What does spring look like where you are right now?
Mar 6, 2015 14:29:40 GMT -1
Debbie and cadeby like this
Post by nedales on Mar 6, 2015 14:29:40 GMT -1
Loved seeing Patience and Rory at their dressage outing and reading their story. Thought it would be fun to share photos/stories of what sort of weather, footing, activities etc. we are all experiencing in getting our ponies legged up (or not)!
I'll start--here's me and Gay Lad headed out for a hopeful ride on the only possibly (very short) navigable stretch, packed snowmobile path. Fall off it and you fall in, pony and rider, and when I say in- I mean in. Three feet down either side and in drifts, call it 4-5! Takes a Dales to find a way out of those! Can only ride bareback as must a: use pony fur to stay warm and b: need to be ready to leap off if get stuck in drift.
Included as well below, friend suggested I share this woeful tale of when we tried to stretch that perching on snow a little but further...
Now Wasn't That a Good Idea?
Emboldened by the thought of riding a (friend's) horse in a clinic, I thought well, must get started, snow or no snow in getting me and my boy fit (he'll need it for what's next and he is very, very bored being trapped by snow).
Plan A supposed to be like this:
1. Whistle pony in from paddock and give him his warm lunch and water
2. While he munches, pick out his feet of ice blocks, give him a complete grooming including shedding blade.
3. Indulge in some clicker tricks, tack up and trundle down hill on packed snowmobile track to plowed road which may just be do-able and not too dangerous given sun is shining, it is warmed up first time in ages to 24 degrees F (balmy!) and the wind isn't too bad. Checked footing and feel will not sink too much on snowmobile packed path and hope will be able to negotiate icy bits of drive at bottom although hard to really know as pony weighs a lot more than I do.
4. Ride up road avoiding icy verge and cars to Glen (a reservoir road that is usually plowed but no cars) and back at happy walk and maybe even slow trot, working on stretch and collect and side pass etc. etc. as opps arise.
5. Hope very much that pony is au fait with this as have not ridden anywhere in weeks, and weeks other than sitting on his back in stall imagining.
Plan A going very well.
Have not shut Jasper's head in barn door as he feels (strongly) he should be lunching as well.
Pony enormously appreciative of serious scratching with blade on wither, poll, back and bum. So delighted he EVEN STOPS EATING to better arrange himself for a scratch. Slight drawback as being the human doing the scratching realize have ingested a serious amount of winter undercoat and am coughing. A lot.
Watch cap and scarf have caught a great deal of pony fur which doesn't help. Take them off.
Have on watch cap, gloves with liners, fleece scarf, down jacket, neck shirt, fleece pullover,long underwear, jeans and padded winter over-trousers which fit really well five years ago when they had a zipper and a snap. Also two pairs socks and insulated hiking boots. Have slathered hands and face with leftover New Zealand salve loaded with beeswax and stuff for insulation. Pony seems to like smell. Am warmish out of the wind but quite, quite bulky.
Pony eyes bridle and bareback pad, seems more interested in going out than eating hay so bring him into aisle on cross ties and finish combing out tail which has snowballs in it and spend considerable amount of time thawing pony's jowl icicles which don't seem to bother him, but do bother me. Have to put head collar on him for first time in weeks and we both get tangled in forelock which has life of its own. Carry on with Plan A: (have left tack in truck to warm up so nothing cold touches precious pony back)
Bareback pad--on
Bridle-on (pony practically bits himself he is so thrilled to be going out). Check again as am feeling cheekpiece hole is too tight (has pony's head got fatter?) but fingers too chilled to alter now, will take bridle home and adjust.
Helmet on (should have warmed that up in truck and it is a bit tight as well, perhaps both pony and rider have gotten fatter heads?)
Lead pony into brilliant sunshine and are instantly snow blinded. We wait until we can see again, sort of, then trudge though snowbank to mounting block. Not enough room for pony to stand where he usually does due to snowbank so rider does artful leap, holding her overtrousers on as she lands non-delicately on pony back. Embarrassed to say that rider still taps 3 times on pony's back when about to mount as she did when he was younger, seems to be impossible to train her otherwise.
