Love me love my horse

[Mother Hen]

Hi Storm, it's very fashionable to have gypsy type cobs now! If he is good in every other respect then I would just be very patient as far as his stable is concerned, take care though it would be awful if he hurt himself or you!!

Yes, it was the black shiny one! he looks the part but he can be a bit naughty, there has been quite a lot of pressure on us because, he looks as though he should be able to perform! and then the judges are disappointed when he mis-behaves.

The little Shetland was my daughters first pony she was 6 months old when we got her and Tracey was 18 month's, we have loaned her out to start childrens riding careers, she was broken to drive and used to WHIZZ!! the local Vicar around, also because her breed line was very good she has bred foals for showing ( not by us ). She is now 30 years old, and will possibly start another rider off this summer, the little girl in our adverts, wants to ride my boy but as she is only 3yrs I think she had better start with something smaller!

[storm]

Would have never had guess that the little shetland was 30 she looks very good! Its nice that you have kept your daughters first pony and had her for so long does your daughter still ride? It was through my daughter wanting lessons when she was 5 (nearly 3 years ago) that I got back into horses I had a 14 year break from them and boy did I ache when I started back! Sounds like you are very good at dressage I wouldnt have a clue, I mainly just hack out but have done a couple of little show jumping compitions and a hunter trial. My horse really loves doing sponsored rides too he likes doing the jumps and pretending to be a posh thoughbred to impress the other horses!

[Mother Hen]

Yes, Bonny does look good for her 30yrs, I've got three!!! at that age it must be something I do to them, my old show jumper, who I mentioned in the last post, is still wandering around with the sheep! he is just starting to show his age. Bonny you have met, and Bear who took me to my first national competitions, Hickstead and Morton Morrell, is keeping a horse company just over the lane and looks amazing for his age. Sadly my daughter no longer rides, she had a more natural talent than me but was not quite so brave (mad).
As for being good at dressage? Ha Ha you wouldn't have thought so yesterday had a lesson on my boy he is really starting to respond to sideways, everything was going so well, as he has been in more because of the snow and ice, he usually goes out everyday, he was a bit fresh and there are two indoor schools at the EC where I go, something was going on next door, I think they were loose schooling!! just too much for him to cope with the thunder of horse hooves and the people, were laughing and squealing!
Just as we were going to start the canter part of the lesson Oh dear!!
Bucking bronco! he kicked out and hit the wall, that scared him, I really thought we had got over this he has been so good, managed to finish the lesson, didn't manage to do what we wanted though, at least I managed to sit to them!!
Happy new year.

[storm]

Happy new year to you too! Sound like your lesson was fun!! I broke my little finger being bucked off while cantering through an orchard and had to have it operated on to fix it. It wasnt my horse I was on but a 16.2 irish sports horse it was a long way down! Mine is only 14.2 1/2 and has never bucked did think about rearing once when we went to a jumping clinic as was very excited but soon calmed down. Hope you have a successful 2010 with your dressage!

[Mother Hen]

Hi Storm, hope you had a good New Years eve, I actually managed to stay up, unless you go out it is so difficult to stay awake.
We stayed at home this year, and had a family meal New Years Day, it snowed and was so pretty and Christmasy, I usually put my boys out and the Shetland obviously lives out, she has got a goat shed for shelter, and looks really cute with her haynet, the shed faces south and the sun, is quite warm even at this time of year.
I'm quite excited about 2010, as I have mentioned before I have qualified for Hickstead and a local championship, that is in May and will come around very quickly!
At the moment any competing, that I had entered has been cancelled because of the weather!!

[storm]

Hi Mother Hen how are you coping with the horses in this icy weather? Havent been able to ride for a while now as too hard and slippery on the roads and field, have you been able to ride? Checked long range forcast and supposted to stay freezing till 18th Jan! Hope we dont get the snow they say we will tonight had enough of it now!

[Mother Hen]

Hi Storm, its been very difficult!! I managed a lesson last week in the indoor school down the road, its about a 15 mins hack.
He was a bit fresh though because I hadn't ridden and he had a bit of a bucking fit! a shame as I had stopped this behaviour, so I don't want him to revert back to being naughty.
At the moment I have managed to put him out every day!! yesterday was a bit interesting as it was so frozen, even the puddles in the gateway were so frozen it took his weight!! I will put some used bedding in the gate ways that will help, other than that once he is out the field its ok, I put three rugs on him, as he is clipped but I haven't reclipped him as I thought that would be a bit mean, I have got two lovely light weight duvet type rugs that don't slip when I put his really thick outdoor rug on top, he was really toasty last night when I got him in.
He is a strange creature because with his character you would think he would get upset out in the field but when I go to get him in his not a bit bothered!
As he was a stallion until 5yrs of age I wonder if they ran him out with mares and he stayed out? He was imported from Germany so he is probably used to bad winters more than we are!!
I was talking to the lady that I have my lesson with, and she said how desperate everyone is especially the larger yards, trying to keep the horses exercised and happy. I worked in a yard once in this sort of weather we had 30 horses in!! we put them out in shifts but we had about 6/8 point to point horses that were racing fit!! it was very entertaining we rode them around a very small village because it had been salted and was on a very steep hill so we went up and down until they settled, the weather was so bad that year they air lifted hay to stock that was stuck out in the countryside!!!

[Mother Hen]

Sorry! I have'nt had the time to come on here for a while.
Horse and I have had a busy time and he is going so well!! Mega rosette's placed most times out! He is having a bit of a break at the moment before I clip him and start to think about the Winter campaign!
We have had our moments and he can still throw in a buck just to make sure we are all concentrating even the poor judge!! The canter is really coming on and we are working on counter canter ( cantering on the wrong leg ) this is used to balance them up and is the start to simple changes, or as my Mum calls it skipping!!