# ~Riding Blog~ HalleysComet and Dimka



## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from Tuesday night after riding Dimka for the first time since trying him out.

This is coppied straight from my account where I wrote a status that night :

"Just had one of the best rides I've ever had when I went to ride Dimka tonight (my first ride since trying him out on Saturday). 
With a bit of asking and reminding I got him to work on the bit properly and he did almost all of our ride tonight on the bit - even in our cool down walk when I let him stretch out and get all relaxed, he stayed on the bit, the dag!! 
Haha silly boy was going around the arena in our cool down, going 'I'm doing it!! Look at me!!', such a good boy - can tell I'm going to have so much fun riding him!"


What we worked on:
-Working on the bit (walk and trot, is confused in the canter and was slowing even with leg on and driving him with my seat) Something to work on.
- Did canter both ways - after the inital transition into the canter, his canter was nice and seemed almost like a rocking horse canter - I now understand what people mean by that saying!)


Untacked/rugged then put him back in his yard with his feed (hard feed and hay). Owner told me that she will be getting more hoof salve/oil for his hooves which she wants me to put on his hooves a few times a week as he used to have really bad feet when she got him.

Below are some pics my mum snapped and a short video (Please ignore the fact that I did not have much leg - this is only my third ride recently in three weeks of not riding so I'm still working back the leg muscles - I also realise that I need to work on sitting straighter so that is another thing to work on for me :wink.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Pictures cont.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Short trotting video from Tuesday 
Dimka Trot 12/08/13 (First Time Riding Him Since Trialing Him On Saturday) Video by HalleysComet1994 | Photobucket


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Had a good ride tonight - it was a bit windy though, so he was a bit looky and distracted by the wind, and the other horses moving about.

- Worked on the bit in trot and walk (he gets so much better, after working on the bit for a while, then he does it almost immediately when you ask him once he has come off the bit).

- Had a canter (I really need to work on my leg muscels because my inside leg on was not strong enough so our circle wasnt as good as I would like it to be when I am riding)

Put some hoof stuff on his hooves (forgot the name) before I rode (going to do that 2 times a week, Mondays and Fridays), which his owner asked me to do a couple times week before I ride, as he used to have bad hooves so this will help them and keep them healthy.

Groomed the sweat from his coat, put both his rugs on and put him in his yard, then went to get his hard feed and hay, and soaked his hard feed. Gave him his hay, then got him his hard feed when it had soaked - I didn't realise how much MaxiSoy actually soaks up and expands - glad his owner showed me how much water to use in comparison to hard feeds I have made previously with other horses)

Didnt get any pictures tonight because mum had a miagraine so she stayed in the car whilst I rode etc.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Posts 1,2,3 & 4 were from Monday 11/08/13 not Tuesday 13/08/13. Whoops.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

****** Posts 1,2,3 & 4 were from Monday 12/08/13 not Tuesday 13/08/13. Whoops ******


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Not riding tonight due to 90km winds, rain and thunder. His owner has already gone down and fed him (I usually feed him after I ride). Hopefully the weather is alright on Monday to ride.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from riding yesterday (Monday 19/08/13).


Rode Dimka last night, only did walk and trot, no canter as he was not listeneing properly undersaddle and was a bit flighty when I took him out of his yard (the horses next door and in the yards next to him and also in the yard next to the arena I rode in, were running and bucking).



What we worked on in our ride:


- Walk/trot on the bit at a good pace (he kept wanting to slow dow, so I would incrase my leg and seat to keep him moving forward.


- Tried to see if he knows leg yeilding, but riding him down the centre line at C he didnt know what I was asking of him, but rather walked angled. Tried seeing is he would leg yeild off my leg at a halt, and he did move, but he did not yeild even with directing him with my inside leg and a firm inside rein with a open outside rein to get him to yeild to the right hand side of the arena. Will try and work with getting him to yeild, but at the moment I am more concerned about working on his canter (Which I wanted to do but felt it wasn't ideal for me or him due to him being distracted by the other horses acting (in their yards and two also in the jumps arena stretching their legs, which were put away due to them galloping and rearing which was impacing Dimka and making him want to run with them).




I soaked his feed before I rode him, so when I finished riding all I needed to do was untuck, brush, rug and put him in his yard, then carry his hard feed over with his hay (which I put in his haynet, as per request from his owner, due to the muddy yard from all the rain we had on Friday/Saturday/Sunday).




Some pictures and a video of course (Working on trotting on the bit - I realise that he is almost on the bit too much - I am not asking him to go like this, he seems to mainly do it on the corners - when he isnt trying to stick his head in the air that it :-|:wink


1min video (Working on getting him to stay on the bit in trot) :
18082013044_zpsf6221ddb.mp4 Video by HalleysComet1994 | Photobucket


Pictures 



































We look so short!!!! Considering I'm almost 5'10 and Dimka is 16.1hh.... we look tiny!


















