Beating old fears

Well I managed to hatch my plan today, after weeks of planning and putting off...

Yes, today I cantered outside, for the first time since that ill-fated rando I went on last April.

OK, you might say, big deal??? Well to me, it IS a big deal... it is a HOOOOOOOOGE deal... cantering outside is my biggest all time fear on horseback (well apart from getting tanked off with... which goes hand in hand with the whole cantering thing :oP)

I managed not to escape work early, and in fact didn't leave til nearly 6pm, so consequently I was a tad late actually getting to the yard. Pinto was in the top part of the field, and though he didn't actually walk up to me, he didn't walk away either.

When I was actually bringing him through the gate I noticed that the farrier had been and trimmed his feet *tears hair out* I really wanted to be there when Francis trimmed him, at least so I could wash Pintos feet and legs first. I must take a new series of photos on Saturday, but his front feet look much shorter now, which is good... anyway I digress.

Tack was on in record time and mounted with absolutely no probs, probably the quickest I have ever got into the saddle from the block before, and once again we were off.

I followed the same route as outlined in my second post below, but this time encorporated more trotting. First of all on the road. Pinto had walked down the first hill a bit stiff legged, and I was wondering if his feet were a touch tender after the trimming, so I wanted to do a small trot on an even solid surface... but he was fine. A bit taken a back perhaps, because I never ask him to trot outside, so first of all we had a wonderful slow trot, before he slowly sped up and started rushing. When we turned the corned I asked him back down into walk because the surface of the road deteriorates and becomes a lot more stoney.

Then we came to that hill. Funnily enough, looking at it a second time it didn't look half so steep or long as I remembered *rolleyes* So we set off walking, and then I asked Pinto to trot. Then as I screwed my courage right up, I sat and smooched, and all of a sudden we were cantering :oD :oD :oD

After about 10 strides I asked him back to trot, and then back to walk. Oh I was sooooo happy. I "yeehaa'd" in a screech or two I was so happy and relieved.

After that the rest of the hack seemed to fly by, and what seemed like a long hack the first time, was now suddenly over.

Of course Pinto now has more confidence in me, and was trying to trot along every flat bit of ground there was... and sometimes we did trot, sometimes I managed to contain everything and keep it to a walk.

Oh how pleased I was with myself and Pinto once we got back to the yard... I still can't get over the fact that I actually cantered, and even more so that I was by myself.

Now I just have to find other hills suitable for practicing ;o)

...a very happy and buzzed rider

:oD

Tarmac Promenading

So I managed to escape work early today... not bad, I was aiming for 5pm, and eventually clocked out at 5:35... definitely not bad ;o)

Got to the yard, and once again my georgeous man was waiting by the gate, this time with his partner in crime Iacouti (aka yak-yak). I got out of the car and smooched at him and he immediately lifts his head and walks down to the gate *bless - I love my pone so much*

Then... *grrr - kids* a couple of young lasses, probably not more than 10 or so were picking apples off the trees and chucking them in the field. Some people just have no horse sense at all. There was a small group of about 8 horses all going after these apples, and one or two of the horses were really going for it... chasing the others off with hoofs and teeth. So the horses running away (including Pinto) were having to watch the teeth and hoofs in one direction, and the mains-electrified fence in the other... And still more apples kept getting lobbed into the field.

In the end I rushed around, and brought Pinto out of the field earlier than I had planned.

Pinto's introduction to bananas...
I had some very ripe bananas lying around at home... far beyond what I would consder eating, so I decided to introduce Pinto to them *giggle*

The first one was really nasty to peel, and was practically goo in my hand. Pinto eat it with the funniest expression on his face :oP Then next two were squeezed from thier skins like toothpast from a tube, which Pinto took great delight in slobbering all over me *bleugh*

After a mammoth foot picking session (when will that sole exfoliate fully?) I decide to hand walk Pinto down the road. We only go into the village and up to the water trough before turning round an heading back again. It takes 10 minutes, and really helps to keep those toes back.

Pintos feet are just about 100% recovered from the randonnee in May, and after Francis' next visit (very soon I hope) his feet should be in tiptop condition again. He is certainly clopping along on the tarmac just as loudly as any shod horse ;o)

Tomorrow, weather permitting (and we've had no rain for 12 hours now *crossing everything in sight*), I am going to ride *nods* definitely. I have *plans*... hopefully to be elucidated tomorrow evening...

I am calm... I AM calm

"I am as calm as a lake on a summer day..." or so I keep trying to remind myself. In reality I'm seething like a pit of snakes and as tired as... well I'm too tired to try and think of a simile.

I've had nothing but meetings and difficult emails to write at work today, and didn't escape until 8:45pm... so I didn't even get to see Pinto tonight *wails*

Therefore planning on escaping work early tomorrow *ebil laugh*

'til tomorrow good readers...

