DefinitelyDressage.com

Anne

As always, I appreciate the discussion and opinions of all here - thanks! A brief update from me before the end of the month (year, OMG!!) : Fergal has regressed, after a short break (4 days) - I saddled him up and he seemed calm and fine, but next minute he hunched and bucked (I wasn't on him). So ...

Anne

Demi, for image re-sizing I use a program called 'RIOT' (Radical Image Optimization Tool) - you install it on your computer (doesn't have a phone version, I think). There's a blurb and a download link here : https://riot.en.softonic.com/ I like both your postures (you and Rocky) in your first pic (h...

Anne

Oh no Heddy, take care and get well soon.

Anne

Gorgeous boy Henry! I'm sure he'll love being at your place.

Anne

Heaps of interesting discussion and progress here. No advice to add blob, just good luck and don't be too hard on yourself, you'll work it out! SueB kudos to you staying with Tio's bucking and getting him back to work! I think we are living parallel horse lives - one sensitive TB (Connor, Rudy), and...

Anne

Woo-hoo Xan & Verona!! She sounds like a blast, and I'm really happy to hear your happy update

Anne

Demi, they are Old Mac's G2 boots, with gaiters. They seem to work pretty well for us, and are fairly forgiving to fit, and durable (this pair is about 8 years old!, not 8 years of continual use, but they have surely done a good number of miles). Ouch Chisamba, hope you are doing OK with the shoulde...

Anne

Ha ha Chisamba 'just' 4 or 5!!!!! You have my full respect for doing what you do :-) Fergal and I continue to gain confidence in the bigger space of the arena, and have done a couple of short rides 'out' around our place, so I'm pretty chuffed with our progress. Yesterday I could get the bend much b...

Anne

love your videos Mountaineer, Potters looks like loads of fun

Anne

I like the way Lynx is going here much more than the previous video! Well done you. I scribe as much as I can, often for judges at the lower levels, and your beginning walk would probably get the comment 'needs more purpose'! I'm trying to achieve this with both my boys too, so I sympathise. If I co...

Anne

Congrats Blob and RP! What an awesome comment from Rockwell. I got both my boys worked today, after a few days off due to inclement weather (thunderstorms, rain, wind, NZ in spring!). I'm getting more confident with Fergal in the arena (which still feels BIG after the round pen...). He's very crooke...

Anne

Great reports everyone, and I'm enjoying the photos. To add one of my own, here's Fergal, his first ride in the arena, and we managed to trot. OK, it's a pretty pokey trot, but going for safety first here! Also a nice square halt, with his 'babysitter' in the background. f.trot.right.arena.jpg ferga...

Anne

Wow SF, you and Annabelle look super. I love the way the light has caught the muscling on her rump.

Anne

Wow Susan, your new place sounds nice, and great that Kyra is settling in so well. Demi - ach, sounds like the 'fresher' weather had Rocky feeling a bit full of herself. I'm so impressed at your progress though, and your focus on correct walk/trot work, which has made such a difference to the canter...

Anne

Yay everyone, I also find much inspiration here. Goldhorse, go You!! I have goals for two this time: (Re)Introducing Fergal, 8 yr old Connemara / TB cross; we started him 4 yrs ago, but he's been difficult - cold-backed and prone to spook and buck. Generally suspicious and spooky, but clever too. Su...

Anne

Susan, it sounds like a bit of a mission changing barns, but it sounds exciting too. LSP - meeting all goals, wow!! Well done you & Lynx, he sounds like a Very Good Boy. Aleuronx, great going in your clinic; it seems like only 'yesterday' that you and Kora were only just starting, and now you ar...

Anne

Love your photo exvet! We also finished the month on a trail ride, just 30 mins around our place, sloshing and sliding through the mud in places, but had a nice short canter on a bit of better track. It's been cold changeable spring weather here, so with rain/wind and a couple of short trips away, I...