Dimka decided he was a bit special after our ride.. :lol:


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Two more pictures from our ride yesterday (Monday 19/08/13)















:smile:


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Wasn't able to ride last night (21/08/13) due to bad weather.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Rode Dimka tonight, only did walk and trot, no canter as the ground was wet (partially smooshy to touch - checked the footing before getting him out, after getting his feed and tack ready) and he was a bit flighty when I tied him up - there were two horses, next to the yard I had tied him outside of on the tie-up pole, in the jumps arena (mare and gelding) mucking around running and bucking. Dimka reared and was startled, and spinning, and broke the bailing twine which I had him tied to, but luckily I had grabbed him once he got loose as I was grooming him at the time and was able to try and calm him down. He was still wound up and was not in shape to be ridden (hot horse + lots of puddles over the property = slippery and potentially dangerous or fatally if he were to become hot and take off) so I turned him in a paddock with two three year old crosses to burn some steam off - where he promptly claimed the round bale as his, keeping the other horses away. Boy did he make us laugh - he sat in the haybale after mucking around, then had a gallop with the other horses - always retreating back to 'his' haybale. The filly imitated his move of sitting and sat down in the haybale also as Dimka ate some hay after settling down.

Wasn't going to ride him after he had been rearing and startled, but after he had had a couple laps of galloping/mucking around with the horses I had put him in, he had settled down, so I groomed him once again (I had almost finished grooming him when he had become wound up before, but since he didn't have his rugs on anymore, he needed to be groomed once again - lots of mud!!). Got him tacked up and he was pretty calm, a bit looky and snorty but pretty well behaved.


What we worked on in our ride:


- Walk/trot on the bit at a good pace (he kept wanting to slow dow, so I would increase my leg and seat to keep him moving forward).

-Worked on corners as he hasn't been too flash on bending around my leg as he turns around corners. Also worked on keeping him on the bit around corners as he likes to lift his head whilst going around.



Dimka tried to take off twice whilst I was riding him tonight, so I circled him tightly before he could go full flight. A few of the horses in the paddocks next door a few properties over were galloping around in their paddock (which I could hardly see as there were many trees). After circling he was still wound up and wanted to run, so I had him walk a few 20 x 40m circles to make sure he was calming down and listening to me before we went back up to a trot. I didnt want to canter him today as the ground was not suitable for cantering, and also due to him not being in the right frame of mind, I just wanted to play it safe. and worked on working on the bit, corners, and trying to engage his back (I have watched a few videos, after his owner told me that is what she wants to work on with him - she directed me to one of the videos)

His owner's dad came down as I was riding and chatted with mum whilst watching me ride and said hello to Dimka and I when I rode him over to him and mum.

No pictures tonight as mum was helping me (she put two hay biscuts in his haynet and carried over for me, when I did the rest of his feed and put aside two biscuts for his morning feed in a white chaff bag as per the request of his owner) and didnt have her phone on her to take pictures when I started riding.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from tonight, Wednesday 29/08/13.

　
Tonight's ride was good, he tried to take off a few times but not as much as other times - Bella another OTTB was literally bolting around her paddock (the one on the same fence line as the arena i have been riding in) because two other horses were out in a paddock next to her in (the paddock Brooke's ASH x TB homebred gelding was in - he is now on lease) having a run as a change from being in their yards whilst they were being cleaned, so they were having fun together and Bella was having a bit of a rear here and there - gee she is a nice mover! I kept talking to Dimka to keep him listening to me and to keep calm as well as having a heavy seat and half halting on the reins to keep him in check.

He went on the bit the maority of tonight- though I did have a bit of a talk with him (mum thought I was talking to her lol because I had been but I was talking to Dimka and she was like??? lol because I told him to give it back - he took the bit and was trying to take control of my reins by chomping and stretching against me). 

I cantered him tonight (both ways of course) and he was good (Di said we looked really good together, and that he is going really well for me, which was huge compliment) but a bit annoying on the corners - he trys to cut them, and doesnt keep on the track with my leg, but I also havent cantered much lately due to weather/him/other horses so that doesnt help the situation, but we will get there. My leg is slowly building back up so hoping to get him working off my leg a bit more in canter, like he is with walk/trot. I finished out ride off with a nice walk both ways to let him stretch himself out.

A grey mare got out when I was getting Dimka out, she galloped past me (even though I was telling her to whoa, and trying to shut the gate quickly but wasnt able to due to Dimka going spazz and not moving but rather prancing around. No one told me there was a loose horse in there (she was in her yard standing in her yard eating as I got Dimka out) so I ust left the main gate open for me to close when I had dimka out of his yard so I didnt have to open close 2 gates. Luckily Di ran to help me as I yelled loose horse, because the mare (who they thought couldnt run due to arthritis) was charging around the yard (in the area we had the cars parked/washbay/outside the umping arena), and she galloped up to the gate (the one that seperates the drive from the road, near the house) which was open. 

Dimka ripped some skin from my hand from the rope burning me as he was flipping out from excitement/nerves when I was trying to talk to the mare soothingly to grab her rug but luckily Di ran up to the side of the house, over the fence and was able to quickly go over and grab her before she ran out to the road... I felt horrible, but I didnt know she was loose in the yards area, but luckily we managed to catch her.. I was very tired and sweaty at the end of our ride, because I had to work hard to keep him moving and not letting him stop/slow when he wanted, so I ust kept encouraging him with my leg, seat and voice and praising him for doing the right thing. Dimka was sweaty under his saddle pad and a bit on his browband/neck but not exsessivly - a good working amount. 

We had a good night tonight and he listened really well to me (especially when the other horses were playing) and Di was really impressed with how well he was listening to me and thinks he is a really good horse (and I agree! He is a really sensible boy, and although he may want a run, he does listen which is good and makes me feel safer knowing that he will listen to me in situations like that).
　
No pictures tonight, as mum did not have her camera on her, but she helped by carrying his hay over for me and getting the gate as I walked in/out/with Dimka which I appreciated, especially since the Grey mare was back in that area and was right at the gate as I approached (also didnt let Dimka graze today during tack-up/grooming/leading as the fencelines had been sprayed).


