A smile on my face

No riding today, the weather's dreary and I think I'm coming down with something.
Anyway I wandered down the field to open the far gate through to our bottom land, came back and put them out.
I expected they would rush down, but no, they stood looking at me like lost children. I would have left them to it, but I was happy to spend a little time with them.
I set off down and could sense Bonbon at my back, Remy and Corky a few yards behind. I halted and Bonbon halted too, her warm breath on my cheek as she looked over my shoulder. We stood and waited for Corky and Rem and continued on down together. As we approached the gate they all set off down the hill and started tucking in to the fresh green grass.
As I headed back, I could see Remy, who always manages to find the softest, muddiest, wettest spots, knee deep in the stream, reaching over for some succulent something or other. 
He jumped over onto the field at the other side, spinning and rearing in an attempt to get Bonbon to join him, which she did and they both started to dance and play before looking across at Corky still on the other side.
Corky doesn't 'do' wet and mushy, so wouldn't join them,  and instead, throwing her head back, she galloped ( well this is Corky, so perhaps a fast canter ;-)) back up the field to the gate and through into the next field. She is the boss, so both Remy and Bonbon charged after her, but Remy wouldn't be put off and then headed back down trying to entice her. Eventually she gave in and sensibly found a drier spot to cross where they all jumped back over, spinning and playing delightfully.
I love my guys, they're a perfect little group, and how could they not bring a smile to my face.

It's snowing.................

We were told yesterday that it was coming and it came!  We have lots of it. I'm not too keen on snow now, but there was still that little moment of excitement this morning when I wished we had a sledge!
The horses and dogs enjoyed it though.

Remy and Corky hack out

Susan, Laura and Max came over on Friday and we went out for a short hack, me and Remy, and Susan riding Corky. Laura and Max came along as 'ground crew' which was great for taking pics ( to follow ) and extra support.
The weather had been pretty bad and I'd not had chance to ride Corky, so it was the first time ridden for quite a while. She was a very good girl, although once or twice decided that, perhaps she didn't really want to restart her ridden career! All in all they were both very good and Remy took it all in his stride. He's never ridden out with another horse before, but as it was Corky, he just settled down and accepted it readily. In fact, at times he was a little too switched off and went into 'follow' mode, cheekily trying to bite Corkys bum!   On our return we headed off to the school and Laura had a sit- on Corky, and Susan gave her a little lesson. Both Laura and Corky seemed to enjoy it and I'm hoping Laura will come over on a more regular basis to help with and ride Corky. It was good for Remy to have another horse with him in the school as he's used to being in there on his own.

Sunshine!!

It's been a glorious day, sunny and warm.
I rode Remy up to the school, we had a lunge session and then I rode him back and on up the track. Jim came on foot and we were out for about 20 minutes. The neighbours were loading up a big white van on the outward journey and we met it on the lane coming back, but Remy took it all in his stride. We stopped and chatted to the neighbour and I was so pleased with his quiet calm behaviour.
We then took Bonbon to the school for a short lunge session, moving her around the school, long sides and circles asking for walk halt transitions. To finish I brought the step over and leant over her back on the saddle, patting her on both sides and putting a little weight into the stirrup. What a good girl.
The weather's so nice I may mow the lawn - or then again, I may ride Corky this afternoon, I had a very short lunge session with her yesterday and was quite pleased how easy and relaxed she looked..

A busy morning

It was sunny and bright today and I started with flexion sessions for Remy and Bonbon. After this I took Corky for a short (35min) hack and then a short in-hand session with Anky. Remy and Bonbon were very happy to oblige with some nice flexions and stretching down. Corky, after some encouragement (she really thought that she'd retired) walked out nicely with a long relaxed neck, and Anky tutted her way through our in-hand session but relaxed, and after moving her shoulders and quarters independently, gave me some nice giravolta and shoulder in.

Un jour sans chevaux

Ma leçon française ce matin donc je n'ai fait rien avec les chevaux. J'avais eu l'intention de travailler avec Anky et Remy et me suis levé tôt, mais la connexion Internet était débranchée et j'ai passé 2 hs parlant aux gens sympathiques (pas) à SFR!!
Après la leçon, je devais recueillir un peu de médecine pour Corky d'un ami et quand je suis revenu à la maison, j'étais trop fatigué et il était trop chaud pour faire n'importe quoi. Nous devions aussi recueillir la voiture du garage et faire les courses.
Donc c'était un jour sans les chevaux, sauf que je devais injecter Corky trois fois avec ses antibiotiques.
Je n'ai jamais fait ceci avant, mais j'ai décidé que je dois apprendre. Je ne peux pas croire combien il m'a inquiété, mais je crois qu'il est allé ok ,!

