Snow Shoes & Shopping Sprees

Weekend got off to a tricky start as our trip to the Equi-Expo in Saarbrucken (Germany) Saturday morning was a bit of a bust, upon our arrival at the expo-center we were kindly told by guy in Hi-Viz jacket that the Equi-Expo fair had been the previous day and that an entrepreneur/business start-up bash was being held Saturday - why they organised things that way around is beyond me...surely the business thing should've been on Friday & the horsey-thing Saturday, but whatevs!
Yes, eagle-eyed readers with working memories, the same thing happened to me last year - so that is two years in a row we've missed the expo...if we do manage to get it right next year they won't have the stuff I have been wanting for the last two years lol - perhaps we are just destined to not return!

Loot - sadly no longer nicely neatly-rolled up

Instead we went to three tack shops, continuing our country hopping. We went to a nice shop just outside Perl in Germany LINK and two in Metz, France: Padd, sadly they didn't have the horseshoe earrings in shop @equestriantrend but I did get a catalogue and have every intention of ordering a couple of things from them including the earrings. :-) I also picked up plaiting bands for Miss Nancy's mane, an orange Equi thème waterproof hi-viz quarter sheet for hacking in the woods, two Equi Thème fleece quarter sheets for everyday winter excercise (Red for Nancy & Blue for Miss Kika) and a purple halter holder for stable door.
We also went to a Decathlon where I was very good and only picked up a schooling whip for a little over a fiver, mine is busted...I'm very proud of my self-control in there as they had lost of lovely stuff!

Model-puss

I did get some saddle time in over the weekend: Kika on Saturday, Nancy on Sunday & Kika again last night. Both girls have successfully modelled their new sheets and looked mighty fine doing so, although I am biased & a muppet as I forgot to snap a shot of Kika rocking the blue stripes - oh well the brain might function some night this week and remember to get a picture - if anyone want's to see her mug ;-)
When riding Nancy on Sunday, the Guru was riding her mare in the arena at the same time as me - and as always, kindly offered me constructive criticism as I rode. It would appear that I am my own worst enemy and get in my own way when riding. She said that when walking on a loose rein to warm-up/cool-down my position is perfect, but that as soon as I pick up the reins intending to get to work I go to pot! Apparently I am trying to hard to do things right resulting in tension in my body which then breaks the horse' natural striding - darn getting stuck in my head!
Back to the mind-shut down attempts for me - I really need to get over this, but getting mad at myself is not the answer I don't think.
Anyone got any tips/advice?
L has suggested lunge work, her on the ground + me in the saddle - plan is to try with Kika first and see if I can make any progress on that front.

Kika's kicks

Kika got her first "snow" shoes this year, as you may be able to see from my poor quality picture she now has a rubber lining on the inside of her shoes (fronts only as barefoot behind) - this is supposed to help prevent snow packing under her hooves. Last year she was barefoot until January and I kept forgetting to ask farrier to do this in the following months, despite us still getting snowed on in March/April last year - lord was winter long in 2012/2013!
I've just realised you can also see the little "pointes" stud type things at the end of her shoe which gives her extra grip when walking on tarmac - she used to slip something awful after two weeks in new shoes before these.

I have been able to transition Nancy back to shoeless after her summer in front shoes (precautionary due to all forestry hacking we did from June to September) - both the farrier and myself are keeping tabs on the wear and tear on her feet and I shall not hesitate to have front shoes put back on if she needs them, but so far so good for my pocket. ;-)

I forgot to snap a shot of the above in use, another fab recommendation from @equestriantrend's H2Go blogpost back in August. We used it for the first time Saturday evening and find it fantastic - it does exactly what it says on the packaging and is very straightforward to use. There is a handy anti-slip matt to put along the bottom of your wheelbarrow. Fill the blue bag from a house and away you go - easy-peasy!
Thanks so much for the recommendation Missus! If you haven't checked out her blog before, please do - it is chocka-block full of fab suggestions from gift ideas to clothing to everyday equine related items.

PS, aswell as blaying with the water-barrow we managed to fix the fencing on Sunday - so WE HAVE POWER! Now to score myself a day off work, so that if worse comes to worst and the nags do make another bid for freedom I won't be an hour in getting to them. And also just cos a day off would be awesome, ;)

Week Re-cap

I am spoiling you guys this week with another update, probably helps that this is the first week in what feels like forever that I have got to spend some QT with my girls & in the saddle. Which is odd considering I only rode last night for the first time since my last update...funny how the mind works!

