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First ridden flag work this year, great that there was some wind to show off the flag nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then worked through trotting around the round pens, which we did a few circuits of as I wanted to end the session with her relaxed and not thinking about a canter yeehaa.

Good session finished with relaxation, focus and connection

 

 

 

Thurs 6th

Sunshine, light breeze and mild temperature greeted me this morning…yeehaa…time for another riding session in the morning as the ground is good, (not hard, not soft)

 

BELLA: What a lovely ride. We started off with RtR around the flat part of the field again in walk (Blue line). It was a good warm up and going up and down the small hills worked her legs nicely

We then went on to doing the large fig 8 in trot (blue line) and then for fun as she has that energy we rode a beautifully calm and controlled canter around the round pens (red line)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STORMY:  I wanted to do a bit more than just get his legs working SO I thought of the one thing he worries about regularly which is being ridden up the big hill. He really isn’t worried but he doesn’t do it often and also hates being away from Bella SO…..a good training point to work on I thought

He often gets a bit of the way up the hill then turns sharply and canters down the hill so I wanted to change that behaviour.

First I asked him to connect to me with some pole work in the nearby arena which he did nicely. I then asked him to try to walk up the hill and I noticed that just before he worries and turns to go down the field he just tips his head a bit and that if I stopped, turned his head the other way and faced the hill fence he could stop, relax and start to think again…I also gave him a treat when he relaxed and waited with me

After a few turning his head and waiting by the fence in a nice halt with a treat he decided that it was okay to walk up the hill along the fence line, turn at the gateway, relax, then walk back down the hill. Dearest Bella whinneyed for him when we went out of sight and I called back to her while Stormy was ok knowing she was asking for him. He quietly walked back down the hill and when back with Bella I ended the session. I will try to continue this training (weather permitting) so that he can do the hill without baulking

 

 

< Waiting by the fence while tackling the hill ride

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fri 7th

So this morning is sunshine and blue skies with some heat in the sun. Time to get out and continue with the consistency of riding Bella and Stormy.

1) Stormy came over first so I groomed him (huge amounts of fur coming out in his Spring moult) and saddled up to ride.

Being consistent is good but Storm also needs variety. He’s a pretty clever horse and will know exactly what we’ll be doing from where I ride him in the field so I have to slightly outsmart him today. Firstly I do the same ride by going and doing some pole work to get him connected, focused and listening to me.

When we go towards the hill I want to ride he has obviously been thinking all night long on the fact he gets a treat when relaxed facing the fence line and instead of baulking he puts himself on the fence line and won’t move thinking he’ll get the treat. He is just too smart a boy isn’t he LOL.

So, to change this behaviour, as soon as he puts himself at the fence I carry on his turn and ask for a DHQ thereby pivoting him back to the line of walking up the hill I only had to do it twice and he decided walking up the hill was the way to go and he did it really nicely. Then when we got through the track fence line gate he assumed to go down the hill on the other side of the fence SO to change that thought before it became a habit I turned him 180* and asked him to walk down the hill the way we came up. He’s just one clever boy and loves using his brain so my job was to allow him the thought that he was smart but to outsmart him so that he thinks I’m clever than him and a good leader

Lovely ride on Storm, quicker, easier with some mind games that worked well for us.

 

 

<<< Me and Storm

 

Storm at the top of the hill ride (doesn’t look much of a hill but believe me it is), nice and calm and looking for Bella >>>

 

 

 

 

 

2) Bella came and caught me after I brought Stormy back from his ride so I groomed her and saddled up ready to ride.

We did the walk (blue line) RtR anti-clockwise today which doesn’t seem a big thing but it really can be for a horse. She did it beautifully and we were both calm, focused and connected the whole way around.

 

 

 

 

We then did a really lovely big trot around the flat field (yellow line) with few corrections which was lovely. When it came to the round pen canter (red line) she was a bit reluctant to canter so I took what she offered and left it on a good note. She could be telling me she’s tired, sore or just not up for it so I have to trust her as I know she’s not a low energy horse.

Always have to listen to what the horse is saying on a second by second moment as being a partner means trusting and having a say…the horse and rider…both sides of the conversation are important and conversations involve 2 or more voices

 

 

 

 

Wed 12th

 

 

 

 

Today I rode Stormy right to the top of the hill. He didn’t baulk, turned his head a couple of times but was back onto the task in hand pretty quickly. SO proud of his progress and confidence now doing this. I must keep the task up to keep it sweet

 

 

 

 

Yesterday I took put together a ‘trot pole course’. It’s like a jumping course with jump wings but the poles are all just on the ground so no jumping.

We’ll be able to do walk and trot (maybe canter) over them with nice straight lines and calculated turns/curves/circles. We can also circle around them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took Bella around the trot pole course today. She started off thinking they were jumps (as I used jump wings to show where the poles were) and she hopped and skipped over them like wee jumps After a while doing the course in walk she settled, knowing they were just poles to negotiate. Then we did them in trot which was fun. It showed if we were straight, if our body curve was correct and got me changing my ‘diagonal’ rising trot regularly, which is always good (for me and Bella).

