Four-footed friends (15 hands and otherwise)

This is the place where forum members can chat about anything they want - sport, hobbies etc. Anything except Keratoconus issues.

Moderator: John Smith

User avatar
rosemary johnson
Champion
Champion
Posts: 1478
Joined: Tue 19 Oct 2004 8:42 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Contact lenses
Location: East London, UK

Re: Four-footed friends (15 hands and otherwise)

Postby rosemary johnson » Fri 20 Mar 2009 10:59 pm

Lunging.
It looks so easy when the experts do it.
It's amethod of exercising horses/ponies, and training the young ones, by getting them to go round their handler in circles ont he end of a long line or lunge rein, while theh andler controls them actions with the line, spoken commands and a long whip (to give cues, not thrash them).
The experts manage the long rein without it keeping going slack, of the spare coils getting muddled up in a cat's cradle, or getting spare coils caught up round their wellies or tripping over the end they just dropped.
The manage all the rein and the coils with one hand, a long whip with the other and don't need three arms (at least).
They don't get mowed down by a pony who will go THAT way round but refuses to go THIS way round and keeps cutting in across the centre of the circle to charge directions.
They don't find the pony they are trying to get working suddenly stops in mid circle, lies down and rolls around on his back.
THey certainly don't have their animal decide it's fed up going in circle and charge off up to the far end of the arena at the double, towing the human after them.
They most certainly and absolutely do NOT get dragged all round the arena on the end of a lunge rein by a pony who is all of 28 inches high!!!!!

I am extremely relieved that Danny, their owner, did not have his video camera with him, or he'd have posted this spectacle all over facebook by now!!! He seemed to find this all highly entertaining. I suppose I@m glad someone does....
That was Thursday afternoon. Had another go this evening, slightly more successfully and without needing to be rescued (just).
Made sure I put my gloves on this time......
Equines - doncha jsut love 'em? Sadistic riding instructors - doncha just love those too?!
I have survived the experience, just about - certainly well enough to get to the group AGM tomorrow.
SO hope to see lots of you there - and if I appear to be moving very stiffly, and in need of some liquid anaesthetic for all the aches and pains, then I probably am!
Rosemary

User avatar
Andrew MacLean
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 7703
Joined: Thu 15 Jan 2004 8:01 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Other
Location: Scotland

Re: Four-footed friends (15 hands and otherwise)

Postby Andrew MacLean » Sat 21 Mar 2009 2:10 pm

:D

I have taken to going for coffee in the local Equestrian Centre. I often meet colleagues there for meetings over foaming cups of cappuccino or espresso. As a little bonus we sometimes see somebody falling off during a lesson, or even better someone making their first perfect jump after careful tuition.

Andrew
Andrew MacLean

User avatar
rosemary johnson
Champion
Champion
Posts: 1478
Joined: Tue 19 Oct 2004 8:42 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Contact lenses
Location: East London, UK

Re: Four-footed friends (15 hands and otherwise)

Postby rosemary johnson » Sun 22 Mar 2009 11:15 pm

Wow - an equestrian centre with a cafe that's a destination in its own right!
On your future visits, no doubt you'll be keeping a ook out for the trainees being pulled all round the arena by ponies they're supposed to be lunging...
Actually, the ones I've been handed the "project" of getting fit look quite impressive once they've got the message and got going.
There's 2 of them: Jack is 28" and palomino, Leo is 32" and dark bay. They each look quite a sight, trotting round with their little legs going 50 to the dozen and their copious manes blowing back inthe wind.
Rosemary

User avatar
rosemary johnson
Champion
Champion
Posts: 1478
Joined: Tue 19 Oct 2004 8:42 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Contact lenses
Location: East London, UK

Re: Four-footed friends (15 hands and otherwise)