I was (again - this is becoming a nasty habit) late leaving work on Monday, by the time I got to the yard L (the Guru) had kindly thought to turn the ladies loose in the smallest arena - Kika had a blast running & leaping around like a nutjob. L said she stood in the middle and Nancy hid in a corner as Kika ran around like a lunatic throwing herself in the air in her special leap-buck-way.  When I arrived I joined her in the center and we coaxed the pair of them to walk, trot & canter around in a more civilised fashion, namely Kika not snotting herself & Nancy actually moving - lol. They are such characters!

Tuesday evening was spent "artz&crafting" the plans for my flat which is being built. My mother and I spent two hours deciding where we wanted walls moved, cutting out & glueing showers, baths, toilets and sinks from other plans where we want them in my place. Thankfully L  was able to see to the ladies for me.

Wednesday, the vet came to see Miss Nancy as we still aren't completely rid of of a bump on the underside of her jaw between noseband & throatlash. The vet was out twice during summer/early autumn to check on it and while it has gone down in size it still scabs the odd time - it was made more obvious & is easier to see since we clipped her. So N is on a different antibiotic & I have cream for it, sadly if this doesn't get rid of it we're going to have to visit a vet-clinic to get X-rays and/or a CT scan to try and see what's causing it - shall deff be getting on to insurance for that and they'll whine that I didn't let them know we were treating her earlier in the summer. Eurgh, paper-trails!

I don't know whether it is a good or bad thing that she is showing no averse effects from it and works away as always - I hope she is not being a martyr and sucking up any pain she may be in.  :-/
When it comes to boo-boos I always wish they could tell us what's wrong, although I reckon Kika would be a whiner & forever snivelling about something or other ;-) I couldn't deal with her being able to "talk" to me at feeding time, I can imagine incessant shatter of "is-it-ready-yet", this is just going off her behaviour of kicking partition with her front feet telling us to hurry up in her "special" way ;-)

Ack, sorry gone off-topic again, Lord, I am useless! No wonder my posts gets so wordy! Funny when you read these tomes of drivel, to think that I had such difficulty writing 16 lines on a given topic in the first paper of the test last week - we were supposed to write 20-25 lines. So I am terrified that my paltry 16 won't be enough and I'll fail through my inability to use my imagination & come up with more verbose arguments for and against the given topic.
Sorry off-topic again!

New-new bridle modeling - can you say un-impressed?!

The Guru asked if she could ride Kika on Wednesday and said she was very well behaved if stressed & blocking her back as they were forced to ride in a "crowded" arena with 6 others - Miss Kika get's flinchy with so many other bodies around - guess my poor pony has developed a form of agoraphobia when working. Despite this L said she was a very good girl.
I lunged Nancy for the first time in ages, she was much better than the last time I'd lunged her - her canter work was much improved and considerably more balanced than when she arrived, she listened well to voice commands to slow down - but her walk work (as with under-saddle with me) leaves a lot to be desired. She would much rather be trotting - something to work on :)
Above photo was from our lunging session, image on the right was pre-work & left post-work with camera flash. Either-way her face screams enthusiam, right? *rofl*

Finally we get to Thursday evening, last night. I am super proud of myself & both my girls, I managed to get both ridden, stables done (sort-of, poop removed & fresh straw added - but not done as thoroughly as i usually do, anyways they are done every morning so not the end of the world) and supplements prepared. For the month of November they are getting this horrible looking gelatenous-goopy stuff that is supposed to be good for horses that were out for the summer/near the beach for any sand and/or mud they may have ingested when the grazing got bare. Powder is mixed with boiling water and becomes gelatenous as it cools, so that the little darlings will eat we mix in three handfuls of muesli at this stage and then let cool for 30 mins. It seems to work well, Piggy-Kika eats it straight up, Nancy & L's mare O are less enthused about it but typically have it eaten by the time the next batch is served the following evening.

I rode Nancy first when the arena was more crowded, bearing in mind that Kika prefers a quieter arena - slightly awkward though as Nancy's steering and reaction times are invariably slower yet a lot of other riders chose to ignore the fact she is still very much a baby when it come sto riddenw orka nd get too close for comfort - I know we all go into our own zones when riding - but come on! Common sense should still be used people!
Sorry, rant over!
We got some lovely trot & canter work, her walk work as always leaves a bit to be desired - but everything else was very nice and smooth & calm - can't ask for more from a baby horse in such situations.

Kika was next and we had the arena to ourselves, she she had just gotten new shoes that afternoon I kept things simple & didn't ask for much. Just lovely w/t/c transitions, worked on upping the tempo in trot but not loosing our shape and really tried to concentrate on using my whole leg and not my heel - hopefully progress is being made!

