Isn't it nice when things come together?
Jul 10, 2014 13:17:32 GMT 1
VeronicaF, holi, and 6 more like this
Post by janwilky on Jul 10, 2014 13:17:32 GMT 1
Just had to post to say I'm having such a lovely summer with my three, after years of struggling with first behavioural and then health issues, plus my own injury, at various points it felt like we'd never get there and I wondered if I'd ever be able to say I'm having FUN with my horses. But I had a FAB ride on Bambi this morning and was looking down at the lovely view of the Shropshire hills in the early morning summer sunshine through her blonde highlights and thinking that I'm actually having fun and enjoying all three of them right now, in very different ways. That's definitely worth celebrating, so here's a few happy pics.
This was her cheeky self a couple of weeks ago (I let the three of them graze our overgrown driveway verges now and again - yep, that jungle behind her is our garden!):
She's giving me some cracking rides at the moment. I've managed to negotiate taking a linking route over private farmland to get me up onto the hill above our cottage, and once up there we have a great selection of little routes that are not very long (so I can ride before work) but they're quite challenging as they involve some very steep slopes, both up and down, and some pretty tricky gates. Some of you may remember that last year she was absolutely dreadful with gates, I couldn't do even the simplest of them without getting off and then I couldn't get her to stand still long enough to climb back on again. All that's changed gradually, with patience and persistence, and we can now do all but the most impossible ones mounted. And when I do have to get off, she stands politely (for the most part
) while I climb on the gate or a bank to get back on. The more we do the better she gets, she's a quick learner once she understands what I want and is able to be calm about it. The best thing is the routes we're doing involve no roadwork so I can take Meg with us when we ride, she trots along merrily behind and has a ball. She even tries to keep up when we have a razz, but her little spaniel legs haven't got a chance against Bambi's surprisingly nippy canter, so we have to stop and let her catch up.
She's getting on better with the boys too - I'd say it's taken her a year to be properly settled here, but now she is and it's lovely to have such a peaceful and happy little herd.
You may remember Bambi was very ill last autumn and I began to wonder if I'd ever ride her again. She was diagnosed with borderline early stage PPID and I had her on half a Prascend tablet a day for 6 months. A few weeks ago I decided to give her a break from it and see what happened and... she's fine, perfectly well and bouncing with energy
. I'm aware it could all change again in the autumn and she may need to go back on the Prascend, but for now she's better than she's ever been, building fitness and muscle, changing shape slowly and we're getting out and about lots. She was napping really badly after her illness but I took her out for walks in-hand for a few weeks and then started riding her the same routes and the napping is virtually a distant memory already. She still argues the toss now and then (she is half Fjord after all!) but not seriously. She still rides like she's got a train to catch but her balance is getting better and the couple of weeks' schooling she did with Amanda this spring has made the world of difference to her understanding and balance. Her pogo-stick trot is improving, and is even quite nice uphill now, and she doesn't barge through the bridle any more.
We did a 12 mile fun ride a couple of weekends ago, the first I've done on her and the first for me since I got bucked off my little tyke of a gypsy cob 5 years ago - I was never brave enough to do one on Lucas, but Bambi has given me so much confidence that I was ready for it. Anyway she was a little star, forward and keen but sane and she didn't put a foot wrong - apart from when she took an enormous cat leap over a stream gully rather than getting her dainty little feet wet
- I sailed right out of the saddle but luckily landed back in it again on the far bank with nothing more than a lost stirrup and a missed heartbeat, phew! She's perfect for me because she isn't a push-button ride by any means, but she doesn't do anything scary - the worst is an occasional spook-sidestep combination that has me hanging on by her mane and wondering where the saddle went!
And then there's Lucas: since treating him for suspected ulcers in the winter he's been a much calmer chap. He's got quite a lot of unlearning to do, but he very rarely explodes now and is much more trusting. I've learned that slowly, slowly catchee monkey with him and I have to repeat things far, far more times than I'd ever have to do with Bambi - she would feel insulted to have a lesson repeated so many times, he finds comfort in it and gradually accepts it's OK and nothing awful is going to happen.
I feel now that I'm working directly on his emotional issues, so we're doing very familiar, easy stuff that he knows well but we're not moving on until he's calm and chilled about it 100% of the time. So we've been doing simple groundwork, recently started lungeing (sloooowly) and going out for walks. He can now walk and trot a 2 mile circuit on roads, tracks and even open fields and remain perfectly calm, even with a tractor and trailer coming up behind
. Meg and I are getting fit between walking L and riding B! I will probably get on him at some point, I've got some very good friends with a pair of sensible geldings and their hacking is on very quiet lanes so that will be the perfect place to start. The nice thing about having two is I don't feel any need to pressure him or hurry... all in good time, and if it doesn't feel right I won't do it.