Lovely day, bit windy, but a good ride on both S&B. Tomorrow I’m hoping to bring them up to the house as a friend is visiting and she likes to see them

 

 

Thurs 13th

 

SO…..today I did bring S&B home as planned. Riding Storm up the hill, leading Bella, he did a wee baulk just once and probably due to the two differences today than the other days….1. Mark and the quad bike in front of us and 2. leading Bella.
But he did fabulously, thought his way through it all and did a nice trot/canter at the last bit to the gateway.

The whole ride was a pleasure, nice weather, some blue skies and two perfectly behaved horses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In home paddocks eating their morning hay

 

 

 

 

Sun 16th

 

Lovely hack back to their big field with S&B and Mark this morning

Thank goodness for large stones in Scotland lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thurs 20th

 

Tested Bella’s ‘job to do’ ethic today as there were 2 of the neighbours sheep in our field today.

She got a bit excited so at the top of the field, where the sheep got out, I dismounted and calmed her down while Stormy cantered up the field wondering where she was.

 

She was very good, listened to my asking her to calm and stay in walk so as not to spook the sheep off their trail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then went back to our afternoon exercises with some nice walk/trot over the jump poles and then walk/trot around the round pens

We finished on a lovely fig 8 canter around the round pens

 

She still wasn’t 100% forward going but much better than last time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sun 23rd

 

 

Bella still a bit ‘under the weather’ today. I’m thinking she’s either in season OR it’s just Spring when she would have been having a foal, she is like this every year so think it’s the broodiness of not having a foal again ;( We’ll get through it

I used a lot of P2P’s asking for fast walk between obstacles. She did do a few big halts (napping) so I used my reins to turn her head left, then right, left, then right to find some forward momentum. If she stopped completely with no forward I took my very short, 4″, long piece of string and tapped her shoulder which worked nicely. She doesn’t need anything big as she’s sensitive, but something to encourage can work. She gave me some really nice trot, no bucking or tantrums SO also think she doesn’t want to do the ‘jump course’ with all the small, tight turns, and poles to pick feet up with.

Eventually got a nice ride and we ended on a very good note

 

Stormy on the other hand……….well…….what can I say?

 

 

 

Self-grooming via a good roll in some damp mud….filthy boy lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mon 24th

Today I went down to the horses with Mark, he fed S&B and poo picked the field….I groomed them while he cleaned the field. Sometimes it’s just a grooming, huggy day with the big beasties <3

First I did Stormy. He’s moulting his winter coat like crazy. Huge clumps of old hair came out of his coat, it went everywhere, including my mouth…euk. I must have worked on him for well over half an hour but it was so worth it. He thoroughly enjoyed it too and stood stock still while I de-moulted him and put some conditioner in his mane and tail

 

 

THEN….I thoroughly groomed Bella. First I used some nice gloves with nobbles on which not only de-moults her coat it gives her a massage. Every time I stood on the wee stool by her belly to groom her she moved forward and put me at her sacral area. This is her way of telling me that she enjoys being groomed/massaged in this area and I did my best to massage out any aches or stiffness she had there…might be why she was reluctant to trot the other day!!

 

 

Tues 25th

 

Well….it’s that time of year where Mr Stormy is trying his hardest to get his winter coat out and this morning it was evident that he’d rolled a LOT last night. lol

Hey ho…time for another grooming session

 

This is some of the hair that came out

 

 

 

But then I had a lovely ride and play with the big boy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a really nice ride on Bella too. I put her equipedic memory foam pad under her saddle this morning (did the same last year at this time of year) and think that helped her comfort and she trotted and cantered well today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bella continued to ask to play after our ride with some hulahoop fun She’s such a gorgeous girlie.

 

Both now clean and exercised, tomorrow is another day

 

 

 

 

 

Sun 30th

 

 

Fed and cleaned field this morning but it was blowing a complete hoolie. The bucket part of the poo picking set was hard to control it wanted to fly off and had to keep my leg behind it to get it into place to do the job…phew! Decided it wasn’t a good morning to ride as eyes were watering from the wind in them and I just couldn’t concentrate, so, instead I just hung out with S&B while they calmly munched hay in their shelter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But then this afternoon the wind dropped and the sun came out and made it a nice day for a ride. I got out about 1.30pm.

Stormy, again, was dirty but it was dry mud but I decided to ride Bella first. We did fig 8’s (walk then trot), serpentines (walk then trot) and leg yields (walk then trot) and she was light, willing and comfortable to walk, trot and offer some canter My wee girlie is back.

 

 

 

And then I took about 20 mins to half an hour thoroughly grooming Stormy, not just the dried on mud but to help get a host of winter coat out. He stood stock still while I did it, enjoying every second of the old coat coming out.

