Pro pictures :-)
Pro pictures
Mac pictures
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Thursday, 22 August 2013
Getting fitter
We are getting Remi fit for a 17.5km Endurance / Pleasure ride on Bank Holiday Monday. Remi has done a fair bit of low level Endurance rides, but never barefoot and not for several years.
Last night was our third time up Reigate Hill. (A very long steep climb up and then down a stony hill that is fantastic for building fitness.) Ride involves lots of roadwork on quiet roads, a long steep climb up and down, and some nice canter spots. We had a lovely fast canter across a field. Remi was offering to canter up bits of the hill. He still finds the stones hard going, and opts for the verges.
He got attacked by a vicious bramble and has a huge welt across his shoulder from it :-( I wondered what upset him, and didn’t find it til we got back.
He has got faster and faster downhill.
I have been braver, and last two times have ridden him down the steep stony, sliding part. Strange horse now powerwalks down sliding from one foot to the next. Seems to work for him! Leaving Mac behind him in his wake.
Not sure what the fast walking down hill is about. Last time I rode him he was slower down hill than on flat! Form of laziness? He can slip slide down the hill?
His feet didn’t look much changed after last night's stony hill hack. Which is good, as the previous time, about ten days ago, he came home with visibly shorter feet (thought that might have been what he needed).
Last night's hack was 11.5km, and a massive hill, and fairly stony. So hopefully 17.5km on mainly good grass going, on the flat will be easy.
Am planning to rest his feet between now and Monday. Day off today, light hack Friday, schooling on rubber over the weekend.
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Contrary Remi :-)
Saturday up early and had schooled both ponies before E came to treat them. Mac was good, light school and test run through. Remi - struggled a bit at start – curling neck and not reaching for contact. Someone else jumping in school, bit distracted. Bit more crooked and dot and carry. Improved but not as good as when schooled Wednesday. Query bit unlevel at times when goes crooked. Slightly lazy. Walk stretch and pick up was much better. Finished much better, but was generally hard work. Was remedial schooling versus more typical schooling.
E came to do body work. Lunged Remi first to assess. I expected him to be a bit unlevel / crooked (think is often less good on lunge and hadn’t been easy in school). And he looked really good – big walk, stretching down, nice trot on both reins. Probably the best trot work have seen from him. Was amazed.
Did say my school work riding must have been REALLY good for him ;-) HAH
He is an up and down contrary pony. Bless him. Just when I start to think he is predictable.
E found tightness in base of neck, and soreness. Think he braces here rather than reaching over his topline. And some soreness at base of girth area. I think martingale strap where crosses girth may be a pressure point. Said was thickened skin here.
Said he was generally good, and have stretched his treatments to six week intervals for next time.
Have bought one of these sheepskin girth covers - LINK
He was good to hack Sunday, good in his lesson Monday, and good for doing his lesson homework on Tuesday. Bless him.
Lesson working on getting the bend in his inside rib carriage, and getting him to lift his back, so that we could get him to then reach and stretch more over his top line.
Remi has a whole range of evasions - speed up / hollow / go crooked before you get a nice attempt. He is a wily schoolmaster, who isnt sure he wants to be straight and connected. His favourite is to offer speed as an alternative to connected, with his eyes shining brightly.
He is building up behind and strengthening and gaining fitness. But he does need to work over his back more.
I have also realised he must have turned 15 this year. He cant be eternally 14, and I think he was 14 last year.
E came to do body work. Lunged Remi first to assess. I expected him to be a bit unlevel / crooked (think is often less good on lunge and hadn’t been easy in school). And he looked really good – big walk, stretching down, nice trot on both reins. Probably the best trot work have seen from him. Was amazed.
Did say my school work riding must have been REALLY good for him ;-) HAH
He is an up and down contrary pony. Bless him. Just when I start to think he is predictable.
E found tightness in base of neck, and soreness. Think he braces here rather than reaching over his topline. And some soreness at base of girth area. I think martingale strap where crosses girth may be a pressure point. Said was thickened skin here.
Said he was generally good, and have stretched his treatments to six week intervals for next time.
Have bought one of these sheepskin girth covers - LINK
He was good to hack Sunday, good in his lesson Monday, and good for doing his lesson homework on Tuesday. Bless him.
Lesson working on getting the bend in his inside rib carriage, and getting him to lift his back, so that we could get him to then reach and stretch more over his top line.
Remi has a whole range of evasions - speed up / hollow / go crooked before you get a nice attempt. He is a wily schoolmaster, who isnt sure he wants to be straight and connected. His favourite is to offer speed as an alternative to connected, with his eyes shining brightly.
He is building up behind and strengthening and gaining fitness. But he does need to work over his back more.
I have also realised he must have turned 15 this year. He cant be eternally 14, and I think he was 14 last year.
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Ponies diet plan
Currently feeding
300gms dry copra (2.5 mugs)
240gms micronized linseed (2 mugs)
250gms speedibeet (2.5 mugs)
Zinc, copper, selenium to forage analysis
30gms lysine (estimate from protein analysis)
4g biotin
15 ml salt
30gms calcinated magnesium
30ml brewers yeast
10g MSM
10g glucosamine HCl
35ml spearmint (shaken with minerals to mask taste)
50ml porridge oats (shaken with minerals to mask taste)
I have cut down salt, CalMag and stopped calcium carbonate as hadstopped eating more than half their feeds recently. I upped salt in v hotweather, and they were fine in heat, but now don't want as much I think. Grassseems fairly subdued, and it is cooler.
Monday, 19 August 2013
Sunday, 18 August 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)