Right 'back' at it

 Well, if you read my last post, you know that I am FINALLY back in the saddle again! I started back bareback (so technically not back in the saddle!) and I rode that way for two weeks. I was amazed that my legs and overall body wasn't even stiff after riding, especially without the saddle. When I finally did ride with the saddle I suddenly realised ah, now this is hard. It was hard because putting my feet in the stirrups and attempting to keep my heels down was very difficult with my leg muscle/nerve still not fully recovered from the slipped disc. So to deal with that I just kept my foot in for as long as I could and then took it out for breaks. 

It's amazing how quickly your day goes when you're back riding! I'm giving them a good groom and brushing their manes and tails every time I ride now, which I may not have done previously....I even went and bought some new Mane and Tail, which is divine! They are looking so well. They've obviously piled on the weight while not being worked much (no more than myself!), but they have also muscled up in all the right places with the long reining and now coming back in to proper work. They have a glow (ok, a shine) about them. They're both loving being back, especially Fred. He loves a bit of hard work and is really enjoying the lateral work we've started. I think they're really improving with it because I'm forced to only do it in walk. With Fred we do leg yielding, shoulder in and half pass, and he's flying it on them. Then to finish we have a lovely collected canter on both reins, and it's just magical. Our first canter was not magical...he was a little bit excited to canter and I was a little bit less excited to let him canter, but we came to an agreement and I just bounced around while he tried to do a nice canter but really wanted to go faster. Cu Chulainn I did the same lateral work with but he started to get very tense, so I've decided to work on his forwardness. Now although he is a forward horse, when it comes to flatwork he can get a bit backwards and I've never fully noticed that until now. So now I'm working on a rectangle, sending him forwards on the long sides and shortening on the short sides, then I'll do some leg yielding and get him good and forward in to the contact. I'm leaving him at walk for now, as the canter would tense him up. 

I went glamping in Wicklow at the Old Forge Glamping with a gaggle of women. I was only just back riding so I didn't bring a horse, but I did bring a bike! I only actually used it once because the hills were ferocious! The views were fabulous though and we were so lucky with weather. The sun was absolutely splitting the rocks on Saturday. We had a bonfire and toasted marshmallows both nights, definitely something I want more of! The ladies got on great with all their horses, setting off in different groups according to what they wanted to do. The yurts were lovely and came with heaters. The kitchen there has everything you could need. But honestly, the views. If you just went there with a book and a bottle of wine, you'd be in heaven.

Reflections

Cheers

A massive hill

Bonfire

The weekend was fantastic. Absolute food for the soul. Such a lovely bunch of women.

Post wash chats

After two weeks back riding I decided I'd give the boys a wash. They badly needed one and I wanted to rug them so that they'd be clean when I went to ride. Daily life now consists of riding most days. It's definitely noticeable the dark evenings get closer and closer. I try to be all done by 7, everyone fed and watered. Working from home is really helping here. At the minute I'm riding in the fields. I bring Cu Chulainn for a hack some days to mix it up for him. Rusty loves to join us out in the field. I like to warm up by walking down the lane and we look at what's in the fields, then it's time for work. I'm working on my own legs all the time too, trying to stretch down my heels. I'm keeping my foot in the stirrups for longer and longer each outing. 

Absolute beaut

Sunset with Cu Chulainn

The best view

The more I've gotten back riding, the harder it gets to go swimming and have wet hair. Honest to god, it's the wet hair more than anything that puts me off. I haven't managed to go in the morning at ages. It's great when I do, you're really ready for the day then. 

Mane tidy up

On September 19th I cleaned up myself and Cu Chulainn for our first outing of the year. We were off down to Portumna for the Pass Wide and Slow campaign. A campaign being done all over Ireland and the UK to highlight the need to pass horses slow and wide when you meet them on the roads. We were joined by the mounted unit of the Gardaí and escorted by a squad car as we walked around Portumna. Cu Chulainn was great, he behaved really well considering he was surrounded by a large group of horses for his first outing. Luckily Emma and Ringo were with us, and the two boys got on great.

At the end of the hack we called in to the retirement home and the residents came out to see us. It was so lovely. They got to meet the Garda horses and there was a lovely little pony that was lead into the ones that couldn't come out and he behaved so well. We left there just as a black cloud came overhead and it absolutely thundered down on us, it was so heavy we all ended up trotting up the road and I put Cu Chulainn straight in the box with his tack on! I untacked him in there and luckily I had brought his lovely cosy green cooler, so he was toasty and dry going home. On the way home I rang Supermacs and ordered food, so it was ready when I got there. A GAA match had just finished and I got to skip the queue, not just a pretty face here lads!!

All cleaned up

On the road

Best buds

In horse jail

So all in all, we've been taking it easy. Having fun and getting back to basics. It's been just great being back riding. That view is the best one.