Updates

Oh man I am really bad at updating at the moment. I have to say, since losing the old blog the will to blog is weak. Also, nothing is really happening at the moment. Last winter i had the clinics on and so had to ride a lot to keep the horses improving for those, but this year I have yet to do a clinic. I'm being very cautious with my spending so far, though I may do one later in the year the are very expensive. $150 for 45 minutes, so last year taking two horses, it was costing me $600 a month over the winter. Thats a huge cost and now the new farriers costing nearly twice what the old one did, I seem to be really burning through money.

The other thing is that I don't think that Grant will be thrilled by Kate. She doesn't jump the way he likes, and she is just a pretty ordinary horse. Certainly not the potential like her thought Fred had, but seeing as I really enjoy riding Kate and I'm having fun, I don't regret selling at all. The view from her back really makes me smile, and it's a nice change to ride something more forward thats keen to go. I hate that I have to ride her in the pessoa, but a saddle is a saddle I just have to deal with it. I haven't fallen off her yet so it can't be that bad.

So two days ago I dragged Connie out of the paddock to ride her for the first time since January. She is doing an excellent bear impression, easily the wooliest horse we have. Her back leg where she was kicked has got a hard lump where she was kicked and she will probably have that forever now I guess. The first time I rode i just got on and trotted around the paddock a bit. Which is naughty, because the paddocks are too wet but I wanted to see how she felt. She was mostly good, but pretty spooky and so lazy. I forgot what riding her is like. Hard work! What I did appreciate is that every so often, despite the fact she has no fitness (She maintains a 0 level of fitness when not in work, unlike say Kate who stays relatively fit without work), she still occasionally reached down to the contact and worked round. I wasn't even asking for it. Normally i would lunge a horse a bit, but ground is so wet, it was easier just to get straight on. So big ups to Connie for not dumping me on my head.

Then yesterday I took Kate for trot around the farm. There is a nice internal loop through the farm, maybe 3 kms long with some hills. She has such a rocking canter. I have to be really careful to keep my lower back relaxed so I don't bounce. I'm also learning that she likes a long rein. Then today I did the same loop twice on connie and she was very good. A little snorty but no more so that normal. She felt really awkward at first but we having been taking down her heel on her clubbed foot and it feels like she took a while to get used to that. By the end of the ride she felt really good, fluid and forward. She has a great trot but even when she is out hacking she has the dawdliest walk. You just get no where. After her ride, I jumped on her and rode her back to the paddock with just her halter. She is a seriously cool horse. I'm actually pretty proud, because even though she has a superb temperament, I have done every piece of her training and I don't think I have done a terrible job. Between her and Kate, the coming season should be a lo more fun than the last one.