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Should also add that on Friday (23/08/13) mum and I measured him and he is actually 16.3hh and not 16.1hh as I had thought.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from Friday last week, 30/08/13.

Before riding, I watered down and mixed Dimka's hard feed and put two flakes of hay in his haynet, which I then left beside his hard feed on the wash bay (where it was soaking - it has MaxiSoy in it so it expands - I just leave it whilst I ride because then I dont have to wait for it to soak when I am feeding him). I usually put two flakes of hay in a white chaff bag for his owner to grab and give to him in the morning, but I didnt need to this time because there was already a lot of loose hay in a chaff bag beside her hay bales which I assume she had gathered - there were no other chaff bags empty to use either, so I left it as it was.

My riding friend, Cat, came and watched me ride today. She had tried Drummer (a Gypsy Cob gelding) the same day I had tried Dimka out, and was told he was being taken on by a family memeber - she told me she would still be interested and love to ride Drummer if the owner changes their mind. She went over and said hello to Drummer as I was riding - she has a soft spot for him, I think he reminds her a bit of Yoshi with his quirky nature and his canter.


During our ride Dimka and I:
- Worked on using my seat and rising to extend his trot (he got the hang of it down the long sides, not a huge stride, but still a extension of his trot). Would like keep working on this with him.

- Walk/Trot on the bit, holding the reins by the buckle - he really seeks the bit and stretches out, so I am encouraging him to seek the bit, as when I ask him to go on the bit he will usually do it fairly quickly after a bit of reminding, but I would like to get him to work on the bit without any niggling, so decided to practise this excercise with him (which is something I was taught as a way of getting a horse to want to go on the bit, by first seeking the bit, and then collecting the horse).

- Canter on the left leading leg on a 20x20m circle, mananged to get him on the bit at a canter - something I have not practised with him before. He did keep wanting to trot so I kept encouraging and driving him forward using leg and my seat, pushing him into the bridle.


Brooke (Property owner's daughter) said he may need a crop if he keeps being lazy (she has noticed he is now more lazy than he used to be, now I am riding him and giving him more work than he used to - the also owner hasnt ridden in a while due to being ill), which I agree, but would like to work with him a bit more with more leg and encouragement before using the crop - something I dont want to use if I do not have to.

After our ride, I brushed Dimka down, and mum helped, he was irritated by the mosquitos so was stamping and nipping in frustration. Brushed the sweat from his poll/browband with a bit of water splashed through the soft brush. Put his winter rug on (he ripped his summer rug, on Wednesday according to Brooke, which has now been removed - she told me he was standing and putting his legs though in and out the ripped bum section of his rug).


No pictures.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from Monday 02/09/13.

I was sick with the flu whilst riding today, so we only worked on walk with a bit of trot on the bit. I had started us out as usual, working with a warm up of walk both directions of the arena twice, then into trot. Only did a couple laps of trot before coming back down to a walk again - due to being sick I was cramping in my right side of my ribcage and couldn't breath properly and was sweating before even having tacked him up. Had some nice helmet hair after that ride! Was a bit humid too, so Dimka was also sweating on his neck as we started our ride. I was annoyed with myself not being able to trot, so attempted it again, doing a lap with one hand on my hip (western style.. haha) which helped strech me out on my right side but still didnt help the pain, so we just came back to a walk and worked on riding on the bit on contact and loose rein.

After riding, I put some hoof salve on Dimka's hooves (I think it was Effol but not sure - black salve).

Made his hard feed when I got there - his owner messaged me the instructions to make his hard feed, and I also put aside 2 hay flakes in a chaff bag for her to feed him in the morning. He was unrugged when I got there, like the other horses, so I grabbed his rug, which was in the shed on one of his feed bins, when I finished making his feed which I left to soak after adding water to his hardfeed and putting his 2 flakes of hay in a haynet to feed him after I rode.


No pictures.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from Wednesday, 04/09/13.

Started off riding in the arena, working on walk and trot both ways on bit with light contact - he is getting better with the corners and not trying to cut them off as much now. He is also getting softer with contact when I am asking him to go on the bit. 
Went in the jumps arena and jumped two jumps (a milk-crate jump and a small oxer no bigger than a milk crate in the middle) a few times at a trot for something different - I didn't want to canter him today as I have not been feeling 100% lately and didnt feel I had the energy to get him cantering and push him forward (he has a 'up' canter rather than a 'forward' canter).
He is no longer 'jumping' into the canter now, like he did when I tried him out and for the ride after trialling him.
Brooke noticed he has pulled a shoe (no nails or shoe on his front left hoof), and said he would be fine to ride like that as he has done it a few times before and always been fine to ride - he wasn't acting any different either.
I put him in the last yard tonight (the one next to the floats and his normal yard) as he and Milo (the pony yarded next to him) had knocked down a post which was one of the horizontal beams for seperating the two yards (apparently Dimka and Milo had knocked it down earlier this arvo due to both of them rearing and striking it).
Dimka was rather laid back tonight - has been a bit on the lazy side for the last few rides, and was clumsy over the two small jumps we were jumping (trot in, and a few canter srtides out before coming back to trot) and knocked down one of the jumps which Di put back up for me (she was going through the jumps arena to get her pony and her daughters foal at the time).
He was a bit grumpy in the jumps arena when I had finished warming him down with a few laps of walk, I think he just wanted the grass which I was letting him have, so he was pulling on the bridle which I fixed by making him move on and asking for the bit/reins, when he relaxed and listened/settled I relased the pressure and he was fine - I wanted to finish on a good note, not a 'greedy' note - you'd think he was starving the silly boy!! Haha.
Will work on cantering the jumps next ride hopefully if the weather doesnt go horrible again and make the footing bad (the back half of the jumps arena was a bit spongey so we didnt use it, only for a bit of trotting and our inital walk around which I let him get a look before starting our jumping).
Dimka had left over hay from this morning which was in a blue bucket, so brooke put that in the yard I put him in - he also got his usual 2 flakes of hay and his hard feed which I brought over to him after we had ridden/cooled/untacked/rugged/yarded. Mum had my car at the main horse gate to light up the yards so I could see whilst feeding and yarding Dimka.


