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farrierlover
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
606 Posts |
 Posted - 26/02/2010 : 10:36:43 AM
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And we all emerge blinded into the light! It would appear that everyone is crawling out of whatever holes we have been hiding in all winter.. I for one am so sick of bad weather and mud it's not even funny!
Also appear to have put on an exceptional amount of weight  which is being slowly lost (I hope) by trudging through the mud and up the hills several times daily. How are everyone's horses doing? I have acquired a couple of newbies and sold a couple of the old ones- the cute little tb mare has gone to a fab home in Kent where I keep in touch regularly and the big black one who hates cattle has gone to a home where there is no livestock of any kind! I got a great 14.1 pony in part exchange for her who I now have to sell as the people I intended her for have changed their minds and a 6yo tb mare who came from a local dealer.
The tb mare was bought from a sale in November or so and had a foal at foot which was sold separately and she was taken to the dealers yard to be broken in and stuff  poor pet, I bet she was frantic.
Anyway, I was told about her last week and told she was quite cheap so I went up to have a look and decided I should have her. I have her on trial at the moment to see if I can turn her around, she is so thin and scared it breaks my heart. I know I've turned into a bunny hugger now but I don't think I can possibly send her back! I will have to re-negotiate the price though as she will take at least 1 or 2 months to get her looking good. She discovered carrots yesterday so at least she knows that I come with tasty gifts now!
I am taking up everyone's time now so I'll go away but I thought it would be nice to hear how everyone has got on over the yucky winter!
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forester
Senior Member
United Kingdom
88 Posts |
Posted - 26/02/2010 : 12:51:02 PM
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| Well, I lease my own fields but it is only a 10 month lease so they have to be off them during December and January. I found a lovely brand-new livery yard five minutes from work so took them there. I was the only livery, it was great, the ground drains so no mud (fancy that!), self-filling troughs and I stabled two of them at night. However, went "home" at the very end of January and all it has done since then is rain. The field became hock-deep in mud within a week and I've never seen it so wet. The local frogs love it and have laid record breaking amounts of spawn in the ponds (aka floods)! I've just had to spend a load of money that I haven't really gor on further supplies of hay and there's no end in sight to the rain, going by the forecasts. That's the reason that two MUST go this year, I can't do any more wet winters, I'm too old!!! |
Edited by - forester on 26/02/2010 12:52:13 PM |
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juliah
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
415 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 11:16:18 AM
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Hi there FR, long time no speak, i havent been on here much lately either, nice to catch up and see what everyone has been doing over winter, Yes, I have been hating the wet weather and winter too, at the moment, feels like all I have done for the last 3 months is muck out and scrape off mud, very little riding, what with rain, ice, snow and everything!.........but the light is at the end of the tunnel now, was just lovely out at our yard at 6.30 this morning and am really looking forward to the spring/summer this year. your 14.1 project sounds like fun. think i may be looking for something that size next year for my daughter to replace her current 13.1hh pony, as she is growing fast ! LOL but she should get a good year out of him yet and longer if we are lucky !
My aim this year is to try to do a one day event, I have always wanted to try eventing ( little horse is a superstar and loves the jumping) but it is so expensive !! I found an advert for BE80 training day which is a day ticket at much reduced rates, sort of BE eventing taster day !!! and there is a local one up the road called "Little Mattingley" in August, which would be perfect, have to work on the dressage though LOL., so I am going to give it a try .............scarey.....any helpful advice appreciated.............. |
        img]http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa137/juliah1234/?action=view¤t=Monty3.jpg |
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Bucked_Off
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
239 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 3:59:59 PM
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Juliah - I went up to Little Mattingley last year to have a nosey and for myself and the other half to get an eye in for some photography skills lol
I must say it was a lovely xc course and nothing I wouldn't of had a go at myself even on a novice horse!
Only tip would be make sure ur horse is fit enough to cope with a whole day out and the three disaplines otherwise enjoy and have fun ... I agree though it is scarey how expensive competing is now esp eventing. The training day sounds like a great idea.
As for me I'm just dodging rain, snow and praying for warmer weather to stop the school from freezing so not alot of riding been done :-( Fingers crossed it will change soon and we can all enjoy the horses that little bit more! |
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juliah
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
415 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2010 : 09:43:51 AM
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Hi BO, thank you for that, sounds like it is a nice course to try then! we have done a few open HT classes last year at Wellington Riding and Hall place etc and he coped fine, he is a little star when it comes to jumping, just need to improve the flatwork to get a better dressage score ...( nice obedient little horse but needs to come rounder is mostly what i get on my scoresheets!!!! )all my fault i am sure !!!