Right that is more than enough waffle considering I am only offering one photo - sorry!
Hopefully there will be more when reports of the weekend roll in, plan is Saarbrucken Equi-Expo tomorrow (Saturday) & field fencing on Sunday. Hoping to also get a few spins in on both days, perhaps some polework on Sunday depending on how electrifying the fence goes - I would rather fix things so that they can start going out again and ride during the week.

Shopping list includes (but is not limited to):
Eggbutt bits - 2, maybe three depending on price
Reins - if i can find the rubber ones i want at the same or cheaper price than I found at Equitana (if not I'll wait till i go back there, it's not like the bridles i am using didn't come with reins)
Excercise sheet(s) - Fleece &/or waterproof depends on price & sizing - preferably Hi-viz reflective for waterproof one.
Warm Waterproof Jacket - my stalwart Ornella Prosperi jacket gave up the ghost earlier this year and a new jacket is needed as winter arrives :(

Then just keeping my eyes peeled for any other bargains to be had, but if i can get most of those things I'll be super happy. :p

Hope you all great weekends, I wish there was some reward I could offer you if you've read this far! *blush*

Winter is Coming

Or so the Lords of Winterfell would have us believe, judging by the cold last night and the fog all day today I agree with them. ;)

Panoramic shot of beautiful skyline last night - hope colours can be seen.

Sadly as predicted last week work was mental and I didn't get out of the office till after 7pm most nights, plus I had the first round of civil service exams on Friday which if I can do enough to pass I would hopefully be made permanent in my job - which i really want to happen. I love my work & all the people i work with! *Fingers crossed*

N modeling my birthday gift bridle

This means that I didn't get to ride much last week, I rode Nancy on Monday evening for a quick spin (and took the above photo), L rode both of them Thursday I think and then I made my welcome return to both their backs on Saturday and Sunday. I had so much fun with both of them and spent hours both weekend days chillaxing with them. Having had the few days away from the saddle I could finally appreciate how far both girls & I have come since before the summer.

Not sure how clearly the migrating geese can be seen

I am much more comfortable riding Nancy in an arena now and have more faith in myself & trust in her when we are working to know how far I can push and what I can ask for. I also know when to call her on her crap and not let her kid me into going too easy on her with her big brown eyes and "love-me" disposition. Her canter work in much improved and she is much more balanced, so much so in fact that she threw in a cheeky buck when I first asked her to canter on Saturday. So we did a lot more canter-trot transitions then I would normally have asked from her - not harm no foul & she didn't try it again the next day despite being in a different arena. ;)

Another new Nancy bridle - spoiled sod

Kika & I have re-found our mojo, I had been having a little trouble finding her "go-button" the previous few spins as I struggled to change the way I ride from nag-nag-nagging with my heels to trying to rely more on my lower leg/calf to give the aids. I am far from polished, but i do think clipping her and removing the excess hair has invariably helped my cause. :p

She did have a schooling session curtesy of the Guru, so that more than likely helped more than the clipping, lol, but she was still such a gem both days and was a pleasure to work with.

I rode both girls in the dressage saddle, both days - no idea why - a notion just came over me and I'm fairly paying for it now. They are such different rides, Nancy requires more steadying and slowing to help her balance while Kika is the opposite and prefers the be lazy & cut corners where she can. The switch from one to the other is fun & challenging.

As you'll also see from the above photo, Nancy got another new bridle curtesy of a girl at the yard ordering cob-size & being sent monster-size (Coldblood). We tried it on Nancy's huge head and as it fit with room to spare (the first thing I've ever had for her to do so) I have decided to buy it from the yard friend and she'll order it again in the correct size for her Haflinger - lol! Must get a picture of Miss Nancy in it and actually ride in it myself! There is an Equi Expo on in Saarbrucken (Germany) this weekend, I'm hoping to go on Saturday with two friends and pick up some bits & bobs - literally I want at least two more D-ring snaffles. I have Kika in one and she is much happier in her mouth, Nancy is in a loose ring and I'm hoping for more stability for her with a D-ring.

Don't have much else to say, but I do have two more pictures to share with you that I managed to capture yesterday evening of the sky. The clouds were really angry looking and stormy, but thankfully no rain came - sadly the cold did, so methinks that may have been why they were so ominous.

Sadly I spent too much time this weekend faffing over the girls and satisfying my need for saddle time that I didn't get myself organised to fix the fencing around the turnout area - I'm still none the wiser as to where the electric fencing is being grounded and/or why the current isn't being carried around as it should. So the girls are not going out for the afternoons, which sadly means poor Kika's hind legs are pretty stacked in the evening when I get there - but she's not lame and there is no heat in them. I'll get my backside in shape this weekend and sort out the fencing so that I can turn the Houdini's out again.

