Ponies in November
ugh. reports due in a week. ugh ugh. have completed one class... Maths. Easy to write shit about that class from hell.
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went to see kiwi early yesterday. got there at 9.45 or so... Farrier at 11, so that enabled a bit of time for a ride.
she gave me a big nicker when she saw me. first time she's done that. i know that she's been pleased to see me before - she comes right up and follows me around as soon as i appear, but she hasn't nickered. very adorable and was instantly in love.
quickly groomed and saddled her. as a result, she was quite jumpy and antsy and even had a 'moment' in the ring. i small circled her, then did some flexion. nice, calm...
i think she was grumpy cos i saddled her up fast. usually i take a long time to groom her, potter about, fiddle with this. i'll have to remember that in the future. she might recall speedy saddling up from her racing days, and that might stress her. who knows.
then, it poured with rain for a while, so i brought her inside the big shed. Melinda was in there with Charlie, as well as kim and the other kids. she was very good. standing very nice and still. a bit antsy, but not bad. Melinda said that she would never have stood still like that before, so i feel like that was a compliment.
i was very naughty and demonstrated vast amounts of bad horsemanship by having a cigarette from her back. she was calm and apart from trying to get her nose into things, she wasn't fussed.
after it stopped raining, i went back in the ring. she was very good. she's really starting to soften and come into my hands at the walk. i would say that she's almost On The Bit at the walk. very nice and forward and consistent with her pace.
then trotted... Posted an entry asking for advice in equestrian regarding Balance at the Trot, so hopefully someone will have some tips. i know that it really just involves Time, as she even started to balance up yesterday. i would like it to be nice and consistent tho, and any help offered would be great.
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finished the ride, unsaddled etc by 11.10.
then Waited for the Farrier until 1pm!!!!!!!! i had left my mobile at home so couldn't be reached by him (he tried twice). i didn't mind waiting really. He had a difficult horse first thing in the morning, and that set him right back for the rest of the day.
anyway. he put dancing shoes on my kiwi. she's got those Quarter horse clips on the back feet. her backs are quite bad and a bit short, so there's a few gaps between her hoof and the shoe. so he put the 2 clip shoes on her backs. Interesting. i know what they're for now!
$70.
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went to blitzen's, via the feed store. paid my bill ($204.50) and picked up some hay.
...
was so exhausted. just mucked out blitz and guinness (kelly's at Bridgetown Blues), put blitz's fly rug on and came home.
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taking kiwi to the Encouragement Day next weekend. not going to compete, but i will have a ride around. She's going to get officially measured too. it'll be a good day to just hang out and see LOTS of other horses and go (*&!@#*&!@# at everything without the stress of competing. besides, she's not even ready to do the Walk/Trot ring yet.
Karalee, Melinda and their other friend who leases their other horse, Carlie, are all riding. so it'll be a big feral invasion!
karalee is riding Charlie. i'll be interested to see how she goes on him. he's a fairly slack, easy going horse, so hopefully she'll do okay.
anyway. more horses... and work! today.
...
went to see kiwi early yesterday. got there at 9.45 or so... Farrier at 11, so that enabled a bit of time for a ride.
she gave me a big nicker when she saw me. first time she's done that. i know that she's been pleased to see me before - she comes right up and follows me around as soon as i appear, but she hasn't nickered. very adorable and was instantly in love.
quickly groomed and saddled her. as a result, she was quite jumpy and antsy and even had a 'moment' in the ring. i small circled her, then did some flexion. nice, calm...
i think she was grumpy cos i saddled her up fast. usually i take a long time to groom her, potter about, fiddle with this. i'll have to remember that in the future. she might recall speedy saddling up from her racing days, and that might stress her. who knows.
then, it poured with rain for a while, so i brought her inside the big shed. Melinda was in there with Charlie, as well as kim and the other kids. she was very good. standing very nice and still. a bit antsy, but not bad. Melinda said that she would never have stood still like that before, so i feel like that was a compliment.
i was very naughty and demonstrated vast amounts of bad horsemanship by having a cigarette from her back. she was calm and apart from trying to get her nose into things, she wasn't fussed.
after it stopped raining, i went back in the ring. she was very good. she's really starting to soften and come into my hands at the walk. i would say that she's almost On The Bit at the walk. very nice and forward and consistent with her pace.
then trotted... Posted an entry asking for advice in equestrian regarding Balance at the Trot, so hopefully someone will have some tips. i know that it really just involves Time, as she even started to balance up yesterday. i would like it to be nice and consistent tho, and any help offered would be great.
...
finished the ride, unsaddled etc by 11.10.
then Waited for the Farrier until 1pm!!!!!!!! i had left my mobile at home so couldn't be reached by him (he tried twice). i didn't mind waiting really. He had a difficult horse first thing in the morning, and that set him right back for the rest of the day.
anyway. he put dancing shoes on my kiwi. she's got those Quarter horse clips on the back feet. her backs are quite bad and a bit short, so there's a few gaps between her hoof and the shoe. so he put the 2 clip shoes on her backs. Interesting. i know what they're for now!
$70.
...
went to blitzen's, via the feed store. paid my bill ($204.50) and picked up some hay.
...
was so exhausted. just mucked out blitz and guinness (kelly's at Bridgetown Blues), put blitz's fly rug on and came home.
...
taking kiwi to the Encouragement Day next weekend. not going to compete, but i will have a ride around. She's going to get officially measured too. it'll be a good day to just hang out and see LOTS of other horses and go (*&!@#*&!@# at everything without the stress of competing. besides, she's not even ready to do the Walk/Trot ring yet.
Karalee, Melinda and their other friend who leases their other horse, Carlie, are all riding. so it'll be a big feral invasion!
karalee is riding Charlie. i'll be interested to see how she goes on him. he's a fairly slack, easy going horse, so hopefully she'll do okay.
anyway. more horses... and work! today.