[superD]

Bad week at work. Only left on time on Friday so the boy had yet another week off. . The weather forecast looks terrible for the next week or 2 and we don't have an indoor.
Not looking good for my plans of keeping him in work this winter........

[pony4me]

Don't feel too bad, superD. Even with an indoor, things don't always go as planned. Yesterday morning, we started our lesson in the indoor, but the other assistant trainer had a lesson with a client that had trailered in, and the BNT had a lesson with another client. Three lessons going on simultaneously in the indoor is a bit much. My trainer took our lesson outside. It was cold, but not too bad.

Today, I planned to ride with a friend at 3pm. We were just going to have a quiet hack, but it turned out that the BNT had a jumping lesson scheduled at that time. We did our flatwork together, but then left the indoor so the BNT could work with his student.

[Acertainsmile]

Horse has been off for almost two weeks. My youngest daughter was sick and ended up in the hospital for a few days (and I stayed with her). Downside was no horse time, upside was that I lost a few pounds (hospital food) and we are home and she is feeling much better!

Went out and lunged and hacked around a bit this afternoon. I didnt realize how bad I needed this! What a relief not to be shopping, wrapping and baking. Bring on Christmas!

[seabreeze]

If it's really cold, or if I have a show on a very cold day, I use one of those heated back patches on my back. It's keeps my back warm, and helps me move better too.

What a great idea! Thanks!

[BeaSting]

( My youngest daughter was sick and ended up in the hospital for a few days (and I stayed with her). Downside was no horse time, upside was that I lost a few pounds (hospital food) and we are home and she is feeling much better!

That must have been stressful. Hope she continues to feel better.

[SweetTalk]

Ugh...I haven't ridden in weeks! My poor horse. Excuses excuses...busy holidays, weather, too cold.

[JBCool]

I love my horse! I bailed on Sat (VERY cold and VERY windy) but trail rode him again Sunday: still cool and breezy, alone and he was perfect. I think I know who's going to be my mom's next trail horse...

Merry Christmas, everybody: hope everyone can get out to see their ponies for a Christmas apple tomorrow.

[BeaSting]

Merry Christmas, everyone. This morning turned up sunny and warmish (mid 50's) and too fine not to ride. I had the girl up at the house and was part way through tacking up when a couple of boarders came riding up the drive and decided to wait for me to join them. We had a good trail ride, and I enjoyed the company. Cookie had to put a bit of effort into keeping up with their hunters' long-legged stride.

Temperatures are dropping now, and forecast is saying a possibility of rain for tomorrow. Hope it holds off - I have another day off tomorrow and am planning to get Cookie into the indoor for some work.

[pony4me]

Grrrrr, I don't wanna ride today! It's cold, windy and raining. I've been good, and I've ridden on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. I'd love to just skip it today, but the horses will not get turned out today because of the weather, and they weren't turned out yesterday or the day before. So I guess I have to at least get horse out of stall and go for a quiet ride. The barn has four staff people that ride, and my horse is on full training board, but because of vacations and an injury, I think my horse is MY horse today.

Guess I should dig his quarter sheet out of the closet.

[SmartAlex]

Well, I haven't managed to ride in a week, but today I braved the beginnings of the Nor'easter and took him out on a longe line to blow off some steam in the big paddock (his dry lot is frozen solid and does not allow much running). And, based on all the snorting and farting I'm glad I didn't get some dumb idea that it would be sensible to try riding that beast

[JBCool]

i was planning to ride Christmas Day, but didn't make it b/c of holiday stuff (we did go by and give him some Christmas cookies, though). Woke up yesterday to several inches of sleet (and a day off work!) The ring was buried, but i did take him for a hand walk down part of the trail: does that half count?

[BeaSting]

I would have been happy vegging in front of the computer and eating homemade bonbons all day, but it finally stopped raining so I made myself get up, dress, and bring Cookie up for a ride. Had the indoor mostly to myself (latter part of the ride shared it with one of the dressage riders, which was nice because I could ride off the rail more without worrying about getting in the way of people jumping.)

I'm feeling great for the ride, and now can get back to my regularly scheduled vegging and bonbon eating without feeling guilty.