Two short videos from the same jump tonight (I relaise he landed and took the wrong canter lead - something I need to work on when jumping).

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/HalleysComet1994/media/04092013046_zps9437f9e0.mp4.html

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/HalleysComet1994/media/04092013045_zps3238146d.mp4.html


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from yesterday - Friday 07 09 13.


Before riding today, I cut Dimka a bridle path (I asked the owner if this would be alright, because he had masses of hair and with the bridle path it would mean haltering and bridling quicker - she said that was fine, she had been thinking about doing for a while but had not gotten around to it) 3 fingers width (enough to put on a bridle/halter with some room to spare).

I rode him in the jumps arena tonight for the second time.

He was lazy tonight, so required a lot of leg, however he required half halting on the other side of the arena (near Drummer's paddock). He was in a stubbron mood so we worked on the small oxer and the green/blue crate one - I was going to canter him over a slightly larger straightbar (the one with the crates underneath) however he wasn't listening properly so I decided against it, after cantering him in preperation - he really strode out in the canter and took a fair bit of half halting to bring him back to a trot. 

I decided if his mind wasn't on the task, then he wasn't going to get to go over the straight bar, so we sticked to the smaller ones. Worked on his halting alo, as he likes to take 5 or so steps before coming to a stand still... got him down to 3 steps.. then no steps - finished it on a good note. We all have our days.


Mum and I took some pictures and two short videos which I will add to this post







. I still need to work on getting him on the right canter lead after he lands, as it is something I want him to learn and use - I googled it before riding him on Friday but found alot of varying answers so will need to look into asking one of my old instructors for some help.


His owner is taking him to Pony Club this weekend so hopefully they do well and have some fun (she hasnt ridden him due to being sick/busy).



Ok... picture time!!!



















Videos:
http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/Ha...4be81.mp4.html
http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/Ha...47862.mp4.html

Both of these were flatwork in the arena.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from Monday, 09 09 13.

Made Dimka's hard feed (there wasn't one made - his owner usually makes it for him in the morning, for me too feed him after I ride in the afternoons I am there - so luckily I had the 'recipe' for his hard feed in my car (I have made it once before, hence why I had the 'recipe) and just had to find all the 'ingredients' as they had been shuffled around in the shed to the back wall area of where they were.
His owner must have bought him a new summer rug (he ripped his last one near the tail - I didnt see it but was told about it by the property owner's daughter).
Noticed whilst picking his hooves out that his front left is not the best shape - he usually has shoes on but they have been taken off (noticed when picking his hooves) and must be corrective shoeing as the shape is different. (must be my eyes - just saw in one of the pics that he has a shoe - will have to check when I go ride him next - I could have sworn he had no shoe - thought I saw nail holes - hmm she might have had the front two taken off - will have to check that one out!!.
He is back in his normal paddock now (the middle rail/post divider has been fixed).


He was good to ride compared to Friday - he was listening alot more and working better, but he does seem to 'time out' after about 20mins or so. We warmed up by walking around the jumps arena in both directions and through - I let him look at the smaller of the jumps (the one which I need to apply a strong outside leg as he likes to try and evade it) so that he was fine with it and knew it wasnt going to leap out at him like he seems to think it does.. haha its only this small plain jump too! He can walk over it - it is that small.... I reckon if he coughed he and I would land over the other side.. 

We worked on the small cross rail jump and the crate jump as well as using the trot poles at a trot and walk - they were evenly spaced out (they weren't on Friday) so I decided to take him over them at a trot rather than only a walk like I had been doing. He is starting to lift his feet up better too.
He would pick up the canter after the crate jump (I have asked my previous instructor about getting the right leg of canter after landing from a jump (Dimka is generally pretty good at this, but I want to know how to get it right if I was to ride another horse, or if he didn't pick up the right canter lead after a jump how to fix it) and he went really well tonight, picking up the right canter lead every jump. He does like to canter for a few strides around the 'corner' before coming back to a trot, so I have been urging him on with my seat and and using my inside leg to keep him 'wrapped' around my leg and not cutting 'corners'.
He spooked at a blue feed bucket which blew into the jump arena, so after reassuring him with my voice that it was alright I let him slow to a walk and brought him round so he could have a look at the bucket - which he was convinced was going to eat him, until he realised it smelled like the food which had been inside it previously - before we went back to our trot/jump/canter.


