The Unbearable Roundness of Bellies

It is fair to say that Max is a "good doer".

He gets through winter with just some hay, the paddock and maybe 400 grams of barley a day. The rest of the year he just gets a skerrick of chaff and sugarbeet to disguise his minerals and toxin binder.

This year I was behind the balland missed the boat and he managed to pile on at least 30 kilos in a week. His paddock mate moved out, and I hadn't realised how much the grass was growing so was still hard feeding him. And when I took his cover off in front of my coach - it was a bit like seeing the Thelwell pony, but with longer legs!

 

Image from www.thelwell.org.uk with thanks

Not quite what I have in mind when I think of my all rounder!

So that was the end of the hard feed, he got moved into another paddock with two mates and I contemplated a muzzle. I haven't inflicted the muzzle on him yet as he has dropped quite a lot of weight already. But it is there and waiting...

Progress, of Sorts

In the two years I've had Max, we have had ups and downs. I guess some people would think it is taking way too long for us to get out and do anything. But I have to remember that I'm just a novice, with my first green horse, and that my job gets in the way of my riding.

I am hugely, extremely lucky to have a talented, well educated coach to help me on the way. She is also busy - working, training her own horses, training other people's, and teaching.

She got on Max the other day and it was impressive to see my little horse pick himself up and move! He is capable of really swinging his back and even though he isn't completely straight (he dishes) he looked like a dressage horse. Now, I just have to learn how to ride like that and we might get somewhere.

He is now really good to load into the float (as long as there are Max Treats for him once he's on). I took him to the Park the other weekend, just to watch and eat his haynet. He came off the float, took a good look at everything and then stood to be groomed and walked around calmly. And then he loaded up and went home. No problems.

So this week we will start going to the Twilight rallies the riding club are running. If I can find a girth to go around that tummy (!), we will have a ride around and just see how things go.

Dressage - the day after

We survived.

 

In fact I was laughing during my second test. See, I just stress myself out.

Stressage!

Now that I have 2 tests to ride this Sunday, I am wondering why I keep entering things.

We are not ready to be seen in public.

We won't be cantering at A, and so will get a big fat 0 on that movement.

On both legs.

So we will come last (unless someone is silly enough to get eliminated).
We got eliminated last time for jumping out of the arena.

My coach is probably just too polite to tell me that I'm just wasting my money and time.

I can't ride to save myself.

I have to plait Max up, and that is going to be a dog's breakfast. And I'm not even going to attempt to plait his tail, or pull it. It is lovely and natural, and is going to stay that way.

I'm going home to drink some wine now. (Sob).

RIP Huia

My favourite little RDA horse went to pony heaven the other day.

It wasn't my decision, although as I am on the committee, I guess I am partly responsible. But she was starting to lose her enjoyment of life. She couldn't get down to roll, was losing weight, and just seemed very tired. It's so sad when they lose their verve and you know what the best thing to do is.

We arranged for her to go on one final float trip to a friend's farm a bit south of here. She travelled okay, despite our concerns, and came off the float with her wonderfully fluffy ears all a-pricked, looking to see where she was. She had a last few carrots, the girls said goodbye while the vet gave the initial anesthetic, and then it was quietly all over.

I'm glad we were able to give our loyal and hard working pony a respectful end. Although she didn't have enough teeth left to figure out her age, we thought she was at least 35. A lack of teeth never stopped her from eating carrots, she just jiggled them around her mouth till she found two opposing ones, then CRUNCH. She had a long and often hard life - she had the swollen hock and scars to prove it. Her career had included everything from teaching little ones to ride, to pony club pony, to babysitter for racehorses to therapy horse. We were amazed at the number of local people who would come into the RDA and say "Is that Huia?".  She was well-known and well loved.

But she wasn't perfect either. She had a wonderful sense of humour and a naughty streak. She was legendary for being difficult to catch if she didn't feel like working. Apparently she would rark up the baby racehorses really badly and she dumped most of her riders in her younger days. We would indulge her in late life, letting her think she had "escaped" and allow her to roam and graze all around the property - including my back yard. I never did get a photo of her calmly cropping at my lawn, while standing under the clothes line. I really wish I had.

Farewell old girl, you are sadly missed.

Max's first clip

BEFORE

AFTER

Amazing what a good clip will do for a boy! He was (mostly) very good, just a bit wriggly when we started. But a change from the washbay to where he had more room, and he was much happier. I also think that the Stressless kicked in about then, so in all, it was a positive first experience with the clippers.

He is just so cute now, I can hardly believe it!!!

Looking forward, not back

We had a visit from our wonderful physiotherapist on Thursday. Mr Goober had been cantering downhill to catch up with his BFFs, and slipped over and did the splits. He was very sore in one front elbow/leg and the opposite hind. So much so that he nearly flattened me when I applied some pressure to his right hamstring. Nothing, if not demonstrative, is my Max!

So the physio appointment was to check out the damage and also see if he was fit enough to go back to work after his holiday. And the good news was that he had hardly damaged himself, and was passed as fit! We now have a whole new series of stretches/massage moves for the new sore bits, but I guess that's all part of the learning curve. Overall, we are so very lucky to have a brilliant physio here, and she is very affordable. But I had better keep that quiet, or someone from Auckland will steal her away...

And now, onwards and upwards. I think it was a good idea to give the winter dressage a miss this month, as he would've had to go in with zero work. And it gave me the chance to accrue some good-dressage-karma by offering to write for the judges all day. Funny how things work, I ended up with the same (quite senior) judge all day and by the end I could just about predict what she was going to say. I think everyone who rides dressage should do some writing. You learn an incredible amount in a short space of time, and it is amazing what the judges can see from where they are sitting! Any wobbles on your centre line are blindingly obvious, as are missed corners and even wonky-shaped circles. Don't think you can talk to your horse without them noticing, 'cos they are watching like a hawk, and can see your lips moving.

And now, I know that judge knows who I am, and she'll be watching for us next month. Uh, oh.... Better do some practise and get lots of lessons in or I'll be in trouble.