Storms and Snowiness

The weather has been relentless: storms then snow then floods then storms….. and back to snow this weekend.

Horses have done almost nothing and spent a great deal of time in their stables, or tucked up on the path behind the garage hoping to come back in.

Last Sunday was snow in the morning, melting to cause floods in the afternoon. The dip in the field became a river and our house became moated as the dip in the road filled up.

Lovely Laura came to help with the boys so I offered her ‘a lift’ home on Neon. I didn’t want to take both out as I was anticipating them being fresh and silly and Laura is a bit too novice to cope. So deciding Neon needed riding more and she’s never ridden him, I opted to walk with him to her house and ride him back. The road dip flood was over halfway up my wellies when we waded through. Neon was wide eyed but apart from pawing the water once he followed me and walked calmly with Laura through flowing water and past storm debris to her house …And then alternated between piaffing and doing a stonking big trot, with much head tossing and snorting on the way back with me 🙂

Farrier came on Thursday, which meant I have an excuse to work from home. He says both horses’ hooves are in very good condition and he’s very happy with B ‘s progress and not bother with re x-raying as he can tell all is going well so it would be a waste of money

Saturday – Horses spent nearly a whole day happily foraging under the grass for snow. Odd as they don’t want to stay out in winter when there’s no snow!

I managed to summon some motivation and take Neon for a hack as lesson was cancelled due to snowiness. Idiot neighbour said arena was usable and her daughter had jumped 6 year old pony. Arena was frozen in ruts under snow. I would have walked on it and maybe a very limited trot.

So hack – We had some ears up nose moments looking at everything in the snow, (Neon’s not a horse you can leave unridden for a week really) but he was was responsive to me and softened his back, walked out nicely, trotted with impulsion and did some lateral work. Love those days when I feel I can ride fairly competently 🙂
Worked B in hand on our driveway and asked him to walk over a raised pole. He tried threatening to bite me in a very stallion type way and to sidestep the pole, but when I growled at him he meekly shifted and hastily trotted over it picking his feet up smartly – bless him!

New Year’s Day 2015

2014 flew past and I’m not sure where it went.
Highlights:
Cyprus trip, especially Aphrodite’s rock & temple
The BAPSH Breed show with Neon.
Some amazing lessons with Neon like where he stormed round in medium trot.
Getting Bordador sound with shoes and hacking him and Neon out together
Lovely family holiday in Galicia
Getting another collie, Bay, who everyone agrees is a lovely dog
Bordador’s first outing, followed by our first party
And finally….The Christmas fancy dress show not just because it was fun, but also because I rode Neon through leapy, nappy, speedy silliness and felt calm and able to cope.

Over Christmas I’ve had 2 bad colds as well as the stitches in my hand and Dad was sick too, so we didn’t do much and I’ve barely ridden. But we did go to the Kelpies at Falkirk and New Lanark and had some good dog walks and it was fun.

Falkirk Kelpies – commemorating the canal’s working horses

Biggar’s New Year’s Eve bonfire 2014

In 2015 I intend to ride the Camino de Santiago on horseback and first, in February, Mum, Lisa and I are off to northern Norway. Otherwise I have no plans, just enjoy the horses and dogs and improve as a rider