I changed up the routine a bit during the ride - something I try to do so that he has to continue thinking and doesnt become lazy with the same predicatable routine - so sometimes I would trot him past the jump instead of going over it etc, and change directions/jumps to keep him focused and listening.

I always finish my rides on a good note, so I made him jump the crate jump (crates with an added pole on top - wasnt a pole on top on friday) until he did it properly, as he had rushed up to it so I made sure to bring him to a steady trot with some half halting and slowing of my seat as well as talking to him and asking him to 'steady'.


I had been worried that I may have cut his bridlepath too big (I did a 3 finger width) but when I went to halter him I had trouble finding it..haha (his forelock had flicked back behind his ears) and when I went to bridle him later it didnt look to big/silly as I had worried it might have - would hate to cut too much off and have him looking silly (he looked fine when I had done it but I thought to myself when I got home maybe I had chopped too much?? thinking that threee finger width is quite a bit- but it looks fine and not too horrible for my second bridlepath with sissors - the first was one I did on Pepe my old riding horse).



The poperty owner's daugther had asked me to let her mare (Possum) out of her yard (which has a gate that opens up into the jumps arena) once I had finished riding as she apparently runs umuck if she is closed in, so mum offered to let her out whilst I led Dimka out the main jumps arena gate to untack him. 


Some Pictures:















Dimka - the dissapearing horse! Because jumping the crate jump visably is too mainstream haha.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from last night, Wednesday 11/09/13.


Dimka had a few seed-like things on his face and legs today - I noticed a few of them on his face when I went to put his halter on so I pulled them off and looked at them - they looked like some sort of parasite but they werent, they were some kind of seed that had gotten stuck. I had mum look at them too, and she informed me that they were not parasites, but seeds from some kind of weed. They scared me a bit, being in clusters with a few here and there, and to be sure, I went all over his legs and body/head and pulled them all off. Better to be safe than sorry, and they would be quite annoying being stuck to your fur. I'm glad they are not a parasite, but they sure did make me look twice!

Had a bit of a grooming session with Dimka before riding (spent a bit of extra time grooming today as Bella, Brooke's mare, was having some fun stretching her -fast- legs in the jumps arena).

Got all those knots out his tail and mane/forelock with a little help from no-knots, the mane comb and some elbow grease!

He then got his hooves done with his Effol hoof ointment - which he gets once or twice a week to help keep his hooves in good nick.

We brought a few apples down for him (one before riding and one after) but he didnt seem keen on them - only nuzzling them and ate 1/3 of an apple before dropping it in Possum's (mare) yard - we asked Brooke (her owner) if she could have the apple and she said that would be fine. He didn't want the other apple after riding either - fussy boy!

He was pretty good to start off with when I rode him, and kept a good pace, however he does seem to have a 'time-out' which I find very annoying because he just shuts off and doesnt want to do anything which makes riding him harder, but I kept him going (as always) until I decided we were finished - not him. We finished on a good note tonight (I look him over a white straight bar jump which he either was lazy jumping or rushed into it a few strides before the jump) by having him jumping the white straight bar jump at a good pace and laning on the right canter lead, before bringing him back to a trot and telling him what a good boy he was for listening. 

I set up a few jumps tonight - three straight bars (as well as using the crate jump a few times), however we only went over two of them (he hates the one with the silver barrel lying next to it, which I think might be half the problem, so I always let him go up and see that it is not infact going to eat him - this will be the next jump we do once I am happy with the way he is jumping, because at the moment he is either lazy and knocks the pole (though he has only knocked a pole down once or twice) or tries to rush the last few strides into the jump/out of the jump. I am working with him on getting a steady and consistent pace, which is alot more controlled and planned. He has an annoying habbit of stumbling every now and then, he will be trotting along and boom he has tripped on something - I think it is due to laziness as he seems fine to me and his owner has mentioned before when we are talking that he sometimes is lazy like that, dragging his feet. He does not seem to be in any pain, and he is a bit lazy to ride (epescially when he 'clicks off') so I think its more of a lazy thing than pain. 

I made a point of cantering him for 20/30 metres after a jump as he likes to come back down to a trot a few strides of canter after the jump, so I have been urging him on to canter at a nice pace, and resisting him coming back down to a trot. I have not yet cantered him around a 'course' but have done a few jumps with a couple strides in of canter with him. The jumps we did were in hole 5 of the standards (though I think the one we didnt jump was a hole 6?? I had to use a stick for one of the pegs for that jump as it was missing, and I didnt want to just use the 'clip' which I had balance to hold the jump cup incase it fell at some point and scared him). 

He was really patient whilst I put the jumps up (I had him with me eating grass whilst I put up the first jump, the one with the silver barrel beside it, and mum held him whilst I put up the last two jumps.

Carrots and Milo's owner told me if her horses were out in the jumps arena/outside their yards, I could put them away if they were distracting/in the way of Dimka and I, which was nice of her since we dont really know each other apart from a few quick hellos here and there. Really like those two horses, both very friendly - though they were making some hilarous noises with Bella when they were talking to her over the jump arena fence (she was in there whilst I was grooming Dimka - the pally pony and Brooke's foal were also in their with her but were put away by Di's partner before he attempted to catch Bella who was running and generally making it a hard time for him but he got her in her yard after a bit of running - I decided I would use the time to 'pamper' Dimka with the thorough grooming session whilst she was in the arena because I didnt want to ride whilst she was out playing/running as it makes him want to 'go'.)


