Blaming Buzzfeed

I have but myself to blame for my blogger silence, both on my blog & the awesome blogs I follow. I downloaded the buzzfeed app on my phone and  now spend the bus journeys to & from work doing quizzes and reading funny articles instead of keeping up to date on blogging. #sorrykindanotsorry i wish there was more time in my day to do both!

Best buds

In saying that I have managed to squeeze some spins in around showing off my flat by having friends over most evening after work which cuts into pony time but as the girls are now outside 24/7 neither they nor i feel too guilty about not riding in circles in the arenas.

Freshly made beds in flat - more welcoming & homely
 than video tour...more pillows will be added before
 visitors arrive rest assured guys.

As it is just the two of them on the field, I have divided it down the middle to try to keep them both streamlined by not needing to get them hay because they scoffed all the grass. By splitting the field in two one side can regrow while the stuff their faces on the other side.  Sadly I think i wanted too long to split the field (3weeks) and didn't leave enough growth to really take advantage of the division. I have had to swap them sides each weekend since I split the field as otherwise I see Kika reaching out under the wire to eat what's outside & long time followers of the blog know what a horsey Houdini she is so i have to try to stay one step ahead!
She actually got out of this field already a couple of Mondays back without damaging any of the fencing or hurting herself. Admittedly in doing so she proved to the yard owners to check the electricity running around the field (something I had been meaning to ask them to do) & it was found to be lacking. I'm telling you guys - this horse is way too smart for me!!!

Pony Paparazzi from car
Kika being derptastic

All of that waffle to say that there is only the two of them on the field so rather than leave one alone to stress while i ride, I bring them  other in & toss one on the walker while i ride the other. No harm no foul as it'll also help keep them trim in the long run.
What this means is i have swapped from my winter routine of riding Kika first then Nancy to now starting with Nancy while Kika spins on the walker and then her second.
They have always been very different rides, but my last two spins and the other in which I am now riding them has really hammered home one crucial difference. After Nancy, Kika feels like I am riding a pony!!!!

Re-posting this photo as i LOVE it

On that bombshell I'm going to shut up now because thankfully nothing exciting has happened in my spins besides both girls being absolute angels despite such lack of saddle time. Pedicures for them today so I won't ride, tomorrow & Monday i will cos Yay la-la-long-weekend. Fingers crossed for plenty trail riding as weekdays really do only allow for arena work so when possible i prefer to escape for a stroll...maybe I'll be able to twist my mamas arm to join me on Nancy & I'll take Kika the Chicken before she every to being more comfortable as Nancy's lapdog ;-)

WW - Furnished Flat Tour

Apologies again for the blog silence and breaking "wordless" Wednesday to share this video tour of my finally furnished flat!
To say I am super happy with it is an understatement...Now who wants to reserve the spare room for a visit to Lovely Luxembourg? ;-)

Video starts in the open plan kitchen/living with view onto the terrace (ground floor apt ftw). I have a TV which I will set up between the white shelves & black glass front sideboard in the living when I settle in (hopefully over the weekend).
Next we head into the "spare" room, which has two diff mattresses in case guests prefer firmer/softer option (not because I couldn't decide pfft) and the slats under the mattresses can be manually raised at the head or feet - yes guests...I will spoil you!

Main bathroom is next with one of my many fav features, the pebble-fronted bath tub - a quick stroll down the corridor with the front door on the right and saloon doors into a coat closet/storage space on the left. Final rooms of my flat is the master bedroom & en-suite bathroom.

Now we can all know why I have no more pocket change for competing ponies, registration fees and/or weekly lessons. All this decision making is also why the poor ponies have been enjoying more free time than saddle time the last number of months - Lawrd the stress of so many decisions for a Libra!
Artwork will make its way onto the walls and light-shades, curtains etc - all homely touches will follow once i move in properly and get a feel for the place/impose me more upon it...

I really hope to welcome many blogger friends now that i have a spare room to host as many of you as wish to visit the Grand Duchy :)

Edited to add links to earlier posts with photos/video of the flat in it's emptyness, in case anyone missed them/cares...
LINK I
LINK II

Belated Backtracking

How has another week spirited away from me?!
I may not have managed to post anything since Saturdays video, but i did manage to pack in my fair share of saddle time over the weekend as well as surprise adventures on Sunday.

