24th Sept

Just bought a scanner, so was able to scan the pics in of her Dad, this is Glyn Eryr Nelson - quite a well known Haflinger stallion in the UK, a very beautiful boy indeed!








The bites are only just beginning to heal, poor old giddy has been so itchy, but it's actually been very good for our relationship, every time she sees me coming now, she comes to me with bags of enthusiasm cuz she can see I have the lovely blue massage brush to help her with those nasty, itchy lumps ;0)))))))

Hopefully be able to put her saddle on again in next few days

17th Sept

Decided to ride to Sue's just up the road, would have been my first hack out for ages; however, Giddy was covered in swellings on one side of her belly, under her belly and one leg.... I am sure they are fly bites, but she has never had this number of bites, se was really itchy, so was over the moon when I gave her a really good scratch and cleaned them up, as some were weeping, hopefully the Colloidal Silver will do the trick

didn't want to put her saddle on, so we walked up to Sue's, as we went up the road, she was really dragging along, so i tried to synchronise with her, perhaps this dragging along isn't always unwillingness, but a lack of confidence, its hard to tell, but just cuz she is generally so left brain, doesn't mean that she's not a bit worried about going out when we haven't done so for ages

I found that she walked better with me up in front than beside her, which tells me it could well be confidence, when we turned into sues lane curiosity got the better of her and she perked up as we haven't been down there for years

When I got home, popped on bareback for 5 mins which i haven't done for ages, didn't do much, but felt confident and secure, I forget how good this really is that i can just pop on my horse bareback and in a halter, wouldn't have seen myself doing this a few years ago

17th Sept

Yesterday was a playday, and with most the sand moved in the drive, had no excuse this time not to go ;0))

Took an hour to load her, she was in after 20 mins, had the bar up, but she was tense and pushing back, remembering a tip from the Jackie Chant course, i tried to move a foot - totally planted, so I let her off, 40 mins later she was on and confident, I need to try and find time to load her more often and just leave her on there for her breakfast, my fault for not doing enough of this, when we did the 7 day program, our loading got really good. She is so clever though, for some time, she wa going on, snatching a big handful of hay, backing out and dropping some halfway in... she was then going half way in and eating what was on the floor, gotta laugh at the ingenuity!

So we made it, a bit late but we got there. She was pretty unresponsive on the ground, and no play drive, I don't know what it is that makes some sessions better than others, and still don't know how to get her life up consistently and get her interested; in some respects, maybe i just need to do a warm up when she is showing a lack of interest like this. One good thing, the girls had set up some poles in what was like the TTeam labyrinth, and she was quite interested by this puzzle, and how to place her feet to get through it, so might set one of these up at home

Got on, and felt pretty confident, this is the first time riding with other horses that I have felt pretty good about it all, I did ask Sam to watch out for us as Monty does make me nervous with his lunging at other horses, bless her, she went in the middle and let us move around a bit

so, we were trotting around, and felt OK not worried at all, so that was good, but she was doing this weird trot, really difficult to ride, adjusted my stirrups no better, as the saddle is still so new to me, i am still finding a feel in it, easier to sit than rise, if rising and I tried to change a diagonal, its really hard to get in a rhythm again, basically think shes just dragging along and all weight is on forehand, same as she does on the ground, but then, kim's pony star left, and giddy was calling for her, really loud, and her life got up a bit, and then the trot was lovely, and really easy to ride... but the thing is, I don't know how to get her life up like that under saddle, and it comes back to that "make" thing and that never works

the girls suggested I should try getting a canter, but I knew this wouldn't go well, as a few things still need to fall into place for this to work, I am a lot more confident, but still need a lot more conviction if she is to canter for me; I am sure if Eddy couldn't do it in the school, I have a hope in hell!!! Anita took my carrot stick and lengthened the 12ft line, I know i need to use this pretty firmly, but as still not totally committed, I was backing off, we did get a pretty fast trot though ;0)

But when shes trotting along like this, I am unsure how easy its gonna be to canter, if shes rushing and really on forehand, I think she is likely just to stay in a power trot and resist the transition

I think i need to establish that nice trot i had earlier in the session, and we need to do a lot of this, and then maybe the transition will be easier. Even better, the long straight lines in the forest with another horse at Kim's place would be a much better place to be working on this. I need to stop putting this off and get over there, it's only cuz of the big drops on the section of A30 that's putting me off, cuz don't want to take the trailer down there, but am sure it will fine. As Giddy really likes star, I think we would have some nice hacks!

