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glenatronWe went rambling out with our ponies again today, much the same route as last time but this time round I had my camera more at the ready:
This is just where we come out onto the common and everything opens out. Ponies often think this would be a nice time to rampage.
This area escaped the fire so we have birches in their full autumn colour.
This fire break is another prime rampaging spot- it goes pretty much straight across the common. We were calm here today, however.
Shortly afterwards, on the way up the hill, we did go for a bit of a trot and then a canter. It was my first bit of proper cantering and Zorro was really giving it some. I was bounced out of the saddle almost immediately and every time I tried to find it I seemed to do it just as Zorro's hindquarters came up and bounced me forward again. Kind of like rising trot when it really goes wrong. I managed to settle a little into the movement and feel a bit closer to getting it right ( we were really going some cos he wanted to keep up with Small ) just in time to reach the top of the hill and slow up again. Zorro tolerated my ineptitude, but I'm thinking this would be a good time to get some of those lunge lessons that I've been planning for a while, just so Zorro doesn't have to be subjected to my ineptitude too much.
Leaves were drifting all around us down this section, it was proper autumn. In fact this weekend is probably the peak of autumn here, soon the trees will be bare for another six months. And with the clocks going back it will be a while before we get to see the ponies in daylight during the week. Great.
After the ride we kept them in for a while so they could dry off- this is the first year that we've had ponies working consistently through the winter and it means we're probably going to have to clip them. Normally we would prefer to go without rugging or clipping them and just let them stay warm naturally with furry coats and plenty of food. This year it looks like we'll be into the whole clipping and rugging thing. It's frustrating that with a small clip you end up rugging the part of the horse that still has it's coat.
So Small was in his stable (with a haynet of his own) and Zorro was tied up outside getting towelled down and eating his hay when something caught his attention and he posed for a portrait. I managed to get a picture that made him look grand and entirely outsmarted:
After ponies we went and visited my parents for tea and to see how Pippa the puppy (she has a name!) is getting on. She was a little subdued- she had the vet around for jabs yesterday and it seemed to have knocked her out of whack a little bit so she hadn't eaten anything all day. After our dinner mum decided to try and coax her to have her dinner again, actually giving her a bit of food off a spoon. Pippa decided it was tasty after all and ate a bit then stole the spoon and gnarled at it for a while (another Tess trait, then). Then she ate a bit more and suddenly having a full tummy kicked in and she was in maximum puppy mode, springing around, gnarling on everything and generally being playful and bless. At one point she attacked my jumper:
Don't be fooled by the contrite expression, she was absolutely murderising it, bouncing around, biting it with her little needly puppy teeth and worrying at it fiercely. She is as fierce as tigers, albeit somewhat small ones.
This is just where we come out onto the common and everything opens out. Ponies often think this would be a nice time to rampage.
This area escaped the fire so we have birches in their full autumn colour.
This fire break is another prime rampaging spot- it goes pretty much straight across the common. We were calm here today, however.
Shortly afterwards, on the way up the hill, we did go for a bit of a trot and then a canter. It was my first bit of proper cantering and Zorro was really giving it some. I was bounced out of the saddle almost immediately and every time I tried to find it I seemed to do it just as Zorro's hindquarters came up and bounced me forward again. Kind of like rising trot when it really goes wrong. I managed to settle a little into the movement and feel a bit closer to getting it right ( we were really going some cos he wanted to keep up with Small ) just in time to reach the top of the hill and slow up again. Zorro tolerated my ineptitude, but I'm thinking this would be a good time to get some of those lunge lessons that I've been planning for a while, just so Zorro doesn't have to be subjected to my ineptitude too much.
Leaves were drifting all around us down this section, it was proper autumn. In fact this weekend is probably the peak of autumn here, soon the trees will be bare for another six months. And with the clocks going back it will be a while before we get to see the ponies in daylight during the week. Great.
After the ride we kept them in for a while so they could dry off- this is the first year that we've had ponies working consistently through the winter and it means we're probably going to have to clip them. Normally we would prefer to go without rugging or clipping them and just let them stay warm naturally with furry coats and plenty of food. This year it looks like we'll be into the whole clipping and rugging thing. It's frustrating that with a small clip you end up rugging the part of the horse that still has it's coat.
So Small was in his stable (with a haynet of his own) and Zorro was tied up outside getting towelled down and eating his hay when something caught his attention and he posed for a portrait. I managed to get a picture that made him look grand and entirely outsmarted:
After ponies we went and visited my parents for tea and to see how Pippa the puppy (she has a name!) is getting on. She was a little subdued- she had the vet around for jabs yesterday and it seemed to have knocked her out of whack a little bit so she hadn't eaten anything all day. After our dinner mum decided to try and coax her to have her dinner again, actually giving her a bit of food off a spoon. Pippa decided it was tasty after all and ate a bit then stole the spoon and gnarled at it for a while (another Tess trait, then). Then she ate a bit more and suddenly having a full tummy kicked in and she was in maximum puppy mode, springing around, gnarling on everything and generally being playful and bless. At one point she attacked my jumper:
Don't be fooled by the contrite expression, she was absolutely murderising it, bouncing around, biting it with her little needly puppy teeth and worrying at it fiercely. She is as fierce as tigers, albeit somewhat small ones.
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no subject
Date: 28 Oct 2007 01:04 (UTC)And the puppy is adorable! She doesn't look at all contrite. I'd say more "Uh oh, busted!" instead. What breed is she?
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Date: 28 Oct 2007 10:21 (UTC)no subject
Date: 28 Oct 2007 01:48 (UTC)pippa looks so cute in that picture, what a lovely puppy. what's her breeding?
i forgot that you guys have daylight savings. i've always wondered why we don't have it IN WINTER when we actually NEED the extra sunlight. what do you think?
no subject
Date: 28 Oct 2007 10:22 (UTC)no subject
Date: 28 Oct 2007 15:14 (UTC)The first time I 'properly' cantered my riding instructor just about had a nervous breakdown I was coming so far out of the saddle. But I loved it! I think it was the neck strap (stirrup leather) that saved me from any nasty incidents with the ground.
Pippa is a perfect name for her. She does look like a bit of a rascal, which all good puppies are.
I can't remember what a 'jumper' is. Same thing as a sweatshirt perhaps? Sweater? Our terrier puppy loves rearranging our laundry for us. Clearly that hamper is meant to be tipped over so he can rearrange all the clothes into a little terrier bed! :-)
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Date: 28 Oct 2007 17:42 (UTC)no subject
Date: 28 Oct 2007 19:08 (UTC)no subject
Date: 28 Oct 2007 15:25 (UTC)