The two monsters patiently waiting for me
on their last evening on the winter turnout

First up Friday - i managed to get out of work with enough daylight to ride Nancy & lunge Kika in the pessoa before lights out at the barn. I cannot remember the last time I managed to work either horse after a working day let alone BOTH of them on the same day!
I may have cheated slightly in that they didn't go out at lunch time and we're going out on grass the following day so I didn't have to bring them in nor prepare the haynets & water for the wite turnout.

Sunset patience 23.4.15

Saturday was summer turnout day (see previous post for video footage of their "crazy")! Sadly their field buddies couldn't go out with them that day  as one needed vet clearance after a year of handwalking due to a tendon injury :-(
As of right now, it would appear my horses are evil creatures and highly unwelcoming to newcomers after initial turnout...i may manage to address this later in this post pending word vomit describing the weekend.

Nancy being sweet with my mama
before summer turnout
Saturday 25.4.15

I rode Nancy first while Kika spun on the walker to get her head in the game after 3 weeks of super light to no work as I could tell her back was at her and thankfully managed to get the osteo out. Nancy was a very good girl, both Friday and Saturday. We got some lovely w/t/c work on the books without many arguments and no bucking/dolphining. To be fair to Nancy our arguments aren't arguments so much as disagreements over her careening through my aids on corners and bends - less an argument and more of a balancing issue stemming from my inabilities and horsey desires to find the easy way out at all costs ☺

Trying to show Nancy's size
my mama is 5'1 of awesome

Kika was next and i will freely admit to not really knowing which horse would turn up. She had been inconsolable in the first arena i attempted to lunge her in Friday evening - lesson learned. The last three times I have had her in that  small arena she has had an irrational fear (to my mind) but she can obviously see/feel something I am missing and it seriously messes with her mind. Our lunge work was brainless running, she wasn't listening to me at all and couldn't even canter in her freakedness. That was exhibit A-Z for me that it was actual fear frying her brain as if she'd just wanted to mess and have fun cantering would have been a yippee get out of jail free card; but she couldn't even organise her legs to canter! Her hind legs were cantering but her front legs kept trotting - gosh did she look uncomfortable! :-/
We had zero issues when we moved to another arena - she w/t/c (normally) without an iota of fuss including changing between gaits every three strides!

Going to count this as April's awkward
Conformation snapshot taken 26.4.15 

Sorry - Saturday,  she was a very good girl as i clambered aboard in the main arena with another rider already in situ. An adorable kid came in on her tiny grey welshie which Kika loved (Yay small creatures for broodie K). We worked through w/t/c on a circle in the lower half of the arena, with lots of transitions and some leg yielding just to see if we still could as i hadn't tried in months. If she is ouchy she will immediately let me know with that request - so carte blanche for return to our "normal" work.

#conformationfail of Nancy
But sweet Kika & mama moment

Sunday was an early start for me as i offered to accompany a yard acquaintance to her horse's first show as her usual companion (boyfriend) took a tumble a couple of weeks ago and sadly really hurt his back so is laid up at home. The goal for the morning was to make the horse's first outing as stress free as possible, so we left early including plenty time to load him as there were many distractions. He was a super star and wound up winning his first outing (at an admittedly lowish level [E-for anyone who understands Euro dressage levels...i don't :-/ ]. He spent last year recovering from a leg fracture and is a huge beast of an animal,  think 18h+, so slowly slowly is best with him!
He won his test with 72.3% - 10% ahead of the second place horse...oops. The judge said she never wants to see him at this level again, winning wasn't the goal - his rider just wanted a positive experience for him. He was stellar! Cool as a cucumber the whole time - it was an excellent morning.

Soooooooo many dapples!
Sunday 26.4.15

We got back shortly after 2pm and as the weather was good i decided to go for a stroll in the woods on Nancy with Kika on the lead. I asked did my new friend want to come with as she has mentioned hacking together in the woods to help her horses get used to life outside the sandbox - but as she has 3 horses. She wanted to handgraze her oldest  (12) before getting her youngest (5) ready for a training session at the yard she works on. We board our horses at the same place but she teaches elsewhere. ..sorry not pertinent info
Off i went into the woods with my girls. Just as we got to the woods we caught up with another rider i knew to see but had never really spoken to before. I asked was she riding on her own or would she like to join my girls and I, to which she gladly did as she is leasing the horse and doesn't really know many trails in our woods.
My evening was rounded out when I got back and found out that the friend from the morning hadn't yet left for her training session and offered to accompany her for that too for funsies. I learnt a lot watching her ride her hot young mare who reminds me a lot of Miss Kika. Watching others ride & lesson is so instructive!

