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Well, I'm pregnant so no riding for me! Bummer.

I have a 9yo green broke mare that needs finishing, but between this pregnancy, my first pregnancy in 2012-2013, plus full time school, two moves and house hunting/buying between the first pregnancy and this one, she's been kind of put on the back burner unfortunately. Luckily, my husband is happy to ride her for me, but he's not the most experienced rider, so I don't want to put him in over his head or give her a bad foundation to start on. At this point I will probably send her to someone for thirty days to get that foundation on her. I've been on her and she was wonderful. No buck, calm, very attentive, but it's been a few years since then, so we need to get back to that point. Right now she's a fat pocket pony.

On top of that, I have a coming 2yo gelding that needs to get started into some serious ground work and teaching of manners. He comes from a situation where he was worked with for a few weeks after birth, then turned out with his dam and a group of about a dozen other horses until he was weaned ... as a yearling ... and gelded shortly after. He wasn't halter broke until then and has a little too much herd mentality going on. His only human contact until weaning was bales of hay thrown off the back of a truck and that was it. He's a super sweet boy and wants to be your friend but is a little unpredictable (his go-to defense is kicking) at this point. We need to get into the round pen and start working on building a relationship of work, but I'm not comfortable doing so at this time, being pregnant. So he's lucky and gets to wait until later this year.

That's really about the extent of my horse world at the moment. Not much happening at all. My older mare is happy getting fat and being boss lady, teaching our gelding he's not as cool as he thinks he is, lol. She deserves a break anyway from the miles and years of riding we've done together. My old trusty. ;)

I am in the process of talking hubby into riding lessons for me :D

My mare is fully retired now at the grand age of 25. I've had since she was a just backed 4 yr old. I bought her to break and sell on but she kind of grew on me lol.
We competed in dressage and got up to national championship level in her final year of competing at the age of 20. She then taught my friend to appreciate dressage and how to ask nicely and press the right button (or risk getting a move or pace you weren't expecting). We both stopped riding her after her Cushings progressed and we discovered she had a brain tumour which caused fits. She's on medication to manage it and is looking and feeling very well - bombs round her field daily when she gets turned out and leaves her much younger friend standing.
I haven't sat on a horse since she retired 2 years ago, I just can't find the motivation to get on another. She is my horse of a lifetime and nothing else has ever given me the same feeling when I ride :(

Oh very pretty Abbey!

Wow Raina that sounds all very busy! Congratulations on your pregnancy and be careful with that young gelding! Gets so hard when the handling is started late!

Good luck Redbud, fingers crossed, hopefully he's easily persuaded!

Ohhh starbrooke I hate the rain! Hope it dries up for you. It sort of just hit me today that next week is going to be pouring every day! So I made the most of the nice weather and went for a ride up the road and around the paddocks. Bloody weather is such a pain.

Wow Jemima what a gorgeous story. She must be a wonderful mare, you must have a beautiful partnership with her. And I love that you've kept her, I see so many older horses for sale :(

Woohoo! That's awesome ichigo good stuff! You must be proud.

Thanks all for sharing your stories! :)
I had good rides today. Rode friesian stallion Hotse up the highway which he seemed to enjoy. And took my horse Bastian for a gallop up the paddock, then practiced our canter to walk transitions!

Wow HiLo, sounds like a very cheeky horse!! Hopefully you'll have fun breaking those habits, if you want any tips I'm happy to help! :)

I worked Hotse today on our canter half pass and Bas on his walk pirouettes... Seems these two are still my ffavorites and everyone else is being a bit excluded...

Today was the opening lesson day for the therapeutic riding program my daughter and I work with. It was a beautiful day, sunny and cool. Everything went pretty smoothly, for a first day, and I was thrilled with two of my new students.

The first one had ridden last year with one of the other instructors, but stopped progressing, so she passed him on to me. Maybe it was just being back on a horse after the long winter, but he remembered everything she had taught him, responded very well to my instructions and participated actively in what I was asking him to do. He was riding Miley, a Haflinger-Belgian cross mare, who after lots of work and patience is coming into her own as a therapeutic horse.

The second student had never ridden before, but has participated in other athletic sports in school. His mother told us that he has always loved horses and wanted to ride, but she hesitated to put him on just any old horse offered by friends. We put him on Fella, a senior citizen of a pony with excellent manners and a sweet disposition. This young man is a natural rider. He soon relaxed, sat straight and centered in the saddle, took to reining instruction as if he'd done it all before and before the end of the lesson was on a loose lead (leader had only the left hand on the rope and was not actively controlling the horse except by being in the leading position) and actively steering through a variety of simple patterns. He and his mother both had huge grins most of the time he was riding. So did I.

ooohh Margot that's so exciting!! Foals are so much fun!

Sounds like a good day Sandy! Love seeing young aspiring riders. Horses provide so much for us.

I had a super day today, I'm so proud with how Bastian is coming along. We seem to have had a huge break through. Love the fact that he gives 110% every ride. I feel we're ready for medium level now, up two levels in just over 6months?!

All this thread needs now is photos! ;)

I had a surprise phone call yesterday from my trainer & good friend who i stable my old mare with.
She normally only calls me if there's a problem which usually means the vet is needed :(
She's found a dressage horse needing a new home as his owner is moving to the USA and she thought I might like him. We're going to see him at the weekend

Thanks Visions! :)

Woohoo how exciting Jemima! Let us know how you go~

Aw Forest it's hard parting with horses. I'm actually just breaking in my welsh x! :D