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Post by spotti on Oct 22, 2008 9:37:53 GMT
Guess who has just hacked up a 40mph road on her hairy pony?  !!!!  And she was brillliant! She had a good look at a few things - a broken fence rail, the 40mph sign (well it is big and red and at eye level so I expected her to notice that!), the postbox and a motor bike, but there was no silliness. No rearing (like monday...will get to that one later) and no spooking/bolting/jogging or anything!! She was just great! We had a pedal bike ride past us, a bus - which put its hissy brakes on and she only looked at it but didn't do anything silly -, a few cars (going quite fast), had to ride past her turnout field and all her friends AND THEN go past the postbox, down the hay-bale-lined track, along another bendy fast road where we heard a police siren and the Red Arrows overhead, through the woods, past the Cleveland Bays (cue jogging, but nothing else, she just wanted to say hi), past the other horses, down the side of Rural Science, past a tractor, through the gates, past a lesson or 2 going on in the schools and then we were home and safe - cue lots of hugs and a huge apple AND NOW I CAN'T STOP GRINNING!!! She was just so goooooood!!!!! And all this was before she had even had her breakfast! Oooh, and another exciting thing happened, a girl on the yard said she'd hack out with us if we wanted to go out on the roads again and I thought Faith would be silly because her horse is really good on roads so Faith would be too - so now we have a hacking buddy whose horse is a gorgeously hairy Dales X called Liquorice!! Ahhhh!!!! |
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Post by spotti on Oct 22, 2008 10:10:40 GMT
It does help when you actually say why we went up the 40mph road and also what happened on monday...DUH! We went hacking up the road to get to the postbox so I could post a letter - I could have walked there by myself but thought I'd see how Faith was going up there with me, afterall, walks are far more enjoyable if you have your big hairy baby with you  Did I already say about loading her up on sunday? Ah well, if I did then sorry, but I'll say it again now so everything else is put into perspective... Friday - loaded Faith up to take her home for the chiropractor. Loaded ok and travelled well. Settled back in immediately and seemed happy to be munching her hay. Saturday - Chiro came. Pelvis got sorted. All happy. Sunday - Happy pony until it came to loading. She walked in and then randomly appeared to decide the trailer was scary and ran out backwards, scaring herself more and then refused to come anywhere near the horsebox for ages. Two and a bit hours of calmly re-trailer-training her and a bruised if not cracked rib later (if I hadn't had my BP on then I would have most definitely broken my rib, if not done worse - I owe that thing so much) she decided to trust me and went in, only to shake like a leaf (me and her both) but stand still for me to tie her up and finish fastening her in. Travelled quite well and seemed happy to be back here at uni when she came out the other side. Was going to try and ride on sunday but since we ended up arriving 2 hours later than planned and we were all starving and tired, Faith was put in her stable and we all went off for a pizza (mmmmm!). Monday - lectures all day but managed to squeeze in a ride mid-afternoon (lecture finished early lol) so tacked up and hopped on. She walked fine until we got to the other horses field where we had lots of rearing and spinning attempts and rather a lot of jogging until we managed to get away from the all the horses and then she settled down a bit. She didn't seem to want to listen to me and seized her every chance to take control of speed/direction whenever she saw fit - cue more jogging and rearing and spinning. Went through the woods and ended up coming out in the carpark outside my halls (in which she was surprisingly good, only spooking at a funny tractor thing that appeared from nowhere...it actually came as a surpirise to me too), so walked round the back of the building, past the church, round the corner past more tractors and into the yard. When we got back, she appeared to be walking 'off' again - cue panic - so I untacked her, gave her some tea and hay and left her to it (was almost in tears at this point thinking it was all my fault that I'd broken her again and that I shouldn't deserve a horse like her etc etc etc). Tuesday - Arrived to find hairy pony looking well and not 'off' so we went out again. Went past the horses (no rearing...at all!), through the woods where we had a tiny trot (only because she insisted) and a few naps because she didn't want to go over a bridge because she could hear the water below us. She went over after a bit of persuasion and then insisted of trotting the whole way out of the woods, past a XC jump, along the bottom of a stubble field (now churned up ready for re-seeding), up the side of the field before slowing to a walk where she felt 'off' again. I hopped off, panicking again because she'd been spinning and trotting when she should have only been walking and not turning tight circles (what can yo do though? She's so fast...) so we