Phew I found us again.
LOL PF, you have been doing dressage tests on him, so your showjumping should be better as well.
I made it to my lesson this week. At the end he had me canter around the arena with no contact. He went better the 2nd time each way. He said he is showing weakness going around the short sides. He is just back in work and time off these over 2 weeks with work and rain and we raked the arena by hand before using the rake in the arena behind the tractor.
I think I made it on too, now. Here it is snowy, windy and pretty darn chilly. May have to wait for shoes to be pulled before I can ride again, don’t know when he’ll make it out. Had fun this weekend though…friend wanted to go for one last ride out before snow, so we headed down the road and across the fields. Unfortunately, by the time we got going, the beautiful 50’s and sunny weather turned into cloudy and low 40’s. Nonetheless, we were tacked up, ready to go, so off we went. About 20 minutes in, skies opened up and dumped a driving hailstorm on us. Lol Got home thoroughly soaked, freezing cold and laughing at our ticked off ponies.
Okay, the powers that be are aware of the problem with the log-ins, and are working on it. So far now, I’ll be a greenie ParadoxFarm1. 
SueB, that stinks! I hate being wet and cold. But glad you were able to get a laugh out of it!
Suzie, yeah, I’m hoping to see changes in my jumping as well. I haven’t jumped in a bit since we started working on the arena project. That’s not done yet, either, so it may be a while.
THE most wonderful ride on Stars yesterday afternoon.
He was light he was forward. Weakness at canter? Not on your Nellie. Collected, more forward, counter loop, 12m circle both ways. Walk canter is getting much better.
At the next lesson we will take out the walk break. He does not need it and does not get it at home. It is more for me. I start breathing deeper in canter but if we go to walk trot transitions or something like that I can recover without walking.
If that does not work I will try riding in my cavello hoof boots. I found some new gel pads I had bought and out them in. He is very different with the surfaces.
The arena was rock hard, then we raked it and then it was too soft. Mr Goldilocks was happy with it last night and it was just right.
TC…I can’t retrieve my PMs due to my problem with my log-in ID. Can you send s PM through Instagram?
So at my lesson today, Fab mentioned a show a week from Sunday. At our favorite place. If it won’t break the budget, Pony and I will make it into the show ring this year after all. Jingles for bravery appreciated.
You go, lucky!!! Sounds fun.
ParadoxFarm
Checking in! Oh dear, why is this platform like this? I’m not sure if i like it. Weather is getting really cold in bay area!
Horse wise, i did ended up leasing that handful boy, i am learning a ton, but it works out fine with me right now and i have a way out if he’s too much.
Anyone tried the Kastel mid weight sunshirts? they are on sale on their website and i’m intrigued!
I am getting used to the new format. Click on the lines on the left of your avatar. Unread means new replies to threads you have posted in. New means you can see all topics that you have not posted in and it is set up in the different forums, so you can read all or scroll down to Hunters or Dressage or whatever. Make sure you are logged in first and it remembers where you read to and starts you off from there. I havent figured out how to quote or edit as I haven’t needed to do that yet.
Hubby started training for the new job to see if he likes it last night. He said he definitely doesn’t want the changed role for his old job with the new boss.
I took a photo of the truck that delivered the bread yesterday and he was excited as it was only a few months old. I couldn’t guarantee that that was the truck he would be driving though.
They changed his start time from 8pm to midnight, so maybe he can start whatever time he likes as long as the work gets done on time. We will see if he comes up to see me when he delivers to my work which should be the last delivery on his list.
So I am here alone. I will get up and ride Stars. Feed and have a shower and go to work. I then go to my second job and stay at Mum’s so if he doesn’t come up to visit me at work, I won’t see him until Sunday afternoon. I will work on the 3rd job at Mum’s that night and in the morning before I leave. No bread job on a Sunday but the second job on the way home. Then 3rd job to put in.
Hubby might be able to come to my lesson with me. It is in the afternoon. Yesterday he slept after doing the horses in the morning and then after I would have been home from the lesson any way. If so he can drive and I can be doing the 3rd job on the way there and back home. I don’t have to be online except to submit the report.
Stars is going so much no better without the walk breaks. We will see if that makes a big difference.
I have been riding Sim after hubby in the mornings and hubby gas been really wrapt with how well Sim is going. That will stop now with the his new work hours. So he will go back to being the only one riding him.
Eep just realised I have not put in my other jobs I did this week sigh If not they are probably out of my accounts and I won’t get paid for them. But I will go and ride Stars and worry about that when I get a second or two to myself. At the moment that is looking like Sunday week!
PF- thanks, I’m alternating between excited and anxious. I do so love Miller Arena- it’s been good to us. Plus, it has the infamous gate that scrapes so Pony knows to wake up and turn on the show gear 
Good grief! This is weird. I miss a few weeks and they change everything! I’m sure we’ll muddle through. Glad to see everyone is doing well. Faye, congrats on the lease! I’m sure you’ll do well together. You have a way of connecting with horses.
PF as always you’re expanding your horizons with your horses. Always trying something new. It’s fun to hear about your adventures.
Greys glad to see you’ve gotten some shows in. And continuing to inspire us all!