Anne

I'll throw this out there, though I'm not at the point of training medium gaits, and don't know if it might work or not : have you tried poles? obviously with correct spacing for MM's stride length at medium trot. I'm thinking of some solid (fence-post sized?) poles might help her get the lift, but ...

Anne

Ha ha Chisamba, the umbrella sounds like a good added challenge, I think it is good for horses and humans to deal with some changes in their regular surroundings, and can (ultimately) help to build the partnership & trust.

Demi, that is a super update! Go You!!

Anne

Enjoy your holidays Susan & Mountaineer!! How exciting. We had a lovely ride 'out' the other day, down our long driveway and back, including crossing the big stream at the base of the hill (Connor was a bit spooked about it), and a 'strong' canter back up the hill. Our riding buddies (my partner...

Anne

Rye, no advice, just cyber hugs and kia kaha ('stay strong'). LSP, I hope you take Lynx to the clinic, lovely photos, he looks like a lot of fun. Khall, Joplin looks super! I appreciate everyone's comments on my canter video. Exvet, you could well be right re. the saddle - every saddle I've tried se...

Anne

Looking forward to exvet's clinic report, and commiserations to khall and mountaineer for their loss. I would appreciate some constructive critique of our canter (we have no access to in person instruction). Connor (OTTB) has a lovely canter, but I have always struggled a bit with my position. I thi...

Anne

I hope Demi will check in, I've been missing her contributions. For me and Connor, we have finally been able to get some fairly regular work in, and as I'll be home for a bit now, I'm going to try to set some goals. 1. canter: do some canter every ride, be super aware of my position and coordination...

Anne

LSP, thanks for the videos, I always enjoy seeing people's horses. As for Blob, I wouldn't have guessed any stifle issues, he looks just a tad 'stickier' to the right, but really very nice in both directions for a greenie. How exciting that you'll have him so close by, and can get on with working hi...

Anne

Barn D sounds really nice, good luck with the move, and with getting the lovely Lynx back to full fitness. Having 70 acres to pootle around on will be great!

Anne

When is the show? Best of luck, and enjoy it with your 2 lovely mares!

Anne

I finished Wolf Hall a couple of weeks ago. I actually found it pretty hard to get through. I got so lost with the many characters called Thomas, or Jane, or Richard, and then, everyone had about three or more titles - the cardinal of something and the duke of something else, the wife of somebody......

Anne

hello you guys, how has everyone been doing over the last month? I started pretty well, usually 40mins walk per day, stairs 2x, planks/yoga most alternate days, but the last week has been hard. Just getting tired I think (work is 12 hrs/day 7 days a week...). So I am still managing my daily walk, ex...

Anne

Love all the updates, and wow, nice photos Chisamba.

Khall, you could use a portable battery pack for your iphone? :
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Power-Bank- ... for+iPhone

Anne

Flight it is really tough when there is yummy stuff in the fridge! Khall, yeah, it's difficult horse-training wise, but I just do what I can when I'm home. Connor stays pretty fit while I'm away (hilly paddocks), and my partner does a bit of ground work with him sometimes, but I have to try to keep ...

Anne

Good news Aleuronx!! It looks lovely, and I bet you're pleased that it felt so good on first the ride!

Anne

I live on the 'ring of fire' (in NZ), but for the last few years have been working offshore Brazil, and in the Gulf of Mexico.

I got 20 minutes of walking in this morning, but then it started to pour with rain so I gave up.... I have walked the stairs twice though!

Anne

I work on a seismic survey vessel... She is 94m length (~280ft). Here she is, my office is in the containers near the stern.

: SVK Rio(2)-small.jpg (38.2 KiB) Viewed 16252 times

Anne

Yes, that's my 'new' guy, (ex-racehorse) Connor. I've actually had him for nearly a year, but haven't done much with him in that time, due to weather (he arrived mid-winter), some minor injuries to both him and me, and now, back to work (= travel). In the bit of work we have done, he seems to be get...

