rowanrachel
Olympic Poster
Life is better when you share it with Horses :-)
Posts: 741
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Post by rowanrachel on Feb 26, 2012 23:46:56 GMT 1
Helenc that's amazing well done you! What an achievement I can't wait till I'm doing things like that with Honey... Feels like a long way off just now.... Serenbean that's rubbish you were working all weekend :-( I've been at stables all weekend but feeling on a bit of a low just now and feel like I've hit a little wall. We had an ok walk in hand through a new field on sat which was good but today she was just soooo spooky from the min I took her in and sometimes I think she just spooks at things to test me.. I was trying to take lots of deep breaths and relax and not react but we tried a little walk just down the drive and it was like we'd taken ten steps back - she was all over the place. I really can't work out whether, when she's like that, she's picking up on things from me, generally scared, or just messing around and looking for me to take control. I also am feeling a bit stressed with lots of bitching and stuff that's being going on with people at the yard and disagreements- but was in such a good mood when I came out today and swore not to let any of it affect my mood with honey.. But maybe it did? Oh well tomorrows another day :-) xx
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rowanrachel
Olympic Poster
Life is better when you share it with Horses :-)
Posts: 741
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Post by rowanrachel on Feb 26, 2012 23:47:49 GMT 1
Ps sorry for the rant :-)
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Post by Serenbean & Justine on Feb 26, 2012 23:54:47 GMT 1
rowanrachel dont be to hard on yourself, we all have days like that and even if we think we are owning out emotions our horses can tell if we are fooling ourselves, they are phsycic don't you know! Have you tried the trick of puttign your feelings/emotions in a bag (can be physical) before you get to the yard?
I was in the car park of ours not sure which day now and was in a plesent mood. Until my car boot decided to drop on my head as I was changing my shoes. and although I was still in a plesent mood my head hurt and I was thinking about that. My girl picked up on me the moment I entered the stable block.
Can't tell you over the last 18-20 months how many times we have taken 1 step forward and 3 steps back X
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helenc
Elementary Poster
Posts: 53
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Post by helenc on Feb 27, 2012 8:32:58 GMT 1
Kidsmum as well as reading through the book again have you put a plan in place with stepping stones as to what you want to achieve? Rowanrachel dont beat yourself up about it. There is a great quote in perfect confidence that goes something like "having problems is not a problem. Expecting otherwise and then having problems is a problem" Go through the experience and put everything that happened into the criteria "something I could have done differently. What can I learn?" "things that were out of my control" and "things that I did well". Always really helps me get some perspective.
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rowanrachel
Olympic Poster
Life is better when you share it with Horses :-)
Posts: 741
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Post by rowanrachel on Feb 28, 2012 0:09:03 GMT 1
Thanks both of you! Was just one of those days I think. I need to keep remembering about the bigger picture I think cos although she was spooky and all over the place... I didn't go home I still walked her round the field, whereas three weeks ago we wouldn't have got out the yard. I need to just keep looking forward and put my positive face on. I do the feeling in a bag thing for work.. But we all say we're tying them to a balloon and watching them float away. Lol. It's hard when you don't think there are any bad feelings in you though :-) but yes our horses are psychic! Helenc I'm going to try those teqniques to :-) it obviously done you a world of good. Xxx
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Post by kidsmum on Feb 28, 2012 20:13:49 GMT 1
Thanks for advice! Will try the stepping stones, sounds a good plan. Our horses can def read our minds. With my Dales, I did an experiment, just sitting on him, keeping absolutely still and visuallising where I wanted to go and he would go there! So.... ! Going to at least ride up the road tomorrow, no excuses, weather is lovely at the mo, even, as you say if I just do 4 minutes for the first time, am absolutely sure everything will be absolutely fine!! Am going to repeat this over and over and my mantra learned from the book " I am now ready to hack my horse out by myself"!