Some pictures from tonight - mum had a bit of fun taking pics so there were a few which I really liked (along with 23 vids haha, I'll also add a few short few second clips from riding tonight). I also took a few of these pictures (before riding) whilst we were waiting for Bella to be caught/grooming Dimka.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Pictures cont, from Wednesday 11/09/13.
















Waiting patiently as I put up the first of our straight bar jumps (he hates this one - I'm thinking it is because of the silver barrel - we haven't jumped this one yet but I set it up anyway)


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Last of the pictures from Wednesday 11/09/13. Includes some of jumping (dont mind my horrible position!) the white straight bar.












Some Videos: (they are only a few seconds each due to my mum wanting to save batteries for taking pictures)

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/HalleysComet1994/media/MVI_4352_zps1532d641.mp4.html


http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/HalleysComet1994/media/MVI_4351_zpsaad1cd2a.mp4.html

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/HalleysComet1994/media/MVI_4350_zpsf7b71fdf.mp4.html

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/HalleysComet1994/media/MVI_4346_zps2e3897f7.mp4.html

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/HalleysComet1994/media/MVI_4344_zps62c156b8.mp4.html

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/HalleysComet1994/media/MVI_4339_zps44ff6a0e.mp4.html

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/HalleysComet1994/media/MVI_4333_zpseac69bfe.mp4.html

http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/HalleysComet1994/media/MVI_4332_zpsbcc78c54.mp4.html


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

The pictures from the last post didnt work so I'll add them here again.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from tonight, Friday 13/09/13.

He was a pain to ride tonight. We shared the arena, using the back end - Di was teaching Brooke how to lunge Bella in the front half of the arena whilst I rode, they asked if it would be alright and I said that was fine we would just use the back half. He would work at a good pace, and on the bit (with a bit of encouragement) but would not listen to leg at all (I tried all different leg positions, normal, more pressure, and even extended my stirrups to wrap my leg completely around his barrel) no matter what I tried he would not listen. We repeated alot of walk and trot just working on getting him to move off my leg (inside leg, firm outside rein to block his shoulder) in corners and circles until he started doing them properly - in the whole entire ride he must have only done about 8 good corners off my leg (the first four being when we had the whole arena for a few laps before Bella was being lunged). 

I bought a actual hair brush yesterday for his mane and tail just to make it easier to brush (rather than using a plastic mane comb) his mane and tail.
Didn't do his hoof ointment tonight as he just had it on Wednesday night.
I made his hard feed tonight (am keeping his 'recipe' in my car incase Sarah forget to make it, so I can make it) and put two flakes of hay aside in a white chaff bag for her to feed him in the morning. Put his hard feed in the wash bay to soak in the bucket, and put his hay (which I carried over in another white chaff bag) in his haynet (I went and got the haynet as I got him out, and put it there when I had tied him up, to fill once he was in his yard and I was ready to feed him).
Picking his hooves out after riding he was a bit funny with his left front (the hoof without a shoe) and stamped it down whilst I was attempting to pick it out twice, so each time I made him pick it up, giving him a smack the second time due to him ripping his hoof from my hand and stamping it down (I made sure he was balanced on the other legs before picking his hoof up the first time so it wasnt like he was unbalanced - and the mozzies were not annoying him as I brought some mozzie repellant (which he was fine with, I tested a bit on his neck first to make sure he wouldn't react to it before spraying some on his legs to keep the mozzies off as that is where they usually like to land on him - there were also hardly any mozzies to be seen so I dont think that was the cause of him stamping his hoof down from my grasp - I think he was just in a mood like he had been during the ride - one of his off days..)


No riding pictures /videos tonight (mum hurt her ankel, thinking it is a bad sprain, Wednesday night so she was in the car and didn't come out) but I did manage to take a few pictures for fun before I rode - Brooke was riding Possum in the arena as I arrived so I decided to spend some extra time grooming while I waited for the arena to be free since the jumps arena was too wet to ride in due to rain over the last two days.

Some friends (mum and daughter) were going to come up to meet Dimka tonight (suprise for the daughter, which I taught for a few lessons) but were unable to due to a change of plans, but will most likely be coming up not next Monday but the Monday after. 

Another friend, ServantOfDubbin (and possibly his partner StormCloud), will be coming up for a visit next Wednesday so that will be fun - hopefully Dimka will be in a better mood, but we will just keep working (and changing the riding up a bit - eg. jumping/flatwork/jumps).

Pictures! I was playing with some of the angles on these - I wish the second bicture was better focused - would have made a great picture!


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update from tonight, Monday 16/09/13.


He tried to kick me whilst I was grooming today, he didn't get me - I jumped out the way in time - it was a cowkickt. He didnt seem in pain either as he was fine when I felt the spot, I think he was just grumpy.

His owner told me that he is a bit of a princess with rain etc and will do things (assuming she meant riding?) but you have to argue.She is going to get a chiro out in the coming months as just a check up of sorts He seems to have a girlfriend over that fence (I think she is an Arab - bay with a star), she was neighing and walking along the fenceline as I took him from his yard - mr handsome didn't even look, baha poor mare. I think he was just really gumpy, he looked like a grump the entire time (cant say I blame him with weather like this.. but then again it was fine when we were grooming??? who knows..) 
He was fine other than that and was actually really good until it started getting crappy with rain/wind. His owner asked if I got the money (bulk paid for riding Dimka) but I haven't got the money yet - thinking it might be here tomorrow (due to the weekend) - Ill have to remember to let her know when I get it. 