I love this one of the boys:
And Coco, who was so thin last summer I thought he may not make it through the winter, has bounced back with a vengeance since I discovered Copra. He's looking and feeling very well and is still without question the calm, confident herd leader - and according to him that includes humans too
By contrast, this was exactly a year ago:
He's such a huge asset and a joy to have around, he costs me an arm and a leg to feed but he's a wise old soul and we'd all be lost without him so I hope he stays well for a long time to come.
And to finish, one of my favourites - ta da, there's hogweed to be eaten up there
This was her cheeky self a couple of weeks ago (I let the three of them graze our overgrown driveway verges now and again - yep, that jungle behind her is our garden!):
She's giving me some cracking rides at the moment. I've managed to negotiate taking a linking route over private farmland to get me up onto the hill above our cottage, and once up there we have a great selection of little routes that are not very long (so I can ride before work) but they're quite challenging as they involve some very steep slopes, both up and down, and some pretty tricky gates. Some of you may remember that last year she was absolutely dreadful with gates, I couldn't do even the simplest of them without getting off and then I couldn't get her to stand still long enough to climb back on again. All that's changed gradually, with patience and persistence, and we can now do all but the most impossible ones mounted. And when I do have to get off, she stands politely (for the most part
) while I climb on the gate or a bank to get back on. The more we do the better she gets, she's a quick learner once she understands what I want and is able to be calm about it. The best thing is the routes we're doing involve no roadwork so I can take Meg with us when we ride, she trots along merrily behind and has a ball. She even tries to keep up when we have a razz, but her little spaniel legs haven't got a chance against Bambi's surprisingly nippy canter, so we have to stop and let her catch up.She's getting on better with the boys too - I'd say it's taken her a year to be properly settled here, but now she is and it's lovely to have such a peaceful and happy little herd.
You may remember Bambi was very ill last autumn and I began to wonder if I'd ever ride her again. She was diagnosed with borderline early stage PPID and I had her on half a Prascend tablet a day for 6 months. A few weeks ago I decided to give her a break from it and see what happened and... she's fine, perfectly well and bouncing with energy
. I'm aware it could all change again in the autumn and she may need to go back on the Prascend, but for now she's better than she's ever been, building fitness and muscle, changing shape slowly and we're getting out and about lots. She was napping really badly after her illness but I took her out for walks in-hand for a few weeks and then started riding her the same routes and the napping is virtually a distant memory already. She still argues the toss now and then (she is half Fjord after all!) but not seriously. She still rides like she's got a train to catch but her balance is getting better and the couple of weeks' schooling she did with Amanda this spring has made the world of difference to her understanding and balance. Her pogo-stick trot is improving, and is even quite nice uphill now, and she doesn't barge through the bridle any more. We did a 12 mile fun ride a couple of weekends ago, the first I've done on her and the first for me since I got bucked off my little tyke of a gypsy cob 5 years ago - I was never brave enough to do one on Lucas, but Bambi has given me so much confidence that I was ready for it. Anyway she was a little star, forward and keen but sane and she didn't put a foot wrong - apart from when she took an enormous cat leap over a stream gully rather than getting her dainty little feet wet
- I sailed right out of the saddle but luckily landed back in it again on the far bank with nothing more than a lost stirrup and a missed heartbeat, phew! She's perfect for me because she isn't a push-button ride by any means, but she doesn't do anything scary - the worst is an occasional spook-sidestep combination that has me hanging on by her mane and wondering where the saddle went!And then there's Lucas: since treating him for suspected ulcers in the winter he's been a much calmer chap. He's got quite a lot of unlearning to do, but he very rarely explodes now and is much more trusting. I've learned that slowly, slowly catchee monkey with him and I have to repeat things far, far more times than I'd ever have to do with Bambi - she would feel insulted to have a lesson repeated so many times, he finds comfort in it and gradually accepts it's OK and nothing awful is going to happen.
I feel now that I'm working directly on his emotional issues, so we're doing very familiar, easy stuff that he knows well but we're not moving on until he's calm and chilled about it 100% of the time. So we've been doing simple groundwork, recently started lungeing (sloooowly) and going out for walks. He can now walk and trot a 2 mile circuit on roads, tracks and even open fields and remain perfectly calm, even with a tractor and trailer coming up behind
. Meg and I are getting fit between walking L and riding B! I will probably get on him at some point, I've got some very good friends with a pair of sensible geldings and their hacking is on very quiet lanes so that will be the perfect place to start. The nice thing about having two is I don't feel any need to pressure him or hurry... all in good time, and if it doesn't feel right I won't do it.I love this one of the boys:
And Coco, who was so thin last summer I thought he may not make it through the winter, has bounced back with a vengeance since I discovered Copra. He's looking and feeling very well and is still without question the calm, confident herd leader - and according to him that includes humans too
By contrast, this was exactly a year ago:
He's such a huge asset and a joy to have around, he costs me an arm and a leg to feed but he's a wise old soul and we'd all be lost without him so I hope he stays well for a long time to come.
And to finish, one of my favourites - ta da, there's hogweed to be eaten up there
xx hope you have a lovely rest of the summer !!!
