Common People
19 May 2007 23:49![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
glenatronFor a long time it has been our plan to hack our out ponies to the common and go exploring. We've nearly managed it a few times and we were pretty sure we'd get things right this year, because Joe seemed to be getting over his issues and Othello was really coming right. We certainly weren't expecting the disastrous events of this spring, but having found our way back to the rails it looks like we might finally get to enjoy some of those adventures. With a bit of luck.
Things got off to a bad start- I forgot to bring most of the tack and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sleepsy_mouse had to go back for it so I took the opportunity to do some groundwork with handsome Zorro. He was very well behaved, mostly didn't even try to bite me and offered some really good attentive work. I was feeling foolish so I thought I'd hop on for a bit of bareback work (foolish indeed- I didn't have my hat with me) just to see how it felt. Once we'd played the "no, I want you beside the mounting block" game for a while, I got on and, after a few steps Zorro stopped. I asked him on and he did nothing. I asked him further and he took a couple of steps and stopped. This happened a few more times until he finally put in a little buck and a few steps of trot. I figured he was trying to explain that I was getting something wrong for him and tried adjusting my position. When I hit a point that felt to me like I was practically lying flat along his back (but apparently looked totally upright to a dispassionate observer) he suddenly freed up and we were able to go places a bit, as long as I maintained that balance. He has clearly very aware of the restrictions of one-rein work cos I had to throw the rope over his head a few times to save on a lot of circles.
It's great being a novicey rider- you can be pretty much sure if something isn't working it's your fault and work hard to approach everything from that point of view.
It now occurs to me that I have twice had to sit bucks, both times quite small, both times bareback. I think that makes me good and bad at riding bareback- I didn't fall of either time, but ideally I wouldn't have caused the buck in the first place...
When my beloved returned we tacked Zorro up, I put on my hi-vis and we went off down the hill. It was our decision this time that I should get off so we could walk past the gate that barked at him and made him fall over last time round and get back on the village green. This was completed successfully although the getting on was a bit hard onsleepsy_mouse's feet on account of Zorro stepping on them. Twice. Equilibrium restored we ambled out onto the common, still very open and scorched from last year's fires. Zorro was quite excited when he saw all that open space and quite wanted to rampage, but we just stopped for a photo opportunity and then padded back across the corner of the village green and home in time for lunch, pausing only momentarily to be anxious about the pony and trap that were following us half way up the hill. A very good pony.
I'm so secure in my sexuality I can wear that jacket and that hat. Zorro tries not to look embarrased by the company he finds himself in.
After that it was time for Jasper to go adventuring. We only went half way down the hill cos his feet are a little sore after his first meeting with Charlie, our trimmer, but he was an absolute star, ambling happily around the place and very unconcerned about everything.
Jasper and poppies. He can't help himself- he naturally moves in perfect self-carriage. It's a delight to see and, I'm assured, to sit on.
When we got back to the yard he did a little loop of the school under saddle. He was a little anxious going through the gateway but he settled once he was in the school so we took him straight out and let him back in his field.
Then it was pony-swap-o'clock, Jasper has been around for a while and Joe was not getting on in the hangar field- it's a bit steep for his creaky knees, so we rejigged the fences and moved Joe into the flat field beside the hanger, letting Zorro and Jasper out together onto a newly-opened part of the hangar field so they had fresh grass. There was no argument at all, really, it was acknowledged that Zorro is boss and they got down to the serious business of grazing.
Ponies in black and white.
All in all a tremendous day- and tomorrow I don't lose my whole afternoon to band practice. This could be the best summer in a long time...
Things got off to a bad start- I forgot to bring most of the tack and
sleepsy_mouse had to go back for it so I took the opportunity to do some groundwork with handsome Zorro. He was very well behaved, mostly didn't even try to bite me and offered some really good attentive work. I was feeling foolish so I thought I'd hop on for a bit of bareback work (foolish indeed- I didn't have my hat with me) just to see how it felt. Once we'd played the "no, I want you beside the mounting block" game for a while, I got on and, after a few steps Zorro stopped. I asked him on and he did nothing. I asked him further and he took a couple of steps and stopped. This happened a few more times until he finally put in a little buck and a few steps of trot. I figured he was trying to explain that I was getting something wrong for him and tried adjusting my position. When I hit a point that felt to me like I was practically lying flat along his back (but apparently looked totally upright to a dispassionate observer) he suddenly freed up and we were able to go places a bit, as long as I maintained that balance. He has clearly very aware of the restrictions of one-rein work cos I had to throw the rope over his head a few times to save on a lot of circles.It's great being a novicey rider- you can be pretty much sure if something isn't working it's your fault and work hard to approach everything from that point of view.
It now occurs to me that I have twice had to sit bucks, both times quite small, both times bareback. I think that makes me good and bad at riding bareback- I didn't fall of either time, but ideally I wouldn't have caused the buck in the first place...
When my beloved returned we tacked Zorro up, I put on my hi-vis and we went off down the hill. It was our decision this time that I should get off so we could walk past the gate that barked at him and made him fall over last time round and get back on the village green. This was completed successfully although the getting on was a bit hard on
sleepsy_mouse's feet on account of Zorro stepping on them. Twice. Equilibrium restored we ambled out onto the common, still very open and scorched from last year's fires. Zorro was quite excited when he saw all that open space and quite wanted to rampage, but we just stopped for a photo opportunity and then padded back across the corner of the village green and home in time for lunch, pausing only momentarily to be anxious about the pony and trap that were following us half way up the hill. A very good pony.I'm so secure in my sexuality I can wear that jacket and that hat. Zorro tries not to look embarrased by the company he finds himself in.
After that it was time for Jasper to go adventuring. We only went half way down the hill cos his feet are a little sore after his first meeting with Charlie, our trimmer, but he was an absolute star, ambling happily around the place and very unconcerned about everything.
Jasper and poppies. He can't help himself- he naturally moves in perfect self-carriage. It's a delight to see and, I'm assured, to sit on.
When we got back to the yard he did a little loop of the school under saddle. He was a little anxious going through the gateway but he settled once he was in the school so we took him straight out and let him back in his field.
Then it was pony-swap-o'clock, Jasper has been around for a while and Joe was not getting on in the hangar field- it's a bit steep for his creaky knees, so we rejigged the fences and moved Joe into the flat field beside the hanger, letting Zorro and Jasper out together onto a newly-opened part of the hangar field so they had fresh grass. There was no argument at all, really, it was acknowledged that Zorro is boss and they got down to the serious business of grazing.
Ponies in black and white.
All in all a tremendous day- and tomorrow I don't lose my whole afternoon to band practice. This could be the best summer in a long time...
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no subject
Date: 19 May 2007 23:11 (UTC)Lovely sunny photos. :) And I especially like the last one, looks stunning with the green grass and the gleaming ponies against a rather moody sky!
no subject
Date: 19 May 2007 23:32 (UTC)no subject
Date: 20 May 2007 00:06 (UTC)no subject
Date: 20 May 2007 00:42 (UTC)no subject
Date: 20 May 2007 02:27 (UTC)good to see you had a nice ride. lovely ponies.
no subject
Date: 20 May 2007 08:15 (UTC)Asher wears pink. Yay for men who actually can!
no subject
Date: 20 May 2007 22:23 (UTC)no subject
Date: 20 May 2007 22:26 (UTC)Another winning product for my hypothetical equestrian equipment manufacturer: Safety in Numnahs.