Anky joins in

Another  hot day today and by the time I was ready to ride at 10am it was 28deg. I decided to take Anky out for another hack as there's quite a lot of shade on the ride.  It was the best ride I've had with her since our hacks with Jim and Corky.  She's much more confident when riding out in company, but today I started to see some of that confidence returning. She was a little hesitant at times and we had a couple of skoots forward (she's very good at that, very quick and sharp, but never takes advantage) when she was spooked by something, but mostly she was great. We went a new route to come home and even though she was looking at things, she was on her toes and thinking forward and felt brilliant. She started to relax and on the way back we stopped in a shady spot and I let her eat some grass and just chill for a while. It's taken a long time, but today, for the first time I felt like she'd decided to join in a little and it felt fantastic.
I'd already decided that it would be too hot to do anything with the babies and by the time I got home Jim had put them in the field. They were hovering around the gate wondering where Anky was and I got a chorus of horsey hello's as I came onto the yard. They're such a close knit group, which makes it all the more pleasing when I can take one of the youngsters away from the others and they come with me without a worry.
I brought them in early, they'd had enough of the heat and flies, they're now tucking into their hay, happy and cool.

I love that little girl.

After bathing and application of some ointment yesterday, Anky's eye was fine this morning so after breakfast I tacked her up and went out for a hack. As usual, she was going forward (just) but thinking backwards, looking left and right, but the key thing today was that she continued going forwards. We had a couple of stops and hesitations, but when I asked she responded and gradually she started to relax and think forwards. To cut a long story short, we had a proper hack, we did the whole of the circular ride ( first time on a solo ride) through the local stud fields,which can sometimes be a problem with the young horses running up to the fence. Today they were all pretty laid back with the heat and we walked calmly by. She came back much straighter and much more relaxed and by the time we reached home she was walking on a long rein with a really nice stretch down over her neck.
It was scorching by the time we got back so instead of going in the school, I decided to take Remy and Bonbon for a walk out.
First Remy - he's not been out for a walk for a while, but he was fine, looking at things but not over-reacting. We went up the same track that I take for hacking out, we headed into the little wood around a little circular track and then headed for home. We were out for about 20 minutes, further than we've been  before and he was great.
Bonbon's never been off the property before, and was a little surprised when I led her up to the front gate, but being the girl she is, didn't make anything of it and followed me willingly.
She was looking at things and became a little concerned by a large pot plant at the side of the lane????, but after investigating it, decided it was harmless and we continued without any problems. We went down the same track, past the neighbours house, dog and chickens, no problems, up the track towards the wood, past the big shiny silage bales, no problems, halted and stood quietly for a few minutes, no problems. She looks at things, investigates and accepts them, no problems.After about 15minutes we turned around and headed for home, arrived home, no problems!!  I love that little girl!!!

Lots done today

It was very hot this morning and Anky came in with a swollen eye, most likely caused by the flies. I'd planned to hack her out as we'd had a good session in the school yesterday, but gave her a day off.
I had a little in-hand session with Remy and he's starting to get it, it's unfortunate for him as he has to tolerate me feeling my way through all this in-hand stuff.
I then took Bonbon up to the school for the second time. We introduced her to poles on the ground and having given them a quick sniff, she dismissed them as harmless. We put half a dozen down and walked her over them several times before heading off around the school for another look-see. She's such a sweet, obliging creature, I'm going to do my best to ensure that she stays that way.

This afternoon I graded the school, mowed the grass and them Jim and I planted this lovely young honey locust tree that we bought over a month ago.

Proud

It was a beautiful morning, sunny but not too warm, hardly any wind, and the horses were perky in the stable instead of the sleepy heads we've had of late.

Instead of hacking out I took Anky into the school and from start to finish she was relaxed. We worked at walk, concentrating on changing the bend, keeping the neck relaxed, asking for a flexion and softness in the hand. She was pretty good on the right rein with a genuine bend, softness in the outside rein and good flexion to the inside. I have to be prepared for her falling out through her shoulder, but today she was fairly straight.
She's more resistant to the left and I have to concentrate on keeping her neck fairly straight, a little feel on the outside rein to soften and keep her nose from tipping to the inside and then ask for the flexion with the inside rein. She was getting it today and it felt good when it came.

I then took Remy into the school and had a lovely in-hand session. We had walk, trot and canter on the lunge, although the canter was in response to something he'd heard down the field, but he was a good boy and we continued with some lovely walk work, soft and stretching over his neck with a lovely, easy stride.