Mutually beneficial
Tuesday 28.4.15

Right i think i had best stem the word vomit now and hope that I can get in saddle time over this on weekend before my bedroom furniture FINALLY arrives Monday morning - here's hoping I can actually move into my new place next week SQUEE

Semi-Silent Sunday

A quick post to share the little snippet of video i caught yesterday as the girls got let loose in a grass field for the first time this year.
I think it sums up their outlook on life quite well - lolz.
The young gun Nancy wants to frolick and play but Kika just wants to EAT!

As uncomfortable as it makes me to see Nancy stumble like she does just before the water trough...to see her floating fancy friesian trot immediately afterwards reassured the worried owner in me!
Their field buddies can't go out until Friday so I expect more video footage and/or photographs as they hopefully make new friends.

WW - Bloopers Bonanza

Sharing the many blooper shots taken on Saturday lolz

#awkward - Nancy

ADE breeches are the best
thing in this snapshot ;-)

So much awkward

Looking at the floor - check,
 broken wrists - check,
 lazy (useless) left leg - check

As above

Add in some leaning to really tell the
full story of awkwardness

More useless left leg just for good measure

Puppy Paws ftw

So much awk

Now for all the canter awk

We've a long way to go to work from behind

Leany McLeanerson - scary the weight &
 momentum falling on one foot :-o

She was having great fun free-wheeling

PS: please bear in mind these are all snapshots of moments in time and don't necessarily paint a positive picture.
For a better representation of how bad I actually ride - go back two posts to my Video Vault post.

Constructive criticism is always welcome - i can't get better if i don't know where I am going wrong...but I would prefer feedback on video clips vs these blooper photos ;-)
All tips & tricks to help fix my problem areas will be received with open arms & an open mind ☺

Osteo Visit, reflections & photo dump

This post is going to be flooded with images kindly snapped by my good friend who recorded the video snippets on Saturday.

Having watched them a couple of times since I can see where we have improved and have a clearer road map to the issues my trainer mentioned last month in our lessons. There really is a gulf in difference between my right and left leg, the latter requiring a lot more work on my behalf. Having concrete evidence of its waywardness like this will hopefully help me home in on it and bring it more in line with the other one.

My hands, Lord where to start with my hands?! For a start my reins are miles to long. I need to shorten those suckers and raise my hands slightly - but that will come with time. My trainer encourages me to ride with them lower and further apart while i am still holding Nancy's hand until she has the strength and musculature to stays straighter and hold herself better. Baby steps and we will get there.

A little BTV but rest seems ok to me

I need to sit my backside in the saddle and perhaps slide a little forward as i think i might be sitting a little far back. The saddle isn't ideal for either of us, but we will keep working with it till I find the magic money tree so i can get us a better fitting one.

The only "okay" canter pic - bloopers will follow tomorrow

Monday night the osteo  am as Kika kindly let me know our last few spins that she was beginning to feel ouchy. She has her tells in this respect & the fact my horse is not a martyr is a blessing. B (the osteo) was very complimentary of both girls mental & physical state. She commented on their dapples, healthy coats and happy demeanor. K had a few niggles (as expected by me) a little blockage at the base of her neck/withers area, 2 lumbar niggles in her lower back and required a tweak further back but no major bones of contention. B mentioned her need for maintenance possibly being linked to her inclination to spook & hold tension tweaking herself.

Nancy was as close to perfect as possible, B found  othing out of place and said she was in great condition with a balanced musculed back. I mentioned my saddle fit concerns and she said she could feel some tension alright but that she was developing muscles correctly. She said I lucked out with her back not being inherited from her Friesian dad which can sometimes be dipped as they were originally bred to be carriage horses. She kept singing her brain praises and how she has such a gentle eye. I really am lucky with both my girls.
Their osteo also does archery from horseback and gas said she'll teach Nancy & I if i can get us to her place a couple of times - SQUEE
How exciting would that be?!

Video Vault

A friend stopped by while i was riding Nancy today and snapped some video for me. Before watching bear in mind Nancy hadn't been outside since Wednesday & not ridden since Monday.
She was such a great girl considering there was massive crashing as tractors and diggers worked to clear out the muck heap.

Please forgive my awful left leg and many other indiscretions in the tack.