Shall now shut up and leave you with the my favourite skyline picture from last night (below). PS: Not one of these has been photoshopped or edited in anyway - not even IG'd - the colours were just that mental, if not more so when you consider these are camera phone photos!

Horsey Haircuts

I haven't spent as much time as I'd have liked in the saddle since I last updated, in fact I can count on one hand the times I've ridden since I last updated.
Sadly the Thursday after my last update my mother's brother passed away, while incredibly upsetting for those of us left behind mourning him, his passing was a blessing in some ways. I don't mean to be heartless, but he was "ill" for a long time, in that he was diagnosed with Huntington's (a degenerative nerve disease) when he was in his 30s and despite having being given only a decade to live he battled on for more almost 30 years.
Not only have we lost a valued family member but I feel quite at sea as Huntington's is a genetic/hereditary illness and as of yet there is no cure. Anyone of my maternal family members can be a carrier, we could never show symptoms yet we could pass it on unknowingly to children (should we have any). There are tests that can be done to find out if you are a carrier and/or if you may succumb to the illness - which is not unlike Parkinson's in that you lose control of your nervous system and "shake". However as there is nothing that can be done, I don't see the point in being tested to (a) find out I am not affected in which case my outlook on life wouldn't  change or (b) find out I will be affected and my outlook on life could change drastically. I'd rather continue to live in blissful ignorance, thanks, and enjoy every day as it comes!

That got a little heavier than I'd intended but it does kind of go someway to explaining why I didn't get much saddle time in recent weeks. Actually there is more to the story, upon my return to work last Tuesday following the service the weekend before. Our unit in work were deeply saddened by the loss of one of our proof-readers who had been found dead in her home the day before. Her funeral will take place tomorrow, again in Ireland but sadly I cannot go back again so soon. She was a wonderful colleague and a neighbour across the hall from my office. The end of October hasn't been a great.

Right sorry, that's all the doom & gloom done for for this post! Some fuzzy pony pics to lighten the mood & bring us onto the title of this post. As long time followers of this blog will know, the yard I keep my girls on has limited turnout during the summer & none during the winter. I am lucky in that one of the "limited" turnout options for the summer is 24/7 and that "summer" last 6 months (May 1st to October 31st). I am extra lucky in that the family of a school friend of mine has a piece of land neighbouring the yard I livery the ladies on and they have given me the use of it for winter turnout. Happy days as my horses are "free range" horses & happiest when they are out of doors.

Hairy Kika

Hairy Nancy

Two girls getting pampered before their first night in.

31st October '13








I managed to squeeze in a lovely spin on each girl Friday evening, the Guru had very kindly kept them both ticking over while I was away - they were both dreams to sit on again!

Pampering continued for Miss Nancy

I learned during the summer from someone we met on holidays at the beach who had a gorgeous Friesian stallion (I added photos of him to my instagram account - also apologies to those who have seen the neighbouring picture already); that plaiting their name helps it to grow - I'm not sure how true this is, but it will keep it considerably more manageable.
<<<< Before & After shot, I love how long her mane is after getting.
Actually, it has a long way to go if her new neighbours is anything to go by, sadly no photos yet. But she has a hunky full friesian gelding to make googoo eyes at if she wishes!

I did a fair bit of running around on Saturday, to various tack shops looking for one thing in particular - but as is often the way (and normally the reason I order online vs going into shops) I came away with many nice new things but not what I was looking for! ;-)

All the running around cut my horse riding time short, so Nancy ended up getting a day off as I ran out of time to ride her - I'm sure she was gutted! Kika did provide me with a  funny eyeballing-the-mirror-snap as we warmed up on a loose rein. She then continued in her good vein of form and gave me a very enjoyable spin - poor sod was a sodden sweaty mess when we were finished. She was such a hairy monster that I couldn't wait to get her clipped - I wonder if her energy levels will pick up and require less leg work from me for the rest of winter.

Sunday dawned drizzly & wet, L had offered to turn out the three girls as she was clipping for different people that day so would be at the barn anyways. I had a lunch date in town to celebrate a friends birthday only to come out to a couple missed calls and a voicemail to say that the cheeky sods were after busting out of the winter turnout - fair enough we hadn't yet turned on the electricity, so they had no real incentive to stay in, but still there was grazing for them and the reason we hadn't yet turned on the fencing was that we hoped they'd graze the blades that were touching off the tape.
It would appear they had other plans!

 So I then spent the remaining daylight hours getting rained upon as I tried to cut back, stomp down on the things that would ground the electricity by touching off the bottom strand of our fencing tape.

