Just the Grass

Still full of beans today was our Miss CodyPants, but lots softer and more supple and no disuniting or anything like that. So it must have just been a naughty day rather than pain. I'll keep an eye on it though, as I always do... but today she was certainly feeling better than she has in ages - I got actual BEND out of her on the circles.

Cody sore?

Lots of disuniting today and pinging around like an absolute dickhead - even some bucking. Spring grass growth? Or is the pain in her hock coming back?

Better in the Dark?

Was quite late out at the horses today - not really sure why. But after riding Cody I got on Neo and it was actually sort of dark. Anyway, rode him and he was the best he has been in ages. I wonder if it was BECAUSE it was dark? Like if it's not his eyesight (eyes tested twice by 2 different vets) perhaps it is sort of a sensitivity to the light which is part of what is making him mental? Will try a few things over the next couple of weeks to see if we can test this theory.

liebster

Ok, this is one of those blog posts (for the 'Liebster award') that has been going around. Thanks to Rebecca for tagging me in - always interesting to learn more about folks. I'm not going to tag anyone in, as I don't really follow any blogs, but I will answer the questions and include 11 random facts about me in case anyone out there in cyberspace is interested.
1.Who was your favourite horse?
Of all time, perhaps "Milton". I also had a huge crush on John Cottle's "Watch Me" when I was a pony rider. Of my own horses I truly don't have a favourite - they have each taught me different things and I've had successes and um 'strong learning!' on so many of them.

2.Why?
Because grey! Also because super jumpers, but I am totally biased towards grey horses and turn into a little kid when I see a grey horse "look, look, horsey!".

3.What person has most affected negatively or positively your attitude towards riding?
My mother, probably.

4.Why?
When things are going badly with her, I don't really enjoy the horses. I guess this comes from growing up in a horsey home and having the 'family unit' and relationships wrapped up in the horses. After a lifetime of that you can't split them apart.

5.What are the three things you couldn't live without?
Internet! Chocolate! I would say horses, but that's not true - I gave up for 3 years when I was doing a lot of travel for work and I didn't die, I just cried a lot and missed it a lot. I still want to say horses though.

6.If you couldn't compete/take part in the discipline you do now, what sort of riding would you do?
If I couldn't showjump... eh, so hard to know! I hate eventing and XC is like the hatepassion of my life - it makes me physically sick. Western, endurance and all that jazz just don't push any buttons for me. I closet-enjoy dressage from time to time but their restrictions on what you can wear piss me right off. Mum being a jockey and father a race trainer, well, that's enough to put me off the racing game for a lifetime. Is there anything left? I can't ride without competing. I love competition. Maybe I'd have to take up showhunter? haha.

7.What is your dream job?
I took a few years off my job in IT to ride horses fulltime. I think it is my dream job - there were days when you hate it of course (in the rain and the mud) but overall it was something I loved doing. But I realised I couldn't do it forever, so now I'm back in an office job. But that's ok, I got a change to do my dream job and many folk never do.

8. If you were given $100,000 tax free what would you buy first?
Pay off debt.

9. Do you like Feijoas?
omg YES

10.When you are all worn out and need a drink, what is it that you drink?
Pinot Noir is my drink of choice for pretty much all occasions, though it's not so ideal in the heat of summer so sometimes I will hit up an overpriced cider or a pina colada! 

11.What are your favourite pair of footwear.
My pink eject boots, or my tretorn riding boots. Anything that looks a little bit different and is comfy!

And 11 random facts about me:
1. I am a very wimpy rider, I'm scared of most everything
2. This winter I grazed the edge of the BMI obese category - while I've never been a skinny minnie, being on the verge of obese was a real wakeup call (& I'm currently trying to fix it)
3. I think it's important to wear matching bra & undies every day - mismatched stuff annoys me for the whole day
4. I've never smoked a cigarette in my life
5. I have a girl-crush on Hello Kitty and all things Hello Kitty
6. I love the colour pink (if you found your way to this blog you probably already know this)
7. I get annoyed when people seem surprised that I drive a truck, as if it's something that chicks can't do?
8. I was terrified of cars till my mid-20s and didn't learn to drive until I was about 26
9. I drink way too many energy drinks, usually the sugarfree ones too which are full of all kinds of chemicals
10. I'm terrified of telephones and I will have to mentally prep, sometimes for an entire day or more, prior to making a voice call
11. When people are really noisy eaters, it makes me want to commit hate crimes against them.

