A day at the stables

[diamondlil]

A wonderful day with Merlin today, no bolting! Kim had a jumping lesson, so she decided I would ride Merlin on our first solo hack and she would drive to the yard where her lesson was. All downhill at a nice steady walk down a bridle path I know and Merlin knows even better, with no problem at all, holding him together so he wouldn't rush or slip. Then a very short stretch of road to the yard. I stopped to let some cars past, then a bus whooshed its airbrakes near us, making Merlin jumpy. I had to be quite firm to get him to stop staring at and worrying over the bus monster and trot on along to the yard like a sensible horse.
Then Kim's jumping lesson, which went very well, with Merlin going clear all the way 'round the courses.
Then I hacked Merlin along the road and back up the bridle path while Kim drove home. She'd warned me how tired he'd be, which was lucky or I'd have thought he was going to founder under me half-way back. After a rest we carried on and I got a lovely trot along home to the stables, as Merlin had got his second wind but was too tired to try to rush or be silly.

 

[wade]

Sounds calm and peaceful J9. I could use that today. You're a lucky girl.

 

[diamondlil]

It was Wade, and to be honest I needed the confidence boost after Merlin's recent bolting episodes. In fact I almost chickened out of the solo ride until Kim reassured me I was more than ready for it.
Dealing with the spooky bus monster was ok, I settled Merlin, waved to ask the bus driver to wait and really just had to get on with the ride because there were cars waiting to go by. Which served to remind both myself and Merlin that actually I'm in charge in those situations, not him!

 

[wade]

Very cool. It really is a confidence boost to "be in charge" even if you don't feel in charge.

 

[diamondlil]

Very cool. It really is a confidence boost to "be in charge" even if you don't feel in charge.

Yep. Kim does praise how I've gone from a totally nervous re-learner (I was bolted with by a hunter at the age of 10 or 11 and never went near a horse after that) to sitting out sideways spooks and jumps, spins and general nonsense without getting het up.
I think it's a combination of the careful coaching from her and Cathy since I started being around the horses, plus some bleed over of training from my job. I deal with quite literally horrific incidents and emergencies there, usually being the most senior person who has to take charge and direct juniors until help arrives. No matter how I'm really feeling I have to give confidence to the juniors, ancillary staff and the patients, and the very act of projecting that confidence really settles my own worries.
Realistically I know that I can't hold Merlin in a physical situation, so I have to make him believe I know best, that the bus monster is nothing to worry about so we'll pay it no attention, the pheasant that flies across the path under his nose is nothing, and the most challenging of all, that the sheep 2 fields away are not going to grow giant legs and chase us. (Merlin is literally terrified of sheep).

 

[wade]

Horses are afraid of the strangest things. I've been thrown off because of spooks I never did figure out why the horse jumped.

Interesting comparison with the confidence needed in your job. I would think it would be essential. When I think I'm dieing, I want the person working on me to ooze confidence. Make me believe this is no big deal.

 

[diamondlil]

So Kim's idea for today was that Merlin's bolting escapades weren't going to make me lose my nerve. She was right, the longer 'til I rode out on him the more of an obstacle it could be, worrying about his behaviour. The path downwards is just about a 45 degree angle in places, so it's careful riding with Merlin under control all the way. Took us nearly an hour. Instead of mooching along looking at the countryside I had to concentrate because Merlin's not the most sure-footed of beasts. Getting him back up there after his lesson meant encouraging him, letting him rest half-way when he really was tired, then pushing him onwards. He makes the same trip with Kim on him, she pointed out that she's 4 stone heavier than me so I wouldn't kill him and I wasn't to let him dawdle and drag his feet!

 

[diamondlil]

I'm up early for a day a the stables today, then remembered I didn't post some pictures from my last visit. Here's Kim's adorable neopolitan mastiff puppy being shown how to behave by Eddie.

 

[wade]

Look at all the skin on that guy. He is going to be huge!!

 

[diamondlil]

Today was busy, with moving all the equipment out of the piggery so John could start the demolition, mucking out the stables and serving lunch for the workers (yes, we did wash our hands!). Then we had to take Buddy to the vets for his inoculations. He was very well-behaved, quite shy of meeting new people but with encouragement he lost his reserve. The fish are settling well in their refurbished pond

 

[diamondlil]