All go today

Started the day with Remy in the school, a short lungeing and in-hand session. He was a little distracted by the farmer mowing the field, but started to relax and did some good work. Followed up with Anky in the school and we had a good lungeing session. She's beginning to loosen up on the left rein and there's less of a difference between the two reins. She stretched nicely in the trot with good rhythm.
Corky started with a runny nose over the weekend, not too horrid, but just from one nostril. I suspected a sinus infection and the vet came out this afternoon and confirmed it. He took a couple of x-rays and we could see the frontal passages were blocked. He's given us a 10 day course of Antibiotics, steroids (thankfully,only at a low dose)  to help the inflammation and we're going to treat topically with a betadine solution. Good old Corky actually tolerates this being sprayed up her nose.
So, this morning, horses worked, tack cleaned, car dropped off at the garage for a couple of small jobs,cherries picked,roses dead-headed and finished painting the stables.. This afternoon we had friends call round to visit and check on Jim, the vet appointment and garden fully watered. Like I said, it was all go!

Communication.......yes!!

It's been a lovely day. I took Remy up to the school and he was very relaxed and focussed. We lunged around the school, starting with walk and lots of walk halt transitions. The halt was very good today, he was especially tuned in to my movements. Once he was relaxed and walking out nicely, I asked for some trot transitions which are coming much easier now he's worked out what I'm asking for. I feel we really communicated today.
After my session with Remy I hacked Anky out with Jim and Corky. She walked out really nicely today and it was especially good because I rode her in my treeless saddle which allows you to feel more movement through the horse's back.
Both Jim and I had a spraying session in our hay field this afternoon. There's a thistly kind of plant growing and while it may be quite innocuous it leaves horrible woody stalks in the hay.
So, to finish a busy day I walked  both Remy and Bonbon around the garden to eat some of the long grass

Warm!!!!!!

A busy day today. The sun was shining and it was WARM!!!!!!
Started by bringing the horses in. Took Remy up to the school. A simple session, wanting to practice the flexion work that we've been doing  inside. Started with lunge work around the school, fine at walk, he's starting to relax and stretch down more so went on to some in-hand asking for slight flexion to the inside followed by a lengthening and slight lowering of the neck to walk transition. He was a little distracted in the school whilst we were doing this, but it was fine for a first session.
Before lunch I managed to get some weeding done and after lunch the horses came up from the bottom field, so I brought Corky in, gave her a really good grooming ( she's getting a lovely summer coat) and went out for a ride. It was bliss, just what I needed.
Finally, I treated the pergola on the terrace with some much needed wood stain.

Here comes the sun.....

It has been beautiful today, sunny and warm.
I started the day by taking Anky up to the school again. A short lungeing session including the trotting poles and a little in-hand work. She is a good girl.
I'd decided to give Remy a day off so I took Corky out for a hack. It was so good riding out with the sun warming my back.
A friend had offered me a rug for Bonbon, she's outgrown all hers and this one was going spare, so I went round to collect it this afternoon. I thought it may be slightly too big as it's a 6ft 9in, but it fits her like a glove.
We actually managed to do some gardening this afternoon, planting bulbs and tidying up the shrubs, it felt like Spring has arrived - god I hope it has!!!

We had a short trailer session when we brought them in. Bonbon first, straight on the trailer, standing for a while whilst Jim put the back ramp up. She jumped when it closed, but made no attempt to move so we stood for another few minutes and then I led her down the front ramp.

Remy next, we thought we'd leave closing the ramp until next time, all I wanted was for him to walk straight on, and he did, so we stood for a few minutes and then I led him off the front.
I'm really pleased with them both, all this steady work seems to be working.

Empty day -Woke up to misty, dirty, wet weather, Corky coughing, Anky trashed bed !!! All in the field for the day, Anky stretching and uncomfortable - for christ sake, will it ever end? Brought in - dosed with colic calmer, back out again, all off down to the bottom field, thank god for that - out of sight out of mind!!!!!!
I've hit the bottle, no doubt I'll pay dearly!!!

We are lungeing !