When I got back up to the yard, probably looking more drowned-rat than human. L asked if I wanted her to clip Kika or wait for another night - we decided to go for it as we both had the time then although as you may remember from last year - LINK
Kika isn't exactly difficult to clip - she falls asleep & prompts people to ask if she has been sedated she is such a dream. :D

I had hoped to avoid clipping Nancy as her coat is considerably less she-bear than Miss Kika's (picture wooly mammoth & you get a good idea of Kika's winter wardrobe) and while it looked like we might get away with it, Miss Nancy has joined Kika in the wooly farm and sweats when worked - this is an inconvenience when the only times you can ride when working full-time are between 7 & 10pm, it doesn't leave sufficient time to dry the little darlings & get both worked and stables cleaned!

Yay dapples!

As Nancy hasn't been clipped before I decided to tie her in the grooming area next to Kika while she was being clipped to desensitize Nancy to the whirring of the clippers.
N was a little eyeball-ey at first but settled down like an old hand and stood quite as a lamb while I faffed about her mane & forelock...went for a different plait this time, luckily when you see where this post is going. ;)

I opted for a carriage/french plait and tried to make it as tight as possible in the hopes that it might hold better when stabled & out in the field so that i won't have to re-plait every night, but maybe every second day. Also, I think the less elastics in her mane the less damage they can do...right?!

I also had a bit of fun plaiting her forelock as I'm hoping to coax some of her mane to grow forward and not have to trim a bridle path but just re-train the way her hair grows...did something similar with K.

As Nancy was being such a doll, we decided to go all out and see what she would make of the being clipped experience. She swapped places with Kika, who stayed tied next door for moral support and I held Nancy as the clippers made their first forray into her coat.

She was a little look-ey at firs and if she'd been whites-of-eyes stressed we'd have stopped and tried again another day. As with most things she's encountered since arriving out here after a few seconds it was no big deal.
SHE IS SUCH A SUPERSTAR!
Would you believe that we even managed to do her face & lift her front legs to properly get her chest area done - it's so easy to forget she is only 4!


What a gem of a horse - every day she makes my decision to not let her pass me by more worth it!

Shiny first time clipped horse

Her head looks much more refined now that her "beard" has been trimmed away, here's hoping this will make closing her noseband that much easier, ;)
You really wouldn't believe how big her head is - I don't think pictures do it's monsterous size justice....But who cares about headsize when what is between the ears is so honest & level-headed!
We also trimmed the excess hair growing from her ears - with the clippers no less...can I repeat once more that this is the first time she has been clipped and stood relaxed with a hind-leg cocked. A fellow livery passed and asked if we'd given her something, as they knew she hadn't been clipped before, lol!

Her coat is much finer that the she-bear Kika, it was so interesting to see the difference in their coats as they were both being clipped. i don't know why, but Nancy being half-Friesian had me thinking she'd have a thicker coat than Miss Kika...show's how little I know.

Is how much I love my horses coming across in this post?
I hope so - even with their madcap-escapologist ways!
I don't know which one of them made the bid for freedom yesterday - sadly I think both of mine lead L's mare astray and so neither has been turned out today and won't be until we can get the electricity sorted - I just don't trust them to stay put.

Sorry about the quality - I'm a bit far away & lighting going mental
- if you click image it should enlarge

Following their haircuts both girls needed wrapping up for the evening, thankfully Kika's rugs do fit Nancy although I think just to be the safe side I shall be patrolling the online stores I bargain buy from for 6ft6 horseware rugs on offer.
Better safe than sorry & all that :)

Snug-as-a-bug

"Are we done now?"

Right, I think that's enough waffle out of me for another post - I've two final photos to leave you with.

Both ladies hair all swept up

Two traumatised faces

Brilliant Birthday Weekend

Saturday was my birthday, my "baby" sister surprised me on Friday evening by flying back for the occasion. Having her wake me up at 2am Saturday morning with the surprise was a little less fun but I had had a sneaking suspicion she may be on her way - I was glad my instincts were right on the money, :p
Plus she brought me lovely Cadbury's chocolate & my fav perfume Flora by Gucci, what a generous girl she is with her new job earnings!

My work colleagues also went all out on the gifts on Friday, when I got a lovely strawberry mousse cake at our mid-morning coffee break & loads more yummy chocolates & goodies such as Ferrero Rocher, Raffaellos & Taytos - all the way from Ireland...the Irish expats gold-dust! ;-) My sis in Canada also sent me yummy flavoured Skittles, the likes of which cannot be found here in Europe - Tasty Times were had!