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rowanrachel
Olympic Poster
Life is better when you share it with Horses :-)
Posts: 741
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Post by rowanrachel on Feb 28, 2012 23:05:33 GMT 1
Thanks for advice! Will try the stepping stones, sounds a good plan. Our horses can def read our minds. With my Dales, I did an experiment, just sitting on him, keeping absolutely still and visuallising where I wanted to go and he would go there! So.... ! Going to at least ride up the road tomorrow, no excuses, weather is lovely at the mo, even, as you say if I just do 4 minutes for the first time, am absolutely sure everything will be absolutely fine!! Am going to repeat this over and over and my mantra learned from the book " I am now ready to hack my horse out by myself"! Thats the right attitude-let us know how it goes! I'm currently repeating 'Honey WILL stand calmly and let me tie sandwich bags on her feet to soak for thrush..' lol.... we'll see :-)
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helenc
Elementary Poster
Posts: 53
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Post by helenc on Feb 29, 2012 23:52:03 GMT 1
Good to see everyone is finding positives even when things have been challenging. My plan for this weekend: Sat lesson and saddler Sun hack out with mick
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Post by kidsmum on Mar 1, 2012 16:15:49 GMT 1
Well, didn't go the day I said I would but I did it today! At the top of our little road leading to our house there is a little square with grass in the middle and so I used that as a schooling area! Went round it in walk and trot on both reins, changing rein by crossing the grass. Feel very pleased with him, he was fine and so was I, now I have broken the ice am sure things will be better. It was my birthday, so I thought this is my birthday present to myself!
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helenc
Elementary Poster
Posts: 53
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Post by helenc on Mar 1, 2012 17:44:01 GMT 1
Hey kidsmum that's brilliant! Well done! It does feel great when you've done it doesn't it, I also felt that I had really broken the ice. Just build it up slowly from here.
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helenc
Elementary Poster
Posts: 53
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Post by helenc on Mar 11, 2012 9:42:53 GMT 1
Hey How everyone doing? Just a quick update for you. Last weekend I had a lesson on sat and the saddler came out, and then as the weather was so foul on Sunday I didn't ride! Today I am off to dressage! Mick went amazingly in our lesson yesterday so I'm hoping for an improvement on our score from 2 weeks ago. And we are doing our first prelim of the season today too I'll let you know later how we do!
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helenc
Elementary Poster
Posts: 53
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Post by helenc on Mar 11, 2012 13:56:24 GMT 1
Well we won the intro and came 4th in the prelim
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Post by Serenbean & Justine on Mar 11, 2012 14:52:26 GMT 1
Yay!! Well done kidsmum, fab prezzie to you yourself, onwards and upwards for you ;D
Congrats Helen, good day out for you and Mick, so pleased for you both!
Seren and I took a little walk up the road this morning in hand. She has never been off the yard till last week when we went as far as the postbox. Today we ventured a little further and she was really cool, snorting a little but totally behaved and she had her bridle on over the headcollar. We turned round near the top of the lane and then the farmer and his tractor came down behind us, she didn't bat an eyelid though farmer did keep a respectful distance ;D
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Post by kidsmum on Mar 13, 2012 17:02:49 GMT 1
Well done Helen! Fantastic! Serenbean thats really great news too! It's really good to go a little further each time. I did that today too, managed a little jolly through the vines and back home, no probs in the sunshine, sang a lot!!
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rowanrachel
Olympic Poster
Life is better when you share it with Horses :-)
Posts: 741
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Post by rowanrachel on Mar 14, 2012 22:36:04 GMT 1
Hello everyone, sorry I've not posted in a while! It sounds like everyone is doing super well done.
Serenbean it sounds like we are at similar stages as I'm still just taking Honey just past the road end in hand :-) how old is seren and what's the story if you don't mind me asking?
Well I do actually have a bit of progress to report: I sat on honey today for the first time since I've had her (I've been on her in a school at her last place very briefly) I'm starting her from scratch again as she's had a rough wee past. She was really good, we just walked in a wee circle then I got off :-) she seemed chilled though and stood perfect at the mounting block(we've been practicing that lots) x
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