A preponderance of ponderings

Now that I've had time to reflect and digest that mini marvel I called a hack yesterday; I'll try and write my thoughts in a semi lucid manner:

Hacking about the countryside should be fun and relaxing... right? Well for me it is also a time for experimenting. Pinto is very focussed while out hacking, always wanting to know what is over the next hill or around the next corner. It makes for very quick walking ;o) - which is Ok if you are by yourself, but if you are with other people it does mean having to stop every now and again in order for the group to catch up. It also gives my hips a rest from swinging and dipping. I don't have the most mobile lower back, and riding on a power walking coblet for hours is very wearing on my poor hips... as evidenced by my stiff backed and hipped gait today.

Normally I have to try very hard to be relaxed and ride with a long rein, but yesterday I tried more to have a consistent feeling down both reins as pinto can be very lopsided. It really doesn't help that with the bitless bridle (BB) my right rein always ends up longer than my left. I relly must measure the cross under straps to see if they have stretched, as yesterday the right rein was a good 6ins longer than my left, and it makes life a tad difficult when trying to assess rein length.

Anyway... it wasn't long before I took up what I would call a 'normal' contact with a definite equal weight in each rein. You may think this is odd, however ever since I switched to the BB I've used only a very light contact as I was told that you don't need as much contact as with a normal bit. After 6 months Pinto's musculature has deteriorated, and he has grown muscles in all the wrong places, i was all for giving up with the BB, when during my last lesson of the year (a very ebil mise en selle lesson) I had to take up a much stronger contact than usual and *bang* Pinto is powering along in a wonderful novice outline really swinging with his back end. Ever since then I've been wondering how I could replicate the feeling, but haven't really had the opportunity because I haven't schooled at all .../ digression *rolleyes*

So after lolloping along the edge of a field, every so often a foot disappearing down a rut we have to climb a nice, looooooong, steep hill. Pinto was all for trotting, but I said... "Oh, I don't think so, my lad... think of those bum muscles" at the top of the climb we break for a minute to let the other two catch up and then we have to cut up along a stubble field. For some reason I just took a stronger contact then. Myabe I was subconsciously aware that I was thinging "oooh great canter spot" and I didn't want to transmit that thought to Pinto - who knows... but I then thought "I've got it again." Pinto was reaching down into the bridle, putting some of his own tension on the reins and powering along. I was so amazed... it's not often that I ride these days without having my view blocked by a very hairy neck and a pair of ears.

So I experimented the rest of the way with this tension in the reins... Pinto was much straighter and less inclined to banana. Obviously he also found it hard work. It is the first time he has worked 'correctly' even in walk for months. by the end of the ride he had started leaning on my hands and stretching down a lot more. I did allow his to stretch occasionally, but the sneaky bugger was using these stretches to attempt to snatch a mouthful of grass too... which earned him an "OI!" and a "grrrr".

The best laugh I have had in ages came from Iris (pronounced i-ris... not eye-ris) who is Christines huuuuuuge SF gelding. When we were heading along the canter track back home he suddenly dived to the side and bit off a whole cane of corn!!! He had already been told off several times for trying to snatch at the grass when this occurred. Oh how I wish I had my camera. For a couple of hundred yards he carried this cane like a lollypop which the leafy bits almost dragging on the ground. Obviously he had a bit in and couldn't eat such a muge morsel... but he looked extremely smug.

It was just at we were 10 mins from home when the threatened thunderstorm eventually broke, and boy, was that rain cold! Thankfully it didn't last long, and I was able to untack at the yard without getting even more wet!

The grass is always greener...

Well according to Pinto... the grass is always just that *bit* more juicy on the *other side* of that mains-connected electic fence... still I guess it was well deserved after our nice trip out this afternoon *nods*

I woke up to rain this morning, and I was terribly disappointed as I had been looking forward to hacking out this afternoon. The weather improved - slightly - as the day went on, and I eventually got to a dryish yard at 3pm.

Pinto was right at the gate looking rather smug... no doubt due to the extensive mud bath he had been treating himself to. Honestly, men! My pone is actually half hippo I think, as there is nothing he loves more than wallowing in the mud. No doubt is is some subtle ploy for meto spend more time with him... like I said: Men!

He had the quickest de-mudding possible, and I didn't really do a very good job - but he was clean and dry where all the tack was going, and I wanted to get on and be off... nver thought I'd hear myself say that mind you. This time last year the thought of going on a hack, let alone by myself was enough to loosen my bowels and send my heart racing. Now I savour the time alone with my boy, where I'm not constrained to ride at a certain speed or in a certain direction, always watching for out for people and other horses in the manege... Nope... I'm well on the way to discarding my dressage queen hopes and turning into a happy hacker. No doubt Pinto will love me more for it, as there is nothing he loves more than going out and about ;o)

I had just chucked all his tack on and lead him down to my mounting post, when I met Christine and Joannie who were also going out, and I got invited along... just at a walk mind, C said... pas problem I replied... c'est bon!

So off we went again, and once again it didn't take me long to get completely and utterly lost. My confidence is obviously much improved, as I really felt the urge in places to trot, and now that the wheat fields are being harvested, there are lots of sloping hills just asking to be cantered up.