But also, need to get her fitness better, my confidence up with the riding lessons, get the transition and canter going better online, find some purity of gait in the trot and get her going in a longer, preferably uphill line

Slow progress, but we are getting there!

Took about 20mins to load her, she was so funny, phase 4, so what ;0) cheated slightly and got Alex to go in the jockey door and rustle some hay and on she went.. she just cant resist the temptation of food!!

13th Sept

Have missed a couple of sessions out and doing this from memory, must be more efficient if I am to track my progress properly!

anyway, got the 45ft rope out, this is only about the 4th or 5th time I have used it, and its still really difficult to handle, need to do more practice and get it softer, but don't know how to fit that in!

Everything is so much easier for her on a longer line, gives her more movement and freedom, first of all, she was bucking, snorting and farting but cantering in between, she then settled and was cantering nicely and drawing really well; asked for too much though and she turned tail and set off, thankfully i let go of the rope other I would have had a nasty rope burn! I really need to recognise more the point when shes had enough and change the subject, I get too focused on establishing the canter online that its easy to miss the point when she shuts down

ridden session was ok, but not great, kept dropping out to the left and often at the same point in the riding area, its really hard to deal with this, at a demo the other night, they were saying that if the horse doesn't step into the direct rein that you should then disengage, maybe that's what i need to be doing, its a strange movement, think she is dropping her shoulder and then just drifting left, but she really sets against me and the carrot stick doesn't seem to help, need to work on this. I do know that my disengage to the right is not as good, and i think i do more to the left than right! (duh)

cant remember anything else significant ;0)

7th Sept

BRILLIANT

best session for ages, had a total blast!!

sent her out on a circle, and she was making those funny snorty noises that generally mean she is in the mood to play, and she was, offered canters on the 12ft line, which is not usual, made sure I moved with her to give her some room to move, and she was having grat fun

the cones seem to have become a real focal point for her, she was jumping them, then cantering to them and then stopping and doing bronco leaps on on all four legs next to them, hysterical!!

anyway, we were running around together and she was really bouncy, and I asked for a change of direction at a canter, and she did a flying change, I was screaming with delight and had to go and fetch the apple I had brought down for her apres riding treat.

I know strictly speaking, I shouldn't ask her to do that, but it just flowed together, its only the second time I have ever asked, the other was months ago on a 22ft, and that time she also did it..... it's so rare when her life is up and she plays with me like this, but when she does, we have such fun... I just wish I could be interesting enough to always have her attention like that!!

so after an apple, lots of dwell, and some nice fresh grass, saddled up, and had brought her bridle to try today which we haven't done for a while since we resolved the constant grass eating

interestingly, she took it happily (almost) immediately, I think this must be the result of winning the dominance game she plays with me in zone 1 a bit more often

she offered a trot without me asking - that never happens, but was calm and happy

did a bit of soft feel work, and what a contrast to the horse at the stables, I know she is not moving properly from behind, but she does offer a nice feel through her neck, and the difference is unbelievable, gotta love the parelli programme for enabling me to have a horse so soft in the mouth despite all the other stuff I have got wrong!

back up not as good in the snaffle, interesting, means my body language not clear enough, so worked on this got some nice yielding soft steps and called it a day

fantastic

might hack out tomorrow

6th Sept

Well, despite the rain, got motivated and got the saddle out!

Only a short session as it started tipping down, interestingly lateral flexion was initially really soft both sides, then got bracey, clearly my release not good enough

asked for a more up-tempo walk and got a trot, that's cool, doesn't normally happen

Did some point to points with the cones, it's interesting now, that when doing a different exercise, she will sometimes head for a cone, asking questions which is good

good back up, sideways better, but HQs dragging

at the end, she started trying to pull out of the riding area, tried a different tactic and used some rhythmic pressure on the outside, this seemed to work!

5th sept

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggggggggggggggggg

this blog is scary, can see how little I am doing!!

which is very little, although am always trying to improve the feel I am giving Giddy when I am just around her feeding, mucking out etc

had a "traditional" lesson the other day, jsut to give me some confidence to get Giddy cantering... all very interesting, quite enjoyed it, but really, really know I am on the right path with my own horse!!!!!

the canter came pretty easily really, but it was a push button school master, was pretty frightened as rode a skippy little TB - different ball game to my 14.2 Haffie, but it went well once I got over the shock

I will, I will, I will ride tomorrow!!