Happy LS with two happy horses

 Little Sister (LS) came with me to play with the ponies on Sunday & got her first spin on the loveable Nancy. She insisted on riding Nancy first as she thought she might find her too big if she started with Kika. I was happy to let her try who she wanted first, but I probably should have insisted on starting Nancy myself as the little minx took the mick out of her a bit. Although to be fair I think they were both feeling nervy & sadly feeding one from the other - N as always was a gem and didn't misbehave as such, but as with myself previously, when she feels her rider's uncertainty her reaction is to speed up.
We swapped and C had some fun with Kika while Nancy was reassured. Nothing against my sister's riding ability - she was just a little nervous and sadly baby horse + nervy rider made things a little more awkward then they needed to be. However all's well that ends well and she hopped back up on Nancy afterwards for another little trot.
As an aside, my sister said she LOVED riding Kika - the LS has never shied away from riding Kika and it is really sweet how she natters to her the whole time when in the saddle...I don't know who the talking keeps calm, but I wish I did it more - I am a terrible internaliser and don't use my voice as much as a should! *blush*

Long-time followers of this blog, did you ever think you'd see the day where someone said they actually enjoyed riding Miss Kika?!
I can't tell you how hearing such a kind thing, from someone other than the Guru who is biased as she has helped me so much, has warmed my heart.

Can you guess which one is attention-seeking?

 Sadly LS was only here for a flying visit and had to return to Ireland Sunday evening from Frankfurt-Hahn in Germany. The drive to the airport was glorious, it was a lovely dry, clear day & the trees were stunning with their multi-coloured leaves. I shall be flooding my instagram (LINK) with pictures I took en route, as well as the usual spamming pics of skylines & ponies!




Yesterday (Monday) was another lovely dry day, sadly I think today may be our last day of "Indian Summer" as it is due to thunderstorm this evening and then the forecast looks poor for the rest of the week. I am super lucky in that of late I have been able to squeeze in spins on both girls in the evenings after work before barn closing time of 10pm.

Lovely gift from two yard friends - a new bridle for Nancy.

I started with Nancy last night, as almost always she was first up to the gate - so she got to come in first.
It took her a bit longer to settle then our last few spins, perhaps some side-effects from Sunday spin starting with LS. We re-encountered our pre-summer-forestry-chill-out-hacking issue of not wanting to walk but trying to trot all the time. So we did for a few laps to get the trotting out of her system as she is more comfortable trotting and settles well, then we cam back to walk and worked on transitions w/t. These were also a little sticky, so we changed tactic and in the walk worked on smaller circles in a corner focusing on bend before changing rein, doing a bit of trot, transitioning back down to walk to circle on the other rein before trotting and changing rein again.
I then tried another new thing, an exercise I used to do a lot with Kika and really helped us. 3-loop serpentine with a small circle at each loop at the walk, as N isn't balanced enough yet for this in trot. We were both concentrating hard for this, me trying to keep her balanced and soft on the circles and her just concentrating on something new and challenging. It was a really cool feeling to feel her think about it as we went through the exercise once on each rein with a bit of a trot break and large circle between rein changes to help relax. She was a doll as always - and I was super happy to be able to encourage her to relax and stop her attempts to trot when I wanted us to walk. We also have a lot of work to do on our walk, as she is inclined to prefer to walk really slowly and not stride properly - so i have to use my seat (basin) to coax her into striding better when walking - difficult to do at the start when she wants to trot, but we'll get there baby steps and keeping things fresh & changing stuff up when we ride will hopefully keep the learning process fun.

Sadly I hadn't received the shiny new bridle/birthday present prior to riding Nancy - hence why Kika is in the picture behind it lol! I am looking forward to trying it on Nancy's monster head this evening. Bless my friends - they said they bought the biggest bridle in the shop, here's hoping it fits! I have never had a bulky noseband bridle before as Kika's head is way too dainty to carry it off, it would dwarf her - I'm really looking forward to seeing how it looks on Nancy's humungo-head.

Not to be left out Kika also got ridden last night, picture is of her posing after our spin - she is such a ham for the camera!
The Guru happened to be around as I started with Miss K and popped into the arena with us to give me some pointers - I couldn't tell you the last time I had a lesson!
I was in my dressage saddle and riding without a martingale, when L (the Guru) rode K in the training clinic a few weeks back the teacher (who had originally put the martingale back on Kika last November) said we could start phasing out the use of it as she no longer "needed" it, however to keep it handy as she is the type that could use the odd refresher course. ;-)
As usual I have to keep my heels down and use my calves more to squeeze a response from her and carry my hands better - not let them droop as I am wont to do...nasty nasty bad habits!