Then out for our hack, with plenty of time to go on a bit of an adventure. Kim's been told by someone about a longer, more challenging route we can follow, with some general directions of how to get there. So off we go, with her riding Curo and me on Merlin. We follow one of our usual bridle paths, then push on through to find a wide, well-kept path that is running parallel to the motorway. As we travel on the path swings around a corner, then goes up over a bridge. I called a halt. I said I really wasn't comfortable riding over a motorway, even though the path was very clearly a bridleway and very good footing I'm not ready for that yet. Kim agreed that if I'm not happy we can turn back.
Then I realise that the bridge seems awfully wide to just go over the roads....and aren't they railway track lights next to us? Yes they are. Has either horse ever seen trains before? Not sure about Curo, but Merlin never has. Ok, I say, in that case I'd like to get away from here before a train comes through.
Within 2 seconds the high-speed London-Paris Eurostar train is flashing past us at @170 miles an hour, all we could do was turn the horses' heads towards the side of the path and sit as still and steady as possible, then it was past. I don't know how I didn't soil myself.
White-faced, Kim and I looked at each other and agreed to move on before another..and there was a second train roaring past. Curo started plunging and bunny-hopping so I turned Merlin away from him and held him still until Kim had him under control, then we managed to just reach the path away when a third train was going by.
Curo was thoroughly worked up by now, whereas Merlin (terrified of sheep and nervous of buses that he's seen all his life) was only now catching on from Curo that there might be something to be worried about. We cantered up the path home a fair way to let Curo work off some steam, so by the time we got to the stables he was relaxed and happy again.
Merlin obviously thought I was being monsterously firm today, making him stand still for no apparent reason with his head over a bush looking into the distance, then forcing him to canter up a slope when we could have had a nice relaxing stroll! As a result he was on his best behaviour for me, standing like an angel whilst my trembling hands could barely get his tack undone instead of messing around and fidgiting.
Kim was full of praise for my quick reactions and for keeping Merlin controlled and calm. I had to confess that as the trains roared past I just went into autopilot, I was expecting Merlin to bolt, buck or rear and was just hoping I wouldn't get too hurt in the process and felt sitting still offered my best chances of survival. The only reason I stayed focussed at all was because I was trying to feel what Merlin was going to do next. When Curo took fright I'd felt my best chance was to let Kim deal with him (as the better rider) and keeping Merlin out of the way.
We've agreed to cross that particular route off of our places to go.

 

[diamondlil]

Here's Merlin in his stable afterwards. Calm and relaxed. Shortly after this picture was taken I had to have a stiff drink

 

[RowanRR]

Whew, that sounds scary! I'm glad you guys are ok! I think I'd cross that one off my list, too.

 

[diamondlil]

I'd never been close to one of the high-speed trains before unless they were going through a station or seeing one whizz past a train I was on, the noise was incredible. Kim has officially upgraded me from 'novice' to 'intermediate' rider now by virtue of the last few rides.
(I did say that I hadn't realised convincing Merlin I'm bomb-proof was the deciding factor! She's suggested I'm ready to benefit from a formal booked lesson with her dressage/jumping instructor, because Merlin isn't an easy horse to ride, with all his quirks. He was incredibly naughty this weekend at Kim's jumping class, the plan was for the 4 riders to swap horses, Merlin tanked off and scared the pants off the woman who tried to ride him, then bit her afterwards. The other 2 riders totally refused to ride him because they felt they wouldn't be able to control him. Kim and the instructor had explained how he operates if allowed to take the bit, but the other riders are used to their well-behaved horses with martingales and severe bits so they found him too much to handle. )

 

[Butch]

Great thread, I really miss keeping a horse around. I got out of roping competitively about 5 years ago to get more serious with my racing but have since regretted it almost instantly after selling my best horse.

 

[diamondlil]

Great thread, I really miss keeping a horse around. I got out of roping competitively about 5 years ago to get more serious with my racing but have since regretted it almost instantly after selling my best horse.

Thanks Butch. I'm in total awe of people who put in the time and effort to ride to high level in any discipline. My aim is to be a safe happy hacker, this summer Kim's going to be working on my jumping with Merlin really just so I'm more proficient when we've got logs or other obstacles to pop over when we're out on our trails.

 

[diamondlil]

Today was really busy, I didn't ride Merlin because he had a cross-country course to jump with Kim, so I stayed behind to muck out and supervise Curo and Ben. They were turned out together earlier in the year and had taked a dislike to each other, resulting in a nasty bite from Ben. As they were together for the first time I was on hand to seperate them if necessary. They were in the small paddock with head collars on just in case, but settled down after initial squabbling.
After Kim and Merlin got back, we hosed Merlin because he was so sweaty, so of course he had a good roll as soon as he was turned out again. John's been knocking down the old stables and piggery, where a new paddock will be placed. After he'd moved the trucks we put up temporary electric fencing for a small grazing area for Curo, because he may as well eat the grass before it all gets torn up. We'd borrowed the fencing from Kim's old boss, which meant I got to visit and see how the foals are turning out. I didn't get a decent picture of Angelica and Alhaja because they remembered me! They were so silly and happy that I abandoned the camera to go in for big hugs and scratches for the girls, I got squished between them and covered in hair!

 

[diamondlil]

By the time we'd finished the fencing we didn't have time to visit the groovy gang, so instead I had my first ride on Curo! Oh my word! He's quite a bit different to Merlin, but once I'd got the hang of balancing on him (he feels so skinny!) I loved his paces, his trot is just so effortless with incredible impulsion on every stride. Sitting trot just feels like floating! I had an hour's lesson on him and loved every minute.

 

[wade]

You look pretty smart on that horse there babe. Merlin is going to be jealous and throw you off next time.

 

[diamondlil]

You look pretty smart on that horse there babe. Merlin is going to be jealous and throw you off next time.

Haha! I had Kim barking instructions to 'sit up straight, toes down, head up!' so she could get a decent picture of him. I got told off for laughing and letting him nibble my toes!
I'm in no danger of preferring any other horse to Merlin though, he's my true partner in crime and I'm so used to his funny ways that I'd always choose him first.