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!!

Pole work and a solo hack

 ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR !!

Yup today was a day of POLE-WORK the Aim of the lesson was to work on getting Viv to PICK HER FEET UP, use her back and gain body awareness. It was also good for Z to work on some straight lines and transitions. And its more fun than flatwork hahaha!

 By the end of the lesson Viv was trying so hard and was so switched on to the game we were playing.

 I am sure she was smiling all the way round! 

We also worked on Z's hands as they tend to creep back and tuck in to her hips when doing poles or jumping so we played a game of touch the ears whilst going over a small jump. This game really helped and we seen a really good improvement by the end of her lesson. 

After a good session. Z took Viv for a little hack around the block herself. I follow but she trots off ahead. She is gaining some independence but its so hard to let your child go off even if it is for only 5 mins it feels like HOURS!! They both had a great time and cantered up the track to meet me after their little loop. Z loves these little hacks, just her and Viv. Its only been the last month I have been allowing her to but she was so desperate to try so we have a nice off road loop she can do. It has one way in, one way out and i'm at that exit! Hahaha! 

 

BUCKET LIST - HORSEY STYLE!

 Looking ahead to the Spring and Summer and thinking of all the 

COOL stuff we can hopefully get up to !!

I thought it would be quite fun to make a bucket list of FUN THINGS. And also a list of Jobs and projects i would like to do over the coming few months. I am ever hopeful for some 

FANTASTIC SUNSHINE'Y' DAYS!

BUCKET LIST (HORSES)

• Picnic ride to the river
• Try archery on horseback
• Trip to the Seaside
• Cross country schooling 
• Jump a course of showjumps (75cm)
• Find a new hack
• More dressage and maybe a score above 60% would be nice and with alot of work well deserved (achievement)
• Do more liberty. BONDING TIME
• Pass my stage 2 CARE exam (will do blog post next on my DREAMS and my AMBITIONS and the journey so far)
• Have weekly lessons
• Join the riding club
• Do more clinics! LEARN, LEARN, LEARN!!
• STUDY LIKE CRAZY (At least 2 hrs a day!)
• Get better at riding and prepare for STAGE 2 RIDE.
• Keep teaching Z 'Get better at lesson plans. Get creative. See results. HAVE FUN!!'
• Start a beginner and get them to Novice stage
• Take Viv to the Durham hydro spa
• Take Viv to the gallops
• Make time for cartooning (I like to draw horse cartoons!)
• BE MINDFUL. ENJOY. BE PRESENT. FEEL IT!!

JOBS

• DEEP SCRUB STABLE
• TAKE RUBBER MATS OUT/CLEAN MATS 
• PAINT STABLE
• CLEAN RUGS 
• BATH VIV 
• CLEAN FEED ROOM
• CLEAN BOOTS 
• CLEAN TACK 

Hack through the woods ~ Such Fun!

 I love it when I have the opportunity to borrow my friends horse. She is an Appoloosa all 17.3/18hh of her!! She is a beaut. A bouncy beaut, but either way a beaut! 

We went for a hack through the woods. Out for about 2 and a half hours in the glorious sunshine which felt like a SPRING DAY! Listening to Z chatting away to Viv and the birds chirping away in the background was like magic. Such special moments, such special memories! 

With the nice weather we have also made time to give Viv a good tail scrub! Her tail was in desperate need of some scrub a dub dubbing with all the mudding hahaha!!! 

Today was cold though BOOHOO! I took Viv for a short hack round the block as i was pushed for time today but BOY DID I WISH I HAD TAKEN MY GLOVES! Frozen fingers on returning home!!