Gather up reins and head for snowmobile path. Hoping not to have to deal with any further snowmobiles as one whirs by. Car drive is sheet ice and impassable even for sleds.
Pony seems enthusiastically game and plunges ahead falling only to mid-cannon/knee in snow at each step. Not bad.
Eager to keep his momentum up he quickly realizes a fast pace that propels us both forwards, no room here for side pass etc. Glad have grab strap on as plunging pony is like riding camel.
Get as far as lower paddocks and pony discovers his old pals Shyloh and Dellah. I snap a photo of all of their heads with iPhone as they are so adorable. Much nose touching, squealing etc. until convince pony to carry on.
Get to bottom of snowmobile path (success!) and reach drive ready to ascend to last bit leading to road. Oh no. It is solid ice for about three yards too long. No other exit. Pony leans down, sniffs, paws a bit and seconds my decision not to give it a try either onboard or led and even if I dismounted to lead, would not be able to remount, given state of overtrousers. We are stuck. There is no other way out so it's back up hill. Oh well. This is where Plan B comes in.
Plan B:
Turn around and decide to climb back up hill and do what we did last ride--trot up and down hard packed snowmobile track on very short flat stretch near barn. Very boring.
Pony has other ideas. Has now learned enough about snow to realize that the best way for a Dales to get from a to b is fast.
So I say ok fast is fun. This is okay!
We start plunging our way up hill at energetic (very) fast walk, (sinking a lot deeper as speed equals pressure equals depth) and begin 'snowball' effect. Am giving pony his head so he can navigate and steering by grab strap whilst admiring pony's brute strength and determination.
All of the other horses who have been hanging about in paddock or pasture are thrilled to have some entertainment/and or to see one of their own 'free'.
While for past two months none of them have been able to find the energy to move beyond the nearest hay pile at an exaggerated walk through drifts, they now explode, and run and cavort as though--it is spring. Good for them!
Plan C:
Pony is thrilled by all this excitement and adds in his own peculiar capriole to the plunging and diving required to negotiate snow.
Happy for him, yes. Happy for me, no. Am riding bareback on this bronco and while it is a thrill, pony is capable of doing us both a damage in his enthusiasm as he goes in deeper and deeper at each leap.
Throw leg over mane while he is plunging and slide off. Hope pony club gods are not watching.
Pony still excited. Much snorting and pawing but he bungs out chunks of ice from hooves. This is good.
Dilemma: only room for one of us on packed snowmobile path as one of is quite, quite wide and pony in no mood to simply walk behind me as he is still convinced must plunge energetically.
We argue about it for a bit, each of us shoving the other into the deeper snow. We both fall down but wait for the other to get up. I have to use pony's tail to pull me out. Good thing he has a fat one.
Wish had long lines so we could walk single file but don't, or that had added in better leading when pony is highly excited in clicker lessons, but didn't, as highly excited not often a behavior get to work with.
Plan D:
This is not working and it's a long way back up.
Pony says why bother let's use drive which lies a few yards away and starts plunging way to it.
Rider says no you idiot, drive is all ice and you will fall.
Pony actually TAKES rider to four foot bank by side of drive and puts us both in middle of with no choice but to fall out on drive.
Rider says now see what you've done.
Plan E:
Pony very, very carefully walks step by step up drive, nose to ground, tapping it with hoof as he goes.
Rider (well now walker I suppose as is holding on to pony's tail for balance) is fascinated and thinks really MUST film this extraordinary Dales as most sensible one in world (quickly forgetting snow caprioling etc.)
Puts her hand in pocket for phone. Not there.
Must have....fallen out somewhere in snow?
End of Story.
Both snow blind when come back into dark barn and fall all over each other looking for stall door etc. etc.
Cool pony down, put him away with pals so he can tell them all about the big white world on beyond paddock.
Come home, thaw out and bring bridle, bareback pad and head collar. Punch new hole in cheekpieces, clean bridle, damp sponge bareback pad. Now what. Look around for anything that can possibly distract from what am supposed to be doing.
Husband arrives home when have hands plunged into sudsy bucket and says seriously, you're WASHING a cotton head collar?