walked all the way back home, untacked, had a massage (like the chiro had shown me) and I could feel all of her muscles around her pelvis bunched up in a big knot. The more I massaged her, the softer it got until she shuffled around a bit and rested her 'good leg' before standing square (never ever seen her do that. Ever. That just shows how long she's been 'wrong') and nuzzling me as if to say "Look mummy, I feel better now. Thank you". I could have cried. I gave her the biggest hug ever before sticking on her headcollar and taking her out onto the yard to make sure I wasn't seeing things - and I wasn't! She stood square again, walked around the yard 'square' then did it again!!! You should have seen my smile - I couldn't stop grinning!! Wednesday - after the miraculous wonders of massaging, we headed out again - this time down the 40mph road to go and post a letter in the post box at the end of the road. Apart from a few minor mishaps when mounting (one including me being onboard but behind the saddle because she wandered off just as my feet left the floor lol) she was brilliant. No rearing. No refusing. Not too much "I'm in charge mummy so I'll go where I like" and we even walked past noisy cows and sheep and still no reaction!! I love my hairy pony  All in all, its been decided that Faith is no competition horse (mainly because of her being a constant cripple but also because she just can't cope with all the travelling!) and that massage is amazing! Also come to the conclusion that we need some more hoof boots if we can now go on roads, and that a fluorescent exercise sheet and something prettiful and shiny are required. I will get some pics (hopefully tomorrow if I remember the camera and Faith is feeling well-behaved) and plonk them in the gallery for you all to nosey at. Ciao for now |
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Post by Becca on Oct 22, 2008 10:41:43 GMT
Wow that took me ages! but yay!
it is amazing what a bit of muscle rubbing can do!
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Post by aimee on Oct 22, 2008 11:41:25 GMT
took me ages too! Big well done! And look forward to seeing piccieos! |
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Post by kitcat on Oct 22, 2008 13:56:19 GMT
Fantastic to hear that things are going well for you and Faith. The massage sounds great. I hope everything continues to get better, you both deserve it after all this time
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Post by spotti on Oct 22, 2008 14:38:43 GMT
I've not got my hopes up just yet...our longest time so far before injury has been 3 days, and that limit has been reached so I'm half expecting something to go wrong tomorrow (not meaning to jinx it, but it seems to happen whether I want it to or not lol)...hmm...might be wise not to take the camera out tomorrow if something bad is going to happen... (will take it down tonight instead and just get lots of posing piccies of the hairy pony looking gorgeous - will get some hacking pics if we're still alive tomorrow ) |
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Post by Jen on Oct 22, 2008 16:30:12 GMT
woohoooooooooooooooooooo!!!! well dolne guys!!
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Post by spotti on Oct 22, 2008 17:42:37 GMT
I forgot the camera *bashes head on desk* I WILL remember it tomorrow...hopefully!
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ceej
Administrator 
im back.... :)
Posts: 5,363
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Post by ceej on Oct 22, 2008 22:01:48 GMT
aww well done matey |
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Post by spotti on Oct 23, 2008 8:58:14 GMT
***UPDATE*** = just been out hacking again with company, on a road, past more horses (including the stallion, Prince) and she was super!! I think we definitely made the right decision in being content with just 'happy hacking' because every time we go, we both come back happy |
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Post by spotti on Oct 23, 2008 9:02:08 GMT
Oh yeah, pictures...I did try to get some but the camera noise spooked K (our new hacking buddy) and I didn't think it was wise to let our new friend end up on the floor, just for the sake of a few piccies so I gave up but will get some soon - promise! For now though I have one or two of the hairy beastie looking all square and clean(ish) - will post them when camera/photbucket have finished uploading. *photobucket has finished so here's the beastie! Look at her all square in her back end  And again, but not looking too impressed by the sudden photoshoot  And now one from after riding once she'd eaten her breakfast MOLLICHOP MOUSTACHE!!!  Thats all for now but there will be more |
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Post by racaille on Oct 23, 2008 9:59:31 GMT
Go you Spotti and Faith!!!!!!! ;D
PS lovely pix
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Post by spotti on Oct 23, 2008 10:20:15 GMT
Thanks Racaille . Looking at those pictures, I think weight-wise she's in quite good condition at the minute, just needs more muscle and then we've cracked it... |
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!!!! 
)
Always saddle your own horse
