Something you're really pleased about

convert

I know the thread title may need a little work (I lack ready wit), but I thought it might be nice to have a thread where we could share the big and little things that went really well for us and made us feel like all the hard work has paid off, especially as we all know the bad things can really stay with us.

I'll start us off....

Today, for the first time in almost 2 years, I put the saddle on a horse who's been out of riding work because I'm the only one small enough to ride her (she's getting lunging work regularly, though). She didn't object in the slightest when the birth was tightened on her, and didn't even turn a hair when I hopped up on her. Moreover, when I took her into the arena she immediately dropped into hand and showed spa lovely shape and fantastic paces. She didn't even buck when I popped her over a small cross pole!

Then I did some flat work on our hunter (ex race horse) to get him ready for showing, and he couldn't have gone better. It's as if I showed him yesterday,

Overall, a very successful day

Ave Sodalis

Only go riding once a week these days with college and it's school horses. However, the last time we were there, my favourite horse there got a session with an osteopath which was long needed. Well to be honest, the horse needs several sessions and a long spell in a field somewhere but one is an improvement and only happened because of our course.

Wobbly_Legs

My mothers horse finally came up sound after 8 months Here's to hoping it will stay this way for the summer.

Also very pleased with how my 4yr old is coming along so nicely. He's a quick learner, with a sensible head, couldn't ask for more!

elusiveguy

After 2 years of trying to straighten my horses canter and a recent 'ah-ha' moment for me, his canter is getting straighter but also starting to feel like the canter I feel on other peoples horses

Ah_Yeah

Love this idea!

Despite having serious jumping nerves, and not believing in my ability to jump anything more than 80-85cm, last week I jumped a course of 1m fences, no bother to me or my mare

byhookorbycrook

I have problems with my legs and with my balance due to MS.I hadn't done a dressage test since 2001 or so. I agreed to do one if the club raised money for the children's charity BUMBLEance. My target was €1,000, between our own club and a donation from Nuenna Farm, we have reached almost €1,700.

ETA And we did the test. I find it hard to do sitting trot so I have the cob voice trained to canter, yes, we'd lose marks in competition, but I won't be competing ever again!

Ave Sodalis

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

I have problems with my legs and with my balance due to MS.I hadn't done a dressage test since 2001 or so. I agreed to do one if the club raised money for the children's charity BUMBLEance. My target was €1,000, between our own club and a donation from Nuenna Farm, we have reached almost €1,700.

ETA And we did the test. I find it hard to do sitting trot so I have the cob voice trained to canter, yes, we'd lose marks in competition, but I won't be competing ever again!

Congrats! That's a great achievement, both the money and the test! And if you lost marks? Pfft, who cares, it's still a great achievement.

MedusaV8

Well mine isn't a riding thing that I'm pleased about mine is that I have just been offered a job at a fab Equestrian Centre in Mayo. I've not ridden for several years due to an injury and losing my ride (he was pts after puncturing his fetlock joint so I really looking forward to being able to get back in the saddle. .

Wobbly_Legs

MedusaV8 wrote: »

Well mine isn't a riding thing that I'm pleased about mine is that I have just been offered a job at a fab Equestrian Centre in Mayo. I've not ridden for several years due to an injury and losing my ride (he was pts after puncturing his fetlock joint so I really looking forward to being able to get back in the saddle. .

Congrats!!! One of my good friends is working in a nice yard in Mayo for years now and loves it!


Ive been throught the pain of having one of my babies PTS, its awful, it took me three years to get back on another horse. I hope that when you do decide it is the right time to mount up again, you enjoy every second of it.

Heydeldel

Have learned to 'tolt' on Icelandic horses. Fun!

Ave Sodalis

Heydeldel wrote: »

Have learned to 'tolt' on Icelandic horses. Fun!

That sounds really fun

Another thing to add to the list- I managed to get an AMA with Boards with regard to horses

Heydeldel

What's an AMA?

I've put up a post with pics of the horses I'm working with. Have a gawk if you fancy. They are very wooly at the moment!

Ave Sodalis

It's an Ask Me Anything forum http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1647
Hopefully be able to raise some awareness to safety around horses for those who don't know. That's if the right questions get asked, that is.

Oh do post pictures!

Heydeldel

Oh, right!

I did post pics. I started a new thread.

Fluffy!

JillyQ

Went back out last night after a few weeks of, the horse i was using had been on a beech ride yesterday, just felt like a completely different animal, he felt so much freer.