Storm

Well the big storm in Wellington has been a bit of a non-event for the horses. They've been snuggly warm each time I've gone to check on them (though I have been giving them a bit of extra feed) - the road they're grazed on has been closed for days, but not actively policed so I've had no trouble getting to them. No damage at the grazing and not too much flooding either. Quite lucky, after seeing photos of a lot of trees down into fences and barns for other folks.

At home it's been a different story- days without power and water has been not particularly fun! But the roads have been passable (at least in the ute) so I've been taking advantage of friends who have power to nab the occasional shower and at least work has had power and been warm. 

Stole the portable cooker & solar lights etc out of the truck which meant I could still cook at home (handy)... just need to remember to put things back into the truck or at least re-stock what I've taken!

Saddles and all

Rode.
Both horses.
With bridles and saddles! First time in 4-5 months for Neo, and first time since HoY for Cody. Cody was a bit of a fidget pants but overall her lovely well-behaved self. Neo was an asshole with rearing and bucking and lashing out but did settle down after a little while. 
I actually feel good for having given them both a proper ride. Heck, even trucky got a crank and a little jaunt to make sure it's still happy.

Nothing happening

Well, the horses are doing pretty much nothing except enjoying the occasional sunny days. Friends headed up to Manfeild yesterday for winter showjumping, I'm kind of jealous - but not jealous enough to get the horses into work and the truck legal! We're about 2 weeks away from winter solstice and the shortest day, which is awesome (even if it does typically signal a few months of terrible weather) it means summer is eventually going to roll around again.

Weight loss is currently on track - in fact my super pretty black & red ariat front zip volante long boots are now a bit too loose! Awesomes.

 

Goals

I feel like I have no goals for my riding or for the horses. While that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's not really ideal either. Without things to aim for this can be an un-fulfilling hobby (and an expensive one at that!). I tried to come up with some goals but they were all a bit vague and obviously I wasn't into it - so I tried to get to the root of it. I love horses, I love showjumping, so why don't I care? I've been getting fatter and lazier and I wonder if this is a part of it?

So instead of having a riding-specific goal, I have a goal that sort of runs alongside the horses. By 1st August (horses birthday!) I want to no longer be overweight. I've been making an effort for over a month now, and I'm well on my way to where I want to be. I still don't feel enthusiastic, but I am hoping that when I can be more balanced and look better in the saddle again that things will fall into place. And heck, if they don't - it's not like I've lost anything except for some excess weight that I didn't need in the first place.

I really hope I can stick with it - I'm quite fickle at times. I'm pretty sure Neo is excited about the idea of not having to cart as much weight around though (big strong Cody probably doesn't care).

Shoes off

So Cody got her shoes taken off. As her feet were so bad when she arrived, I'm a little nervous about it - but I do like to give them some time without shoes while they're turned out if they can handle it. I'll be keeping an eye on things. Neo is still without shoes (around 4 years now, I think, since he has worn shoes) and his hooves are looking great (not so handy when he is basically retired and not DOING anything with his great looking hooves). Truck still has no CoF. Is there an award for being the laziest person on the planet?

Cuddle buddies

I seriously can't believe this weather, it's all kinds of awesome. However it does mean my ponies are getting sweaty. I've even put them into lighter rugs. Need to give them both a proper bath though, perhaps a good swim in the inlet if the tides will be deep enough this weekend.

I love these horses so much - Neo's little pink nose and Cody's little yellow nose - they are such darlings. Cody gets her shoes off this week as well - getting all prepared for an extremely lazy winter.

so many sunny days

The weather has been insanely good. Of course, I'm not taking advantage of that. Horses are still pretty much turned out. Did move them back into the paddock I'd been saving for them (and then watched them hoon and kick around and probably destroy part of it.. nice work horses). They're on fibre-sure at the moment which they absolutely don't need and I think when I whip their rugs off next time I will find 2 blobs of fat rather than 2 horses. Hmm.

