Ok I admit - I've lost my bottle

Whisperinghorse

............. I just cant enthuse about getting back on :frown:

I've ridden mine about 3 times this year (last time April 16th) and now find my self with no facilities or off road hacking, just a 30mph road (yeah right) and no circular route and I think why get nearly killed on the roads?

I've got these gorgeous beasties, its nearly summer and they've done nothing, just getting fat in the field. Work is dragging me down too, whenever I get a day off its a) raining and b) I have a million other things to do....

My Mum is supposed to have them on her land and as shes retired she was going to get them back into work again with her other 3...

Sorry I'm moaning, but I dont want to put them on loan ..... Sorry for moaning...

ruralgirl

This is a hard one but you have to be tough with yourself. Horeses arn't just ment to sit in a field so either get back on and make the time or be realistic and sell / loan however many you cant ride. We just sold our 'spare' horse who we loved to bits a very sweet gypsy cob - we convinced ourselves that no one could ever give him a better home than us and he goes out once a week (ish) so what the hell BUT the 5 * treatment he is getting now with his own 'person' (new owner we held out for the right home) put us to shame. I miss him but I am concentrating on my main horse now and so relieved that the constant guilt of not riding him has gone. No one can tell you what to do but sometimes it is just as important to admit when its better to give up some things and do the remaining things you have time for better - in my case just concentrate on one.

The other thing I have done is get people to come and ride my horses with me (DH's horse - a vet how useful is that:-) so that gives me confidence/ company and gets the horses ridden. Just an idea but difficult if you cant offer decent riding -you have my full sympathy with the road thing. Im lucky mine are 99% but I ride up the middle so cars can only pass when I want them to and Im always very careful to thank the ones who do make an effort. Silage tractor nightmare round here at the moment l;ol. Oh the other thing is arrange to have a weekly lesson - I have improved me and the mare sooo much and got enthusiastic about maybe even entering a show since Ive been having lessons again (not cheap tho I realise!) and did a 15 mile endurance ride:-) I also joined the local RC - assuming yu are UK based??

Hope you get it sorted anyway - I have probably come across wrong but horses are wonderful but expensive animals to keep and are ment to provide enjoyment and not be something to feel guilty and frustrated about:-) good luck x

Whisperinghorse

I've had Danny for 6 years and he's now 20 and like my right leg so even if I retired him I'd never sell him. Edward is the one, he's only 10 and a bit spooky (for a ID x Cob!!) He needs lots of lungeing before hopping on but all I can do is lunge in the field that they're in. The yard do have a 'schooling' area which would be fine if Edward was 12.2 not 16.3!!

I picked up the detials of a 14 mile sponsored ride in September which I wouldnt mind doing - Did one last year. Edward thought he was out hunting and got very hot and excited but we did it!

I have looked for other yards in the area but there are no vacancies. The other girl at the yard doesnt ride either...

I think I've found a bridleway which is about 3 miles away so will have a drive to see it. There is a local school that hires their school but its constantly waterlogged and a hack to get to on 60mph single track roads... Both mine are good in traffic but its me..

I thought about lessons but need to get Edward back into work first, and his previous owner wants to watch me showing him!! OMG

Sods law its my day off tomorrow, forecast heavy rain and 60mph winds... Not a day to hack out on a fresh horse!

I'll get there I just need the oomph.

ruralgirl

Well that doesnt sound too bad! Where abouts are you? I bottled hacking to my lesson yesterday cause of the wind so its not just you;-) Just think about that ride and getting him fiot for it! We did the golden horseshoe on Exmoor a few weeks ago and it was great - hoping to do another ride at the end of June not sure how far but there's an ice cream stp so who cares;-) Keep going!

Whisperinghorse

Exmoor!!!!!!!!!!!! Wowee Devon is our absolute most favourite place in the whole world.... We go with a caravan to Drewsteignton near Whiddon Down every year without fail near dartmoor and just spend the whole time walking around the moor and having lunch in Tavistock.... We're looking to move there hopefully! Last year there was a lady riding on the moor as I think its pretty much free riding, not envious at all!

We're in Suffolk and I did move from a yard that had loads of off road hacking, but it was under threat of closure so I moved to another one with nothing. BUT, ruralgirl here are this weekends positive steps :bigsmile:

1 - I've been in contact with the local yard who have a school to hire, would need to box there as the ride is a bit too dangerous. Am going to see them this week. They have an instructor, but I know shes horrible - have seen her in action - so will hold off and go to where I got Edward from. Robbie is scary, but he's also lovely and knows Edward...