As Kika is super hairy and in dire need of a clip we kept it short & sweet. Roll on Nov 1st, when they start going in at night and we can clip the hairy-Kika-monster!

L had me concentrate on lengthening her trot stride while not increasing the speed in both sitting & rising trot. We also worked a good bit on our canter, with my sitting down deep into the saddle and lengthening myself - apparently I am still "crispé" = tensing when cantering and not going with the movement. I have to ride my canter like I am about to ask for a downward transition as only then am I properly going with the movement of the mare. Yay for stuff to work on - but at the same time, I should be getting this stuff by now, no?

K showing why her rug is needed the state of her!

 I've seen mention of the "to blanket vs not to blanket" debate mentioned online again this year. Obviously it is personal preference. I don't think I could ride in the evenings if I didn't cover my girls, they are both muck-monsters and would be destroyed every evening prompting me to spend the time I need for riding cleaning them. As it is you should see the state of their necks & legs when they come in - it is laughable how much muck they can fit onto such "small" body surfaces! 

Nancy has a new rug ordered (and dispatched - thank you Old Mill Saddlery), sadly the plum colour was not on special offer so she's getting a blue one like Kika's. Seeing how she has destroyed the first one, I'm slow to pay the €60-80 I found online vs the €40ish I managed to find in the same colour as Kika's - probably stock clearance on an old colour combo - but I loves it anyway, especially the price. ;-)

Speaking of the state of things *rolls-eyes*

I am loving these Horseware Amigo Hero Lite 0g filling rugs as they are wind & water-proof and perfect to keep the girlies clean without fear of them over-heating in these lovely mild autumn days.

Also lastly, just before I sign off from another mammoth update (SORRY!) an equine dentist came to the yard for a friends horse so I asked them to check my girls' teeth. I knew from equine dentist in Ireland that Nancy has awkward teeth and food can get trapped between them, my vet has been keeping an eye on them for me and even removed three of Nancy's baby teeth back in September - yes I have them & suggestions as to what to do with them are most welcome!


 Please artistic blog-readers help an-artsy-challenged girl out!

Thankfully both girls are fine for the moment and need to be re-checked in 6 months. Dentist said N's teeth are changing at the moment, so not a lot she can do right now - she'll know more when she re-visits. Kika could have had some work done, her front teeth were a bit long and some of her molars a little sharp - but dentist said it was nothing drastic and that they could both be done in 6 months time!

Fingers crossed that Nancy's new bridle fits & that, as the Guru put it, Kika can get her bridle back - leather quality on the black & grey one I got in July is quite poor...but I knew that considering what I paid for it :p
Will hopefully have some new pictures and another (hopefully smaller) update for you tomorrow!

*hugs, milk & cookies to anyone who has read this update to the end*

Always Apologising!

Sorry again for the delay in my updating, my laptop broke a few weeks ago, I gave it into repair shop. However I haven't been back to see what the story is yet and blogging from my phone is just a nightmare - we need an app for this! :p
Plus I have become super addicted to instagram (apologies to those who follow my updates there & have seen the photos already) and as there is an app for that it is so quick to share the snapshots there. Although I do take a lot more photos than I share - I should share the excess here to keep things fresh & interesting for those who read...food for thought!

Girlies modeling their Amigo Hero Lite turnouts

 I last updated prior to heading back to Ireland unexpectedly due to illness of a family member - thankfully they came out of the woods this time and shall fight on. It was great to see them and a lot of other family members including Nancy's birthmom and getting celebrate my grandmother's 87th birthday with her was great!
She is some woman for one woman - still on the dance floor @1am - long after I was gone to bed!





That weekend the Guru rode Kika in the training clinic with an external trainer - who she had ridden Kika for twice before. Sadly no one could document this stage, so there are no videos or photos to share from it - however all reports have been very positive. With the best compliment coming from the trainer himself who said that he wouldn't recognise the horse as the same one he'd seen twice before, that the work done with her was beyond anything he'd have thought possible in the time since he last saw her in January!
Amazing compliment - probably had more to do with the fact that L had her in bootcamp for the week before the clinic and very little to do with anything K & I have done :p

Love the Autumn colours!

