Maycloud's blog

After ten days we have finally got out again [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
it has either been too wet or I have been in the UK, where it rained
too and I couldn't do my painting had to shopping and visiting instead!!
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Sunday morning when I went down to the boys the Chasse where meeting by the
fence so any vauge idea of riding in the morning went out of the window,
they drove off after a bit and station themselves between the field and
then on down to the canal, with luck I thought by the time I go out at 5
ish they will have moved on, que 5pm I drive round the back lanes and
couldn't see any chasse so went and got Moss tacked up, he was good but a
bit bouncy, he can do seven days between rides but ten days is pushing
it a bit [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] as we set off there was a rubble of thunder [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
then I could hear the hounds and horn going plus the odd shot and
thought f**"% it, and changed my planed route we just did a walk round
the houseing estate, we manged to have a couple of trots too, he was
pretty on edge and only started to relax as we got on the final leg
home, I think he could hear the chasse more than I could, we even had a
spook at the trot!
When I got home Cliff told me that, that lot of
chasse where out with rifles not shotguns so I'm really gald I kept well
out of there way as a rifle bullet can still kill at over a mile from
where it is fired! they where only about half a mile away.

with luck if it's still dry tomorrow we will go out again

Moss's
snotty nose is 95% better and his cough has gone but his back leg has
swollen up between fetlock and hock, it his one white leg, there is no
heat, cuts, pain ect and he is not lame or sore at all so I think it's
mild mud fever I have treated it with oil and sulphur so I will see how
he goes, he is getting board so he has got to go out.

Sorry no pics today somebody was a bit too on edge to faffing about with camara

Great to have you back maycloud, glad to hear moss's sniffles are clearing up, just hope the leg is nothing.

pen

Thanks Azaria, I didn't get to go out today
Moss's leg was less swollen today and he is still total sound judging by the way he gallop down the field tonight

Naughty boy

I'm getting really cheesed off with wet weather and the early nights, one the days I have finished early it's peeing down and the nice days I'm not free till it's too late to go out,

With luck tomorrow!
On the upside side Moss legs is back to normal

Good that Moss's leg is better.

Yes this rain is getting a tad depressing now especially when you look back at last year and see how good it was

Hope you get your ride today.
pen

Finally got out today [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] , most of the week has been wet apart from the days I was too busy till late [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
but tonight it all came together, we had a nice hour of so out and
about, as it has been so wet we didn't go in the woods, we took the road
down to the canal which meant crossing several deer/ boar paths which
involed a lot of standing and heavy breathing (by Moss that is [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
) but he did it , then it was down the side of the canal which we meet
some killer logs, we fully checked them out and walked on very happy,
then across the bridge which went a lot better this time then we started
to go back up the other side, which didn't go so well, one, you right
next to the lock gates, very noisy and this is the part called the
staircase so loads of locks plus the path is not too large about six to
seven foot wide and in places water on both sides, so really not much
fun if you have a problem [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
I did get Moss to go up a fair bit after a few attempts but then a duck
flew off and that was just too much for him, he was actually trembling a
bit [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
so we turned ( a nice calm walk) then stood at the next lock then back
across the bridge and home, we had a nice long-ish trot back up the road
and not a cough, so I'm pretty happy with him and his leg has gone down
and is back to normal
On the way home tonight
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

What a good little man.
pen

Had a bit of a intresting ride on Monday, on the upps 97% was great [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] although somebody decided that I need to be reminded who was in charge, think I sorted that one [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
to start as I got on and this field is not the easist for getting on
as very little gap between field and road, it's on a bit of a hill too, as I swung
the leg over Moss thought lets go up and see if we can have a quick buck
do [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
thankfully he is not the best bucker, so after getting the leg over is
was time to say who is boss, not the prettist of riding but not
stirrups and on a bit of a hill, god you feel high up when the head goes
right down [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] by the bottom of the hill he gave in and off we went ok, no problems to we got to the field withe the cows, OMG COWS [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] never seen them before [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
it took ages to get him on, loads of planting and backing, I just got
the giggles in the end and again he did it and again off nicely then
through the wood all good if a little alert but the there wheer two
& four legged nut hunters about plus birds playing in the leaves but
he was very good till the end of the woods when there was a small
fallen branch [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
another OMG but this time he tried the full spin and bog off a real
first for us, almost as bad as the sheep time, it must have taken over
ten mins to get him past the branch, I just made him stand then asked
for walk on and loads of praise for even a single step and back wards
and I turned him slightly and stayed calm, when we finally past the
branch he gave it a good look and then just walked on [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
amazingly about a 100 meters on we came across a hazel tree that had
fallen over blocking the path and to get on you had to push through a
wall of leaves and ........... he just walked through [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
we then carried on down to the road bridge (one small look) then up
another road for a good trot again he was super we turned at the end of
the road and made are way home and back over the bridge like an old pro
also straight past all the monsters from our last ride and fianlly got
him to trot past the swage works and the troll bridge a big first, we
did the last mile on the buckle end so I think I was tested as to who
was boss and I think I past, just need to find out next time [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


