Summer Solstice: December 2013

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE
&
BEST WISHES FOR A GREAT NEW YEAR :)

END OF DECEMBER 2013

It's been a very wet and windy December so far so we moved the horses back to the home paddocks as the new winter field was getting very muddy and boggy, trying to save it from getting really bad. They walked back along the main track to the house, going through small gateways around the 4 cattle grids and were SO calm. We took it all as the days challenge for play as there was plenty of squeeze games, friendly games, backing up, S2M with two horses each and transitions along the way...it was a lot of fun ;)

So, for now we are taking each day as it comes, if it's dry and not windy then we try to poo pick the paddocks and try to play with some horses but if it's rainy and windy then we just can't do much at all!

Here are some pics from the last couple of days of December.....

Nice slow hack on Tara around some fields

Sun came out half way around the hack,
sheep were quite curious about us ;)

Great views along the way ;)

Home after a lovely ride

Horses enjoying the break in the weather,
rugs came off this day but back on over night

Mark feeding hay ;)

Solly out to play....fig 8's around 2 stones! lol

Up and back down into river bed

Backing up and drawing between two close trees

Circling game whilst I stood on a stone

Circling in a 'scary' corner...he was worried and scooted
away from the left hand side of the pic...something may
have been behind or in the stone wall!

Jumping over a hidden ditch that has
the burn running through it ;)

Standing 2 feet on a stone pedestal ;)

Sidepassed to put all 4 feet into a puddle ;)

Offered one foot on the very large pedestal
(often my mounting block) but it was too
wet and slippery to ask him to do more ;)

Mark with Holly and Stormy....
going through the narrow trees ;)

And bringing them back again ;)

Stormy and Holly jumping the river ditch ;)

Tuesday 17th December

So, after the yeehaa-ing from the herd the other day I've been making sure that at feed time their hay is put out in the normal places BUT also around the arena where the 'scary' bit was for them all. I hope that this will help improve their confidence about this area again as there hasn't been anything, as far as I know, to worry them in this place since last week.

Today I went out and spent 3hrs playing, first with Solly at liberty, then with him a bit online around the 'scary' bit which went well, and then with Stormy first online in the arena and then at liberty around the 'scary' bit ;) Funny how I treated the boys differently with play but that's literally taking things as they come, finding what works for each horse individually and helping them through either letting them be free or holding their hands a bit online ;)

Being very very cold today's play was more about brain work than leg work. lol

Here's a few pics from today:

Solly Liberty: straddling a pole

Solly Liberty: sidepassing a cone

Solly Liberty: bringing a cone to mum ;)

Solly Liberty: sidepassing two tyres

Solly Liberty: small jump towards

Stormy Online: Stand by poles and wait

Stormy Online: one foot over and wait

Stormy Online: two feet over pole and wait ;)

Stormy Online: One foot over 2nd pole and wait

Stormy Online: two feet over 2nd pole and wait ;)

Stormy Online: feet forward one step and then backup over both poles ;)

Stormy Liberty: forward and then back between poles

Stormy Liberty: and back up even further ;)

Stormy Liberty: draw towards at trot ;)

Stormy Liberty: extreme friendly with flag ;)

Stormy Liberty: Extreme friendly all around ;)

Thursday 12th December

The whole herd today was a bit spooky. We think there was BT men up poles and/or some felling of half fallen trees from the recent winds here OR maybe the big dustcart doing it's thing just below the low field corner and the horses were not happy about the far side of the field which is where the back of my arena is ;(

Solly had real trouble with it all (even Tara did) and I couldn't really get 'connected' to Solly today although I did try hard to do some bonding play with him. Here are some pics of the day....

Solly worried about something over the fence line here....

...as he gets closer his ears go back EVERYTIME :(

When asked to squeeze between me and the back arena fence
he scoots through fast (worry) and in this pic you can see he
moves his belly towards me so that he can see more out of
his right eye behind him ;(

We go out of the arena fence...main fence is right in front
of him now...he is very alert and static...this shows me that
he has 'frozen'...when I asked him to move he didn't go around
me, he ran towards me and just passed me to get the other side
of me and to safety ;(

SO...I decide the best thing is to let him go back to the herd and
to not even THINK about riding him today...think it was a wise decision ;)

Solly going banonkers!!

He took Holly and Stormy around the field for a complete yeehaa
but it was fear/scepticism rather than play today ;(

He can be SO athletic...SO glad I didn't ride him! lol

Oh and a buck straight after a rear...maybe he thought he was jumping something! lol

Still yeehaa-ing

Even Holly was a bit high headed and antsy ;(

More yeehaa!!!

In the end I played with Tara...even she was sceptical
about the 'scary' corner, something went on over there!!

The boys still 'yeehaaing' ;(

Even from the top of the hill away from the 'scary corner'
Solly watched with intent towards it!!

More yeehaa from Solly!!!

My little Punk Boy ;)

Glad I rode Tara though...she is always
my bestest, calmest, lovely girl ;))

Monday 9th December

Today the herd were up the top of the hill but they came running down to see me when I went into the field, was lovely to have them do that ;)

Before all this I played with Solly and he did very well. Slow to warm up but it was okay, I was in no hurry. He did it all at LIBERTY and did circling, COD's in and out, jumps, trotting poles, leading from behind with fig 8's and transitions, regular fig 8's and some of that ONLINE too ;)

Then I rode him and I found him a bit stiff on his right side SO we did flexions, leg yields, dhq's and lots of different things to help him supple up a bit. Once he was more flexible his transitions became easier and softer ;)