How Christine finds her way around I have no idea. We were in and out of the forest, obviously down little used tracks as I had to lie flat along Pinto's neck to avoid being taken out by the trees :oP

Then I realised where we were, though it has been more than a year sice I have been along this path and I couldn't quite make the route back to the farm. It was also here that Pinto had a proper spook... one of the first real spooks since I got him. He was staring at something, but I couldn't tell whether it was round the corner or in the trees. So asking him to walk on firmly we managed another step or two forward. He was taking these huge great breaths, and eyes on stalks... Then I could see what he problem was... since the last time he has been along this path the orienteering signs have been replaced and the new sign was bright white on a 1m stake... it was obviously plotting about the best way to ambush patchy ponies because Pinto scooted past cantering sideways to escape. At this point my heart was in my mouth as I very nearly became unseated... though Pinto being Pinto settled right down again after 3 strides... silly sausage.

A bit further on, I was musing to myself... never in a month of Sundays could I have done that last year either... last year all concentration was needed when riding - no mind wandering allowed *rolleyes* ... Pinto was feeling exceptionally bouncy. He obviously was doing a cob walk, bringing those knees up. I know he was asking for a trot, and tbh, if we had been alone I would have asked him to, but we had to be sensible and stay in walk... which was actually what brought on the musing. Pinto hadn't been ridden for 2 weeks. I brought him out of the field, jumped on, and just went on a group walking hack with all these wide open fields and inviting tracks. I couldn't really ask more from my pone... could I?

Powerwalking on the canter track

At last, back on line... had so many problems trying to log in to blogger :oP

Pinto has had a bit of a holiday in the past 2 weeks, mainly due to the weather and to my heavy workload at the office. I so can't wait intil the end of July and this report will be over and done with for hopefully 3 years *mini dance*

Anyhoo... a couple of weeks ago I took Pinto out for a hack - all by myself - for over an hour. How proud of myself was I? lol It was a beautiful day with just a few clouds and a little wind. First of all we have to climb the hill: which is a great test for our bare feet. That particular day though, we just marched up with no problems at all.

Then we have a choice of left:


Or right:


Since left is mainly just the short loop which takes only 15mins or so, we went right. There are just so many more choices available that way.

First of all, we go along the top of the cross:


Which has you leaning right down to avoid being whipped by the overhanging branches. Makes everything so much closer to nature ;o) It is quite a steep drop down into the woods along the righthandside, and me and my over active imagination are always waiting for something to jupe out and spook Pinto... obviously this didn't happen, and I had to give myself a stern talking to (yet again).

We strode down the hill, past the bee nest in the old caravan, like troopers and then took a left onto the "road"


I have plans for trotting along this road on my next excursion. It is just a short stretch, and more roadwork would benefit Pintos feet I think.

At the end of the road there is a wonderful long quite steep hill... my first canter outside perhaps? Who knows, maybe in the future. It sure is hard work to walk up though *snigger* I'm such an awful mum, but it is good for those bum muscles ;o)

More beautiful scenery at the top:


By this point I'm about halfway round, and I'm now more concerned about finding the right way home. I've only done this hack once before, and I was with two others then who were giving me directions. After my little wibble, I was then "Ah ha!" as I remembered about the road wich cut through the forest. A bit more roadwork, and I can now remember where I am again:



See that tiny square on the horizon? That is my point of reference all the time. If I can see that I know I'm not too far from home.


Then came the scarey bit of my hack. I had noticed a parked car on the track, and I had to pass really close to it. At first I was wondering a what I was going to disturb *snigger* but the car had 4 youngish lads in it *meep*. I was sooo tempted to ask Pinto into a trot once we had passed them, but I restraned myself and we just powerwalked:

This is one of the most commonly used canter tracks because it is long and flat. Hopefully by the end of the summer I'll be using it for just that... not just for walking along.



Having said that... on the second part where the ground was a bit dryer we did trot for about 50m. I was so excited and proud of myself. But it just felt so right at the time, I couldn't resist. Onwards and upwards girl ;o)

Once we come to the end of the canter track, we are back at the bottom of the first hill we climb down, and therefore nearly home. I confused poor Pinto though, and instead of heading back down the gravel path I continued on to do the short loop too *snigger* Pinto argued a little bit, which consisted of sidling and walking sideways, trying his best to go the short way, but he soon resigned himself to yet more exercise *ebil*

Then again I confused him even further by asking him to continue down the hill and into the village rather than cutting up by the farm. I managed to interrupt a wedding... well at least the people standing outside the church waiting for the bride and groom to emerge. There were shouts of "cheval, cheval" by the gathered children, though thankfully none approached Pinto like they normally do.

Funnily enough we has our two biggest spooks in the village. One was caused by a man "hiding" round a corner. No doubt he heard us coming and decided to move out of the way as to "not scare the horse" silly individual. The second was only a few metres along the road where a lady was pruning a shrub which occasionally *wiggled and shivvered* and was no doubt getting ready to pounce and eat Pinto *snigger*

All in all I had a great ride, and now that the sun is finally back out after 2 weeks of horrid weather, I'm hoping to ride again tomorrow... all being well.