[iechris]

I finally got out to ride on Thursday which quickly turned into a very cold comedy of errors as I discovered that my horse had been moved to a different pasture (and had to search in the dark for which one) then got on only to find out her stifle issue was acting up. Yikes! She is off for a week and I'm riding the horse I had previously half-leased. I did purchase fleece lined tights yesterday. What a great find! They really did keep me warmer, my feet were the warmest they've been with the tights and wool socks over them.

My hands are still an issue. I got some fancy glove liners for Christmas that seem to be helping some and now I think they may be making my work gloves too tight and that is making my hands cold. So... new work gloves are next on the purchase list. Oh man is there is reason I live in the south. Y'all would find me frozen to death if I lived up north!!

[Janet]

I rode today for the first time since the Wednesday before Christmas. (We went out of town, drove through the snowstorm on Wednesday, and Thursday and Frid the weather was pretty unpleasant.)

It DID snow in the morning, but it cleared up this afternoon. The footing was pretty crappy, but we went on a trail ride, and "worked" where the footing was OK, and just strolled where it was slippery .

Supposed to be better on Sunday.

[Green Acres]

It's been really tough lately to be able to ride. Between the horrible weather, work and holidays, I have only ridden 4 times in the last 2 weeks! UGH! Grrrr! I haven't had a lesson since Dec 8th. I HATE WINTER!!! We have been in a cycle of rain every 3 days and then it gets cold which means very difficult to get any rides in.

I got on yesterday morning before the wind and dropping temps but the ground in my pasture was really wet so we walked for 20 minutes working on turning only using my leg, moving off my leg and getting mare to stretch down and forward into the bit. The wind started picking up and I said 20 minutes of walking is enough!!! I hope to ride this afternoon, hopefully the ground will be drier and not frozen.

I told my trainer that until I can get a few rides in one week, it's not worth coming in for a lesson. Maybe this next week I can finally ride enough to go for a lesson. There is a schooling show at my trainers barn the end of January which I would like to do...we will see!

[PolymerChem]

I rode one yesterday while the snow was gently falling but left when it picked up. The roads were slick when I was driving home so I'm glad I didn't stay later to ride two. Unfortunately, that means I need to burrow out from under my pile of blankets and go ride now before the wind picks up even more. Motivation is so much easier to find in the warmer months!

[BeaSting]

I didn't ride today because my sister-in-law brought her granddaughter over for a visit. But -

1. My 6 yr. old horse-crazy great-neice got to ride a real live horse for almost a whole hour!
2. I got the walking exercise benefit from leading horse and happy girl along the trails.
3. Cookie got ridden - looking past the fact that her rider weighed well under 50lbs.

[superD]

I went to the barn with the full intention of riding. Only to find out that the ring was frozen, icy and still snow filled. UGH I want to ride!!!!!!!!!

I REALLY miss having an indoor..........

[twotonejobber]

I am soon to join this group! My 6 YO has been with my brother who is a trainer for the last two months and is going great. Now he comes home to me with 18" of snow and his expectation that I keep him going until after they return from Florida. Yikes!! I'll be checking back to this thread for motivation frequently I think...

[Green Acres]

Happy New Year everyone! I hope today will be a good omen of the year to come!!! Yes, I'm being optimistic after this morning's hack!!! I woke up early knowing the rain was coming knowing I wanted to try to ride before the rain. Fed, turned out and cleaned stalls then ate breakfast myself before riding. Had a really nice hack, probably the best ride I've had in weeks!!!

I haven't jumped in weeks so I finished my ride and hopped off to set up a small vertical in the pasture. Well my non personable mare was being so darn cute!!! I wish someone was there to videotape her cuteness! She was following me around while I moved the jump standards and then decided she would just stand there watching me while I finished setting the jump up. Ears pricked forward with her sweet face! Of course my cat (who acts like a dog) followed me around helping me set the jump. Maybe Josie was watching the cat and not me! LOL. But maybe, just maybe she's getting sweet and this will be a good year for us both!!!

Hopefully I can pop her over the jump later in the week and actually go for a lesson this weekend!!!

I hope everyone else gets a New Years ride in today and reports back!!! Happy 2013!