Postby rosemary johnson » Sat 20 Jun 2009 10:36 pm

Aaarghhhhhhh!
HOrses - doncha love 'em?!
Gotta admit I'm slightly glad I wasn't trying to get to Glasgow yesterday evening - nor hobble painfully round it today.
i have a huge cruise shaped like half a horseshoe on my left thigh, and two big bruises corresponding to parts of another hoof on the othr thigh. And have to remember not to put anything down on my lap, or rest an elbow on my leg....
Duke had the farrier the visit on Wednesday. The previous one back again, not the new one who is now the old one. I wasn't there, but he did his best to cut out as much as he could of the infection from his back feet.
From the accounts I've heard, "rivers of blood" sounds a good description.
He certainly wasn't feeling footsore yesterday - just stir-crazy from being kept in his stable and having his feet washed out regularly.
I went in with a bucket of water to top up his drinking water butt, he barged right past me and out of the door, then opened and escaped through the fate through which humans get into that side of the yard. I put the bucket down just in time to see his tail vanish at a canter down the path to the field where the other horses were out grazing.
Ran after him to try and catch hima nd bring him back in before hi cut his newly-trimmed feet open.
He galloped down to the gate, barged against the gate but it wouldn't open, turned right and ran through the long grass along the side of the fence and where it goes behind the muck heap and up tot he back of the barn; couldn't get through that way.
Turned round, galloped back, barged the gate again, then set off back u[ the track, through the Dutch barn, back to bang the gate again, then off along the fence through the long grass to the left, then back again......
I was thinking every time he came towards the gate that he'd try and jump it - and knowing his record, would catch the top of the gate on a hind leg and pull the aget, both gatepost and half the fence down behind him.
A couple of times he stopped just near the gate to grab a mouthful of grass and I nearly got close to him to try and grab his headcollar - but he set off again. And the last time, he had just enough room to gallop between me and the tall grass onthe other sid eof the path - and to kick out sideways as he passed.
Must have looked like something out of a cartoon film! - one hoof connected firmly with each leg, and swept me off my feet and flying through the air .... and landing flat on my back in a bed of stinging nettles!!!!
SOmeone caught him eventually - not before he'd galloped past like a lunatic several times more, while I lay on the ground trying to get my breath back and wondering whether and how I was going to be able to get up again - and each time thinking he'd gallop straight across me and kick again, or tread right on me.
Needless to to, he didn't get any more peppermints after that!!!!!!
SPent most of yesterday evening and night rubbing more anthisan into the nettle rash and hoping it didn't do the same for my health as horse fly bites. This morning, the bruises were all glorious technicolor and I have to keep moving or seize up completely.
Duke's owner was at the stables today, told him what a bad boy he'd been, and applied the latest anti-infection intreatment to his hoof. He was not impressed.
Meanwhile ,,,,,,,
have had my first couple of experiences of driving a cart behind one of the mini-Shetlands I've been getting fit. We were going to take out two two-person carts with an experienced driver and a novice in each, but due to a technical problem (flat tyre) we ended up with three carts, and me driving the one-person cart behind the smallest of th eponies - Jack, the 28" palomino - all on my own.
That little cart is quite sweet, and just right for Jack - but it doesn't half bring out the full glory of every pothole.
ANd Jack is a very sweet little pony, not at all cussed or nervy or temperamental (normally!) and his little legs trot aong th eorad going 20 to the dozen - but they are very LITTLE legs! When the covoy turned onto the "Home straight" and the pony twice his height came overtaking us, I yelled "Put th ekettle on" to the people onthat cart, and decided we couldn't keep up with that, we'd come home at a nice brisk Jack-trot.
Preferably in the left hand lane, rather than straddling the white line an dannoying the bises coming the other way as well as those behind us - which is where Jack would like to go.
All good fun - and we got back safely in the end!
ANother go this afternoon - and the little 1=[person cart brings out the worst inthe aching brised legs as well as the potholes! This time just the two mini SHetlands. Getting slightly better at the lane discipline! - though Leo, the 32" high brown one still sets off at high speed we're struggling to keep up with - until he sulks at having to wait at a T-junction nd nearly backs into us! Little Jack going great guns and came back all very sweaty. At least today he waited till I'd unharnessed him and he was back on his patch of grass before lying down and rolling on his back. On Thursday, he tried to do that while he was still hitched to the cart an dme still in it! There was me yelling "NO!" and "walk on" to him, while the passenger who'd just got of fthe first cart home thought I'd been working him too hard and he was fainting with exhaustion! - no, just very fond of lying down rolling.
Apparently, there are photos of this somehwere on facebbook, though not sure where to find them - taken by one of the people on the front cart of the three, so some show Jack coming straight towards them with me in my broad-brimmed black hat wrap=around shades doing a Dick dastardy impression.
Will try and get a copy and post in easier to find place.
Rosemary

User avatar
Andrew MacLean
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 7703
Joined: Thu 15 Jan 2004 8:01 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Other
Location: Scotland

Re: Four-footed friends (15 hands and otherwise)

Postby Andrew MacLean » Sun 21 Jun 2009 8:05 am

When you do find out where the photos can be seen, let us know! :twisted:

All the best

Andrew
Andrew MacLean

User avatar
rosemary johnson
Champion
Champion
Posts: 1478
Joined: Tue 19 Oct 2004 8:42 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Contact lenses
Location: East London, UK

Re: Four-footed friends (15 hands and otherwise)

Postby rosemary johnson » Sun 21 Jun 2009 2:43 pm

Will do......
There are no photos of the Glorious Technicolor bruises. Not yet, anyhow. But we don't want this site to get X-rated, do we?!
Rosemary


Return to “Non-KC Chit-Chat”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests