Pumpkin's Progress

Monday, 10th October

Cast off tomorrow!!!

Other than that, nothing really. The friend didn't end up riding the pony, we went to a mini festival near her house with some friends instead.

Pumpkin went for a run at dinner time the other day. He was full of it, more so at the canter. It will be interesting getting back to cantering and jumping these next few afternoons with that amount of energy.

Some kids were in the paddock yesterday patting the horse while he was eating carrots they had given him. And worse: the dad was standing at the fence watching. Great parenting skills right there. And the middle aged kid was 12 yrs old. The lesson they would have been getting: it is ok to go onto peoples properties and play with horses whenever you like Where has all the common sense gone? Feel free to enlighten me.
But whatever, people will be people and we must keep moving on.

Thursday, 13th October

Rode Pumpkin yesterday afternoon. He was great. We were planning to just walk, as I felt like my confidence had been a bit shaken. Anyway... trotting happened... then cantering. It was fantastic. Any confidence I thought I had lost was still there. And Pumpkin was being a gentleman. He was taking good care of me. I think he knew I was a bit unsure so he was very responsive to the aids. Though he can be a brat most of the time, he is a good care taker of people who are nervous.

Monday, 17th October

Not much... Just bumping it up.
I was going to take Pumpkin to his first lesson this Saturday, but plans for my sisters netball might be putting that to a halt :( Mum said it would be more convenient if I could wait another week. It is better than not being allowed to take him at all though.

I haven't ridden him since last Thursday, naughty horse mum. Winter coat is at it's end, and I have a lovely Pally sitting the paddock now.

Heading to New Zealand for a couple days on the 11th of November.

That's it :).

Oh, and a nice photo my sister took of me a Pumpkin the other day. I might be getting it put on canvas or something for my room.

Thursday, 20th October

Naughty horse mum turned into Good horse mum.

I finally got on Pumpkin this afternoon. School + drama = stress = horse ride = no more stress. Turns out that it is actually really hard to get people from my family to help me with riding ...

I have to call my riding instructor to let her know Pumpkin is going to a lesson. Dad can come up with me to watch the lesson so next Saturday will be a moment in history.

8 times out of 10 Pumkpin picked up the right lead while cantering today. YAY!! This has been his problem lead for a while, and hopefully this wasn't just a good day.

Saturday, 22nd October

Just gotten back form his first group lesson! I am so pleased with how he went.

At the start, he got a bit wound up, and started to buck... (quite a bit but no one needs to know that ) while we were getting into our groups. I thought it would go down hill from there, but that was the end of the bad behaviour.
We went through all the courses at a walk/trot and didn't need to stop for anything like pick ups, or to double check that scary thing. Even if we hindered the time in groups rather than helped it, I really don't care.

He had on ice block on the way and now is happily grazing around the house.

Pictures!!

Heels. Down.

So proud of 'my' little pony :)

They were with the rest of the pictures ;) I was trying to kick him on. He was a bit tense.

Haven't ridden him yet. I have been busy renovating our rental, and with assignments :S So I guess I deserve the title bad horse mum again... The flies have become insane.

Saturday, 29th October

Rode on Friday to get some energy out of him before our lesson. Did a lot of trot work to get up some more fitness etc. He wouldn't canter for me, he only had the heart to go a couple of strides.

Today was a great lesson. He needs to get a social life! He cannot get enough of the different horse smells. And it seems he has forgotten that laid back ears mean don't do that. He has settled right in though. We were doing relays at the start of lesson, and we would have won one apart from the fact that I didn't put the smiley face thing in the end of the pole properly :S

But we did win our competition for money! I tied with another one of our riders. Even though the second part of the course was on another horse, Pumpkin did so well. He was relaxed enough to give me very nice calm canter. His stopping was awesome and he was co-operating very well with my growing competitiveness.

On the way home we cantered behind the kindy a bit. Picture perfect moment. Cantering on the green grass with the yellow dandelions and the white clovers covering the ground.
So all in all, it was a great day.

Some action-y type shots this time.

More...

Monday, 7th November

Same old same old. Pumpkin is feeling very settled now, so naturally, he has taken things into his own.. hoofs I guess? Pulling tricks and making life interesting. He is behaving very well still, it is just going to take a bit of persistence to get him to stop being stupid.

Jumped a tad on Friday, only over small stuff. Not jumping in months has very much so affected my position... I love where I am riding, but the downside is a lack in jumping. All the more of a reason to go to Pony Club.

Just under 4 weeks left of school till I'm on holidays. Then some serious riding work begins.

That's basically it