Mammoths

My horses have been taken and replaced with woolly mammoths! They certainly aren't looking show-ready at this time of year, but I am glad that they seem to be holding their weight. After HoY I weaned Cody off hardfeed and since then her and Neo have really only been on grass with a half slice of hay each on rainy days. I've just grabbed some fibre sure this past weekend as the temperatures are starting to drop - they don't really need it, but it makes me feel happy to be able to give them a little feed while I go and swap rugs / check legs and all that jazz.

Yesterday was a stunning sunny day (out of the blue and unexpected, but very nice to have!) so the ponies had the whole day without rugs - so nice for them. Still not feeling motivated to do anything more than the odd ride every week or fortnight. Next horse-related goal is probably to get off my bum and take the truck for it's CoF!

Tempted

Tempted to start this up again. Though it's winter, and I only have 2 horses... so likely it will be few & far between with the updates anyway (and boring as hell when there are updates!). The team at the moment is a bit of an odd one:

Sherbet Twist (Neo)
I've had this fella for about 6 years or more now, I think. He's 12yo and measures anywhere between 15.3 and 16.1 depending on the day and his mood. The past 3 years have been pretty awful with him - going from a happy and confident 1.15 horse looking to move up, to a neurotic difficult animal with a list of issues as long as my arm. The last round of quality time with the vet has suggested that he has an acute allergy to something outdoors. Beyond that we're not really sure. At the moment he is effectively retired, but I'm hoping to try to bring him back into work over winter and see is he is any happier and if he can return to competition at all (even if it will see him being the most high maintenance horse I've had). 

PitStop (Cody)
The new addition, had her about 6 months now (though she spent 3 of those months on rehab for an arthritic hock). 14yo stationbred mare who has competed up to Young Rider heights (about 3 years ago, before a long turnout in the back paddocks doing approximately nothing). Haven't managed a clear round on her yet, and she is an interesting ride, but lots of fun. She is getting ridden about once a week at the moment so her joints don't get too stiff from a winter holiday.

Dressage Saddle

So... there comes a time when you just can't avoid it any longer, and you have to get a dressage saddle. I'd really only just sold my old one (having no use for it) - and yet somehow the universe puts me back into the world of needing a dressage saddle. Seems to fit Mijla nicely (and even popped it on Zak and it seems ok - didn't girth it up on him though, so not 100% sure). I am very out of practice though! First few pics are with my stirrups shorter...



And these two pics are with the stirrups a bit longer. I think they mostly look better longer, but I felt like I was reaching for them. I'm going to have to do a fair few hours in the dressage saddle to get into the swing of things again!



I thought I'd found a bridle to match, but alas it was not meant to be... so still on the hunt for a brown bridle to go with the saddle in case I ever get enough weight on the mare to put her in some saddle hunter classes.

Dentist

Dentist for all 3 horses! Loaded them up in the float and took them to Otaki. Zak loaded very well (he does much better when he is between 2 others - seems to make him calm).


Neo was pretty good - just has a front tooth that needs to come out next time we're up there. Possibly not causing any issues, but better to be safe than sorry.


Zak has big wolf teeth that may need to come out - just have to play it by ear with him. I have changed his bridle to ensure there is no pressure on that area and I'll see if I can spot any discomfort. 


Mijla had quite a few sharpies and had those seen to, but nothing more exciting than that.

Tielcey Combined Training

Entered Neo in the PreNovice, and Mijla in the PreTraining. Neo actually did a very good dressage for him, but shocking jumping - wouldn't jump off a long stride and I have no idea why. Very disappointed. So he ended up last, which was also 3rd. I didn't do any straight showjumping on him as I felt there was no point if he's not jumping well.


Mijla did a kind enough dressage - we both made some mistakes, and still need a heck of a lot more rocket fuel in her. She came 3rd in the dressage and 7th overall after a rail in the SJ. I also did the 80cm straight showjumping for a double clear! About 5 seconds off the pace, but very pleased with her. 


I'll update this post later if any photos crop up - no photoslave for me this weekend.

Farrier

All ponies were overdue for their toes, so thankfully the weather sort of played ball for the farrier and I. It pissed down a few times, but only for a couple of seconds then the sun came out again. Very odd, actually. 


Neo's feet were good, as usual. The farrier likes him too, as he just stands like a rock for having his toes done (about the ONLY time Neo stands still for anything). 


Zak was really good news - being in work has done him a world of good, and the shape of his hooves was the best that we've ever seen them. Still got a way to go yet, but it's looking like we won't need to put on corrective shoes - just keep chipping away with the trimming and see how it progresses. Zak's behaviour was still naughty, but it's getting slowly better every time. He's so different to any other horse I've worked with - I really hope there is a superstar in him waiting to come out, god knows I put enough time and energy into him for it! 


Mijla had front shoes on, and back feet with huge cracks. It was all a bit of a mess. So it was hot shoes all around, and a custom one on the off hind with extra clips to hold the crack together. Looks like the cracks are from old injuries - so we'll just have to keep on top of things with the shoes and then by next season they will be looking a lot healthier. 


Dentist in a week for the lot of them! I am spending all of my money before becoming an unemployed person at the end of this contract!

More Manfeild

June's Manfeild event crept up on me - like really crept up on me! On Saturday night Karina mentioned it on Facebook, and I ended up rearranging a few things and deciding to head on up very much on a whim.


Mijla was coming up mostly just to see what she'd do. How would she travel, would she stand nicely at the float alone, would she behave? She travelled really well (after accidentally boofing me in the face and putting a tooth through my lip).



She was a bit unsure when we first headed out - a little spooky at a few things and had a little hop around at one point, but nothing that would get you worried. And she calmed down heaps after 5 minutes riding. I even took her into a few warmup areas that had other horses cantering past us and towards us... again, she wasn't overly confident, but got better with time. 



At the truck by herself she called out lots, but didn't appear to actually try and go for a wander anywhere - so that is nice to know. I could have done a bit more with her - but she's still very unfit and skinny and I just didn't want her to associate going to shows with not having fun. I want her to associate it with food and good times (much like I do!).



It was going to be ages till any class for Neo, and the rain was moving in, so I figured I'd just take him for a ride. He is starting to be really good in the warmup areas these days - no reefing or being a total idiot. Because I do most of my work on him bareback, I know that he will be a bit different to ride on the days where I put a saddle on... but if I can work out a way to keep his brain between his ears then I might be looking forward to a fun season on him.



Did a few little practice fences on him, not the tidiest haha! And then headed to the hose down to wash off half of the arena surface that he seemed to have got over his legs and belly.



Thanks again to Swifty for pics and also opening gates in the rain!

Queens BDay - Mijla

Mijla is a new arrival. She's a 7yo TB mare (by Traditionally) who has done a couple of low level shows, but hasn't been in work for around 18 months. Majestic dropped her off to me on Friday, so I had a bareback ride on her Friday & Saturday while waiting for some rainscald to clear up. Today was our first day with the saddle! She doesn't actually look very thrilled at the prospect:



But she behaved really well - she hasn't been spooky or uptight at any point - even with other horses coming to use the arena, which Neo gets quite excited about.



Mijla is very kind and I think once I get some heating food into her and some more meat on her bones she will actually have quite a nice trot - she seems to remember the basics of her schooling and doesn't fizz when we get our signals mixed up.



Finding the canter button took me a while - and because she's quite unfit I didn't want to sit on her and have her trying to balance both of us, but once we got into canter she sorted herself out nicely.



And the next few canter transitions were fine too. We only did about 10 minutes of riding, didn't want to make her too sore and tired.



Don't currently have a dressage saddle, but have bought a square pad for under my jumping saddle, just in case we decide to pop along to some winter dressage (I guess there must be some coming up).

Queens BDay - Zak

Zak has had a few weeks off, and yesterday when I got on him he was really well-behaved, I was super happy with him. Of course that meant today, when I had Swifty and the camera around we had a few occurrences of naughty Zak:



But for much of the time he was quite soft and moving forward and freely.



More boring walking pics:



Attempted some trots, most hilarious! Not sure if I have trotted him bareback before? He certainly got his back up a few times but didn't actually buck - so that is a good start!



And cutie-pie Zak:



He is still having little tantrums when he thinks he's done enough work. I'm just trying to work through them, make him work just 5 minutes longer once he's had a tantrum, and hopefully they will become less & less. I think we're getting there. Will also pop the saddle back on him either tomorrow or next weekend and see if any of the saddles I have here are fitting him properly at the moment.