Bring on spring!!!!!!
I'll start--here's me and Gay Lad headed out for a hopeful ride on the only possibly (very short) navigable stretch, packed snowmobile path. Fall off it and you fall in, pony and rider, and when I say in- I mean in. Three feet down either side and in drifts, call it 4-5! Takes a Dales to find a way out of those! Can only ride bareback as must a: use pony fur to stay warm and b: need to be ready to leap off if get stuck in drift.
Included as well below, friend suggested I share this woeful tale of when we tried to stretch that perching on snow a little but further...
Now Wasn't That a Good Idea?
Emboldened by the thought of riding a (friend's) horse in a clinic, I thought well, must get started, snow or no snow in getting me and my boy fit (he'll need it for what's next and he is very, very bored being trapped by snow).
Plan A supposed to be like this:
1. Whistle pony in from paddock and give him his warm lunch and water
2. While he munches, pick out his feet of ice blocks, give him a complete grooming including shedding blade.
3. Indulge in some clicker tricks, tack up and trundle down hill on packed snowmobile track to plowed road which may just be do-able and not too dangerous given sun is shining, it is warmed up first time in ages to 24 degrees F (balmy!) and the wind isn't too bad. Checked footing and feel will not sink too much on snowmobile packed path and hope will be able to negotiate icy bits of drive at bottom although hard to really know as pony weighs a lot more than I do.
4. Ride up road avoiding icy verge and cars to Glen (a reservoir road that is usually plowed but no cars) and back at happy walk and maybe even slow trot, working on stretch and collect and side pass etc. etc. as opps arise.
5. Hope very much that pony is au fait with this as have not ridden anywhere in weeks, and weeks other than sitting on his back in stall imagining.
Plan A going very well.
Have not shut Jasper's head in barn door as he feels (strongly) he should be lunching as well.
Pony enormously appreciative of serious scratching with blade on wither, poll, back and bum. So delighted he EVEN STOPS EATING to better arrange himself for a scratch. Slight drawback as being the human doing the scratching realize have ingested a serious amount of winter undercoat and am coughing. A lot.
Watch cap and scarf have caught a great deal of pony fur which doesn't help. Take them off.
Have on watch cap, gloves with liners, fleece scarf, down jacket, neck shirt, fleece pullover,long underwear, jeans and padded winter over-trousers which fit really well five years ago when they had a zipper and a snap. Also two pairs socks and insulated hiking boots. Have slathered hands and face with leftover New Zealand salve loaded with beeswax and stuff for insulation. Pony seems to like smell. Am warmish out of the wind but quite, quite bulky.
Pony eyes bridle and bareback pad, seems more interested in going out than eating hay so bring him into aisle on cross ties and finish combing out tail which has snowballs in it and spend considerable amount of time thawing pony's jowl icicles which don't seem to bother him, but do bother me. Have to put head collar on him for first time in weeks and we both get tangled in forelock which has life of its own. Carry on with Plan A: (have left tack in truck to warm up so nothing cold touches precious pony back)
Bareback pad--on
Bridle-on (pony practically bits himself he is so thrilled to be going out). Check again as am feeling cheekpiece hole is too tight (has pony's head got fatter?) but fingers too chilled to alter now, will take bridle home and adjust.
Helmet on (should have warmed that up in truck and it is a bit tight as well, perhaps both pony and rider have gotten fatter heads?)
Lead pony into brilliant sunshine and are instantly snow blinded. We wait until we can see again, sort of, then trudge though snowbank to mounting block. Not enough room for pony to stand where he usually does due to snowbank so rider does artful leap, holding her overtrousers on as she lands non-delicately on pony back. Embarrassed to say that rider still taps 3 times on pony's back when about to mount as she did when he was younger, seems to be impossible to train her otherwise.
Gather up reins and head for snowmobile path. Hoping not to have to deal with any further snowmobiles as one whirs by. Car drive is sheet ice and impassable even for sleds.
Pony seems enthusiastically game and plunges ahead falling only to mid-cannon/knee in snow at each step. Not bad.