I have been riding both girls as often as I can and having great fun with them. My confidence with Nancy is growing, we alternate our work between only doing walk & trot work one day and then adding canter another day all the while changing up the scenery by riding in different arenas with different people. She is getting more exposed to riding with others and holds her concentration really well until left "alone" (with me) in the arena when all others leave - when she gets a bit giraffy & wobbly before settling back down really quickly again.
She is very good when the other riders in the arena get too close or come up behind her at greater speeds then she is going - she doesn't break stride or even look at them. They make me a little mad as everyone knows she is a young horse, yet they would mow us down if they could - some riders are just disrespectful when sharing an arena. *Le Sad Times*


She is also very good when sharing the arena with someone lunging another horse - even when that horse suddenly bursts into buck/farting mode - she does wobble a little when this happens, but only if it happens "behind her back" if she is facing them when they explode she doesn't bat an eyelid. She is so good that I forget she is only 4 years old - such a cool head on young shoulders.
I was bad and let my frustration with others get the better of me last night, as one of my fellow liveries after lunging her horse in the arena with us, knowing that N is very young - returned with the wheelbarrow to collect her horse's poop! Thankfully N didn't give it too much notice, however as this lady was moving around the arena, seemingly oblivious to me...we kept to walk in case one of the clankings would spook Nancy and I'd lose my steering & brakes.
She then stood in the corner rolling back up her lunging gear, hitting the clasps off the plastic chairs in the corner & wrapping everything back in their rustling plastic bags. Yes young horses need desensitization to things, but they don't need to be goaded into reactions either or have their limits tested when they are on their own in the arena with no other horses to help steady their nerves. I wouldn't mind but both this ladies horses are nervy animals and if someone was to do to her what she did to Nancy & I, she would hit the roof.
I try to be respectful of those I share the arenas with and am sensitive to the animals they ride & ages etc - it is always a pity when others don't extend the same courtesies to you.

Hedge-trimming Round 1, aka: Kika's mane got pulled

Kika and I have been plodding away, doing what we do - as best we can. I am weaning us off the martingale with her, rode her for the first time in a while without it last night and she was a doll. Stupidly i forgot my schooling whip and had to use my legs more than I have become used to.

Note to self: ride-more-without-artificial-aids to build leg strength. It made me realise how bad I have become and reliant upon the odd tap here and there from the schooling whip for more pep in her step. *LeShame*

I have been relatively good at keeping up with my sit-ups for L. Williams @ Viva Carlos' October challenge. Namely to do 100 sit-ups a day for the month of October - which would mean 3100 sit-ups by the end of the month. I was a day late starting this challenge & tried to ease myself into it by only doing 25 that first night and then 50 morning & evening since. On days I don't ride i try to increase one of my sessions to 75 - I also missed a couple 50s sets when I was in Ireland for the weekend. However I am keeping track of how many I am doing and shall keep going beyond the 31st of Oct to get the 3100 goal - in fact I am sneakily enchanted with the idea of having toned abs and who knows a 6 pack some day, so I may try to keep doing them for the foreseeable future - here's hoping i don't loose interest as I am renowndly lazy as I would like to be "ripped" LOL!



I think that's me all caught up for now, here's hoping i can get back into the swing of blogging & keep things better updated for myself and you kind forgiving followers who read all my waffle!

New Nancy Photos

The friend who kindly snapped photos of Kika and I last week was able to spare a few moments to snap a couple shots of Nancy and I warming up in walk this evening.
I snapped a photo or two pre- & post-plaitting of her mane as its after getting so long - I love it!

Right no more chat from me as am on my phone and blogspot can be tricky to navigate & post pics without a pc/laptop, but I have to share these photos as I finally have some of myself and N under saddle.

Pre-plaiting

Good girl pat

Giving her shadow the hairy eyeball

I love my poneh

Apologies for the photo quality, as ways all were taken on my camera phone. Nancy & i again mostly worked in walk and trot in the biggest & spookiest arena for the baby horse. I ride Nancy with my stirrups two holes longer then when i ride Kika in the same saddle. Apparently my legs swing forward and i end up looking like i am sitting in an armchair = not good!

Kika came back safe and sound from her couple of days bootcamp with the Guru in France, they are both ready to rock their lessons with the external rainer this weekweet. L said that Kika had been very good, loaded up like an angel for her when she was by herself Tuesday morning and behaved really well in her new spooky surroundings with pigeons out to try and upset her composure while away from home.

I sadly won't have much, if any internet access while i am in Ireland. I will however try to be a good girl and keep up with L Williams from Viva Carlos' sit-up blog challenge. I was unable to attempt 2-point or timing myself this evening for a baseline, so that challenge will be for another year. If i can complete the sit-up challenge, i will be very happy with my unfit self. I missed day 1 on Oct 1st, but i did do 25 sit-ups last night before bed and 50 this morning before work. Going to attempt to do another 50 this evening and hope to eventually catch up on those i missed day one - the better i am at sticking to doing them the easier they will be...right?!

My sincere apologies if bits of this blog post are more incoherent than usual, playing with blogger on my phone is a challenge. I really hope this post works and isn't all over the shop format-wise as i'll cry if i have to do it again!