Dark Phoenix

Got a friend who is a good rider to sit up on my horse last night and it was brilliant to watch them together. It made me realise how important it is sometimes to watch from the ground as the horse is looking and going better than I had realised from on board. Friend enjoyed it too which is even better

emma-fly

After a fall while jumping over Christmas I completely lost my nerve. The thought of even hacking out on the road was leaving me shaking. Even though I was terrified I kept hacking out and reverted back to cross poles and trotting poles. But last weekend I managed to get out to a league and around a 90cm course with 4 faults in super windy conditions.

Ah_Yeah

Practicing my jump off turns last night, managed to do a great jump off course at 1m - WAY outside my comfort zone but so pleased!

byhookorbycrook

Great to see so many people pushing their boundaries. Non-horse people just don't understand.

fits

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Great to see so many people pushing their boundaries. Non-horse people just don't understand.

So true! I'm out of it a couple of years now and have utmost respect for anyone pushing their boundaries and getting on well. Jumping a xc or sj course or doing a dressage test etc is an alien concept to.me right now.

byhookorbycrook

You'll get there, Fits. Pick a goal , then tell people, peer pressure is awful!

fits

Unfortunately I'm spending a lot of time abroad, so its hard to get stuck in for the brief periods I'm home.

whupdedo

I'm back in the saddle after a bit of a lay off and back working a stunning coloured sports horse mare that I think will be ready for cavan in a few weeks time, she's 6 and I bred her myself, and the satisfaction I get from seeing her coming on every time she goes out is something that will stay with me long after she is sold.

I will be sad to see her go because she is such a gentle soul, ( my little westie regularly gets a spin on her back on his own :-) ) but onwards and upwards for her hopefully

Ah_Yeah

First double clear in a 90s course today - we had jumped 3 or 4 courses and had faults everytime, so delighted today!

Wobbly_Legs

Ah_Yeah wrote: »

First double clear in a 90s course today - we had jumped 3 or 4 courses and had faults everytime, so delighted today!

Well done Ah!
looks like those jump off practises are paying off with all round confidence

emma-fly

Got my first rosette and 2 SJI points of the 2015 season on Sunday!
Double clear in my first ever meter course! Had 8 faults in the 90cm but for some reason I decided I wanted to give the 1m a try and I was glad I did

Next stop is the Millstreet welcome tour in April, where I will definitely be trying the 1m competition again.

Ah_Yeah

Passed my jeep and trailer test today!

MedusaV8

Ah_Yeah wrote: »

Passed my jeep and trailer test today!

Well done

byhookorbycrook

No stopping ye now!

charlieIRL

Ah_Yeah wrote: »

Passed my jeep and trailer test today!

Congrats.


My daughter has started jumping 1m tracks in competitions and is loving them. Happy out!!

Ave Sodalis

Finally got home to take out two ponies. One hasn't been rode since January so I could only lunge him but he's going out to the field in a week or two so it'll be a fresh start in May. (Although, I spend months straightening him and getting him going correctly and if he's off longer than a week, he's as crooked and speedy as when I started). The other is getting old and stiff and has only been rode once a week. He needs a solid month of long rein hacking so couldn't do much with him either except a circles and stuff to try and get him to loosen. Still, was really nice to be back after so long to say hello!

And there could be another pony for me to ride by the summer

Rips

I had a lameness workup and xrays taken last week of my 20yr old mare to see if she can come back into work or is fit to retire. She's my 'one'.

She had a year off as I was busy with another horse and she was slowing down with intermittent problems. It hadn't done her any favours, so I thought her time was up.

She can be unlevel on the odd day and I've done everything I can as far as supplements/management and diet etc

Well she worked up sound and flexed sound (that in itself was really unexpected!) and her xrays were all clean as a whistle! I'm over the moon and hoping that I can start bringing her back into work. Even if she can't, it looks good that she'll be around for some time yet.

fits

I rode my horse four times in the last week!

Dark Phoenix

In the past two weeks I have not only been jumping, but have been jumping two horses I never dreamed I would be able to do it on.

byhookorbycrook

So good to see so much good news!

TG1

I love this thread!

In a week where I really really needed some sort of a win, I sat up on my new mare last night and for the first time since I bought her 3 weeks ago she took off on the correct lead every time I asked for canter on either rein and didn't do her usual impression of a giraffe on speed! We didn't have a single disagreement for the whole session.

Such a little thing but she made my week!