I hope!
The other day I was merrily trying to get him to settle to a hand gallop across the stubble.... we got nearly the whole way across when he suddenly went warp speed - I nearly came out the back door - I honestly don't think I've ever felt such acceleration or gone so fast on a horse- hte hedge was coming up MIGHTY fast I can tell you! :-)
This morning I called them down and when I came out with feed buckets, every one was there but Dan.... now Dan is NEVER missing at breakfast time. So had small panic and went up field to find him... he's up there walking around and I can't work out why he isn't coming down.... til I realise he has got UNDER the fence on the track so is now stuck in the island in the middle!
Poor boy, he musta spent most the night there and was MOST cross to be missing breakfast. But on the plus side he had a field of fertilised grass to himself.... so he better not grumble!
As I led him down I realised that although he's 15.2hhish when stationary, when in motion he sinks to about 14.3hh!!! Odd little hoss!
Today we cantered most of the way round the tracks. I've put the grackle on him and its a revelation. He's just lovely in my hand now. And his canter I could ride on forever anyway, so now its even better. I swear he's come up in front in canter since I put it on, or it could be cos he's getting fitter!
Tomorrow we go to ride on Bredon hill for a few hours, then Tuesday he has his first RC lesson (am afraid! haven't been in group lesson for many years!).
Soooo, as I have new rehab project arriving, I'm going to try to merge this blog into Magic's... it might not work but from here on in, all fun stuff happening at Chez Magic will be in Magic's Own Little World blog - whether it is about him, or Dan, about one of the others!!
See you over there sometime.....
http://magicsownlittleworld.blogspot.com/
Saturday, 18 October 2008
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Numero Uno
Well he's currently numero uno as Magic has a month off. Magic stands in the yard like Donkey in Shrek bouncing "Pick me, pick ME" when I come down with tack, whilst Dan looks resigned and gets shirty when I drag him off the haylage!
But goodness me he's put on some weight in the last few weeks. The haylage is doing the job, and the good news is they all got wormed and although Dan is slightly more suspect on stones, he's no where near as obviously worse as he was last winter. Plus his guts coped with the wormer, yey!
So we are off happy hacking and getting fitter.
He's been very good, although will still whip round if the need arises (usually a cow behind a hedge)... but now its a shuffle round and then a halt while he waits for me to turn him back! Very civilised.
Then the other day we met up with another couple of people hacking and joined in for a field or so, before they turned for home and we the other way.... Dan was loving the company - and when they left he thought he might try to join them.... then realised they were going the wrong way and got all het up and frustrated!!! He chose to go home though with minimum persuasion.
He's done galloping on the stubble (very strong indeed!!) and cantering behind on a loose rein. I think thats the time his insecurities come out. If you are alone he is pretty strong in the hand cantering until he settles, and definately when galloping... if you are behind or upsides someone he's perfect and light.
Am tempted to take him hunting but the meets are never when I'm off work.... booo.
But we've got quite a lot of little jumpies and stressage comps coming up, so he might make an eventer by next season... and if he tells me he really doesn't want to be then I might just have to take up endurance!!
But goodness me he's put on some weight in the last few weeks. The haylage is doing the job, and the good news is they all got wormed and although Dan is slightly more suspect on stones, he's no where near as obviously worse as he was last winter. Plus his guts coped with the wormer, yey!
So we are off happy hacking and getting fitter.
He's been very good, although will still whip round if the need arises (usually a cow behind a hedge)... but now its a shuffle round and then a halt while he waits for me to turn him back! Very civilised.
Then the other day we met up with another couple of people hacking and joined in for a field or so, before they turned for home and we the other way.... Dan was loving the company - and when they left he thought he might try to join them.... then realised they were going the wrong way and got all het up and frustrated!!! He chose to go home though with minimum persuasion.
He's done galloping on the stubble (very strong indeed!!) and cantering behind on a loose rein. I think thats the time his insecurities come out. If you are alone he is pretty strong in the hand cantering until he settles, and definately when galloping... if you are behind or upsides someone he's perfect and light.
Am tempted to take him hunting but the meets are never when I'm off work.... booo.
But we've got quite a lot of little jumpies and stressage comps coming up, so he might make an eventer by next season... and if he tells me he really doesn't want to be then I might just have to take up endurance!!
Friday, 12 September 2008
Fabultantastic!