Yes we are :-)
The sun was shining again today and I took Remy up to the school to continue our lungeing training. He was  brilliant, we started with walk work around the school and then settled on a larger circle, I asked for  trot and he obliged with a nice easy transition, there was no confusion, he's just twigged what I'm asking for. I asked for 4 or 5 walk/trot transitions on each rein and then called it a day. He seems to have realised that he has a job to do and I love the way I can see him watching me, waiting for instructions when we're working. Well, perhaps I'm imagining it, but I don't think so.
Jim took our old 4x4 for it's MOT today, we we're both resigned to the fact that it was going for scrap, but it passed so we're happy bunnies, him because he has a soft spot for it and me because it means he won't be driving my car!!!
I rode Corky this afternoon, she felt much better, no sign of a cough and she had more energy. We saw the deer family on the way round , they were running through the field at the side of the track, a good excuse for Corky to have a blonde moment, prancing and jigging -  naughty, but I quite like it really :-)

When I got back I saw Anky stretching in the field, she had just done some droppings and it was obviously uncomfortable for her. She only stretched for a few seconds, but the fact that she still does it really bothers me.. Jim has said it can take months and months for a damaged bowel to heal so we'll just give her more time. She is certainly better in herself and she looks in good condition. Anyway I brought her in to check her, she wasn't tight or bloated and she dragged me over to the lawn to try and eat the grass, so thinking that a bit of gentle exercise might clear any wind, I took her into the garden. I lunged her gently at walk and then trot and she moved pretty easily and wasn't bracing and holding herself and to me she looked fine. I then did turns on the forehand on both reins and practiced leg yield in-hand. I've never done it before and she gave me 3 or 4 steps which I was happy with. I'm going to start some gentle ground work with her, I think it may help her and it will certainly help me, I think she could teach me a lot and I'm going to need it for when I start the in-hand with Remy.
I went to an art class with a friend last night. It was really enjoyable and I had every intention of doing some drawing this afternoon, but the day got away from me. Perhaps tomorrow.

Just like Spring

Well it's really thawing now and most of the snow has disappeared, but best of all the sun was bright and warm this morning.
I took Remy up to the school, he's not been up there in quite a while and he was such a good boy. I walked  about 2 yards away, level with his shoulder. I moved him around the school,using the long side and circles and he was very responsive, moving off and halting on command. I asked for a couple turns around the forehand which were ok, he starts off quite well  then tends to rush the last couple of steps, something to work on.
This afternoon I took Corky out for a hack, she had no motivation today and coughed 3 or 4 times. It's a dry hard cough that she sometimes gets from being in the stable over winter, so we've been out and got her some cough medicine and a homeopathic remedy (  hehe, I'll let you know how that goes Trudi ).

Noodles

I had a short  groundwork session with Remy this morning and he really felt like he was more in-tune with me. His halts were good, with less turning in towards me, he was staying at a good distance from me , respecting my space and seemed very focussed. His backing was really fluid with nice measured steps.
After my session with Remy, I took Corky out for a hack. We did a different ride today, one that Corky has done a few times, but it's a while ago and it all added to the excitement. We saw a family of deer in a field at the side of the track, they didn't move a muscle, even baby who was lying down, half hidden in the grass. Corky saw them and kept her eye on them as we went past but made nothing of it.

On our way back I had a chance to do a bit of schooling, with halts, reinback and some leg yield. Her halts are really good, if I still my seat and close my fingers on the reins she comes softly into a nice smooth halt. We practiced one or two halt/reinback/walk-on  transitions and she became lighter and much more mobile, even offering a reinback/trot transition which felt very nice. We had a nice trot on one of the uphill tracks and whilst it wasn't very active it did feel soft and relaxed.We stayed out for just over an hour and it was another enjoyable ride.
We gave the trailer training a miss when we brought them in from the field, both Jim and I were shivering it was so cold. It won't harm, it'll give them chance to thnk it over.
We've just had prawn and vegetable stir fry noodle for tea, yummy - who needs take aways!

How much is gravel these days???

It was very cold this morning! Even in the sunshine it felt like the wind was on the fast lane  from the ice caps! Anyway I didn't ride. Our local gravel man called round to give us a quote for laying new gravel on our drive. Aaaaaagh, do they think we're stupid - obviously they do!! I'm not being Frenchist but they definitely do have "English Rates". I guess we'll be doing the drive ourselves.
So, the horses went out, I went out to the supermarché, bought a few essentials had a lovely drive (it usually brings me down off the ceiling) and Jim did the stables.
After lunch we brought the horse trailer onto the yard and left it hitched up to our old motor so that we can practice getting the youngsters used to it.
The horses were playing in the field, as usual I missed the best bits but managed to get some nice pics.
The wind had dropped a little and the sun felt warmer so I brought Corky in. With the others watching at the gate I groomed, tacked up and put her boots on. I think they were a little confused with the change of routine and the fact that the trailer had appeared on the yard. I had a lovely ride, made me feel good, I'm hoping it'll carry me through the snow that's been forecast for the next few days.
When we brought them in tonight we walked them up to and around the trailer, lots of huffing and puffing from Remy and Bonbon but pretty good for a first try.

