Well I said when Dino had improved so he didn’t need the correction pads on his saddle I would buy him a proper saddlecloth and this weekend I made good on that! We are a Le Miuex Benetton Blue pony now! his could get expensive…

It’s been another difficult week really; everything is wet. It has basically rained non-stop for the past six weeks. I’m so tired of it. This means the schools have been mostly flooded so I’ve not really ridden. We have lunged, with and without the Equicore, and his transitions are getting a lot better. Under saddle it’s still a struggle though as he doesn’t want to move on the soft ground. Hopefully it will dry out this week and we can make some improvements. Bring on spring though…

I really had wanted to get out for a hack at some point in January and it’s just not been possible. His usual hacking partner is still lame and Popsicle isn’t settled enough in her new bareback pad so we’re stuck which is super frustrating. Hoping February brings us some luck really.

I’ve bloody had it with this weather. It’d a sodding nightmare. Pony doesn’t mind too much and the yard is honoring their agreement to allow Dino out overnight still with Popsicle so that’s good but the schools are flooded and the evenings are cold and wet and generally this is not good horse weather.

Anyway.

Dino is doing well. Since my last update I’ve been trying to do a bit of Masterson each week, just the Bladder Meridian, but I’ve been getting a lot of licking and chewing so I think it’s doing some good. We’ve had another lesson with Katie which was excellent. It’s very slow progress at the moment but I think she really gets him. We need to focus on being very consistent but repetitive. Just basic transitions into a contact and getting him comfortable to ask for a bit more pace. I find it super frustrating but it’s really desperately needed. We’ve introduced some walk > canter into the mix to spice it up a bit and it’s good that his canter is coming along a bit too.

Hard to keep focussed when there’s nowhere to ride that isn’t drenched though. I’m hoping to do some in hand in the lunge pen today as that’s drier, but it’s been heavy rain all day and I don’t want to take him out to work in that really! So we’re making slow progress but roll on spring please….

Been a bit of a slow week for Dino work; my actual work has once again been a bit challenging but I’m hoping that will calm down now. He got cuddles at least…

I haven’t made any progress with the in hand work or really done much grooming, but I have ridden a few times. The footing in the school is still a bit soft and he’s a bit anxious about it but I think he’s getting more comfortable about having some contact of some sort. So that’s a good thing. Lesson next week so need to focus this week on getting some inside bend and yet more transitions! Hoping to do some in hand work today so we’ll see how that goes.

I think he’s enjoying the new field, it’s certainly a spot drier than the other one. Really hope that January is in general drier than December! I’d really like to get off the yard at least once every month this year, either for a hack or an outing. I was hoping our friend Honey would be back to hacking soundness this week but she’s taken lame again. Hopefully someone will come out with us soon!

So this week then, I think the plan is:
Sunday – in hand / fun
Monday – ride (Equicore)
Tuesday – Day off
Wednesday – in hand / fun
Thursday – ride
Friday – Day off
Saturday – lesson

Well. I had been hoping to get a good chunk of Dino time in this last week but it’s just not worked out like that. Heavy heavy rain over the past few weeks means him field, and the schools, have been flooded so I’ve not really been able to get much done.

Here he is in his lake…I mean field. Actual geese have moved in with him!!

From last Friday he’s now living in the car park field at night which is much drier and much easier to get to. Hopefully the next couple of weeks should be drier weather so once the field is dried it can be poo-picked and they can go back out. Happy no sign of the dreaded mud fever so far but I’m keeping a close eye on his legs!!!

So he’s had a light couple of weeks work wise. Some lunging, with and without equicore but not much riding. I have decided now is the time to try and make progress with his in hand work and fix the attitude problem we’ve developed. I had a call with Judith as part of the connection training work so I’ll post about that separately. I did have a lovely ride today though and start to put into practice some of the work we did with Katie before Christmas. We are continuing to focus on contact and working into a contact through transitions, introducing a bit of inside flexion now to the mix. It sounds easy but it feel like a lot of things to be worrying about! Hopefully we’ll have a more consistent week of work this week and a better update next weekend.