Firstly - holibags -
He was a star. Hardly dropped any weight (phew)... learned how to do hills - really very effectively! Perfected the typical mountain goat status of all my ponies - to the despair of the rider being brushed off on trees and the like! Managed most of the rides barefoot! I did boot for some rides, as we had to much more roadwork and I didn't want to wear his poor wet under worked tootsies off. They were a total pain though. Had to take them off for deep mud etc, but on for the very rocky tracks. The days without were much better and he coped amazingly!
Was not stressed at all (helped that he had Magic with him!) and generally perfect, gentlemanly pimped out pony!
Then yesterday he got slow-mo videod and guess what, he has a fab heel first landing (esp considering his history and lack of back of foot) AND he moves absolutely dead straight all the way up his limbs, theres not a waggle or wobble or snap anywhere!! Clever boy!
After last week you can see the muscle wastage on his off hind quarter, which tallies up with that he sometimes feels weaker in canter on that leg.... but from knee/hock down he is perfect!
:-))
He was a star. Hardly dropped any weight (phew)... learned how to do hills - really very effectively! Perfected the typical mountain goat status of all my ponies - to the despair of the rider being brushed off on trees and the like! Managed most of the rides barefoot! I did boot for some rides, as we had to much more roadwork and I didn't want to wear his poor wet under worked tootsies off. They were a total pain though. Had to take them off for deep mud etc, but on for the very rocky tracks. The days without were much better and he coped amazingly!
Was not stressed at all (helped that he had Magic with him!) and generally perfect, gentlemanly pimped out pony!
Then yesterday he got slow-mo videod and guess what, he has a fab heel first landing (esp considering his history and lack of back of foot) AND he moves absolutely dead straight all the way up his limbs, theres not a waggle or wobble or snap anywhere!! Clever boy!
After last week you can see the muscle wastage on his off hind quarter, which tallies up with that he sometimes feels weaker in canter on that leg.... but from knee/hock down he is perfect!
:-))
Friday, 29 August 2008
Off on our holibags!
Yes, you read that right!
My poor little neglected second string, who has been a once a fortnight happy hacker since I started work - is suddenly going for a weeks holibags!
I'd hummed and harred for a bit as to who to take, and decided on Magic, cos didn't feel I could leave him at home, and it'll help the fitness for the last few events....
And then suddenly we had spare rider with no horse..... cue Dan hastily back into work!!
We've had some fun ride and lead sessions in canter round the field, usually they are perfect, but sometimes they piss off or whip round and tie me in knots!
Have tested the renegades again, but am hoping we won't need them!
Here's hoping he's fit enough!
Lots of piccies no doubt on our return!
My poor little neglected second string, who has been a once a fortnight happy hacker since I started work - is suddenly going for a weeks holibags!
I'd hummed and harred for a bit as to who to take, and decided on Magic, cos didn't feel I could leave him at home, and it'll help the fitness for the last few events....
And then suddenly we had spare rider with no horse..... cue Dan hastily back into work!!
We've had some fun ride and lead sessions in canter round the field, usually they are perfect, but sometimes they piss off or whip round and tie me in knots!
Have tested the renegades again, but am hoping we won't need them!
Here's hoping he's fit enough!
Lots of piccies no doubt on our return!
Thursday, 19 June 2008
My name's Dan and I'm a SHOWJUMPER!
Today was combined training. Prelim 7 and 2'6" SJ.
Got there nice and early so I could jump first (needed to get back to work!).
Got there before the jumps were put up so was able to jump round the clear round whilst it was 2'.
Warmed up beautifully in a small space indoors, alone. Went in to jump and round we trottedid.
Dan's can now do jumping from trot cos Dan's have done it once before :nods: and Dan's only have to do something once and then they can just do it.
Then we came out and wondered about being very pleased with ourselves that our first ever SJ round had gone so well....
Then fences went up and so we pootled round again. He was keener this time to offer canter. He was very good, a small blip at the planks but he made the right decision, then he tried to scuttle past the second part of the double, but came back in when I asked but hit the second bit quite hard. Obviously deadlegged himself as when came back to trot he was hopping. Whoops!
So trotted/walked/trotted a circle to test, feeling came back to his leg and off we went again!
Finished clear apart from the hoppity blip!
Am sooooo proud of how calm and unflappable he was. Proof that softly softly catchee monkey.
Back to trailer for change of gear.
Warmed up beautifully for test. Really using himself now in trot, but canter for some reason was all racehorsey again (and he'd done lovely canter with me off his back in jumpies saddle, grrr!)
Still beautifully calm. Then coloured horse comes into warm up. There were about 8 of us in there and he completely ignores other horses now (back to the once Dan's have done something once thing again!)..... except this coloured was different. Initially he was spooking away from it.