Sanity prevails.

A sunny day.

This morning was bright and sunny after a couple of days of horrible wet weather. The sunshine can coax even the most reluctant body into action, so I went for a ride on Corky. She was pretty sluggish going out, but woke up on the return journey. It was only a short ride, about 40 minutes and she seemed ok in her boots. I've been asked to start riding out with a friend who lives just down the road, so I need to get her a little fitter.

I gave Anky a good grooming, she has a lovely thick shiny coat and is definitely looking in better condition, so despite her occasional bouts of belly ache I'm hoping she's slowly improving. I walked her in-hand up to the school, she was very calm so we did a few minutes in the school and then walked back home. I hope it stays fine, I really don't like the rain!!

Jack Frost nipping at your nose...........

Despite all the drawbacks that adults (me???? lol) are supposed to be concerned about, the first snow of the year never ceases to thrill me. The horses were funny this morning, they've seen it before, but like me, they were still wide eyed and enthralled by it.

 

Happy Riding but Sad Boot Day

I'm happily typing on my newly restored laptop. Everything is right with the world,the sun is shining again today, I've had a lovely ride with Corky all on the buckle and very relaxed.
The only fly in the ointment is that I finally had to make myself throw my riding/yard (extremely comfortable and well loved) boots in the bin. It sounds trivial and I suppose it is, but I really liked those boots! My new boots that have been sitting in their box for the last six months waiting their turn are now freshly oiled and looking forward to a long and active life!!

We had the same performance at the gateway today. They all went down and stood looking pathetically at it. Except Bonbon of course, she has it all worked out. She carefully checked out the ground and walked calmly through. The other three stood looking from the other side as I fed her an apple. It took Corky and Anky a couple of minutes before they decided they would risk it, which left Remy standing alone and pitiful. I went into the field and stood on the other side of the gateway and asked him to come to me, which he did, so I was pleased that he placed his trust in me, but I don't know how long it's going to be before he's comfortable enough to come through on his own. The funny thing is that he'll come through from the other direction.
Superhorse Remy!!!!

Finally, welcome to geekyandnerdy thanks for joining us.

A beautiful day with Happy Feet.

After my post yesterday, Gareth (barefoot trimmer) phoned to say that, if convenient, he would call to trim the horses in the afternoon. He arrived shortly after 1pm and set to work straight away. He was happy with all four, especially Corky who has very flat feet, but is doing much better than we expected. Considering that Corky and Anky only had their shoes removed 7 weeks ago, both are doing well and are already showing improvement. He thinks the two youngsters both have excellent feet and should have very few problems remaining barefoot. So I'm a happy bunny.

This morning was bright and sunny, but with quite a blustery wind. I went for a ride on Corky which I think I enjoyed more than she did. The fact that I turned up with tack for the second day running didn't go down very well. I'm sure she'll get into the routine though, she does make me laugh.
I thought I'd make the most of the wind and take Remy out for a walk. We haven't been out in the wind before and I wanted to see how he'd behave. I took him up through the field to the school, around the school, over the trotting poles and then down the little green lane between our fields. He knows that there's an apple tree there and was quite happy to go check it out.

We have electric fencing on the fields and a couple of days ago we had a short in one of the gateways (the wire is underground, but must have broken somehow).They must have all felt it as they wouldn't go through. It's been really interesting to see how the horses dealt with it after it was fixed.
On the several occasions that they've gone through since, Bonbon has been the first to check it out, very sensibly putting her nose close to the ground to see if she could feel it and then quite calmly walking through. Having watched her , Anky first, followed by Corky, would then canter through quickly. Remy, on the other hand, has just stood and refused to go through, not panicking, but just not willing to risk it. Jim said that there was a large hoof print just over where the wire was broken and perhaps it was Remy who got the worst of the shock, I don't know, perhaps he's just a wuss.

Leading him back to the yard this morning I brought him through the gateway and he was still a little hesitant, but he came through when I asked, I'm fure he'll get over it.

My laptop is back from the repair man after having a new hard drive installed, so now I'm off to re-install all my 'stuff'.

Aaaaaah, that's more like it.

I've just come in from a lovely ride on Corky, just a short ride as she has to get used to her new boots. Not wishing to be a drama queen, but the feeling I got as I sank my backside into the saddle was, marvelous, darling!!!!!
It's a beautiful day, warm and sunny,so when I returned from my ride,I took Remy for a walk, just me and him up the lane, through the field towards the wood. I expected him to be calm, curious and perhaps a little bit hesitant at times and he was just that, but mainly he was calm, relaxed and despite being distracted by "new things" he was still focussed on me.