2 - We took Edward to Mums yesterday as the sun was shining. Lunged for 3-4 mins each side, Mum got on first, then me, working on getting him back into a contact and inside flexion so's not to spook at everything outside her menage area! Of course he was good - it goes without saying! we then washed his tail which now gleams white again and not covered in poo.... Until this morning of course.

3 - i am determined to have a dry day off this week so i can take danny out even if ots just down to the village pub car park and back (which is about 2 miles)

So I'm pleased with myself and if I ever get moved over to Devon then I'll hack out with ya! Dont blame you about Friday, it was horrendous.... and it was my day off too :grumble:

ruralgirl

Hey well done you:-) That sounds great!! Got any pics of them - mine are cobs - some pics on my profile. I managed to get out Sat and even with DH on Sunday! Had a great gallop in the woods on Saturday:-) I was getting a bit annoyed with the cars tho on Sunday who were passing us still at speed on narrow lanes so in the end I embarassed DH by riding down the middle of the road and only moving to let them pass once they had slowed to our pace hee hee (did make sure to thank them tho)

Have just booked to go on another Exmoor ride 15 miles on 30th June all around the Doone Valley yey! I know Drewseteington - right by Castle Drogo - I am a bit North of there - hey our house is for sale;-) Lovely traditional thatched corttage, 4 stables, 2.5 acres....a snip at £349k lol Only having to move cause went and had twins so bit small now as weve got another little girl as well.

Anyway enough blathering - let me know what day you do in the week - I have another lesson booked for Friday afternoon but hacking to her place so 45 mins there hour lesson & 45 mins back - loads of calories burned for me and Chloe:-) I know what you mean about getting the right instructor! It took my a while to get used to mine. RG x

Whisperinghorse

Looking like my day off will be wet again!! But hoping I can get away a bit early on Thursday so at least I can get out on Danny for an hour... The last 48 hours have been awful here again, Spending a lot of time mucking out, but they can go out again tonight!

I've put some pics on my profile, the filthy grey is Edward who is ID x Irisg cob (I think), the Dun is Danny Boy a highland x connemara and a little angel... The bay with the purple rug on is Gifford, one of my mums horses, he's currently an old gent at 34 but still tries to buck and squeal every day! I havent got pics of the other 2, who are Harry an Oldenberg and Murphy a thoroughbred... I prefer cobs myself...

Yours look loverly If I had the funds right now your place sounds perfect! 2.5 acres just right for 2 horses! There only me, him, 4 cats, 3 hens and a dog to fill the house so we'd have plenty of space!! :bigsmile:

Maybe if you're still there next time we come down I'll have to pop across the A30 and say hello!!

ruralgirl

Got fingers crossed that the weather is OK for you tomorrow! Edward looks like a chunky boy - how high is he? Youve got nearly as many animals as we have lol - 2 dogs, cat, fish, hamster, 2 geese & 4 horses...oh not forgetting me him and the three little uns ....and still waiting for the 4 ducks to be delivered!

Let me know when you plan this years trip to Devon you could come up for a pint or something:-) Right keep fit now as awful boring conference all day with no movement and too much unhealthy food!! eeek

Whisperinghorse

Always up for a pint ) Unless its Scrumpy...... Had a pint of that last year and ahem lets say it repeated on me :sick: :drinker:

Edward is fairly chunky, not a true stocky cob though.... He was sold to me as 16.1, but we think he's more 16.3, Dan is further to the floor at 15.1!!

What do you do with your babies apart from distance rides? Are your geese guard geese??? Have had some interesting encounters with a gander or 2! The yard where I keep my 2 has peacocks, he can wake you up in the morning!!

Have sent you a PM xx

ruralgirl

16.3 - eeek no wonder its a bit nerve racking! Chloe is 15hh (funny we measured her today) and Billy about 14.3. We are just happy hackers mainly but I am having a weekly lesson on Chloe and have had some jumping lessons on Billy and just get out when we can for the longer stuff.