We had the dentist today, and they where all very good for Eric, Teepy
went first and he is the worst he does get very stress very easliy [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
but he could still see the boys and he stood well, just turned around a
few times, after he was done it was Moss's turn again fab, he hardly
moved a hoof and to think we where just stood in a field with them on a
loose rope while Eric got work, Moss did make me and Eric laugh as
nearly every time Eric started to rasp he would turn his head a bit and
almost closed his eyes with the look of "oh yes, yes, just a bit to the
left, oh yes thats the spot" [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
he has just lost the last of his top baby teeth and the bottoms won't
be long and his proper back molars are just starting to show as he has
got a full clean bill of health [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Brett was next and he was super just a quick rasp needed and both Eric
and myself remarked that it is so nice that he has got the hang of
having his teeth done as Brett used to walk backwards and sometimes it
felt like we had done a couple of curcits of the field before we had
finished [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
as soon as we had finished they went straight back to their hay and we
watched them for a while, Eric wasn't too happy how Teepy was eating,
he was still dropping bits of his hay, so it was catch Teepy again and
that was a bit of fun, he wasn't doing that again [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Eric got the dremmel and gave his bottom front teeth a very small
grind, Teepy was a star and was very nervous but he stood and let Eric
do it no problems, when we had finished he went back to hay, and was
deffanitly eating better [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

And we got out today [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
I will own that I was a tad nervous as the last couple of rides have
been a bit bouncy especailly the last one but he was Mr cool [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] We went down to the canal and tried walking back up the stair case, the bit that he refused the other week, well we did it [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] although somebody did try the "I'm a big boy, you can't make me [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
" well I did it, Moss had a few snorts but he did great then we went to
the new part of the Grand Tranchee for him and had a lovely trot
through the woods then it was back by the canal he was fab for most of
it although at one point he found a invisible monster but he went past
it, we where out nearly two hours [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Plus a small vid from our way back home.

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Then we played a bit in the field and did this

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t's the first time we have played tarpes since May and that was the first attempt

So tell me maycloud, does butter melt in mr cool's ( moss's) mouth
(he's doing brill)
pen

It does melt sometimes [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Moved the boys to the winter field today [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
I took Moss first and we went of very nicely, down the lane to the
woods, past the cows a few snorts but that was all, after a bit of bog
hopping we then turned off and went on to the path out of the woods,
which is a nice little path, then go along the edge of a field before
getting to the back road, the only blip was betweeen the woods and field
is a small stream which is channeled through one of those concrete
pipes, not a problem I thought he's crossed over here before, but that
was I finely remembered was in the summer when there was no stream, a
big big problem, he wasn't frighten he just wasn't going over, I tried
just sitting there, plenty of leg, loads of praise when we stepped
forward, a good swearing and finaly a good boot, no nothing after I
don't know how long somebody was walking towards us with two dogs and as
soon as he saw us he took the dogs to one side and told me to carry on
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
so I had another quick go but still nothing, so I got off and put his
lead rein on and lead him over, he did it but was very nervous [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] then of course is the problem of getting back on [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
there was just no where to get a leg up and Moss would only stand for a
min then started to get a bit aggerted, finally I found a small rock
that was about six inchs off the ground and I did it [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
off we went all calm again and a nice trot up to towards the main
road, we crossed this with out a problem, we where off down the next
lane and then troted back up the other side past loads of kenneled dogs
and the back down towards the mill then home, and hour and threequaters
out, I put him in the field ankle deep in the green stuff [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
, although he was calling for his mate. Chrissie picked me up and we
went back for Brett & Teepy, tacked up Brett, Teepy was just being
led and we took them through the housing estates and it pee'd down [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
we crossed the main road and took the quick route, not just because of
the rain but we didn't want to push Teepy to much, as he slipped and
fell in the mud the other day, anyway he did brill and strode out, ears
pricked [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
the sun came back out and the last bit was very pleasent, Brett did
well once he got used to the sound of the cars in the rain, it took us
about 45 mins and found a very sweaty Moss when we got to the field, of
course as soon as he saw them he turned all I wasn't worried and
wandered off grazing [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

i love reading your blog, i can jusy so picture it all! lol.