Mum used my sleeping bag wrapped around her as some warmth, due to not having a coat, whislt she sat on a chair in the jumps arena - Dimka was fine with it when we first came into the arena (I helped mum walk over there, and went to bridle him before bringing him into the arena) but was spooked once the weather turned for the worst, when we were leaving the arena so I got mum to walk out first (she opened the gate enough for me and Dimka and I walked him out after she had walked a way in front and I had calmed Dimka down a bit, through the gate and shut it right behind us as Possum was loose in her yard/the jumps arena).

Wiped the saddle down before putting it away, since it is leather and had been rained on a bit, I made sure it was dried using a cloth to dry it down.


Some pictures from tonight (only a few due to not riding for long due to the weather).


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Upate from last night, Wednesday 18/09/13.

Friends (also members here) SevantOfDubbin and StormCloud came to visit and meet Dimka tonight (I arrived before them, so made up his hard feed minus pony pellets as there were none and got his hay ready for his feed and the morning feed). SevantOfDubbin and StormCloud took some pictures, which was very kind of them. 
Dimka wasn't on his best behaviour tonight, and tried to kick a few times (in the direction of our guests) so he got a few smacks and told 'NO' - his behaviour really suprised me as usually he is really well behaved and is a very people loving horse.

We rode in the jumps arena, did two of the jumps (white straight bar and small cross bar) and the trot poles. Worked on walk and trot, and a bit of canter, on the bit (he needs alot of leg to keep him moving in the canter which makes getting him on the bit hard for me, having to think in two ways at once). We also did a full lap of canter in the jumps arena (from the landing of the cross bar jump, and back around over the jump before coming back to a trot). He spooked and jumped sideways at a rug on the fence today (near Possums yard but a few yards down almost opposite one of the straight bar jumps) so walked him over to it and let him have a look, letting him have a look -forocious horse-eating rugs .

There was however an unfortunate ending to our ride - I broke my wrist..

I dont remember the fall.. only knowng and then being on the ground as he bolted off. He was annoyed with another gelding in the arena so I was walking him until he focused back on me, and then trotted him over a tiny (walkable) jump - half halted before the jump - and he was great, let him canter a few strides and gave him a few halt halts to bring him back to a trot ... he got something in his head and got faster so I started circling and he ducked one way, back again and ducked again and I came off before I could even blink.. he bolted off and lucky I shut the gate. I wont get to ride for atleast 6 weeks let alone lift anything.. hmm... I ripped one of the stirrups off the saddle too.

SevantOfDubbin helped me to catch him, after he bolted off when I fell, and lead him back over - helping me untack him, before I gave him a quick groom to brush the sweat out/coat flat. Brooke helped me by putting his rugs on (I managed to do his leg straps with one hand), and she opened/closed a few gates for me and carried over his feeds (hay + hard feed), which was very nice of her.

I didn't want to have x-rays but our guests, and mum, convinced me to get my wrist checked out (it was really painful and I was avoiding trying to use it at all costs). We went to a clinic first which had shut it's X-rays, then went to LMH where I had x-rays, a talk and some nice drugs (I was told they would have to flatten out my wrist, which made me gag and feel whoozy, so I put my arm on the desk and proceeded to squash it until it was as flat as I could get it - I didn't want them to have to do a 'reduction' - something that the nurses at the front desk had said I would need -thankfully most of it was swelling and blood from around the break. 
Mark - my 'doctor's name - then came in and looked at me squashing my wrist down...  I'm sure he thought I was nuts, but I asked him "Is this flat enough??? So you wont have to straighten it out??" and he replied Yes.. and found it funny when I replied, "Good, so no torture right??"... lol.

I told his owner last night when I got home, and she has said if i dont want to ride him she will understand. She is still quite as shocked as I am. I will give him another go - see how I go.


I went to the doctor this morning (19/09/13) and was told it will be another week before I get another cast put on with my appointment with a bone specialist (I think thats what she called him/her) - this cast isnt on straight, which obviously wont help with healing..


Anyway - picture time! StormCloud even managed to get one mid fall!! Talk about awesome timing :grin:









He is coming along so nicely with his trot now, working on the bit (I've also been trying to get him to engage his hindquarters - I think he is here, as his front and back look joined in motion but can't quite tell due to the angle of the picture)








Miss concentration face 

The picture StormCloud got of my fall.








Yep that metal/silver is the stirrup which I ripped clean off the saddle with it's leather. (I didn't notice until I stood up and started walking over to try and catch Dimka - found it near where I fell)








My nicely mis-shaped swollen wrist, on the way to the hospital.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Forgot to add: Mum thinks for it to have broken like it did (she was able to understand the x-rays better than me), that I fell ontop of my wrist which must have been bent underneath.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Just got home from Modbury Hosp - LMH didn't put the cast on properly, infact my wrsit about 20 degrees bent!

Had a new cast put on with double the support (plaster on top and bottom). Even got a nice comfy sling... so much nicer except for the fact it feels like I'm carrying a brick around!

Will hopefully be getting a fibreglass cast next week when the swelling has gone - feels like an age away already, haha.


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## ilikehorses2 (Sep 24, 2012)

Ouch!!


