Wednesday -

 DAY OFF and a sunbathe for Viv. I had an appointment mid day and then had to do some shopping. I hate food shopping i really do. I much prefer the quiet countryside!

Thursday -

JUMPING!!

Z made a really cool little course and Viv LOVED it. As did my friend on her horse. Viv loves jumping. We try not to do it too often as to sicken her. Usually once or twice a week in spring/summer. Winter maybe couple times a month. She really does love her jumping though!!

Friday -

MY TURN FOR A HACK. BOY WE HAD A BLAST

I took viv on a short hack (About 50 mins) But its only short because there are many many places for a good Zooooom. And viv loves a goood zoom!! I really enjoyed our hack. We had some lovely strolls and blew some cobwebs away on the zoomy parts haha! She could have done it again how fit she is lately!!

SATURDAY - LESSON FOR Z

Z enjoyed a flatwork lesson. She worked on counting strides and then shortening and lengthening them. She did circle spirals in trot and canter 20m down to around 10m and back out again. And even more impressive than that they managed to do trot and canter to halt with a turn on the forehand 90 degrees and then strike off in trot or canter again. Viv really had to use her back and her back legs for this. Z said she felt like viv was going to bronk but realised this was her propelling her body forwards into the upward transition. Really using her back and those hindquarters! 

They are coming on so well. 

SUNDAY -

Just a little play in the arena for Z. She practiced a bit more of what she learned on saturday and just played about with no purpose just ENJOYMENT. We were going to go on a hack but my legs were too tired fom walking back and forth to work and i just wanted to sit on the blue barrel and watch :)

MONDAY ~

My neices came over to see Viv and have a little ride. They have both been dying to come but with lockdown we havent been able to make this happen. They were over the moon to be invited to come Easter Monday. Of course it was one of the coldest days of the Easter holidays so far and we had even had a sprinkling of snow! Thankfully the arena is a bit of a suntrap and it was much warmer down there! 

Viv was a little diamond as they learned how to sit in the saddle. Steer go and stop. We set up a little obsticle course together and they had fun navigating their way round it on the leadrein. They had a lovely time despite it being FREEZING!!

TUESDAY ~ 

Day off. My friends did Viv for us. She had a nice chill day in the field with her pals and I had a study day and enjoyed putting my head in my books. I am studying towards my stage 2 care exam and i have neglected my studies lately so i have been making time to really get back into learning and expanding on my knowledge. I do love learning. And BOY I have so much to learn to get to that dream of coaching!! BUT HARD WORK PAYS OFF and DREAMS ARE THERE TO CHASE. And well Im doing both of those things so fingers crossed in the future i look back on this blog post and SMILE. I will be happy to have MADE IT!!

We still have a few more days left of the school holidays and we are looking forwards to some more adventures. Lets hope it warms back up again! 

As it feels like the middle of winter!!

boing boing boing

 The last couple of days have been hacking but today we did some gridwork. 

SUCH FUN. MANY GIGGLES!!

We have made the most of this dry weather and have fitted in some nice hacks and some schooling sessions after school. Although not quite t-shirt weather the break from multiple layers has been GOOD! I literally am desperate for spring this year!! Winter seems to have gone on forever.

Today i set up a grid for Z and V. After a good warm up and work on light seat we set about a small grid of 4 cross poles. Viv at first couldn't find her striding and basically trashed them. But soon got the hang of it and really sat on her hocks over them. I set them up so it was - fence. 1 stride to fence. then bounce x 3. Going opposite way was bounce x 3 1 stride fence. 

We did it a few times each way. It took a few attempts but viv really tried hard and got her striding right quite quickly. After getting the hang, they both did fab!!

 Z did well with her straightness and impulsion and is getting much better with her jumping position. ALSO - Viv used to rush her fences but these exercises are slowing her down and making her have to think where her feet are. The fences will go up once she is body aware and Z is ready. Until then i have been keeping them low so they can be ridden at trot or canter and easily navigated if things go a little pear shaped. 