Ok some help needed [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] how the hell do you get a ruddy big horse to do things he would rather not [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
I know a big part of the problem is due to the weather and where "my
school" has been for the last two months I haven't been able to do any
school stuff for ages, it's on a slope and is clay so gets really bad
very quickly so for the last six - seven weeks we have just tacked up
and gone out, which Moss loves, now that the boys are back in the winter
field the school is now on flat ground so time for school again and
hense the problem, Moss says he knows how to walk and trot so why do we
have to do it in the school, we where about 30 mins in the school,
longer than I was going to do but I was going to get him to do what I
said first [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] He is getting very good at just stopping and being a [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
he does not get nasty, he just knows he can stand there and there is
not a lot I can do about it, he does give in after a bit but he always
has his eye on the gate. I have tried just sitting till he gets board,
need a flask next time! tried squeeseing him, tried talking, given him a
good boot and have slap my whip in my foot and I have slaped with the
whip once or twice [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
, also today I took the nose band right off another bit of the problem,
I have always had it loose, (I had to punch another hole right at the
end to it) so today he spent ages just yawning and streching mouth as
big as he could, then he found he could go for my feet and that he could
let the bit though and bite the reins [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Moss was just the same with the long reins much happier out and would do the school only after a protest
So how do you covince your horses that going road in circles is almost as much fun as going out?



A gorgeous day on Thursday and I got out [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Did
a few mins in the school first, a bit hit and miss, we didn't get as
stuck as the other day and I remembered to give more praise and rubs and
we only five - ten mins then I got off and took him though the gate,
then things got a little intresting, when I get on there I stand on a
bank and it means horsey can grab a mouthful while waiting, now Mossy's
bit is too big for him to eat so he gets a cheesed off, so today not
only would he not stand alongside the bank he couldn't eat and got
really stroppy, haven't seen that look on his face for a long time and
the little bugger bit me twice, once with a good load of jumper and
walked me across the grass [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
he got a massive wack on the nose for that which pulled him up a bit, I
did have a moment of " you can go back in the field" but then it was "I
will chuffing well get on you, you bugger" etc and I had another go and
did it, not gracefull at all, and................... we just walked off
perfeck [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
we where out about two hours and a ride that I have wanted to do for a
while with him, I had long reined him both ends of the route but it was
too far to do it all, he was great, a bit snorty and a bit opinionated
about which way we should go, but he did what I told him, he had to
cross a new bridge, which we did on tippy toes, I didn't the two other
bridges as they are wood and very slippy at the mo, they need three or
four good days before they are dry enough [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] so we then came back another path to a large field of cows [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] there is just a string of galv wire but these cows are great they just carry on [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
so apart from a couple of looks he walked on then it was past a huge
hay stack, it's four rounds high, and it's covered in plastic [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] not a bat of the eye [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
, then we had a nice long trot home wards, he did stop a couple of
time to check things out but carried on when asked, finally we got home
and he planted [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] he didn't want to go home [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
got him in the field and started to lead him to the barn and he was
stright back to trying to bit and push, not helped by the fact it's down
hill but we did it, he was so sweaty that I finally used the sweat rug
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I have had fro three years and it's never been used

I really admire you maycloud and you will get there. I think that your boy is behaving like a "surly" teenager and as I see it you have two options 1) carry on as you are or 2) I would invest in a pair of spurs he is not listening to your leg and the more you "nag" him the less he wil listen, chances are you will only need to use them once on him and he'll get the message
:)This is my opinion. I believe that a horse MUST move from the leg, his and your life may depend on it, my own dear boy has spells, once maybe twice a year, when he morphs into "kevin or perry" I only neeed to use my spurs the once and problem solved. with a horse that is of a sensitive nature I would perhaps invest in a "wip-wop" (intellegent horsemanship)
pen

Thanks Azaria
I have had a couple of people say spurs but I think I just nag unknowingly too much with legs to feel ok with that, a few other have said about the wip-wop although the general thought seemed to be that he wouldn't take any notice

Yesterday we did some more school work and he was much better, I put the
green barralls in a square and decorated them with unbrellas [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
we did loads of weaving in and out and did some 20m circles in walk and
trot and he was great a real B+ we did get stuck once but as we where
standing in front of the fence I made him do some TOTFs, which he did
great, I made a real effert to up the praise and neck rubs and didn't up
the anti. We did no more than 20 mins and then called it a day,
unfortunatly we didn't get to go out as the farmer deciced today was the
day to finally cut his Maize! so I wasn't going to get caught up in
that.
I have also put one of those half saddle padds under his saddle
as I think it is starting to get a bit tight, he seemed happier with
that [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I'm trying to find out if I can order this
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] for Moss
He
was also good to lead again today, we walked up like a pro and even on
the down hill bit going back he was good, just before the barn he did
try one nip, which he was told off for although it was a cheeky one not
the bad temptered one from the other day. it's due to be nice again on
Wednesday so hopfully we will get out then