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Found out a couple days ago that I have an appointment next Monday with a specialist at Modbury Hosp, so I'll get a proper cast then and they will possibly re-xray to re-asses the damage since now they will probably be able to see how the bone is healing where it was damaged. LMH said I had a fracture, but Modbury think from the first ex-rays (which were taken at LMH and transported to Modbury when I went there for the cast) I have a buckle fracture which basically means (from what I understood) one side of the bone buckled under compressive force whilst the other side of the bone streched but didn't seperate.

I reckon I'll get a purple cast (like I did with my other wrist) instead of a red cast (which I was considering as my other colour choice) - hopefully will be able to get a fibreglass cast which wont be too heavy.


Mum was rung by my old boss (from where I was Team Manager for the riding school) and I've been asked that whilst they go away for a holiday with the family in a month or so,I look after the property/animals (like I did in Janurary this year) so I am really looking forward to that – especially since I wil be allowed to ride then (my ex-boss/owner of the horses has also said I can ride whenever/on the trails/in the arenas) in a brace – should be fun! So I am really looking forward to that. If I want to trail ride I have been asked to take someone with me for safety, so I have a couple friends (who she knows and sees alot as they also learnt to ride there) who I am sure will come and ride which will be fun!


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Thought I'd update from last night (Had my appointment at the fracture clinic at Modbury Hospital) - this is posted from my FaceBook account and was written last night, hence is not written in past tense. :wink:

Finally got home from getting my wrist checked... 
went back to Modbury, signed in and had my x-rays again (they did it with the cast on... bit dodgey??) and the nurse who called me into a room afterward (I'm sorry, I'm really not racist) could not really talk any english apart from 'Fractured/Cracked bone' and she then took my cast off - So I asked her what we were going to do now, she says use i...t no riding for four weeks, but that it is not healed... ummm yeah..

So then mum isn't happy with that advice (I'd been in a double sided backslab for 12 days by now with restricted movement) so we argued a bit, me wanting to just put it in a support and go home, thinking I could ride soon, but then we went to a place in Elizabeth on the way home, to get another point of view...2nd lot of X-rays for the day, and the lady (who was really lovely) said that yes, my arm does in fact need to still be in a cast - and a fibreglass one at that, so now I have a fibreglass (rather nicely done too!) cast - I was a bit bummed because I didn't get to choose the colour (had decided on purple) so I have a off-white/yellowish cast for the next 3 weeks and then easing back into routine.

Mum thinks that its the radius, one of the long arm bones, at the wrist end, on the thumb side of it there is a buckle fracture - she found me this picture and circled it where it is fractured - a buckle fracture.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

*UPDATE: no more Dimka*

Friday I recieved a message via FaceBook from Dimka's owner saying "Hey sam, I would like to change the days you ride around, is it possible for you to do a tues and/or thurs? Instead of a Wednesday? I was thinking if this is ok, Tuesday and/or Thursday Friday And one other day (if you can't do tues and thurs)" I replied "We can't do Tuesdays, weekends and I'm assuming you dont want Wednesdays.. How many times a week do you want him worked still?? Weekwise that leaves Monday, Thursday and Friday??" and waited for a reply. 

Sunday I received a message from Dimka's owner saying that she was moving him moving Dimka to a bigger paddock, and to let her know if it was too far for me, that she would understand. She said it was a pretty basic agistment with there's a paddock to ride in at the moment, and is closeish to pt gawler beach and lots of trails with barely any ars- nice quiet country area . An arena would be going down soon- so they told her. It has lights already too, but I would have to wait to practice jumping till she had some equipment which she said would hopefully sooner rather than later. 
She bought her first float and would be booking lessons with a dressage instructor, likely Friday nights. She offered for me to continue riding Dimka on Monday's and Thursday's if the new location was do-able for me, unfortunately it is too far away from me being half an hour's drive each way, a minimum of an hour's traveling each time I go out there, which was hard at the other place with less traveling time (getting things done before the light ran out) so wont be able to come out to the new place. Sorry, that I wont be able to come out that way to ride him, but thank you for letting me take him on whilst I did - he is a good oy generally, a goof but very lovable







I used to call him 'Clifford' as in big red dog as he reminded me as just like a puppy, and well he was chestnut, red same diff haha.

She uploaded this picture of Dimka in his new agistment (first image)

By the address (she included it when messaging me) I think the following image is where he is being agisted (copied from one of their online adds). (second image)




I've been offered by a FaceBook friend of mine to ride her horses, she has two Standardbred geldings which she rides out on trails mostly, but often doesn't have the time or anyone to go with (she offered this to me before I started riding Dimka). She says she doesn't mind if I choose to ride once every 6 months even, so she is pretty relaxed which is good as I have just been offered a job at the new Hungry Jacks which will be being built in my area (and only have another 9 school days left) so we will work it around that. It will be just a fitness and fun thing for me as I want to save and get my own horse next year, and don't want to loose fitness riding or forget things so its great I will still be able to casually ride.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

My cast is coming off on Monday, so will be able to ride and drive after its back up to normal strength.... finally.... Tomorrow it will be a month since the fall.


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## MyFillyAspen (Oct 28, 2012)

Update: Got my cast off this Monday, 21/10/2013, my wrist is weak but it is getting better as I use it more and more (trying not to push it too much), drove my car for a short drive today and was fine (a bit out of sync with driving). Going to email Dimka's owner tonight as she still has my helmet/gloves/brushes and owes me $30 from 2 lots of riding.


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