Now ganders..ahem I 'rescued' a goose last year from a lady up the road - it had got too big for her garden and she didnt want to eat it and I then got another to keep it company but the rescued one turned out to be a gander and the arrival of his new lady turned him from a sweet friendly goose to a white whirlwind of pecking hell - well if you are DH - especially when he entered our land over some neighbouring fields once lol..or my poor old dog who turned into a cowering wreck at the back of the barn unable to defend himself from the random unprovoked attacks from Maisy (dont ask it was named while we still thought it was female...). As for me well - have you ever tried to groom a horse with a goose trying to er become intimate with your boots? No? well I can't reccomend it..lol specially when the horse treads on said goose's foot and all hell breaks loose... . Anyway my poor 5 year old daughter was too scared even to come into the orchard so the pair of them went back to the freind I had the female from (for breeding not the freezer) and in return she has given me a couple of (Im told) actual female geese who are now 8 weeks old and so friendly my little girl can feed them from her hands. Anyway the idea is yes to be guard geese cause my old dog who lives out is too deaf and blind to guard anything!

Hmm was it just the 1 pint of scrumpy then....?lol Dont worry I went off scrumpy about 20 years ago - too many student £1 a pints in Plymouth yuck!

Whisperinghorse

Sorry I shouldnt laugh at that but I did... Visions of literally hell breaking loose with horse on gander foot.... :bigsmile: Poor goose....

I got chased by a pack of them (yes I know they're a flock but these were a pack) when I was about 8 and they were bigger than me... My parents just howled with laughter!! Traumatised I was.....traumatised! Thinks maisy couldve done with a studded collar!!!

Took Danny out for a 20 minute clop on Sunday evening, after taking my old dawg to the local blue cross show where he won the veteran class!!! He's turned into a complete diva now....:frown:

We had a few sheningans this morning with fly masks, Edward wasnt having any of it... But got there eventually....

I have a day off tomorrow, bit of a mixed one as have my Nanas funeral in the morning, but I'll lunge Edward again in the afternoon and take Dan out again... It'll be nice to spend time with them after that! Just working on biulding muscle up again... And do the lottery of course so i can buy your house!!:bigsmile:

How did the hack in the terrible weather go?

ruralgirl

Hi

Sorry to hear about your Nana - hope the horsy stuff afterwards makes you feel a bit better. My Extereme hack in high winds was fine - only a hay feeder of doom to leap away from - my friend and I were both feeling a bit crap so it was more like extreme plodding really - is that a contradiction in terms? Anyway it developed into coldy fluey thing and I gave up at about 3pm yesterday and been in bed most of the time since. Did spend an hour sitting in the new ducks run tho trying to get them used to me - didnt work - Maisy has obviously been talking back at the breeders...

Although DH did say that he is loosing his interest in riding and becoming more nervouse which resulted in Billy only going out once this weekend. I had great plans to take him out one evening but too ill - hoping DH might take him out after bathing teins this eve. Lesson planned for friday which I see is forcast heavy rain - great! Might take her over in the box again.

Anyway better go feed DD I spose although nothing in the fridge - hey talking about the house had some random viewers who came unexpectedly today so I got up and showed them round andthen phoned the estate agent to have a go at them for not telling me - turns out they were supposed to see a house up the road and he had been on the phone to them asking where his viewers were lol no wonder they seemed a bit confused when I asked what they were going to do with the land!!

RGx

Whisperinghorse

Crikey you've had it all going on!!!

Hope you're feeling better now x

Its amazing how time with horses can cure everything!... Love extreme plodding, sometimes you cant beat a nice plod (if you have a horse that'll do just that) I'd have words with Maisy if you see her again.... Visions of snotty Ruralgirl one end of the run, ducks at the other giving suspicious knowing looks.... You can imagine the discussion between them when you left!

Hope DH doesnt get too nervous (although I know how that feels!) Do you two get out much together? I have to admit I do miss hacking out with another person... Just been looking through your pics again your grass looks amazing! Not surprised the pony has a grazing muzzle on, Dan would be the size of a house in about a week!

Shame the about the buyers :embarassed: Hope I win the lottery tonight :bigsmile: I remeber we were down there a couple of years ago and there was a 64 acre horsey place for sale just by the miniature pony centre (which I've never been to as we always have Merlin with us) Now thats itching for a lottery win.... Free riding on the moor..bliss!

I have to get the three amigos in tonight for Mum as shes gone to London. I have instructions written down in triplicate, which one to get in first, whcih direction to entre the stable... Blimey! She always imagines the worst, but they'll be fine with me they always are.... I dont take no nonsense and theres a Dually halter involved... Sorted!

I've been having to spray smelly frogs this week as Edward seems to have developed thrush on 3 feet and Dan on 2...meh they'll be in tonight as its going to piddle down but tomorrow should clear up. Have decided not to lunge Edward too much as the grounds getting a bit hard, but I'll get Dan out tomorrow and maybe walk Edward out in hand as I dont have his tack at the yard...

Hope you feel better soon and catch up next week x