How are you getting on maycloud? are you getting out much? I think we may have to consider moving south with the weather we're having

pen

Hi Azaria
We have come to a bit of a grinding halt, nothing bad just that it looks like Moss has out grown every thing, I have put 90% of the naughtyness to the saddle now being too tight, on our last ride he was a nightmare to do up the girth and get on, I did try brett's treeless on him in which he was much happier and trotted out well but it's bit of a bugger to get on as it slips which is not good when trying to get on a young 17hh, I have hopefully got a friend coming out before Christmas with a few saddles to try, I have also had to order him a new bit, when I measured his old one as it looked a bit tight I found it was only a 5 1/2 inch one, so the new one is 6 1/2 plus I'm getting him a new nose band as again that is too tight

Not too sure who was most surprised but I long reined Moss today [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
I think the break has done him good as we went back to tacking up
without needing to tie him up and no nips when the girth went up, the
bridle went on well as well [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
we did some walking round the barrels and over the poles, on the whole
not too bad but with him wanting go through the gate and out as normal [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I did get one short trot out of him.

My friend is down tomorrow to try new saddle on him, then we will have to get back to work [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Well Moss has a new saddle, just! Jennies comment of "bloody hell he's
got wide, I don't think it will fit" was a bit of a heart sinker [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] but it did, he looks very posh in a dressage saddle [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
I
had a bit of a ride in the school, when I could unplant him from the
gate he went very well in it, hopeful I will try a hack out on Sunday,
now Moss you just need to STOP GROWING [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

OH MY GOD WE GOT OUT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!

The first time in eight weeks, needless to say I did not get up enough b@lls to sit on him but long reined him he was pretty good considering, a few little buckies and some jogging but not bad, now just need to get on and go

Well done you. It is making that first step that's the hardest, trouble is that at this time of the year we get one nice day, or at least a rideable day, then the next day it's back to "bad" I managed to get out on Tzar several times last week after his 8 week break, following a bruised sole. The first time I think he behaved, although he felt like a coiled spring, the day after we got out again, but he did "tow" me once, so thank goodness the next time I lunged him , as soon as we got in the school he had attitude, ignoring me giving him a "flick" he went down and rolled as soon as he got up, he launched himself skyward, all four legs off the ground, squealed then proceeded to gallop round and round and round each time he slowed down he"d chuck a leg out, front or back or both , fortunately the idiot didn't fall over so I just stood there and waited for him to finish I did get on him for a couple of minutes after his antics, and the next day he was very good...... but then the snow came Back to square one!!

Take care over there.

pen

Thanks Azarai , although I think Moss is much more the laid back type

We got out, we got out [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
I will own that I was bricking it [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
as he hasn't been out for a ride for eight weeks, we did a long reining
walk the other day and he was good but got a bit bouncy when he found
he was coming home before he wanted to [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Anyway I had my new saddle, helmet and airvest and as as I wasn't sure I
had set it up right so I put my turtle suit on too, belt and braces
can't be too careful [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Moss was a star he even stood to let me on and get sorted, we walked
off to the first junction where he always puts a buck and squeal in as
he wants to go right and I want to go left [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] well today he did the smallest buck you can imagine [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] then off too the second juction where he wanted to go left so he put in a buck and a squeal and we went right [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] we had a damm good trot and loosened the elastic band a bit [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
for the first couple of miles we did trot a bit walk a bit, all was
brill, than it was off road through loads of mud and he started to get a
bit worried, I couldn't work out why as he lives in a bog, after a bit
all became clear, a really dead cow had been taken up that route and
dumped in the brambles [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
as soon as we got past he calmed right down, so we slid our way down to
the canal and went on the path between two parts of the canal and over
one of the bridges, a earth covered one not wooden and straight over,
then started back up one of those narrow sunken paths, halfway up we
came across the three tree stumps that had fallen in, room to pass but
big dark lucking monsters, Moss stopped, looked at me I told him it's ok
and to walk on and touch his nose on to test it and he did, all three [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
We pop out of that path back on the road surround by loads of felled
trees all stacked to lorried away, still climbing and Moss is starting
feel a bit flat so we just walk, all the way to the high point
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

We had a bit of a breather and then down towards the mill and back on to
anther path, where we hit a small snag, there is a small pond bu the
side of the path, and it has overflowed, it's not muddy just clear
water, would he cross it [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
after trying for a while I got off and lead him across which he did
very tentatively, theerw as a handy hump the other side so I could climb
up and get on the only problem was it was from the "wrong" side, why
does the brain struggle with somethign so simple as to which ruddy leg
to left up [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] carried on down that path and across another bridge and then the final bit home
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

He was feeling rather tired by the time we got home, but we had been out
for an hour and half and the first 1/4 was pretty active, we must have
done about 8-9 KMs

Hopefully he will be out again next week

Well done both all your groundwork has certainly paid off.... trust is your reward.

You certainly have some "good looking" hacking around you.



pen