Yes, I think getting him fit enough to cope with the whole day will be my main aim and me too of course...LOL ...
yes, I can't wait for less mucking out and more riding, long summer evenings.etc..etc..... |
img]http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa137/juliah1234/?action=view¤t=Monty3.jpg |
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Mother Bear
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
864 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2010 : 2:33:28 PM
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Oo that looks great Juliah! looks like you're going to make the most of your summer. I agree re: Mattingley; I've been as a spectator and it was very appealing! Would like to do it myself, but I just don't have the time to put into dressage/sj/XC. I have to content myself with hacking and hunting 
Well, in December, Bear and I moved on from MM's place, to a lovely DIY yard just outside Alton, where I live. I haven't been back to visit MM with all the weather etc, but I'm sure we'll be hacking back over to say hi when the weather's warmer and we all come out of our winter shells!! Just after we moved, we had THE SNOW, at which point I was very grateful that Bear was within trudging distance from home 
Bear has stayed fit and well since his prolonged period out of work from Feb to May last year, when it would appear he did a hooley in the field after the Feb 09 snow, and cricked his back. Had the vet and the physio all looking after him, got paid out by E&L (am I one of the honoured few?!??!?) did my bit to lose some weight and lighten the load on his back  and slowly built back up to normal workload last summer/autumn.
Did some autumn hunting, and been out hunting with the HH roughly every four weeks since, except over the worst weather!! When Bear started hunting, he was very laid back. Now he just wants to GO!! And whereas our variety of paces used to be trot...trot.... and er....trot (clue's in the breed: French Trotter), now if I dare to put my leg on, I get: " whoopee, did you say CANTER...ooh yes, canter canter pleeeeeeasseee!!". So now we're rather good at walk to canter, not so good at the old walk to trot! He is, you could say, rather keen and feeling well. And he will jump anything out hunting (gave the whipper in a lead over a tricky one last time, after his horse had refused three times )
We're off again this w/e and hopefully the last meet of the season on the 20th. Then I might have to knuckle down and take advantage of the outdoor school at my disposal, which I have thus far made little use of. Actually, we did have our first formal lesson a couple of weeks ago. Cue lots of cantering on the spot and `he's very forward, isn't he'. Honestly, I've got that many bad habits, I don't know where to start: key one being gripping with my knees, keeping the stirrup nearer my toes, rather than on the ball of my foot, and sticking my lower leg forwards. Hmmmm. Maybe that should be my project - to try and get myself in a better position this summer
Nice to see what everyone's up to! |
Mother Bear |
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juliah
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
415 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 11:26:31 AM
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| Hi MB, great to hear Bear is in good health, after your worries over him last year ! sounds as if he is enjoying his hunting...LOL and looks after you very well , which is great too ! so nice to catch up and see what everyone is up to, has been very quiet on here last few months, your new yard sounds nice, very convenient and nice to have a school at your disposal when you need it. LOL your bad habits sound like mine, i think I forget use my seat or to put my leg on a lot of the time and get told to kick on when i thought i was already...!!! i reckon the lower leg forward one comes from what i call "defensive riding", i.e sit back and dont let the bu**ger buck me off...LOL |
img]http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa137/juliah1234/?action=view¤t=Monty3.jpg |
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Mother Bear
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
864 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 12:28:36 PM
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Hi Juliah. How funny you have similar bad habits and think they have evolved from defensive riding. That is my theory too! I know there's no excuse, but I have ridden some right b*ggers in the past where anything beyond staying on is a bonus So while I don't need the technique now as Bear is a good boy really, they are hard habits to break! not all bad though - I haven't fallen off him yet and I'll have owned him 3 years in September
As they say, pride comes before a fall - uh oh |
Mother Bear |
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juliah
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
415 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 12:56:05 PM
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| LOL..yes me too, had my share of difficult hand me down, horses that no one else wanted in the past!! even my lovely boy now, Monte, fly bucks very big at times and drops his head right down, which is a bit disconcerting.....so, i am always trying to be prepared, although unlike you have come off a few times, I am afraid, so guess I don't have much pride left now...just as well really. still striving to improve my position and ride with my seat.......strange isn't it how riding seems to be one of the few activities where you constantly beat yourself up and think you are not good enough , no matter how much you have improved....and.we do it for fun!..... |
img]http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa137/juliah1234/?action=view¤t=Monty3.jpg |
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Millymops
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1397 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2010 : 10:31:46 AM
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| Hi Everyone - it has been very quiet hasn't it !! Loely to hear from you all - well we have had a fairly good winter - naffed off with all the horrible weather but still! had my colt a year now who is a lovely boy and very cuddly and loving (until a mare shows up lol) Had a rough couple of weeks with Seamus a while back - just loads of bad luck but things have picked up again thankfully! came 10th at Addington Regionals in the Medium Restricted, so very pleased with him. Done really well in the Petplan Area Festivals came 4th out of 33 in the medium and have earnt ourselves wild card for The Nationals in April !!!!! so excited really needed something good to happen and it has yay ! |
   
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n/a
deleted
230 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2010 : 4:41:36 PM
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Good morning!