Anne

Echoing others - healing jingles for all who need them.. exvet - can I first say how much I appreciate you sharing schooling video! I really like to observe what others do, gnarly bits and all. re. your half-pass and getting more bend, I wondered if you had played with setting it up out of a volte (...

Anne

Now, to get back to topic (thanks Demi for starting it!), I'm going to state a few goals in the hope of keeping up some exercise over the next 2 months while I'm offshore.... : 1. walk 1/2 hr per day, try to make 45 mins every 2nd or 3rd day. 2. yoga 1/2 hr (ish) every 2nd day (I'm looking at the vi...

Anne

Khall, in case you are still looking, I have these boots : https://www.webshop.viva-iberica.com/spanish-boot-model-england-1971-p.asp Here's mine in use (excuse the somewhat dirty appearance!) : boots.jpg They are really comfy and have lasted really well, like, I've used them for every ride for the ...

Anne

I just finished 'the shadow king' by Maaza Mengiste, a somewhat harrowing novel set during the 1935-1937 Italian - Ethiopian war. Beautifully written but pretty grim. I've started Annie Proulx's Barkskins, but it's too early to decide if I'm really enjoying it, and had to put it aside as it is one o...

Anne

I thought this was a very lovely news story, about an ex-dressage horse bringing comfort to cancer patients. By his looks I'm guessing he's PRE or Lusitano, but whatever, just a gorgeous boy. Horses are amazing, but then, we knew that didn't we? :-) https://www.theguardian.com/society/gallery/2021/m...

Anne

You sound more than capable of both groundwork and riding, and I love your enthusiasm, I'm sure your partnership will develop quickly. Yay for Lynx, I'm looking forward to updates.

Anne

Sending big cyber hugs to you SueB. Kia kaha.

Anne

Oh no Rye! Massive jingles for pooch and horse, and cyber hugs to you.

Anne

I flew internationally recently. The flights were half to 3/4 full, and the carrier required masks to be worn throughout. I felt that the airports were the more dangerous places to pick up the virus. To mitigate risk, I didn't buy any food, and found seating as far from others as possible. I also ca...

Anne

I read to the end Chisamba! And of course I want to know your opinion, it is why I love these forums, to see everyone's different perspective on things. OK, so mostly it is horse-stuff, not politics, but I'm kind of fascinated by politics too. I don't have anything enlightening to add, but I do thin...

Anne

Yeah, Merry Christmas everyone!!! So glad to hear your son can get home for xmas Khall

It's already late afternoon xmas day here in NZ, we had an early afternoon ride out, and now enjoying a glass of wine before dinner. Cheers to all the DDBB community.

Anne

Wow, you guys look so smart, and seem to have a very harmonious partnership!

Anne

Blob, thanks for the Tartt recommendation, I'm sorely tempted to grab it for xmas reading, but already have a few lined up, so might wait and get it early next year.

Anne

Good discussion thanks everyone! For my difficult guy, yawning is a definite release of tension. We are still having issues with him bucking when first girthed up, (surcingle, not even touching his belly when he is relaxed, but if he tenses, it tightens, and he often launches). Our approach at the m...

Anne

@Demi, no, the 2 'starry' boys are not related, but yeah, they look quite similar! Carlo (left-most) is 1/2 Andalusian 1/2 TB, and Bram (next) is 3/4 Irish Draft. They are my partner's horses, and my two are next, Connor (bay) and Fergal (my 'problem pony', Connemara/TB cross). Piedmont, oh no! Poor...

Anne

Great pics everyone, I love to see the surroundings as well as the horses!

Here's a couple more from me, a few months back now, so boys in their winter woollies.

: Fergal-handsome-sml.jpg (57.76 KiB) Viewed 13721 times

: 3boys-sml.jpg (71.91 KiB) Viewed 13721 times

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