Then after a while he decided he loved it. Perfect timing as I needed to go out to wait for my test, next to go.
He whinnies like an idiot and then does a rear/whip round when I try to take him OUT of the warm up. Can't leave him standing by the arena cos he'll wind up the horse before so make him go and walk round the car park so he winds all the horses in lorries up by screaming the WHOLE time.
Talk about tension for tensions sake!
Anyway, we go in and the trot is pants compared to indoors, all stiff legged and tense and horrid. But the canter was fab! Bit forward, but really really good.
Go figure.
Got pants mark but he deserved it with his whinnying/headtossing malarky!
Overall, gotta love that pony but why couldn't he just do the WHOLE thing tension free?? All that for a coloured cob?
He whinnied most of the way home too, silly boy.
Vidoes to follow...
Got there nice and early so I could jump first (needed to get back to work!).
Got there before the jumps were put up so was able to jump round the clear round whilst it was 2'.
Warmed up beautifully in a small space indoors, alone. Went in to jump and round we trottedid.
Dan's can now do jumping from trot cos Dan's have done it once before :nods: and Dan's only have to do something once and then they can just do it.
Then we came out and wondered about being very pleased with ourselves that our first ever SJ round had gone so well....
Then fences went up and so we pootled round again. He was keener this time to offer canter. He was very good, a small blip at the planks but he made the right decision, then he tried to scuttle past the second part of the double, but came back in when I asked but hit the second bit quite hard. Obviously deadlegged himself as when came back to trot he was hopping. Whoops!
So trotted/walked/trotted a circle to test, feeling came back to his leg and off we went again!
Finished clear apart from the hoppity blip!
Am sooooo proud of how calm and unflappable he was. Proof that softly softly catchee monkey.
Back to trailer for change of gear.
Warmed up beautifully for test. Really using himself now in trot, but canter for some reason was all racehorsey again (and he'd done lovely canter with me off his back in jumpies saddle, grrr!)
Still beautifully calm. Then coloured horse comes into warm up. There were about 8 of us in there and he completely ignores other horses now (back to the once Dan's have done something once thing again!)..... except this coloured was different. Initially he was spooking away from it.
Then after a while he decided he loved it. Perfect timing as I needed to go out to wait for my test, next to go.
He whinnies like an idiot and then does a rear/whip round when I try to take him OUT of the warm up. Can't leave him standing by the arena cos he'll wind up the horse before so make him go and walk round the car park so he winds all the horses in lorries up by screaming the WHOLE time.
Talk about tension for tensions sake!
Anyway, we go in and the trot is pants compared to indoors, all stiff legged and tense and horrid. But the canter was fab! Bit forward, but really really good.
Go figure.
Got pants mark but he deserved it with his whinnying/headtossing malarky!
Overall, gotta love that pony but why couldn't he just do the WHOLE thing tension free?? All that for a coloured cob?
He whinnied most of the way home too, silly boy.
Vidoes to follow...
Sunday
We went happy hacking. Boxed up to do a nice long ride along the ridgeway. Dan was excellent pony and very brave.
Although he is definately claustrophobic as he nearly had the vapours at a TINY set of steps just because we were on a very narrow path overhung by trees.
Bless him.
Lots of roadwork too, and feet have stood up REALLY well, no bruising at all which he would have had a few months ago.
I found out more interesting stuff about Dan - he will now canter behind or upsides another horse beautifully on a nice soft contact.... never bothering to speed up or slow down until asked...... but if you put him in front, its like he has to gallop cos he gets stronger and tries to get faster.... its really funny. I think its all that race training coming back to haunt us.
But in all seriousness I'm just soooo pleased with his mouth. Honestly thought he didn't have one but its lovely. And he's a perfect gent in company. Couldn't ask for more really.
All round :-))
Although he is definately claustrophobic as he nearly had the vapours at a TINY set of steps just because we were on a very narrow path overhung by trees.
Bless him.
Lots of roadwork too, and feet have stood up REALLY well, no bruising at all which he would have had a few months ago.
I found out more interesting stuff about Dan - he will now canter behind or upsides another horse beautifully on a nice soft contact.... never bothering to speed up or slow down until asked...... but if you put him in front, its like he has to gallop cos he gets stronger and tries to get faster.... its really funny. I think its all that race training coming back to haunt us.
But in all seriousness I'm just soooo pleased with his mouth. Honestly thought he didn't have one but its lovely. And he's a perfect gent in company. Couldn't ask for more really.
All round :-))
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