We’re on our hiatus now as the horses arrived in Wellington yesterday. DD got a good couple of weeks of light riding in before they left (no jumping per PT’s orders!) We’ll drive down after Thanksgiving and she’s planning on staying since she missed so much ride time. ****I’ll be back after New Year’s. Life will be a little busy as we somehow bought a new property there. DH was wanting a little more land and garage space. Well, that combination also came with a barn! We won’t have the horses at the house probably until later in the season - our trainer had already had a contract for stalls and the ring and paddocks need some maintenance. Kind of crazy but exciting too!
Hope you all are doing well!
Lucky! YAY!! What will you guys be showing ?
Austin: Oh my!! Pictures of the property?
Hi, all, long-time lurker to this thread and I think first-time poster! I thought this was a great conversation for a forum when I first saw it many years ago and when I would check back in on the forums occasionally, I’d think it was great to see how it had kept on going…and going…and going. Back when this thread started, I was riding occasionally and closer to 30, with a childhood (junior-hood?) background in riding and showing. I didn’t really think of myself as a “re-rider,” but as more of just a “rusty rider.” Fast-forward to today and I’ve just recently begun to take advantage of an opportunity found in the involuntary shift to work-from- home to lease a horse and ride (~4x a week). It should go without saying that in a terrible year in which so many people are facing illness, grief, pain, and dislocation, it is an immense privilege to be able to do so and very welcome after months in lockdown. I truly feel like a “re-rider” though in many ways now that I didn’t years ago. While a lot of knowledge and experience is still in my brain and some strength is (very slowly) returning to my core and other relevant areas, I have all of a sudden found I have a lot more nerves than ever before. I was never the boldest of riders, but this is something different. I feel more like a herd animal in that if a horse gets spooky/puffed up/looking at stuff, I feel like I’m reacting and feeding off of it instead of transmitting the opposite energy! I humbly reach out to all the re-riders out there for any tips or general commiseration/encouragement !
Austen, how exciting on your new property. I bet that will be so nice when you can have the ponies there for the season. I’m glad your DD is doing well with her rehab and getting in good pony time!
ChronReader (may be CR for short!), welcome! Glad you popped in after reading for a while. It is exciting to be able to ride and lease now I imagine. And you know what, I think the reactionary riding will lessen as you get more and more rides in. Good rides. Is your lease horse a trustworthy horse? That makes a huge difference. With me, once I trust a horse, I become a much better rider on that particular horse. Sometimes it takes me a while with certain horses. And there have been a few where I never really trusted the horse, and it just wasn’t a good match. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Hope everyone had a great weekend. We spent a good deal of time creating new trails on the wooded section of our property. I hope to do more this winter. We then rode our mountain bikes through it, because…why not? 
Am I still showing up as my Santa alter, or ParadoxFarm or ParadoxFarm1?
PF- as of now you’re showing up in the holiday spirit 
Faye- not sure- I ride Wednesday and I’ll know more. My head says trot stuff, my heart says why not “the C thing”- if we say the word around Pony she anticipates, as do I. Either way I’m going to ride in my new boots and probably the dressage saddle we would show in to test leather length and stick-ability.
PF: Oh boy, what is going on with your username??
Lucky: Keep us posted, i think you can do C
CR: Welcome! At first i read it wrong and thought you came back and became boldest, i was like, hmm that’s the first time i’ve heard! Nerves are totally normal. I usually am the bravest before lesson, by the time i get to the barn, i am ready to do a walk lesson. Usually if we have to do something challenging, i will want to vomit, but after wards, total cloud 9!
Happy Monday all!
Welcome Welcome Welcome CR. I never had a fall but when I came back to riding I was scared. I walked for most of the lesson on a school horse and worked my way up to trotting. Then later the same for canter. Twice a week. At aroundabout 6 months I was able to canter when asked and started lunging Sim at home.
A lesson on Stars yesterday and hubby came with us. He has quit his job which has changed hands and received his long service leave. He said there is something wrong with the new ute and has removed a part to take into the city. He will drop it off there tomorrow morning.
It was hot and hubby said that Stars did his absolute best and tried his hardest. I am ecstatic with that and can’t expect more than that. It is a long time now since he has said no.
A day off after his lesson and we are in a heat wave. They are saying a possible thunderstorm which will hopefully cool things down.
Lucky, how do you bold the names on this new forum format?
**Faye - will get some pictures when I’m down there. We actually bought the property by just seeing the listing pictures and a face time tour with my real estate agent (who luckily is a former barn mate so could give me an honest opinion about the barn, ring and paddocks).
Lucky - I’m excited for you! I’m sure you and Pony will be stars!
CR - glad you decided to join us. I agree with what both PF and Faye said. For me, there are days when the sun, the moon and the stars align and my ride is brave and effortless. But, those days don’t happen all the time. There’s been a lot of extraneous activities happening during many of my rides the past few months and my guy has been great dealing with them. So, I’ve decided the Universe isn’t throwing more things at us than we can handle. It’s a pretty good attitude. Still, there was a day a few weeks ago when I hadn’t ridden for a few days, he’d had no turnout that morning, the temperature dropped 20 degrees and it was pouring rain on the indoor roof so I asked my trainer to hop on him. Discretion is always the better part of valor.
Talking about fear of shying horses, during canter in my lesson, a truck on the road about 50m from the outdoor arena honked its horn while in line with Stars.
Stars did not react and stayed in canter. I asked my instructor if he thought that honk was absolutely necessary and he said no it was not. When I halted near hubby he said that Stars had been really good during that really loud honk.
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