I couldn't leave Bonbon out so took her for a walk up the field. She was so good I took her across the track and into the school. There was a lot of heavy breathing and eyes on stalks as she investigated first the sand (which she's never seen before), then the poles and jump wings stacked in opposite corners of the school. She tentatively stretched her neck as far as she could to look at them before touching them and discovering they were perfectly safe. We investigated all of the school and she was brilliant. I couldn't be more proud. Jim says she's a bit spesh - and she is!!

A ride of two halves........

....with Anky. It was a little blustery and she was her usual reluctant little self. We set off and although hesitant, she went, moving forwards but thinking backwards. As we passed through the little wood towards the road, she stopped, started snorting and looking through the trees. As I looked I could see a deer watching us watching it. I sat calmly and Anky remained fairly calm as it trotted out of the trees and across the path about 10 yards ahead of us. She handled it brilliantly and I was so pleased with her. I asked her to move on and she did, looking left and right and snorting. We crossed the road and headed off down the track, but after about 100 yards she stopped and refused to go forwards, seeming to have lost all composure, shaking her head and trying to back up. I hopped off and led her for the next ten minutes and but she became increasingly hyped up. I walked several small circles, asking her to relax her neck and lower her head, which she did, but as soon as we continued her head went up, as worried as ever. I found a suitable spot and got back on, walked her on for a few minutes and then turned for home. At this point we got forward and then some, not the nice relaxed forward I wanted, but a 'let me get home as soon as possible' forwards. That's how we came home, me trying to keep her attention, asking for changes of bend, trying to get some softness, and her determined to be tight and tense, trying to push through my hands. She'd relaxed a little by the time we got home, but not nearly enough. Assuming she's not stressed and gassy, we'll try again tomorrow.

Looking Left and Right

I had another good morning with the horses. Firstly I took Anky out for another hack. Because she's quite a nervous horse, she has a tendency to want look around her when we're out on a hack, she'll look left for a few moments and then look right. As she looked to the left, I raised the left hand slightly to ask for a flexion and softening and then as she looked right, I raised the right hand. Sometimes she did soften, sometimes she didn't. As she started to relax we got more softening and a more genuine flexion and she started to straighten up and relax over her neck and was much softer overall in the hand. I then started to ask for a little flexion first one side, then the other and we had some really nice moments as she released and stretched even further out to the hand. It was a really enjoyable hack and I'd say, one of our successes. She was a little worried as usual, but she was willing.

I had a short in-hand session with Remy and he was attentive with some good walk/halt transitions and the beginnings of a nice giravolta.

Last, but certainly not least, another walk with Bonbon, this time up the field towards the school. She is a little star.

Normal Service Resumed.......

........today. Jim's energy is returning, it's easily used up though, but he's making good progress.
I started off the day with a short ride out on Anky, the sun was shining and she was a good girl. She seemed fine in her boots, fairly relaxed and easy. We had a little trot and she had a spring in her step.
I then took Remy up to the school, he's not been up there for a month but he was very calm and attentive. We had a short in-hand session, a good release over his neck and a lovely relaxed, motivated walk. We finished with a short session at liberty and a bit of a play!
Not to be left out, Bonbon and I enjoyed a walk around the garden to practice her groundwork. She's such a good girl, so confident and willing. 

Anky's new boots.

We had a rain-free night and the horses came in this morning, happy and ready for their breakfast. I had a short session with Remy in the stable with the bridle and then I took Anky for a walk in her new hoof boots. They are the Easyboot Edge and they are much less bulky than her previous ones and she seemed fine wih them. Tomorrow, if the weather permits I'll take her for a short ride with them on.

Normal-ish

Jim came home yesterday and things today were pretty normal-ish. He's keen to get back to normal too, perhaps too keen and was helping out with the horses this morning. He used to do a lot of walking so he's going to get back to that, his plan is to walk with the dog and get him fitter at the same time. I'm not sure that's going to be too relaxing though as Obi's not used to walking on the lead!

The weather has been awful for the last 24 hours, it's rained non-stop and is forecast to rain for the next 24 hours too. I relented and brought the horses in last night, they were huddled under a tree in the top field and hadn't gone down to their usual night field. When I went out to check on them they came running up to the gate so what choice did I have?
I planted some bulbs in the pots on the terrace in spring and was beginning to think they weren't going to grow but they've come out in the last week or so. They are so pretty and I couldn't resist taking a pic.

I've been pretty bored this afternoon, can you tell?

Normal......

It's been a very long and uncertain 3 weeks. Jim in hospital, hopefully coming home soon.
My Dad's been over for the last week and he's just gone home, it's surprised me how lost I feel. I guess once a daddy's girl, always a daddy's girl.
I'm hoping my life is going to start getting back to normal, I miss normal , I miss Jim and I miss my horses.