Eager to keep his momentum up he quickly realizes a fast pace that propels us both forwards, no room here for side pass etc. Glad have grab strap on as plunging pony is like riding camel.
Get as far as lower paddocks and pony discovers his old pals Shyloh and Dellah. I snap a photo of all of their heads with iPhone as they are so adorable. Much nose touching, squealing etc. until convince pony to carry on.
Get to bottom of snowmobile path (success!) and reach drive ready to ascend to last bit leading to road. Oh no. It is solid ice for about three yards too long. No other exit. Pony leans down, sniffs, paws a bit and seconds my decision not to give it a try either onboard or led and even if I dismounted to lead, would not be able to remount, given state of overtrousers. We are stuck. There is no other way out so it's back up hill. Oh well. This is where Plan B comes in.
Plan B:
Turn around and decide to climb back up hill and do what we did last ride--trot up and down hard packed snowmobile track on very short flat stretch near barn. Very boring.
Pony has other ideas. Has now learned enough about snow to realize that the best way for a Dales to get from a to b is fast.
So I say ok fast is fun. This is okay!
We start plunging our way up hill at energetic (very) fast walk, (sinking a lot deeper as speed equals pressure equals depth) and begin 'snowball' effect. Am giving pony his head so he can navigate and steering by grab strap whilst admiring pony's brute strength and determination.
All of the other horses who have been hanging about in paddock or pasture are thrilled to have some entertainment/and or to see one of their own 'free'.
While for past two months none of them have been able to find the energy to move beyond the nearest hay pile at an exaggerated walk through drifts, they now explode, and run and cavort as though--it is spring. Good for them!
Plan C:
Pony is thrilled by all this excitement and adds in his own peculiar capriole to the plunging and diving required to negotiate snow.
Happy for him, yes. Happy for me, no. Am riding bareback on this bronco and while it is a thrill, pony is capable of doing us both a damage in his enthusiasm as he goes in deeper and deeper at each leap.
Throw leg over mane while he is plunging and slide off. Hope pony club gods are not watching.
Pony still excited. Much snorting and pawing but he bungs out chunks of ice from hooves. This is good.
Dilemma: only room for one of us on packed snowmobile path as one of is quite, quite wide and pony in no mood to simply walk behind me as he is still convinced must plunge energetically.
We argue about it for a bit, each of us shoving the other into the deeper snow. We both fall down but wait for the other to get up. I have to use pony's tail to pull me out. Good thing he has a fat one.
Wish had long lines so we could walk single file but don't, or that had added in better leading when pony is highly excited in clicker lessons, but didn't, as highly excited not often a behavior get to work with.
Plan D:
This is not working and it's a long way back up.
Pony says why bother let's use drive which lies a few yards away and starts plunging way to it.
Rider says no you idiot, drive is all ice and you will fall.
Pony actually TAKES rider to four foot bank by side of drive and puts us both in middle of with no choice but to fall out on drive.
Rider says now see what you've done.
Plan E:
Pony very, very carefully walks step by step up drive, nose to ground, tapping it with hoof as he goes.
Rider (well now walker I suppose as is holding on to pony's tail for balance) is fascinated and thinks really MUST film this extraordinary Dales as most sensible one in world (quickly forgetting snow caprioling etc.)
Puts her hand in pocket for phone. Not there.
Must have....fallen out somewhere in snow?
End of Story.
Both snow blind when come back into dark barn and fall all over each other looking for stall door etc. etc.
Cool pony down, put him away with pals so he can tell them all about the big white world on beyond paddock.
Come home, thaw out and bring bridle, bareback pad and head collar. Punch new hole in cheekpieces, clean bridle, damp sponge bareback pad. Now what. Look around for anything that can possibly distract from what am supposed to be doing.
Husband arrives home when have hands plunged into sudsy bucket and says seriously, you're WASHING a cotton head collar?
Bring on spring!!!!!!
Attachments:
it might be chilly, but no snow 
love the bit about arguing, Blossom and I do that a lot. 
I bet you can't wait to be riding again! That poor horse being stuck in the snow! I can't believe it; I had no idea it would be that deep
