Winter sun
The weather for the last week or so has been incredible, cold but sunny which is perfect for riding! This weekend I spent just about every minute I could outside and it was lovely.
Saturday morning we had two big bonfires lit to burn through all the sticks and logs we have collected over the past few years. We had a couple of big piles to get through but it took as no time at all because I am a master at lighting fires. We left a lot of the leaf litter alone because it is producing some nice looking soil which we will spread around the paddocks a bit more when it's ready.
Henry and I had a little jump, but I warmed him up out the back for a shake up. He was super and I was so much better at following with my hands and getting him closer to the jumps. I was very careful not to throw us over anything and it worked out well.
Sunday Andrew and I went for a hike close to home. We are trying to make more of an effort to make use of the area we call home. We are so lucky to be surrounded by national parks, and it is a really beautiful area. I then pruned all the plants in our front garden and now it looks very bare, but come spring the roses and lavender will go crazy.
I rode both of the horses on Sunday arvo, starting with Coolie. He has been sound for about 5 days after getting kicked, so it was time to get him back into work. I have decided to take things very slowly because he wasn't very fit to begin with and 2 weeks off really wont have helped that. So I did lots of walking and kept the trot to just a few minutes on each rein. He feels good and full of energy but also very unfit and unflexible as a result. Since the days are getting longer I am going to make a real effort to ride him more and increase his work to 4 days a week. I see lots of pole work in his future to help get him stronger.
I rode Henry second and it was quite eye opening to compare the horses. Previously Coolie has always felt older, more established, straighter and much more like a school master than Henry who was wobbly and generally not on the aides. No more it seems! Henry has got so many buttons now and he is getting to be so cool. He is light off the aides and so happy to do the thing. Coolie not so much. To be fair to Coolie he isn't very fit right now but he would still rather not.
Henry is generally pretty easy to ride now and even when feeling a little argumentative, when he understands what I am asking he gets right on with it. He is so straight and light on my aides I sometime feel like I just think something and it happens.
Our canter transitions are getting much better, and when I keep him forward and straight and use my outside leg more firmly he picks up the correct lead. I tested his understanding of the aide yesterday by asking for the transition on a straight line but he doesn't quite know it yet. It will come though.
Overall it was a great weekend and it was hard to be back in the office today!
Saturday morning we had two big bonfires lit to burn through all the sticks and logs we have collected over the past few years. We had a couple of big piles to get through but it took as no time at all because I am a master at lighting fires. We left a lot of the leaf litter alone because it is producing some nice looking soil which we will spread around the paddocks a bit more when it's ready.
Henry and I had a little jump, but I warmed him up out the back for a shake up. He was super and I was so much better at following with my hands and getting him closer to the jumps. I was very careful not to throw us over anything and it worked out well.
Sunday Andrew and I went for a hike close to home. We are trying to make more of an effort to make use of the area we call home. We are so lucky to be surrounded by national parks, and it is a really beautiful area. I then pruned all the plants in our front garden and now it looks very bare, but come spring the roses and lavender will go crazy.
I rode both of the horses on Sunday arvo, starting with Coolie. He has been sound for about 5 days after getting kicked, so it was time to get him back into work. I have decided to take things very slowly because he wasn't very fit to begin with and 2 weeks off really wont have helped that. So I did lots of walking and kept the trot to just a few minutes on each rein. He feels good and full of energy but also very unfit and unflexible as a result. Since the days are getting longer I am going to make a real effort to ride him more and increase his work to 4 days a week. I see lots of pole work in his future to help get him stronger.
I rode Henry second and it was quite eye opening to compare the horses. Previously Coolie has always felt older, more established, straighter and much more like a school master than Henry who was wobbly and generally not on the aides. No more it seems! Henry has got so many buttons now and he is getting to be so cool. He is light off the aides and so happy to do the thing. Coolie not so much. To be fair to Coolie he isn't very fit right now but he would still rather not.
Henry is generally pretty easy to ride now and even when feeling a little argumentative, when he understands what I am asking he gets right on with it. He is so straight and light on my aides I sometime feel like I just think something and it happens.
Our canter transitions are getting much better, and when I keep him forward and straight and use my outside leg more firmly he picks up the correct lead. I tested his understanding of the aide yesterday by asking for the transition on a straight line but he doesn't quite know it yet. It will come though.
Overall it was a great weekend and it was hard to be back in the office today!
It always blows my mind a little when I read your bog and realize you are on opposite seasonal schedules from me. My days are getting shorter though the blazing heat and humidity are continuing in full force. .
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to get my head around it too, especially when I compare the weather season to season. Our summers are hot and dry, and while I don't love it when it's 35-40c, I much prefer it between 20-30c but cold and miserable weather really gets me down!
DeleteOh man, I hear ya on the surprising feel of the young horse feeling better than the older one. With all P's time off, Leo sometimes feels a bit more schooled than P, despite him just coming off the track. Stay warm (it's 5,000 degrees here)!
ReplyDeleteI think they just don't have bad habits, and I know I always correct training each time I go through the process.
DeleteStay cool, its a beautiful 19c here today.
can you believe it i feel nostalgic when you talk cool, bonfires etc. And sure enought I will be fussing when it is cold out. Glad you are having fun!!
ReplyDelete