They are both doing so well. 

I used to really LOVE tack cleaning !!

 I LOVE MY JOB, I REALLY REALLY DO. 

I Love the horses, the people, the atmosphere, and every single aspect of the job!

I also loved tack cleaning. Until I did half the yard HAHAHA

No, Honestly I did enjoy it. There is something therapeutic about cleaning tack. And also being able to look at such beautiful leather work once all cleaned and oiled! IT TOOK AGES AND AGES THOUGH! But i was so happy to see them smelling and looking fab at the end! The liveries it seemed were happy. Pheeeew!! 

Viv has been enjoying lots of schooling. polework and a bit of JUMPING lately!

Our arena (AKA Flat paddock) has been so dry lately we have been able to ride in it. Viv has been a right little diva and shown us some fantastic bends and legwork! Z has really enjoyed playing in the arena. 

And she has also enjoyed some hacks!

Once lockdown is over we will be able to go and use my works arena again. Thats a nice big juicy arena to play in with a gorgeous bouncy surface and mirrors! 

Until then we are so thankful for our 15m x 35m grass paddock to play about in. Maybe we could add mirrors?? 

Girth hematoma

 Horses they love to keep us on our toes don't they?!! 

So over the weekend Viv had a small lump just behind her girth. We noticed it as we were grooming ready to tack up. It wasn't like a girth gall as it was longer and squidgey. No scab or sore. However the lump got bigger over the week and has came further forward. 

It has turned out to be a hematoma and although not large it is in just the wrong place! It is not causing her any pain. There is no heat, nor a sore or anything to suggest it is an abscess so we are keeping an eye on it. And applying Arnica daily. It is slowly going firmer and smaller but Until its gone there is no saddle!! 

 Z has just pottered in the paddock bareback over the last few days. This I suppose is great for her balance!! She also took her for a short hack and absolutely LOVED IT. She laughed and smiled all the way.

 Z LOVES riding bareback. She has been pottering practicing sitting Viv's very bouncy trot. LOT'S OF GIGGLES. Thankfully no spills yet!!

Im not so keen on bareback. My years of bareback riding are behind me! I'm going to do the lunging and groundwork stuff with Viv while the kids are at school. Just nice bonding time and time to be mindful and present with her.

Will keep you updated on how she gets on. Hopefully we get back out hacking soon !!

Borrowed my friends appaloosa again - Fantastic hack!!

 Yesterday was a fantastic fun filled day because we borrowed my friends horse 'B' again and got out on a nice hack together. It was so funny though because we got to the yard and I was toying between three different hacks and then we ended up on a fourth hahaha!! It was lovely though because Z will be going back to school on Wednesday OFFICIALLY. No more online school, no more 2.30 finishes and straight on our way to the stables. 

We are unsure how we feel about this but we are ready and willing to transition. It has to be done, we need to somehow get back to some sort of normality. As un-normal as it is, which is the hardest part!

It's now going to be all about testing, social distancing, masks and one way systems (among many other things) Rightly so. But still lets remember that these are children they just dont understand. Not like we do. And they have to live it. every day. Cut off socially. Something we all took for granted!

 BUT YESTERDAY there was no online school, because of Year ten and eleven testing days' 

SO NO SCHOOL MEANS FUN TIMES. YIPEEEE . . . 

 . . . . SO we had a FUN day together!  A HACK !!

We brought our OWN horses in for a groom. OMG. HOW MUDDY WERE THEY TODAY!! And we chatted and tacked up and got ourselves ready. It was so cool having a horse each. Well even though Viv will always have a place that is so special in my heart!

THROUGH THE EARS OF B 

18HH APPALOOSA 

We had a great time ~ We were out for about 2 hrs mostly walking and chatting. A few nice trots listening to the hoof beats, and a nice long canter. It was PERFECT!!