I fell off Wolfie yesterday. It's the first time I've came off him but I'm sure it won't be the last. The weather has been horrendous the last two days. Yesterday, it was very strong winds with intermittent heavy rain showers. I decided to ride in the school due to the wind and I thought if the rain came on heavy we could just abandon it. I got on and he was spooking at everything at the outside of the school fence. The noise of the wind was loud and buckets were blowing around and a few of the jump wings clattered over. We were walking on the right rein, when a piece of felt on top of the old sheep shed blew up as we were passing it. That was just the excuse Wolfie needed. He leapt 6 foot sideways and started bucking. I lost a stirrup but he stopped and for a second I thought that was it. However, something clattered and he took off at a gallop around the school doing flying leaps and corkscrew bucks. By about the third one I had lost both my stirrups and knew the inevitable was coming. We parted company and I landed at the opposite end of the school from Wolfie. As I was sitting in the soaking wet school checking that I was still in one piece, Wolfie had the good grace to trot over to me and snuffle my hat. He was looking at me as if to say ' why did you get off and why are you sitting down there?' I stood up took a deep breath and forced myself to smile. What else can you do? I brushed myself down, checked Wolfie over and got back on. I worked him in a little more in walk and trot, constantly keeping his attention focused on what we were doing and not what was going on around him. I kept him off the track, changing the rein, circles, serpentines, transitions, continually half halting and balancing him. I had him between my leg and hand and made sure I had control over every one of his feet and where it was being placed. There's nothing quite like getting bucked into next year and hitting the ground with a bump to make you start riding effectively. Wolfie went really nicely. I brought him back to walk and we worked on leg yielding and shoulder fore. I've been working him ridden in shoulder fore as he doesn't require so much bend and have been continuing introducing and starting shoulder in from the ground. He finds it much easier to flex and bend to the left and leg yield moving to the right than to push and cross over with his off hind, leg yielding to the left with right bend. We have been working on this and he is getting stronger at it. I ended it there and gave him a big pat. He is very spooky and can be difficult in the wind and I probably should have lunged him before I got on. Note to self. Get a hammer and nail down the felt on the roof of the sheep shed.
I wish someone had been there to see it. I'd like to have known just how high those bucks were. I've seen him in the field and know what he is capable of. It felt like his back feet were going to touch my head. I'm feeling the effects of it today and feel like I've been hit by a truck.
It feels like winter. Wolfie has been rugged the last two days. I really debated over whether to do it. I always feel that they are rugged for so long over winter, the longer you leave it before starting to rug the better. However, the rain on Monday was just too torrential and the wind was biting. Wolfie doesn't have much shelter in his field so I've put his summer sheet on. It took a lot of persuasion to get Wolfie down to the field on Monday night. Just as I had convinced him that he should go to the field, the rain started hitting us front on as well as from behind and the side. Wolfie made the rest of the trip to the field walking backwards as he refused to walk into the sheeting rain. I don't blame him. It's about this time of year that Wolfie starts voicing his opinion that he doesn't want to be put back in the field at night, he doesn't feel there is enough to eat down there, the weather is miserable and he'd rather stay in his stable. Wolfie came in for winter on the 20th October last year. Wonder if he'll last till then this year. I'm fairly organised for winter. I had to replace Wolfie's rugs again this year as he's gone up another size, but I've been collecting them over summer and have managed to pick up a few good bargains on new rugs from EBay. They are not the nicest of colours, but they are the make that I was looking for and at less than half price I can't complain. They all end up covered in mud anyway. Buttons has a new lightweight turnout and a little fleece rug to dry him off when he's in the stable. Wolfie could probably do with another turnout and I had wanted to get him a heavy weight stable rug in case it gets as cold as it did last winter but I have enough lighter weight ones to layer the rugs if necessary.
I think Wolfie's also feeling a bit unsettled as M and J are at the vet school and C is on box rest due to an infected cut on his leg. That leaves just 3 including Wolfie in the field and I think he's feeling a little out of sorts. I hope they all get better soon.
Forever Friends
Wolfie isn't the gentlest of horses. He's affectionate in his own way, but he's sharp and has a dominant personality and a very intelligent mind. Saying that he seems to sense that Zoe is small and he has to be more careful around her. They are both 5 now and he has known her since they had both just turned 2. He recognises her walking up the road and always gallops over to see her. He is even gentle when taking food from her.
1 comment:
Lovely photo of Zoe and Wolfie.
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