Yay! Today, I rode for the first time in a week and a half. (Not counting the time I rode Jasmine's pony inside the barn bareback!). At last there was enough of a thaw to get the horses further than a couple of yards beyond their field gate. All the tracks on the farm have been like an ice rink so I haven't even been able to take him up to the yard to feed him. Fortunately there's a hay barn just by his field gate so I've been feeding in there this week.
They've used so much hay that there's a large empty space in the middle of the barn so on Sunday Jasmine and I rode Catrin around bareback because we were getting withdrawal symptoms from not riding!
Today we tacked up and went out into the front field which was still covered in pristine snow. It was very wet underneath and I was very wary about Santana slipping. Jasmine, meanwhile, doesn't have a care in the world and was off cantering down the straight side. We did follow and had a sedate canter too though. Then we went splashing through the 'lake' on the other side. We only rode for about 15 minutes but it was bliss!
Had enough of snow now, roll on spring.
Showing posts with label Welsh Section D Santana horse jumping training riding horseriding pony. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Welsh Section D Santana horse jumping training riding horseriding pony. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Thursday, 15 January 2009
The Big Freeze
Not much has been happening recently due to the freezing weather and the ground being like concrete. I had a couple of days off work the week before last as well, thinking I could go and do some serious work with Santana. But no, it wasn't to be.
In fact I didn't ride from Sunday right through to Friday when I rode Strawberry, a youngster I've been bringing on. I usually ride her every day so I get worried if she has to stay in for too long as she gets very mischievous and full of herself. I probably shouldn't have ridden as the ground was still very hard. I couldn't get on in the yard, I had to lead her down the track and under the railway tunnel to the front field and get on there, on the grass and then do it all in reverse on the way back.
Of course she was well up for a gallop and buck all round the field, but I managed to stop her doing that, although only just.
Saturday riding club was cancelled as the farm was still in the grip of the freezing temperatures. Santana had to wait until last Sunday before I could ride him. At last the ground had thawed in the Pit, enough to ride on anyway. Trouble is Santana is so unbalanced he was slipping everywhere again as now the ground is wet. Doh!
Tried him out in the field at the front . This was better as he had more grip on the grass. Rode again on Monday and did our circles in the front field. He is still heavy and difficult to turn but I think we started to make some progress. I have also started doing some lateral work with him - turn on the forehand and leg yielding. He's getting the hang of it and hopefully that will help him with his balance.
As he's turned out 24/7 I'm getting him in every day now for a hard feed. He seems to have struck up a friendship with John, the bull, in his field, which means I have to drive into his field to get him and then lead him out of the car window back to the yard. I must take a photo of John one day - he's enormous!
Anyway, its Thursday today so weekend soon, yay!!
In fact I didn't ride from Sunday right through to Friday when I rode Strawberry, a youngster I've been bringing on. I usually ride her every day so I get worried if she has to stay in for too long as she gets very mischievous and full of herself. I probably shouldn't have ridden as the ground was still very hard. I couldn't get on in the yard, I had to lead her down the track and under the railway tunnel to the front field and get on there, on the grass and then do it all in reverse on the way back.
Of course she was well up for a gallop and buck all round the field, but I managed to stop her doing that, although only just.
Saturday riding club was cancelled as the farm was still in the grip of the freezing temperatures. Santana had to wait until last Sunday before I could ride him. At last the ground had thawed in the Pit, enough to ride on anyway. Trouble is Santana is so unbalanced he was slipping everywhere again as now the ground is wet. Doh!
Tried him out in the field at the front . This was better as he had more grip on the grass. Rode again on Monday and did our circles in the front field. He is still heavy and difficult to turn but I think we started to make some progress. I have also started doing some lateral work with him - turn on the forehand and leg yielding. He's getting the hang of it and hopefully that will help him with his balance.
As he's turned out 24/7 I'm getting him in every day now for a hard feed. He seems to have struck up a friendship with John, the bull, in his field, which means I have to drive into his field to get him and then lead him out of the car window back to the yard. I must take a photo of John one day - he's enormous!
Anyway, its Thursday today so weekend soon, yay!!
Sunday, 26 October 2008
Clocks go Back
Another couple of weeks have passed and Santana makes progress all the time. Most of our work is still trotting - large circles, small circles and figures of eight to encourage him to listen to me. We have short bursts of canter when the ground is dry enough for him not to slip. Otherwise we go into the field and have a canter or two along the straight. I've not been working him hard, 20 - 30 minutes at a time is enough. He has a lot of maturing to do so I don't want to make him work too hard at the moment.
Another milestone that we have managed is to canter over the log. He has done a proper jump over it which was lovely. At least I know he can jump. He needs to sort out his legs as he doesn't really know what to do with them at the moment. That will come with practice.
We have been out round the roads a couple of times which has been fine. He doesn't seem to be worried by traffic. We had a scary moment when he spotted something in the nettles beside the farm track and we ended up in the nettles over the other side of the track because I wasn't paying attention. So we went backwards and forwards past the spot several times until he wasn't worried about it any more.
I took his headcollar off in the field today, so he is now naked! I hope he catches next time I go out there!
I must take some more photos.
Another milestone that we have managed is to canter over the log. He has done a proper jump over it which was lovely. At least I know he can jump. He needs to sort out his legs as he doesn't really know what to do with them at the moment. That will come with practice.
We have been out round the roads a couple of times which has been fine. He doesn't seem to be worried by traffic. We had a scary moment when he spotted something in the nettles beside the farm track and we ended up in the nettles over the other side of the track because I wasn't paying attention. So we went backwards and forwards past the spot several times until he wasn't worried about it any more.
I took his headcollar off in the field today, so he is now naked! I hope he catches next time I go out there!
I must take some more photos.
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