 

We did some sidepass over some poles then I said to him, ‘lets go up the hill, just do it, come down and we’ll call it a day’….guess what…he stopped a couple of times for a second or two but just went up, stopped to enjoy the view, then back down to the poles without a problem and I kept my promise by getting off him asap and giving him a big hug and treat

 

 

 

SO…that’s March over now…bring on April

 

• Shelley – HorseSavvy.co.uk

 

 

 

Fri 7th Feb

Managed to do a short walk session with Bella this morning….I had my bareback pad, rope bridle and riding hat ready and we enjoyed a nice ride together

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thu 13th

 

It’s been very cold here recently and I’ve not ridden (or done much at all) with Bella for a week or Stormy for two weeks.

Today it was less chilly and I did their breakfast routine. They both checked in on me often asking for some treats but also some interaction SO I thought it would be a good day to ride them, first Bella, then Stormy

Bella’s ride was with lots of circles, fig 8’s and brain games to give her some mental challenges. She did very well and it was a good ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Storm’s ride was more about stretching his legs, asking for some bigger strides with a bit more energy. He did very well and seemed to enjoy the interaction.

I also groomed him and although only February he is moulting…big time. I came back home covered in white hair!! LOL

I’d also forgotten his bridle (at home having just been cleaned) so I used Bella’s burgundy one…that now is also covered in white hair. lol. lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S&B eating their hay this morning

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weds 19th

Just managed a short ride on Bella this morning with a bareback pad and rope bridle. Always nice to have a wee ride, it brings the smile back to my face after days of being cooped up in the house during winter.

 

You can see the snow cloud coming in on this pic…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sat 22nd 

Lots of on/off snow then on/off drizzle and also a day of torrential rain so not much opportunity to get out and ride

Recently I got a long ‘stockman’s’ coat which is great when riding in the rain as it can keep all of me, right down to my boots, and also the saddle dry. I don’t often ride in the rain, much more of a fair weather rider nowadays BUT this coat can be very useful for days which have on/off showers…like today. I’ve not ridden Bella with a long coat, they can flap about, be weird to see from her point of view too as they’re long down my legs….this is why I do flag and riding with a flag work SO, today was a good day to take this flag familiarisation into ‘coat familiarisation’.

Started with the coat tied on her saddle and proceeded with some walk circles around me. I then opened up the coat so it went over the saddle and her rump and did the same circling exercises in walk and then in trot.

 

 

 

 

I then took the familiarisation to riding her in the coat. I made sure the leg straps were on, this helps stop the coat from flapping as it was a bit windy. We did walk and then some trot work too and she did really well. It did drizzle a bit so was really glad I was wearing the coat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I dismounted I placed the coat back onto the saddle to save it getting wet   Mission accomplished

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mon 24th

 

Today, again, we have on/off showers and with the ground so wet from yesterday I knew it wasn’t going to be a riding day BUT as I was cleaning the field this morning Bella kept coming up and wanting to interact with me…SO….I did. We did a wee bareback/bridleless session

 

Lovely S&B eating breakfast with Rainbow

 

 

 

 

< Beautifully sidled up to the quad bike for me

 

Neck rope in place ready to mount and ride >

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thu 27th

Well…the sun is shining today, blue skies AND Mark came and rode with me for the first time this year What a lovely day

 

 

 

 

 

Nice energetic walk. She had a ‘Spring is here’ yeehaa moment. Both S&B were playing this morning too, kicking up their heels and racing about love to see their energy.

 

 

 

 

 

Energetic big trot today. She was feeding off Storm’s energy but listened to me which was great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Energy and focus by the end It’s so different riding with another horse/human than on our own. Storm really REALLY enjoyed having Mark riding him again

 

 

 

 

 

Showing off with all 4 feet on the pedestal So easy to see how much Stormy loves Mark riding him

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidepassing is Stormy’s favourite thing (after eating and rolling). Lovely day weather wise and riding wise

 

Fri 28th

 

 

Well, today is Mark and my 28th wedding anniversary and dinner out tonight will be a lovely treat.

This morning I do the horses and ride Bella in some cold sunshine and blue skies What a pleasure to be owned by two of the most fabulous horses

 

 

 

 

 

Just walk, as the ground is hard with frost from the night, and also hard so could be slippery. Walk is good and the game we played today is RtR (Ride the Rail) or today I called it ‘checking the fences’.

This is a great game as it helps with many things such as:

1. Allowing Bella to find the straight line as we go around….replacing her her when she comes off but allowing the mistake so she can learn more about straightness in her mind and body.

2. It allows me to have a good focus and not micromanage the reins.

3. This focus allows me to not worry about where we go, it’s just following any fence without a thought.

 

 

4. We start to partner up where we are going.

5. We actually check the fences and I get to know where mending is necessary.

6. Having a ‘job’ to do gives us a purpose, a focus, a plan and goal This helps to not just wander about where Bella may wonder what’s the point or get bored.

 

 

 

 

 

Bella and her shadow for company this morning is pure pleasure. I am blessed

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Shelley – HorseSavvy.co.uk